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Thailand’s pension system is very much a work in progress. The two principal existing schemes, the Old Age Pension Fund (OAPF) and the Government Pension Fund (GPF), cover roughly 9 million workers between them [see table at end of story]. Another 1.5 million workers are covered by corporate provident funds. A few wealthier Thais benefit from the retirement mutual funds scheme.

Although Asia remains in the vanguard of private banking growth, a new survey from Boston Consulting Group highlights key challenges ahead.

In battle for Time Warner, he must convince institutions and the proxy recommendation service advisers.

Calpers, the largest US pension fund, is on the prowl for a new chief investment officer to replace Mark Anson, who stepped down in October to become chief executive officer of Hermes Pensions Management Ltd. The $200 billion fund says it has appointed a recruitment firm and hopes to fill the position in the next six to eight months.

Tougher financing conditions are now making it harder to execute.

Scotland’s richest man, Sir Tom Hunter, plans to pull out £100 million ($177 million) he has invested with UBS Wealth Management after falling out with UBS executive Jon Wood, according to the UK press. The two have been battling it out in a court case in connection with their personal involvement in The Gadget Shop.

Has Gartmore’s public mulling of the possibility of an IPO in the past few months been nothing more than an attempt to attract takeover bids? Statements from the fund manager now pour cold water on the notion of an IPO but concede that the firm is open to acquisition enquiries. The latest buyer to be mentioned in the rumours is Lehman Brothers.

Relational Investors, which in order to try to convince other shareholders why Spanish bank Santander’s purchase of a 19.8% stake in US Sovereign Bancorp for $2.4 billion shouldn’t go ahead and why two directors should be replaced, hired a specialist company to make a professional promotional video. “Apart from me talking for two-and-a-half hours, it’s actually rather interesting,” said Ralph Whitworth, principal at Relational Investors, at a recent New York conference. “It’s not quite as compelling as a Game Boy, but it’s kind of cool.”

Dresdner Bank has sent out a request for proposals for a sale and leaseback of its retail banking network in Germany. The deal involves some 300 banks and will raise an estimated €2 billion. In mid-December four buyers were left in the auction process – Babcock and Brown, Carlyle, Citigroup Property Investment and Fortress.

Market dismisses concentration risk claims.

After earlier forecasting that European share prices would rise in 2006, Standard & Poor’s equity research now expects a 7% fall. The change in outlook is the result of the European Central Bank’s decision to jump on the bandwagon of global monetary policy tightening.

The general picture’s good and the four biggest economies are simultaneously on a growth path.