RNS Number:2541K
BIL International Limited
23 April 2003

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO THE
UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN


NOT FOR RELEASE UNTIL 7.00AM


BIL International Limited

23 April 2003




                               CASH OFFER BY HSBC

                         ON BEHALF OF BIL (UK) LIMITED

                             FOR THISTLE HOTELS PLC


              OFFER EXTENDED UNTIL 3.00 p.m. on FRIDAY, 2 May 2003

   ACCEPTANCE LEVELS ALREADY AT NEARLY SEVEN PER CENT. OF TOTAL REQUIRED FOR
                                    CONTROL

                  POSTING OF CIRCULAR TO THISTLE SHAREHOLDERS


BIL announces that as at 3.00 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 April 2003, the first closing
date of the Offer, valid acceptances had been received in respect of a total of
1,363,845 Thistle Shares, representing approximately 0.3 per cent. of the
existing issued share capital of Thistle.*


The BIL Group currently owns 221,094,640 Thistle Shares, representing
approximately 45.8 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of Thistle.**


Accordingly, the BIL Group owns, or has received valid acceptances in respect
of, a total of 222,458,485 Thistle Shares, representing approximately 46.1 per
cent. of the existing issued share capital of Thistle.


These acceptances represent approximately 6.8 per cent. of the Thistle Shares
that the BIL Group would require to achieve an aggregate control holding of in
excess of 50 per cent. of Thistle.***


BIL, today, will be posting a circular setting out the further reasons why BIL
believes that Thistle Shareholders should accept its full and fair offer.


HSBC announces on behalf of BIL that the Offer has been extended until 3.00 p.m.
on Friday, 2 May 2003.


Enquiries:

BIL
Arun Amarsi                     +65 6228 1427
HSBC
Neil Goldie-Scot                +44 (0)20 7991 8888
Jan Sanders
Brunswick
Jonathan Glass                  +44 (0)20 7404 5959
Simon Sporborg


* No acceptances have been received from any person deemed to be acting in
concert with the BIL Group (since no such person owns any Thistle Shares).


** The BIL Group acquired its 221,094,640 Thistle Shares before the commencement
of the Offer Period. Immediately before the commencement of the Offer Period,
the BIL Group held no other (and no person deemed to be acting in concert with
it owned any) Thistle Shares or rights over Thistle Shares. Neither the BIL
Group, nor any person deemed to be acting in concert with it, has acquired any
Thistle Shares or rights over Thistle Shares during the course of the Offer
Period.


*** BIL wishes to make clear that it has not, as yet, waived down its 90 per
cent. acceptance condition.


Definitions used in the Offer Announcement dated 4 March 2003 and in the Offer
Document dated 31 March 2003 have the same meaning when used in this
announcement, unless the context requires otherwise.


The above percentage calculations are based on Thistle having an existing issued
share capital of 482,382,087 Thistle Shares (which has been sourced from
Companies House as at 17 April 2003).


This announcement has been issued by HSBC, which is regulated in the UK by The
Financial Services Authority, and which is acting as financial adviser to BIL
and BIL (UK) and no one else in connection with the Offer and the matters
described in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than
to BIL and BIL (UK) for providing the protections afforded to customers of HSBC,
nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or any other matters described
in this announcement.


Unless BIL (UK) otherwise determines, the Offer is not being made, directly or
indirectly, in or into the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan or by use
of the mails of, or by any means or instrumentality of interstate or foreign
commerce of, or any facility of a national securities exchange of any of those
jurisdictions and the Offer should not be accepted by any such use, means,
instrumentality or facility or from within the United States, Canada, Australia
or Japan. This includes, but is not limited to, the post, facsimile
transmissions, telex, telephone, e-mail and the internet. Accordingly, copies of
this announcement and any related documents are not being sent and must not be
mailed or otherwise distributed or sent in, into or from the United States,
Canada, Australia or Japan. Persons receiving such documents (including, without
limitation, custodians, nominees and trustees) should not distribute or send
them in, into or from the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan or use the
United States, Canadian, Australian or Japanese mails or any such means,
instrumentality or facility for any purpose, directly or indirectly, in
connection with the Offer. Doing so may invalidate any related purported
acceptance of the Offer.


The directors of BIL and BIL (UK) accept responsibility for the information
contained in this announcement, save that the only responsibility accepted by
them in respect of the information in this announcement relating to Thistle or
the Thistle Group (which has been compiled from published sources) is to ensure
that such information has been correctly and fairly reproduced and presented.
Subject as aforesaid to the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of
BIL and BIL (UK) (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the
case), the information contained in this announcement for which they are
responsible is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to
affect the import of such information.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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