BANGKOK -- Shares in Thai telecom companies are off to a lackluster start this year as the heavy investments needed to roll out faster 5G networks are expected to depress the sector's earnings.
Last week's announcement of a hefty settlement by third-ranked wireless carrier Total Access Communication, known as DTAC, also weighed on stocks, as the nation's top two carriers -- Advanced Info Service or AIS, and True Corp. -- are thought to be embroiled in similar legal cases.