July 30, 2008
Bangkok - Thirty one projects were approved by the Board of Investment in Songkla province in the first half of 2008. Skyrocketing oil prices and labor shortage were among the five factors affecting investment there.
The number of approved projects dropped 26.1% from the same period last year.
Over ten billion baht were invested in those projects, down 56.3% while the employment decreased 21.4%.
Most of the investment projects were about services and public utility.
Two hotel projects would be in Phuket province and the investment cost would be five billion baht.
Other projects were the biodiesel production and biogas-fuelled plant.
Eight investment projects are in Songkla province while four in Krabi, and one each in Yala and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
It was said the investment in the south were affected by soaring energy prices, labor shortage, lack of raw materials in the seafood industry, domestic politics, and southern unrest.
