Tag: bangkok

  • Dusit Thani Shares More News about Bangkok Developments

    Dusit Thani Shares More News about Bangkok Developments

    More details have been revealed about the massive mixed-use development planned for downtown Bangkok on the high-profile site of the former Dusit Thani Hotel.

    Dusit Thani, the Thai hotel and property development company, is partnering with Central Pattana, which owns the Central retail and mall businesses, in the development, located a stone’s throw from the Sala Daeng skytrain station, adjacent to Rama 4 Road and Lumpini Park.

    Scheduled for completion in 2024, the US$1.15 billion development will comprise 440,000sqm of prime real estate, including a new Dusit Thani hotel, luxury residences, a modern office tower and a high-end shopping mall.

    The development will open in three stages, firstly the 39-story hotel building, followed by Central Park Offices, whose 90,000sqm will be fitted out as a technology hub.

    The 80,000sqm mall, to be called Central Park, is designed to interconnect with all elements of the development as well as the skytrain and adjacent underground railway stations. It will feature a rooftop park. Both the offices and mall are scheduled for completion in 2023.

    The final part of the project, a 69-storey residential tower which is divided into two sections – Dusit Residences and Dusit Parkside – will be completed subsequently.

    “We aim to deliver a one-of-a-kind mixed-use project that blends heritage and innovation, connects all important infrastructure and transportation, embraces a green concept reflecting our prime position opposite Lumpini Park, and delivers enduring value for all our stakeholders,” said Suphajee Suthumpun, group CEO of Dusit Thani Public Company.

    “By blending the best of Thai design and hospitality with international standards of service, we will create a new city landmark that reflects our past, embraces our present, and anticipates the future. By doing so, we will continue the legacy of Dusit Thani Bangkok following the same principles Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui had when she founded the hotel — to be bold and do great things, to create things that never existed before, and to always have a positive impact.”

    Suthumpun said the development aimed to “revolutionise the way people shop, dine, work, live and stay” in the area.

    Wallaya Chirathivat, deputy CEO of Central Pattana said Dusit Central Park will connect four Bangkok neighbourhoods in four directions – Ratchaprasong (north), Charoenkrung (south), Sukhumvit (east), and Yaowarat (west), in doing so creating “a new junction where old meets new, and financial meets commercial”.

  • Yamaha MT-03 Unveiled At Bangkok Motor Show

    Yamaha MT-03 Unveiled At Bangkok Motor Show

    Yamaha Motor has pulled the wraps off the 2019 MT-03 street-fighter motorcycle at the Bangkok Motor Show in Thailand. The updated offering is based on the Yamaha YZF-R3 sharing the engine, chassis and several cycle parts but does get changes to match a naked motorcycle’s mannerisms. For 2019, the updated Yamaha MT-03 gets a new white and red paint scheme in addition to the existing colour options available. Visually, styling changes are minimal and the bike carries over the design language from the older model.

    Key styling elements on the 2019 Yamaha MT-03 include the chiselled fuel tank, single headlamp cluster with LED daytime running lights and a semi-digital instrument console. The taillight remains a LED unit, while the sporty split seats have been carried over from the R3. The bike rides on web-design alloy wheels that are finished in contrast colours on the motorcycle.

    Power on the updated Yamaha MT-03 comes from the 321 cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel-twin engine tuned for 41 bhp and 29.6 Nm of peak torque. The motor is paired with a 6-speed gearbox. The bike is suspended by telescopic forks at the front and a monoshock unit at the rear. Braking performance comes from disc brakes at either end with dual-channel ABS as standard.

    Although not confirm, odds are that Yamaha Motor India just might bring the MT-03 to India to compete against the KTM 390 Duke, BMW G 310 R and the likes. The full-faired Yamaha R3 is already on sale here and is expected to get a comprehensive upgrade in the second half of 2019 with the Japanese bike maker bringing the comprehensively updated version that was introduced globally last year. With the MT-15 and the MT-09 already on sale in India, the MT-03 will fit well into the company’s naked motorcycle line-up, and its Call of the Blue campaign to bring performance oriented products to India.

  • Echelon Bangkok roadshow showcases the bright new stars in Thailand’s ecosystem

    Echelon Bangkok roadshow showcases the bright new stars in Thailand’s ecosystem

    Recently, Echelon, the tech event startup organizer from Singapore held an event at WeWork Asia Centre in Bangkok. The Echelon Roadshow is part of a series of international stops leading up to the annual Echelon Asia Summit happening in May.

    The event brought together the local startup ecosystem over a night of networking, Thailand top 100 startup, plus a panel discussion with feature founders sharing their startup journeys – from how they scaled their company to how they addressed obstacles such as building a sustainable team. The panellists included Surasit Sachdev, CEO of Hungry Hub, Casey Liang, co-founder of Pomelo, and Bond Thaiyanurak, CEO&Founder of Box24. The discussion was moderated by PachareePantoomano, BrandNow.asia’s Director of Make it Happen, the agency that launched large startups such as Grab, Lalamove, and Honestbee in Thailand.

    The panel discussion tackled Founders Confessions which panellists shared their experiences as part of starting up. Bond talked about working with the right partners and having the right chemistry. He’s had to resolve a conflict with a shareholder. Surasit confessed that when he initially started the company, he did not do market research and that causes him to burn through his investment quickly. He advised anyone thinking about starting up should do the research and work on the proof of concept from the beginning. When Pacharee asked the panellists if they started their companies for love or money, Casey said that it was a bit of both. However, it’s the love for growing the business that keeps him going. The life of a start-up can be a bumpy one and he said that if you love what you do, it will help you stay true to your goal.

    Thaddeus Jit Siong Koh, the co-founder of e27, shared “The journey for these winners has only just begun. We are excited to see them compete against the other bright new stars of Southeast Asia’s ecosystem in Singapore — at our Echelon Asia Summit 2019 which is taking place on May 23rd and 24th at Singapore Expo. We also hope that these startups will be able to level up through absorbing insights from thought leaders, corporate business matching, and more”

    Pacharee added, “It is important that we continue to contribute, develop and grow the ecosystem locally, regionally and globally. These events and competitions bring about better products and services for businesses and consumers. We are delighted to be Echelon’s media and community partner in Thailand. It is an opportunity for us to support our local startup scene and do our part in fostering the digital economy”.

  • AEON and Robinson present “ROBINSON SUMMER FREE.VER” Songkran celebration campaign

    AEON and Robinson present “ROBINSON SUMMER FREE.VER” Songkran celebration campaign

    Mr. Tula Pharuehaspailin (right), Assistant Vice President Marketing Credit Card Promotion of AEON Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Public Company Limited together with Mr. Miti Chanyawong (left), General Manager Sales Promotion of Robinson Public Company Limited, announced the “ROBINSON SUMMER FREE.VER” campaign in celebration of the upcoming Songkran festival. Special promotions include the best prices on summer items, along with a discount coupon of up to 40% off. Exclusively for AEON credit cardholders, receive cash back up to 30,000 baht, with 10 chances to win a gold necklace, when spending up to 1,000 baht. The special offer is valid from today until 2 June, 2019 at all Robinson Department Store nationwide.

  • Four in five Thais tries going cashless as confidence in digital payments grows

    Four in five Thais tries going cashless as confidence in digital payments grows

     Four in five Thai consumers (78 percent) have tried going cashless in 2018, compared to only fifty percent in previous year as confidence in digital payments grew, according to the 2018 Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes study (the “Study”). The study tracks payment habits and attitudes as well as exploring emerging topics related to payments among 4,000 consumers across eight Southeast Asian countries, including 500 respondents from Thailand.

    For Thai consumers, digital payment methods, such as cards, in-app mobile payments and QR payments combined together have a larger preference (57 percent) over cash (43 per cent).

    Suripong Tantiyanon, Country Manager for Visa Thailand said: “The higher preference towards using digital payments and the rise of confidence in going cashless are credited to industry players and the government, who have been relentlessly driving the national e-payments agenda.

    “In addition, we believe that the higher preference towards digital payments can be attributed to the proliferation of payment form factors and acceptance points.  More than ever before, Thai consumers can make payments with a wider range of connected devices and payment applications on smartphones, such as wearables and mobile payments.  At the same time, QR code offers merchants in traditionally cash-based segments with a fast, cost-effective and secure digital payments solution.”

    According to the study, two in five Thais (42 percent) said they carried less cash than they did two years ago, compared to 26 percent in 2017.  Top reasons for the decrease in cash in wallet are cash is unsafe (65 percent), higher adoption of digital payments (65 percent) and the hassle of using cash (39 percent).

    The study also showed  that of those who tried going cashless, more than half (60 percent) could manage a day without cash and forty-five percent could last without cash for more than three days.

    Overall, in terms of future expectation, more Thais are confident about the country becoming a cashless society.  Nearly one in three (29 percent) are confident that Thailand can become a cashless society in less than three years, compared to 11 percent in 2017.  Thirty-nine percent believed it will take between four to seven years while only six percent believed it will take longer than 15 years.

    “The findings are encouraging.  We believe that we are on the right track and it is important to help more consumers and merchants understand and embrace the benefits of digital payments.  At the same time, we are committed to innovate and collaborate with all stakeholders in the payment industry and beyond as we continue our journey towards transforming Thailand into a cashless society,” Suripong concluded.

  • Dtac, CAT, TOT to collaborate on 5G testbeds

    Dtac, CAT, TOT to collaborate on 5G testbeds

    Thai state owned operators TOT and CAT Telecom and privately-owned operator Dtac will collaborate on the development of 5G testbeds in the nation.

    The operators have signed a public-private partnership agreement to conduct both laboratory and live testing of 5G use cases at the 5G testbeds at Chulalongkorn University and the Eastern Economic Corridor.

    Applications due to be tested will focus on applications including smart farming, smart cities and environmental management.

    Specifically, TOT will test smart poles for smart city applications, CAT Telecom will trial 5G equipped air pollution sensors, and Dtac plans to test 5G connected drones to support real-time precision farming.

    The report cites Dtac CEO Alexandra Reich as noting that collaboration with vertical industries including co-investments will be essential for securing the resources required to pay for 5G infrastructure development.

    Meanwhile Dtac is urging the government to develop a clear 5G spectrum roadmap encompassing high, mid and low band spectrum, and including a clear allocation timeline, in order to support the industry’s preparations for the launch of 5G in Thailand.

  • Paragon mall adds more Retail brands On Level 3

    Paragon mall adds more Retail brands On Level 3

    Paragon mall has added a new retail and lifestyle concept on level 3, bringing together curated fashion brands.

    Launched in phases from last June, the refreshed 15,000sqft concept offers new names from fashion, beauty, bags and accessories, dining and lifestyle brands.

    In fashion, there are French-based women fashion Anne Fontaine, Indonsia label D2-i, European-made shoes Hue, European fabric Moiselle, Asia’s esteemed multi-brand fashion Pois, home-grown fashion designer Sabrinagoh, first concept store for ladies by Samsonite Samsonite for Her, Norwegian fashionable shoe brand with a bold personality Swims, and bespoke collection of jewelry Sulin Serio.

    For skincare and fragrances, there are Scandinavia’s leading cosmetic brand Make Up Store, beauty products from Escentials, and home scenting Flaming Queen, niche fragrances boutique Amaris.

    Western-meets-Sichuan café style dining Halcyon & Crane adds to dining options.

  • Deutsche Bank Appoints Head of Thailand

    Deutsche Bank Appoints Head of Thailand

    The German lender hires a new head from Siam Commercial Bank to fill the position left vacant since 2018. Deutsche Bank (DB) will get a new head for its Thailand operations in May, with the appointment of Pimolpa Suntichok as chief country officer and head of the financing and solutions group for Thailand, according to people close to the matter.

    Suntichok fills a position left by Phumchai Kambhato, who left the bank in 2018. She will report to Werner Steinmueller in her country management capacity and to Sreenivasan Iyer for her FSG responsibilities.

    Suntichok was previously the Senior Executive Vice President serving as the Head of Commercial Banking Solutions at Siam Commericial Bank, Thailand’s largest commercial bank. She brings over 20 years of experience in banking, having worked at Bangkok Bank, Jardine Fleming Thanakom Securities, Fitch Ratings (Thailand), and Standard Chartered Bank (Thailand). She joined SCB in 2008 to lead the structured finance practice for the Capital Markets Division and became the Head of Corporate Segment in 2015 and the Head of MultiCorporate Segment in 2016, according to SCB’s website.

    Future Uncertainty 

    Deutsche Bank in recent months has seen a raft of departures in Asia, including Southeast Asia Vice Chairman Philip Lee, Jakarta-based managing director Kunardy Lie, and North Asia COO

    Katherine Lai.

    DB, on its third CEO in four years, has in recent years scaled down its Asian operations as its focus has shifted towards Europe amid difficulties in the region. However, Thailand remains an important market for DB in Asia-Pacific, with the bank having a 40-year history in the country.

    The bank is currently in the midst of merger discussions with Commerzbank, which has cast uncertainty over Deutsche’s general strategy for the future.

  • EON and Aurora unveil special Songkran promotions Offering 10 months of 0% interest on gold and diamond loans

    EON and Aurora unveil special Songkran promotions Offering 10 months of 0% interest on gold and diamond loans

    Ms. Saranya Pipoppinyo (middle), Vice President of Marketing at AEON Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Public Company Limited, together with Ms. Lapatlada Ruetivarangkoon (left), Vice President and Mr. Anirut Srirungthum (right), Vice President Business Development of Aurora Design Company Limited unveils two summer promotions for AEON Member Card and AEON Credit Card holders through the AEON Happy Pay and AEON Happy Plan services. The first promotion is 0% gold loan installment for up to 7 months, starting from April 12th-14th, 2019. For the second promotion, customers will be able to take on a “Diamond loan” with 0% interest rate for up to 10 months, starting today until 30th April, 2019 at all Aurora Gold and Jewelry branches nationwide.

  • Centara to showcase traditional Thai heritage through Songkran

    Centara to showcase traditional Thai heritage through Songkran

     Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, is partnering with Smile in Love Wedding Studio to showcase Thailand’s rich cultural heritage embodied in traditional Thai clothing throughout the upcoming Songkran Festival 2019. Centara staff will wear traditional Thai costumes, providing guests with an up-close look at the timeless style and glamour of authentic Thai apparel. In addition to celebrating Thai clothing traditions, guests at every hotel and resort property across the group will be invited to take part in Thai cultural activities such as the offering of beautiful handmade jasmine garlands and the traditional pouring of scented water over the palms.

    Preparations are well underway at all 33 Centara properties within Thailand to extend a warm welcome and Thai-style hospitality to guests soon to arrive from around the world to join the Songkran festivities nationwide. All front-line staff will be dressed in traditional Thai costumes during the upcoming 11th – 15th April 2019 holiday period. Special activities, such as a booth for sprinkling scented water on the Buddha’s image, a set-up for pouring scented water onto elders’ palms, along with traditional Thai folk performances are also being arranged, enabling guests to experience the many appealing facets of this popular annual festival.

    As the Thai hotel brand-of-choice among both Thai and international guests, Centara takes great pride in delivering its renowned standard of Thai-style service and gracious hospitality to guests while celebrating an important and joyful cultural occasion together with millions of Thais.

  • AirAsia apologises for ‘Get off in Thailand’ advert

    AirAsia apologises for ‘Get off in Thailand’ advert

    AirAsia has apologised after its advertising campaign was labelled “harmful” in Australia. The advert containing the phrase “Get off in Thailand” was posted around the city of Brisbane to promote the airline’s direct route to Bangkok. Collective Shout, a grassroots campaign movement against the objectification of women claimed that the advert was promoting sex tourism in Thailand.

    Thailand has over 123,530 sex workers, according to a 2014 UNAids report.

    Melinda Liszewski, a campaigner at Collective Shout spotted the adverts on a Brisbane bus and posted the image to social media.

    She accused the airline of “promoting sex tourism.”

    A spokeswoman for Air Asia told the BBC: “AirAsia takes community feedback extremely seriously and the airline sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused from recent concerns raised.

    “AirAsia can confirm the advertising campaign has ended and we instructed our media partners to have the advertising removed as soon as possible today from all locations.”

    One of the adverts was spotted at Brisbane Airport. It has confirmed on social media that its removal “is a priority.”

    Brisbane City councillor Kara Cook branded the campaign an “absolute disgrace” and said “it should never have appeared on our city’s streets.”

    She wrote on Twitter: “Council should be responsible & accountable for the ads on their buses.

    “I wrote to the LNP this morning demanding these buses be taken out of circulation. This shouldn’t have happened.”

    In response to the criticism, Brisbane City Council said that the Advertising Standards Board regulates advertising acceptability. It directed complaints to the board.

  • V-MORE expands their redemption product range to users

    V-MORE expands their redemption product range to users

    Today, V-MORE makes an indelible mark in the e-commerce space with the launch of a luxury fashion line for redemption. Consumers are able to redeem more than 800 products ranging from iconic luxury bags, shoes, apparels to exclusive accessories on V-MORE shopping site. International renowned brands, Gucci, Balenciaga, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, LV and Tods are amongst the swish brands that make their presence on V-MORE with their latest and new season range; giving consumers the widest and trendiest choice for redemption.
    V-MORE shop, save and earn program rewards sellers and buyers. Sellers list for free on V-MORE. Buyers receive rebates and earn points to redeem quality products. The more consumers shop, the more they are rewarded. The luxury products are offered to V-MORE customers for redemption globally.

    “V-MORE teams up directly with renowned fashion houses to offer luxury products for redemption that will be delivered to members right to their doorsteps globally. We will continue to provide an even wider range of products for our members to choose from,” said Sir Eldee Tang, CEO and Founder of Noble Vici.

    “Based in Singapore, Noble Vici boasts of a new five-storey HQ facility at Ubi Crescent specifically designed to oversee V-More operations regionally as well as to provide financial administration. E-commerce and luxury products are readily embraced by the Singapore market, forming a base ground here for us to have a foothold in and more importantly for us to expand regionally,” Sir Eldee added.

  • Docomo trials fiber manufacturing IoT in Thailand

    Docomo trials fiber manufacturing IoT in Thailand

    NTT Docomo and its Singapore subsidiary NTT Docomo Asia have commenced a trial of an IoT monitoring system to improve the manufacturing performance of a synthetic-fibers factory in Thailand.

    In the trial, Docomo Asia is deploying the IoT Solution Platform to visualize the operational status of production operations in the Thai factory.

    Docomo said IoT devices equipped with up to 30 different sensors are collecting operational information on the factory floor and then transmitting real-time data to the cloud via a mobile network.

    “Technicians will be able to use PCs, smartphones or tablets to remotely monitor the status of production operations via the platform,” Docomo said in a statement.

    “The IoT Solution Platform enables manufacturers to digitalize their operations and rapidly gather information from factory floors for improved efficiency in production management.”

    It also helps to reduce production downtime by allowing manufacturers to closely monitor the status of their production equipment to detect malfunctions, maintenance needs and so on, the Japanese mobile carrier said.

    NTT Docomo fabric manufacturing IoT trial in Thailand

    Service scheme (Source: NTT Docomo)

    According to Docomo, the platform is already being used by an automotive plastic parts manufacturer and is now being introduced in the textile industry to enable manufacturers to realize more efficient and reliable production operations.

    The trial is part of Docomo’s global IoT initiative launched last July to provide global connectivity, operational support, and consulting to Japanese manufacturers with global IoT operations.

    The trial will be conducted until March 31, and is being conducted in collaboration with Teijin Polyester (Thailand) Limited, a Teijin Frontier subsidiary company that manufactures polyester fibers, filament yarn, chips and more.

    Docomo expects manufacturers of synthetic fibers and other products across Southeast Asia to increasingly adopt the IoT Solution Platform to increase the productivity and quality of their production operations going forward.

  • Competition increases in Bangkok market

    Competition increases in Bangkok market

    Competition is increasing in the Bangkok retail-property market, according to international property consultant CBRE.

    The competition is focused on the bricks vs clicks sector as e-commerce grows, and the bricks vs bricks market, as developers build new malls.

    “All over the world, e-commerce is challenging traditional retail stores, and Thailand is no exception,” said CBRE in a report.

    Currently e-commerce only forms a small percentage of total retail sales in Thailand, but CBRE expects that to change rapidly.

    In the UK, 18 per cent of retail sales are now online rather than through traditional stores.

    Globally, retail tenants are having to pursue an omnichannel approach with both online e-commerce sales and offline traditional sales in stores. In many cases, this has led to a rationalisation of their retail portfolio and a reduction in the number of stores.

    In the Bangkok retail-property market, the threat to landlords is not just from the rise of e-commerce, but also from the increase in supply.

    2019-03-18 - Retail Supply in Bangkok

    Based on the latest survey by CBRE Research, there is more than 600,000sqm of space under construction due for completion by 2023, mainly in large-scale shopping malls like EmSphere, Bangkok Mall and One Bangkok. There are also new malls being planned where construction will start soon, such as the redevelopment of the Dusit Thani Hotel.

    Competition in the Bangkok retail-property market is going to be fierce and landlords are going to have to adapt to the new environment to survive. That, according to CBRE Research, will mean big changes to their business model.

    Historically, landlords have leased out space on three-year leases at monthly rents. Landlords have set rents based on the tenant’s ability to pay driven by business type, size of shop, which floor in the building and which location on the floor. Landlords have tried to extract as much rent as the tenant can afford to pay with the tenant bearing the obligation of a fixed amount of rent and assuming much of the business risk.

    Now the business model is changing with tenants wanting the landlord to share more of the risk by basing the rent on a percentage of the tenant’s revenue, known in Thailand as a Gross Profit (GP) rent.

    The landlord, along with the tenant, will benefit if business is good, but suffer if business is bad, with the landlord not only taking a risk on the ability of the mall to attract customers but also on the success of tenant’s business.

    Landlords are also now expected not just rent space but to be data providers and analysts.

    Tenants now want landlords to collect, analyse and share data on how many people come to the mall, how often and what they are spending their money on along with many other details, said CBRE.

    Tenants are going to be increasingly demanding about the quantity and quality of information that they get from the landlord so they can best match their products and services to the mall’s customers.

    In the current era, online retailers have to give people a reason to visit their store and not just to buy online.
    Increasing the volume of food outlets providing “retailtainment” is one way to get more foot traffic into malls, but restaurants cannot pay the same rents as luxury brand retailers.

    “Creating limited time opportunities through pop-up stores or events is another emerging trend giving people a reason to get up and go to a mall because they will not be able to get the product or have the experience elsewhere or at another time,” said CBRE Thailand’s head of advisory and transaction Jariya Thumtrongkitkul.

    “The revolution in retailing with the coming of e-commerce and competition from new supply means that landlords will have to be a lot more sophisticated in what they provide both in terms of mall format and data”.

  • L’Oréal Paris revamps its store at the Bangkok King Power Downtown II Srivaree

    L’Oréal Paris revamps its store at the Bangkok King Power Downtown II Srivaree

    The makeover of the L’Oréal Paris store in King Power Downtown II Srivaree is the latest in a series of important openings at L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific. Unlike anything Bangkok has ever seen beforethe expanded flagship store is the biggest L’Oréal Paris store worldwide. This new design concept officially invites travelers to an elevated shopping experience to discover L’Oréal Paris’ accessible luxury products for both men and women.

    Having undergone a major transformation, the 110 square meter flagship store offers a wide range of make-up and skincare for men and women with a best-in-class retail experience. The space expansion now welcomes travelers with three contrasting zones – the first ever L’Oréal Paris make-up boutique in Travel Retail Asia Pacific, Revitalift Classic Red Carpet Zone and a dedicated Exclusive Men skincare area.

    The make-up boutique invites travelers to discover a wide range of make-up offers with a strong color appeal and a large LED screen to express L’Oréal Paris’ creativity. Products at the Revitalift zone take center stage, while the Men Expert area in black color tone is focused on men’s specific needs.

    “We are extremely delighted to relaunch our L’Oréal Paris store with King Power International on a scale that has never been seen before. Thailand is one of the most exciting markets with thriving tourism, and we see great potential in the first L’Oréal Paris flagship store in Travel Retail worldwide,” says Emmanuel Goulin, Managing Director of L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific.

    “This is a celebratory moment of our strong partnership with L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific in bringing a first-class duty free shopping experience to millions of Chinese tourists. We are optimistic that the biggest L’Oréal Paris store worldwide will continue to attract more shoppers, confirming King Power Downtown II Srivaree as an exceptional retail destination,” says Susan Whelan, Senior Executive Vice President at King Power International.