14 companies seek bid forms for Thai 3G licence for PAKISTAN

Regulator says it is unclear how many foreign firms will bid as they must join forces with Thai companies
Fourteen companies have requested application forms to bid for third generation mobile licenses at next month’s auction, though the number of foreign entities involved remains unclear, the National Telecommunications Commission said Friday.
Thai-listed companies Advanced Info Service PCL, Total Access Communication PCL, True Corp. PCL, Loxley PCL, Samart I-Mobile PCL and Jasmine International PCL are among those seeking to bid, commissioner Natee Sukonrat told reporters.
“We don’t know yet how many foreigners will join in
the auction as they must bid through Thai entities,” he said.
Interested bidders can collect the applications from the telecom regulator until Aug. 29 and they are required to submit their bids by Aug. 30.
Those who pass the pre-qualification process will be announced on Sept. 15, he said.
The auction for the three 15-year licenses has been set for Sept. 20-28, he said, adding that the period can be extended if necessary.
The starting price for the auction has been set at THB12.8 billion.
Natee said the winning bidders–if not already a public company–must seek a listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand within three years after starting their 3G operations although they will be eligible to extend that period twice, for one year each.