Business
Lack of Chinese Investors Creates Condo Glut in Thailand

Chinese investors who formerly snatched up luxury real estate in Thailand are scaling back their activity in response to the country’s slowing economy and housing market. The luxury condo and apartment market in Thailand has benefited for years from the fact that many Chinese invest as much as 70% of their money in real estate.
According to Juwai IQI Group co-founder and CEO Kashif Ansari, who spoke with VOA’s Korean Service, the upward trend in Chinese investment in Southeast Asian real estate has just plateaued. The company has offices in Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere in the region.
“This year, Thailand is no longer the number one destination for Chinese buyers like it was in earlier years,” Ansari wrote in an email. “Instead, it is fifth, and the top four destinations are all the traditional English-speaking countries with prestigious educational sectors.”
According to VOA, the company’s report, Thailand topped the list of the top 10 nations where Chinese investors wanted to purchase homes in the years 2018 through 2021. In 2022, Thailand occupied the number four spot, but by the middle of 2023, it had dropped to fifth.
The Real Estate Information Centre of Thailand also discovered that beginning in 2018, Chinese purchasers made up the largest foreign group acquiring condominium units in Thailand, purchasing 3,562 units in the first nine months of 2022 for over $511 million.
According to Ansari, an increasing number of Chinese are purchasing permanent residences in Australia. The majority of Chinese buyers of Thai homes are speculators.
“Most Chinese buyers [in Australia] this year have been purchasing for their own use and are on the path to becoming new Australian citizens,” said Ansari. ” Many of the purchasers we assist are either now enrolled in school in the target country or are preparing to relocate there and buy a home.
Thailand’s Condo Glut
Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan’s new condo price index has fallen for four consecutive quarters due to an excess of unsold units in older developments, especially in price ranges hit hard by negative factors.
According to Real Estate Information Centre (REIC) interim director-general Vichai Viratkapan, older projects that have been on the market since before 2021 are a contributing factor to the continued drop in the price index for the two provinces.
Unsold condo units were plentiful in complexes that had been on the market for more than three years in these states. The development costs for these projects were less than for newer ones, he noted.
As of the end of the second quarter of 2023, REIC reported that Nonthaburi has 6,705 unsold condo units for a total of 14.8 billion baht. More over half of these homes had been built (3,485 total) and 87% were sold for less than 3 million baht.
There are currently 5,991 unsold condo apartments in Samut Prakan with a total value of 23.2 billion baht. Only 825 of these apartments had their construction completed, but of those, 86% were selling for less than 3 million baht.
Despite the fact that condo units in these buildings were priced lower than newer developments, the purchasing power of the target customers has been hampered by the significant rise in interest rates.
Buyers in the lower-income bracket had a more difficult time qualifying for mortgages because to the high amount of household debt, which exceeded 90% of GDP.
Therefore, in the third quarter of 2023, developers in the affordable condo market ran appealing ads and promotions in an effort to increase sales. Cash discounts were the most sought after.
“Discount campaigns were used in projects that were launched before 2021 as development costs remained at their previous levels, while the prices of construction materials and labour costs increased in the past few years,” Mr. Vichai stated.
The REIC reported that in the third quarter of 2023, the median sales price of newly constructed condos in Bangkok and its two neighbouring provinces was 155.0, up 1.2% from 153.2 in the third quarter of 2022.
This was the third annual increase in a row, beginning in the first quarter of 2023.
Condominium prices in Bangkok have increased for three consecutive quarters according to the price index, while prices in Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan have decreased for four consecutive quarters beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022, a reduction of 2.1%.
Despite Thailand’s Free Visa Chinese Tourists Hesitant to Travel
Despite Thailand’s Free Visa Chinese Tourists Hesitant to Travel

Business
PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.
This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.
Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.
Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.
The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.
Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.
Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.
The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.
Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.
Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.
Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.
Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.
Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”
Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.
The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.
Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.
The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.
Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”
Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.
The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.
Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.
The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:
SOURCE: CNBC
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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.
Business
Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.
This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.
For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.
This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.
Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”
This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.
This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.
Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.
Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.
Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.
This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.
It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.
Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”
This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.
We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.
Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.
SOURCE: THBL
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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children
Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight
Business
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.
According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
SOURCE | AP
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