RNS Number:4733K
BIL International Limited
28 April 2003

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


BIL International Limited

28 April 2003




                               CASH OFFER BY HSBC

                         ON BEHALF OF BIL (UK) LIMITED

                             FOR THISTLE HOTELS PLC


                        Circular to thistle shareholders


BIL (UK) announces that it is today posting a circular to Thistle Shareholders
which contains the following text:


"It has been brought to our attention that there may be some uncertainty
regarding the date from which a Thistle Shareholder is entitled to withdraw his
or her acceptance of the Offer. We therefore confirm that any Thistle
Shareholder who validly accepts or has already validly accepted the Offer may
withdraw his or her acceptance by written notice received by Capita IRG Plc on
behalf of BIL (UK) at the address and in the manner referred to in paragraph 3
(i) in Part B of Appendix I to the Offer Document at any time before the earlier
of (a) the time when the Offer becomes or is declared unconditional as to
acceptances and (b) the final time for lodgement of acceptances of the Offer
which can be taken into account in accordance with paragraph 1(ii) in Part B of
Appendix I to the Offer Document.


BIL urges all Thistle Shareholders, who have not already done so, to accept its
full and fair Offer as soon as possible."




Enquiries:

BIL
Arun Amarsi                      +65 6228 1427


HSBC
Neil Goldie-Scot                 +44 (0)20 7991 8888
Jan Sanders
Marcus Ayre


Brunswick
Jonathan Glass                   +44 (0)20 7404 5959
Simon Sporborg




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.




                                    APPENDIX


                                  DEFINITIONS


Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in the Offer
Announcement dated 4 March 2003, the Offer Document dated 31 March 2003 and
Response to Thistle's Defence Document dated 23 April 2003 shall apply in this
document, together with the following definition.

"Response to Thistle's Defence Document"       the circular to Thistle Shareholders sent by BIL (UK) dated
                                               23 April 2003.




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