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  • Some Insights about Central Group – Thailand

    Some Insights about Central Group – Thailand

    The Central Group, first opened as a small family-run shop by Mr. Chirathivat, in the city of Bangkok during the early 1950s. Expanded later on in 1956 by his son, Smarit Chirathivat, establishing the first Central Department Store in Bangkok.  They were the first to import international cosmetic brands; the first to focus on impeccable customer services; and the first to implement innovative marketing communications.

    One of the smartest tactics of the Central Group is that its work consists of a variety of diverse investments in various corporations, each of which has become the leader in the retail, property development, brand management, hospitality and food and beverage industries. What brings complimentary businesses to the Central Group and strengthen their position in the marketplace, both domestically and internationally.

    Central Group Operational Highlights:

    • 2016 Total Sales – US$ 10.4 billion
    • 2016 Investment – US$ 1.2 billion
    • Store Network – More than 4,400 locations/branches
    • Employees – Over 80,000 employees

    The last two years of 2016 and 2017 were significant for Central Group with the following changes:

    2016:

    1. Central Group and Nguyen Kim Group officially announced the acquisition of Big C Vietnam.
    2. Took over Zalora Thailand and Vietnam.

    2017:

    1. Launched Park Hyatt Bangkok Hotel
    2. Launched Rinascente Rome
    3. Central Group and JD.com form a joint Venture.
    4. Launch of Tops Plaza.

    Central Group is counting on online growth to help drive sales. The company first announced its $500 million joint venture with JD in September, teaming up with China’s second-largest e-commerce operator. Central Group announced a new strategy in March 2018, a strategy called “New Central, New E-conomy” with which Central is aiming to become the first Market Leader in Digi-Lifestyle Platform. The company is aiming to become the first Market Leader in Digi-Lifestyle Platform.

    Along with this strategy, the company also partnered with leading global companies to strengthen its business and has developed people and communities to grow sustainably with Central Group.

    According to the Executive Chairman and CEO of Central Group, Tos Chirathivat, the three strategic Foundations used by Central Group to operate its business for many years are:

    1. Be Retail Leader in Lifestyle and Services.
    2. Expand Businesses beyond Thailand.
    3. Strengthen Businesses by Merger & Acquisition.

    This strategy has served Central Group for years and helped achieve a significant average growth of 11% over the last five years from 2013-2017, while the revenue mix of 2017 beaks down to 72% in Thailand, 15% in Europe and 13% in Vietnam.

    For continued strong growth, Central Group President Yol Phokasub has emphasized a new 5-year strategy for 2018- 2022 to make a New Central, New E-conomy. The group will be the first Digi-Lifestyle Platform leader in Thailand delivering superior customer experiences to inspire lifetime loyalty. The Digi-Lifestyle Platform will be developed as a best in class common e-Commerce platform across businesses, as well as assisting the creation of new businesses through three Building Blocks:

    1. Data: Put all extended data from all business units into a Data lake on the Cloud to create a single view of customer for deep insight into customer behaviour, able to give a superior experience to customers.
      2. Loyalty & Personalized experience: Through The1 New Lifestyle Platform to tighten customer relationships, which are more deeply personalized.
      3. Omni channel Platform: Developing Central Group’s businesses with a true Omni channel Platform to seamlessly connect offline and online shopping, anywhere, any time.

    Central Group has also formed a joint venture with Chinese e-commerce giant JD.Com to establish JD Central. The new Marketplace at JD.co.th is a new shopping channel for Central Group’s customers to facilitate Digi-Lifestyle platform more quickly and comprehensively. The website JD.th.com will be ready to provide service in May, as a platform to bring Thai products and SMEs to the World.

    To develop the Digi-Lifestyle platform, Central Group gives priority to four main components to and achieve the target of the New Central:

    1. Alliance: Central Group has partnered with world-leading companies such as Dusit Thani, JD.com, Hongkong Bank, Ikea and many other leading partners in the near future.
      2. Technology: Central Group aims to become a top Technology Company, led by technology in every aspect to serve customers and stimulate the national economy.
      3. People: Central Group is the largest job creator in Thailand, generating over-220,000 jobs including over 700 disabled people. The company promotes talent and ability to fuel its digital ambitions. Leadership and culture are rebooted with programs like Life Reimagined to support “No Hierarchy”, Coaching and Reverse Coaching, where ambition never sleeps, creating inspiration and good experiences at work, and redesigning workspaces for work-life harmony to thrive.
      4. Community: Central Group gives priority to Creating Shared Value (CSV) under the project CENTRAL Tham that has four main pillars of people, communities, Environment, Peace and culture.

    This year, the company has a sales target of 397,308 MB, representing growth of 14% on 2017, and plans investment of 47,500 MB (27.8% growth from 2017), to expand investment in both Thailand and overseas. The company will develop its new business model to meet every customer demand, with plans to open new shopping malls and hotels.
    Central Group has also achieved success with strategic partnerships with world class partners who have trusted Central Group, such as Dusit Thani with the mixed-use project on Rama IV Road and JD.com.

    The plan of expansion of the Central Group for the next five is mainly concentrated around expansion of the business locally, and globally with a high focus on Europe.

    In recent years, Central opened and acquired new operations in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Among the most important activities currently ongoing in Southeast Asia within the business of Central Group is their recent joint venture with JD. Which is not only a major merging for the market but also a notable change as the two giants are focusing on the e-commerce world. JD is China’s leading  e-commerce operator. Central Group is the number one retail brand in Thailand. Its subsidiaries own shopping malls, department stores, hotels, supermarkets and restaurants. The partnership will deliver a new online shopping platform JD.co.th.

    Central Group will open multiple flagship stores on the platform. The partnership with JD is intended to help Central Group compete in Southeast Asia’s booming e-commerce market and also open business opportunities in China.

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  • OneSiam Bangkok teamed up with Air Asia to lure Chinese shoppers

    OneSiam Bangkok teamed up with Air Asia to lure Chinese shoppers

    Bangkok’s three shopping centres grouped under the OneSiam brand, are collaborating with Air Asia to encourage more Chinese tourists to Thailand. The malls – Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery – have received backing from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s Chengdu office to launch a campaign called Air Asia x OneSiam present Thailand Shopping Festival. It will run from now through to the end of the Lunar New Year celebration early next year.

    The partners believe the campaign will help achieve an anticipated 15 per cent increase in Mainland Chinese tourists visiting Thailand next year.

    Chinese remain the largest demographic group of tourists visiting Thailand, according to Charun Chuennaitom, director of the TAT Chengdu Office. TAT data shows that between January and August this year, an estimated 25.8 million tourists travelled to Thailand, 10 per cent more than during the same period last year. Chinese accounted for 7.7 million of those, up by 16.5 per cent.

    Tanavan Arkaleephan, director of tourism department at Siam Piwat, said OneSiam is a popular destination for Chinese travellers.

    “Each day there is an estimate of 150,000 to 200,000 shoppers in Siam Paragon, 120,000 to 150,000 in Siam Center and Siam Discover, separately. The ratio of Thai visitors to Chinese visitors is 60 to 40.”

    He said the top five tourist sources to regularly visit OneSiam are China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, but Chinese remain the majority group.

    Tourists who between now and February 28 present an Air Asia boarding pass to One Siam staff at the Siam Paragon tourist lounge, and who follow the OneSiam WeChat account, can receive privileges and promotions from partnering brands, including vouchers from OneSiam, product samples from Pralyn, 30 per cent discounts on body massage therapy from The Beauty Art, and discount offers from Thai designer brands.

    Tourists can enter to win tickets from Air Asia and shopping vouchers at OneSiam.

    Air Asia offers direct flights from Bangkok to 15 destinations in China.

    Nattinee Tawanchulee, director of commercial at Thai AirAsia, said as part of the collaboration, Air Asia has a surprise in store for travellers on some flights from Chongqing to Bangkok, with an in-flight fashion show showcasing special collections from Thai brands including Fri27Nov, Iconic, Kloset, Rotsaniyom, and Theatre.

  • Airasia To Launch Colombo-Bangkok Direct Flights Soon

    Airasia To Launch Colombo-Bangkok Direct Flights Soon

    AirAsia will launch four-time weekly direct flights between Colombo and Bangkok from December 14, with a special promotional fare, an airline press release said. Operated by Thai AirAsia (flight code FD), this direct route to Bangkok in Thailand will be the airline group’s second connection from Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport which includes direct route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (flight code AK).

    Santisuk Klongchaiya, Chief Executive Officer of Thai AirAsia said, “Sri Lanka has always been a promising destination for AirAsia as we have connected the country to a wider network via Kuala Lumpur for nearly a decade. To This time we are relaunching the flight from Colombo to Bangkok to provide the people of Sri Lanka with even greater connectivity that comes with attractive low fares to create more demand. We are strongly confident that our return to the market will stimulate travel appetite and demonstrate our commitment to generating more traffic to Sri Lanka to fuel tourism and economic growth for the country. Sri Lanka is such a hidden gem in South Asia with undiscovered potential. We therefore have high expectation for a healthy market reception for this new route.”

    Thai AirAsia operates the widest network in domestic Thailand and offers several international connections to other prominent cities in Asia. Travellers from Sri Lanka who wish to explore beyond Bangkok can enjoy a convenient Fly-Thru service with just a single-time baggage check-in from Colombo and make a brief transit in Bangkok to continue seamlessly to other destinations in Thailand and beyond. Sri Lankan travellers can take advantage of the convenient flight schedule that gives them more time to spend abroad by arriving in Bangkok in the early morning and depart in the evening.

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  • Shopee Sellers in China to use DHL to Delivery across Thailand

    Shopee Sellers in China to use DHL to Delivery across Thailand

    DHL eCommerce, a division of logistics company, Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL), has announced a partnership in China with Shopee, a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The partnership enables sellers in China to access consumers nationwide in Thailand, with an expansion of the partnership to other Southeast Asian markets in the pipeline. According to Statista, the e-commerce gross merchandise revenue in Thailand will exceed US$5 billion by 2022, making it the second largest e-commerce market in Southeast Asia.

    “Direct selling to overseas consumers has never been easier and has become a key growth driver for many businesses, with e-commerce as an easy platform to enable international expansion. With logistics as a key enabler for cross-border retailing, we want to empower our customers to tap into this huge growth opportunity,” says Zhi Zheng, Managing Director, DHL eCommerce Greater China & North Asia.

    “Over the past few years, we have witnessed extremely strong growth of B2C parcels from China, mainly powered by e-commerce. We are pleased to partner Shopee to enable Chinese sellers to easily sell and deliver in Thailand, whether it’s doorstep delivery or for consumers to collect their orders from our growing network of easily accessible ServicePoints — which is set to reach over 1,000 in Thailand by end-2018.”

    With DHL eCommerce integrated on Shopee in China, sellers can easily sell and deliver on one single platform and keep track of all shipments directly on the app.

    “In recent years, we have witnessed the rapid development of Southeast Asia’s e-commerce market, and a growing number of Chinese brands and sellers are staking a claim in this e-commerce goldmine. However, the geographical complexity of this region has created some logistical challenges. As a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, Shopee has built its Shopee Logistics Servcies (SLS), a highly efficient logistics delivery network that links China with Southeast Asia. We are delighted to work with DHL, the world’s leading logistics service provider, to grow SLS from strength to strength. Our collaboration will make Shopee the e-commerce platform of choice for cross-border sellers in China who aspire to sell into Southeast Asia,” said Jianghong Liu, Head of Shopee Cross Border eCommerce.

    Currently, Shopee’s SLS is operational in seven markets in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. With shipping costs 20% to 30% lower than typical market rates and better transit times, SLS makes cross border logistics a breeze for Chinese sellers. The collaboration between Shopee and DHL eCommerce will further enhance the capabilities of SLS. DHL will provide Shopee sellers with door-to-door logistics services, ensuring products will reach consumers in Thailand safely and quickly.

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  • Siam Paragon celebrating the school break with “Kids Carnival: Little Nemo in Slumberland”

    Siam Paragon celebrating the school break with “Kids Carnival: Little Nemo in Slumberland”

    Siam Paragon celebrating the school break organizes “Kids Carnival: Little Nemo in Slumberland”, the spectacular Balloon Festival imported directly from France to be held in the South East Asia for the first time during 17-21 October at Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon

    Siam Paragon together with Siam Commercial Credit Card and Origin Property organize “Kids Carnival: Little Nemo in Slumberland”, fantastic balloon carnival imported directly from France. Opening the world of imagination with over 20 inflatable characters, the carnival will debut for the first time in South East Asia from 17-21 October at Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon.

    On the opening day (17 October 2018), Mayuree Chaipromprasith, Executive of Siam Paragon, Pochana Ittisukanant from SCB, Aphisit Soonthronchukiet from Origin Property, and many celebrities such as MR Chantaraladda Yugala Ubondejpracharak, Pol.Lt.Col.Nopparat-Pornpat Boontanom, Wantita Lewchalermwong, Visarat Chunhavat, Sopitnapa Chumpanee, Parinya Roonpraphan, and their children also joined the event.

    Mayuree Chaipromprasith, Senior Executive Vice President – Marketing at Siam Paragon, said “As one of the world’s shopping destinations, Siam Paragon always keep customer satisfaction as top priority and always provide new experience to our customer. In the upcoming school break, Siam Paragon joins hands with Plasticiens Volants from France come up with a unique and fascinating balloon show entitled “Little Nemo in Slumberland”. Performed by world-renowned French street theater, Plasticiens Volants, the show presents a spectacular giant inflated puppets fly over Parc Paragon combining with stunning light, music, and special technique. The five-day event will bring the New York Herald Tribune’s legendary cartoon to life. We guarantee to bring an exclusive experience to our local and international customers, while will definitely create a wonderful moment for the family”

    Little Nemo in Slumberland is about a character named Nemo, who has a fantastic dream but awoke in bed in the final part. His adventure will be told through over 20 colorful floating inflatables where Parc Paragon will turn to be a fantasy dreamland in Slumberland and surrounded by imaginary light, sound and music. Audiences will be thrilled with Nemo’s adventurous dream from a flying magical bed, which its legs can enlarge to nine meters height. While also enjoy with a journey through a dreamlike floating castle, fanciful wild lives and gigantic raspberry fields. Much more characters will also entertain audiences during the carnival.

    Created by American cartoonist  Winsor McCay, Nemo is a fictional character originally the comic strip published in New York Herald Tribune from 1905-1914. The fantasy adventure story plus a wonderful performance of Plasticiens Volants has brought joyful and incredible experience to children and every people around the global

    View the gallery of the event below (8 images) :

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  • Apple is opening its first flagship store in Bangkok soon

    Apple is opening its first flagship store in Bangkok soon

    Various Thai media outlets are reporting that not one but two Apple Bangkok stores are under construction. The US tech giant is notorious about not commenting on its store plans anywhere in the world, even when branding appears on barriers covering its construction sites. However, the first Apple Bangkok store is scheduled to open at IconSiam, the massive retail and entertainment destination being built on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, which will officially begin trading on November 9.

    Thai business magazine Positioning Magmeanwhile, is reporting a second Apple Bangkok store is being developed outside the giant CentralWorld shopping centre in the heart of the city.

    This will be constructed underground, in similar style to the Apple store near New York’s Central Park, with a glass canopy above the courtyard through which customers can enter, before descending down a curved staircase.

    The Icon Siam store will bear more of a resemblance to the Apple store on Singapore’s Orchard Road, featuring a two-story high glass frontage and most likely overlooking the river.

    Both stores were probably designed by Foster + Partners which has a long pipeline of unique Apple store designs around the globe. Its most recent work was Apple Macau.

    Apple now operates about 500 of its own stores in 24 countries.

  • AirAsia offers up to 70% discount on Almost All Flights

    AirAsia offers up to 70% discount on Almost All Flights

    AirAsia has come up with a new offer to woo flyers in this festive season. AirAsia is offering up to 70% off on all its destinations. AirAsia’s latest offer started on 15 October and will continue till 28 October 2018, the carrier has mentioned on its website. This offer is valid for immediate travel until 30 June 2019. Bookings for this offer can be made on airasia.com or through the AirAsia mobile app.

    Air passengers can book tickets to over 130 destinations across the airline’s network under the new offer. There are some extra perks for AirAsia Big members, such as instant discounts on bookings through the mobile app.

    In order to enjoy the benefits of the discount, passengers are required to book their flight tickets in advance. The discount is applicable on the base fare of the flight ticket and is available only on select fare classes, during non-peak periods, the airline says.

    AirAsia, a low-cost air carrier, will introduce flight services from Visakhapatnam to Bangkok four times a week from 8 December 2018, with a one-way promotional fare of Rs 2,999. Passengers can book tickets up to 21 October to avail the offer.

    AirAsia Group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to more than 165 destinations spanning 25 countries.

    AirAsia is a joint venture between Tata Sons Ltd and low-cost Malaysian airline AirAsia Berhad

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  • Visa and Fitbit launch Fitbit Pay in Thailand

    Visa and Fitbit launch Fitbit Pay in Thailand

    Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments and Fitbit, the leading global wearables brand, today announced that Fitbit Pay™ will be available to its customers in Thailand on Fitbit Ionic or Fitbit Versa and starting November 2018, on  its newest tracker, Fitbit Charge 3. Customers of Kasikornbank, KTC and Siam Commercial Bank can add their Visa credit or debit card to their device, enabling them to make payments on the go directly from their wrist.

    The continuous rise in mobile connectivity has led to the proliferation of digital payments, with Visa helping to offer more ways to pay through devices such as phones, watches and now fitness trackers. According to Visa’s Consumer Payment Attitudes Study, seven in ten Thais (67%) said they preferred using electronic payments, including cards, mobile devices and wearables, more often than cash, deliberately moving away from notes and coins.

    Suripong Tantiyanon, Country Manager, Visa Thailand said: “At Visa, we continue to provide payment experiences across a wide range of form factors and are pleased to partner with Fitbit as well as our financial partners.  There is much potential and opportunity for such wearables to create convenient and relevant payment experiences that truly change the way people make their day-to-day payments, particularly at places that are traditionally heavy on cash.  This is another step forward in the growth of Internet of Things and shows how Visa is enabling companies across the technology industry to help us all move towards a cashless future.”

    Fitbit Pay can be easily set-up on Fitbit Ionic or Fitbit Versa by following simple steps in the Fitbit mobile app on Android or iOS devices to add a credit or debit card to the Fitbit Wallet. Fitbit Pay brings convenience and freedom to users to leave their smartphone and wallet at home, and easily make purchases at thousands of stores where contactless payments are already accepted.

    Fitbit Pay provides secure payments through the Visa Token Service. Tokenization is a payment security technology that replaces card account information, such as account numbers and expiration dates, with a unique digital identifier (“token”) that is used for payment without exposing a cardholder’s more sensitive account information.  A user’s card information is never revealed or shared with merchants. Plus, a protected PIN is chosen by the user during device set-up for an added layer of protection.  Users can leave their wallet at home and pay with a touch of their wrist.

  • Thai Airways extends partnership with WFS in France

    Thai Airways extends partnership with WFS in France

    Thai Airways has extended its long-standing cargo handling contract with Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) in France.

    The new agreement covers cargo, mail and express handling at airports across France and extends the business relationship between the two companies to 35 years.

    WFS will also provide cargo security services and trucking operations between regional airports and Paris CDG for the south east Asia carrier.

    In addition to handling cargo carried onboard the airline’s daily Airbus A380 flights between Paris and Bangkok, WFS will also provide offline handling at a further 12 airports in France; Orly, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Nice,  Montpellier and Rennes.

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  • Thailand is top destination for Holidays

    Thailand is top destination for Holidays

    Just more than a year ago, I ate at Nahm, in Bangkok and walked out after paying barely US$60 for a tasting menu that currently ranks 49th on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

    My grand, five-star hotel, the Anantara Siam, with its gilded murals and landscaped courtyards, cost US$150 a night, including a breakfast buffet that was truly fit for royalty. Even the most expensive souvenir I bought in town, an elephant figurine with inlaid mother of pearl, cost less than a typical outing to McDonald’s back home in New York.

    Yet, according to a visualisation of recent UN World Tourism Organ-isation (WTO) data by HowMuch, a financial literacy and infographics agency, Thailand outranks every other nation in Asia when it comes to tourism spend.

    Globally, the only countries that out-earn Thailand in terms of tourism dollars are France (US$61bil), Spain (US$68bil), and the United States-which handily takes the gold medal, at US$211bil.

    It all comes down to volume. Foreign arrivals could hit 40 million next year, which is more than half the country’s population.

    “In Thailand, you’ve got something for everybody,” says Rebecca Mazzaro, a specialist for bespoke outfitter ATJ.

    “From the private island with the private villa to amazing street food meals that only cost a couple bucks, it has a diversity and variety that exists in few other markets. It’s no surprise lots of people are going-and spending,” she says.

    Though gaps in the WTO’s data make it difficult to ascertain the per-visitor spend in each of these countries, given recent and forthcoming developments, that number is likely to be rising.

    “There’s no question that historically Bangkok – and Thailand in general – has always been perceived as a value destination,” says John Blanco, general manager of the forthcoming five-star Capella Bangkok, opening next spring with 101 suites facing the Chao Phraya River.

    “But there has been a real effort to shift that perception.”

    Mastercard’s annual Global Destination Cities Index recently ranked Bangkok as the most-visited city in 2017 for the third year in a row. The study, based on undisclosed public data sources, rather than cardholder transactions, indicates that travellers shell out US$173 for a day in the Thai capital, compared to US$537 in Dubai or US$286 in Singapore. This year, it forecasts travellers will spend an additional 14% more.

    By next year, the city will have gained even more opportunities to spend, such as superlative new resorts from Four Seasons, Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental, and Waldorf Astoria, plus a US$1.6bil Bal Harbour-esque mixed-use retail development called Icon Siam. When it opens in November, the latter will claim restaurants from top-tier chefs, including Alain Ducasse and an outpost of Tokyo department store Takashimaya. The Capella hotel will house Mauro Colagreco restaurant, whose Mirazur in Menton, France, has two Michelin stars.

    “There’s a lot more meat on the bone now,” Blanco says of luxury offerings in the capital.

    Dino Michael, global head of Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, agrees. “We’ve been noticing the upscaling of Bangkok for a few years,” he tells Bloomberg. “The consumer has become more sophisticated; the dining scene has become more sophisticated.”

    And yet the timeless appeal is what led him to open the brand’s first South-East Asia property in Bangkok in August – a glassy tower with dramatic skyline views from nearly every angle. Among Bangkok’s selling points, he says, are strong infrastructure and airlift, a “depth and breadth of tourists”, and an ingrained culture of hospitality. For tourists and brands thinking about charting the region, Michael adds, “It’s world renown and an obvious starting point.”

    There may be a price to pay for popularity, particularly on Thailand’s beaches and islands. Already, throngs of partygoers on commercial yachts have done so much damage to the pristine marine ecosystem of Maya Bay-the picturesque backdrop to Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2000 film The Beach –that the area closed for four months earlier this year to recover. Unable to bounce back fast enough, it’s now being closed indefinitely. That follows similar measures in nearby Koh Khai and Koh Tachai islands, where coral was being destroyed at devastating rates.

    In Phuket, Mastercard’s 12th-most-visited destination in the world, there’s been a sharp decline in the local turtle population, correlated with the rise in beachside pollution. It’s led 70 hoteliers to band together to promote sustainability and encourage better etiquette among travellers. — Bloomberg

    And in Thailand’s north, the dramatic growth of tourism has led to a sobering spike in unethical wildlife tourism, often centering around elephants and tigers.

    The capital, meanwhile, has stayed largely out of the way of these visitor-related troubles-perhaps because it’s hard(er) to justify bad behaviour in a city with 40,000 Buddhist temples. “Of course, red light tourism is alive and well-like it or not,” says Catherine Heald, founder and chief executive of Asia outfitter Remote Lands. “But ultimately, tourism has really lifted the local economy.” At $57 billion a year, there’s no denying that.

    Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2018/10/11/thailand-is-top-destination/#zi8mAJb1KF44VojD.99

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  • Thai Lion Air launches Dhaka-Bangkok direct flights

    Thai Lion Air launches Dhaka-Bangkok direct flights

    Budget airline Thai Lion Air launched direct flights between Dhaka and Bangkok, in an event at Lakeshore hotel on Saturday.

    They will be flying from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

    At the event, Malindo General Manager (Commercial Strategy) Saravanan Ramasamy said: “The company will play a pivotal role in connecting Bangladesh with Bangkok, China, Nepal, Vietnam, India, and Myanmar.

    “As the second largest Low cost carrier in Thailand, we have already conquered the South East Asian and South Asian market. Soon we will be offering flights to Japan.”

    The airline is offering round trips from Dhaka to Bangkok at a starting price of Tk16,083.

    At the event, the head of sales delivered a presentation on the journey and future expansion plans of the company.

    Thai Ambassador to Bangladesh Panpimon Suwannapongse and Thai Lion Air Managing Director Phillip Pang cut a cake at the launch ceremony.

    In a press statement, chairman of the Board of Thai Lion Air Captain Darsito Hendro Seputro said they will be launching their inaugural flight from Bangkok to Dhaka on October 1 this year.

    “Travelers will be attracted by amazing architectural marvels such as the Ahsan Manjil,” said Capt Septuro. “They will also be able to experience the handicrafts, spices, herbs, gift shops, and local food of the country.”

    The company currently operates aircraft including the Boeing 737-900 ER, with 215 seats, Boeing 737-800, with 189 seats, Boeing 737 MAX 9, with 215 seats, and the Airbus A330-300, with 392 seats.

    Passengers choosing to fly with Thai Lion Air will also be able to enjoy free baggage allowance of 10kg and free allowance for sports equipments of 10kg on domestic flights.

    As per the international flight policy of Thai Lion Air, Dhaka-Bangkok round trips will have free baggage allowance of 20kg.

    Currently, the airlines are offering a new service called Lion Seat Selection, which will let passengers choose their preferred seat locations, either beside a window or the aisle. For passengers who do not use the Lion Seat Selection service, the system will automatically assign a random seat number at check-in.

    Using this service, bookings can be made at least four hours prior to departure via the call centre or through the company’s official website.

    Thai Lion Air is a low cost carrier of Lion Group, founded in 2013, with 12 domestic flights, 2 cross region flights and more than 20 international flights. The airline will provide an alternative travel option for passengers travelling to Bangkok and beyond at very affordable price.

  • Dtac welcomes extension of 900-MHz bid decision deadline

    Dtac welcomes extension of 900-MHz bid decision deadline

    Thailand’s Dtac has welcomed the decision by regulator NBTC to extend the submission deadline for applying to participate in an upcoming 900-MHz auction if no bids come in today.

    The deadline extension will allow Dtac to complete its feasibility study before making a final decision on whether to participate.

    Dtac is the only operator to pick up bid documents for the upcoming auction by the deadline yesterday, and rivals AIS and True Corp have already indicating that they will not be participating.

    Dtac was expected to use the spectrum to replace its expiring 850-MHz spectrum and ensure continuity of service for customers still using the spectrum. The feasibility study is evaluating whether the 900-MHz spectrum is required, as well as the criteria and procedures of the license being auctioned.

    The operator will now have until October 16 to decide whether to participate in the bid, which will be held later in the month. The date will be October 20 if there are multiple participants, and October 28 if there is only one bidder.

    The NBTC recently rejected a request from Dtac for a remedy period allowing it to use its expiring spectrum now its license has expired, but the court had issued an emergency injunction while a hearing on the matter was before the courts.

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  • Adidas Thailand Enjoys 40% Growth Online Thanks to DHL E-Commerce

    Adidas Thailand Enjoys 40% Growth Online Thanks to DHL E-Commerce

    DHL eCommerce, a division of the world’s leading logistics company Deustche Post DHL Group, has facilitated growth of over 40% for adidas Thailand’s retail revenue by enabling deliveries for the adidas.co.th site.

    The e-commerce channel launched in June 2015 and since co-operating with DHL in May 2017, Thai consumers are able to have their purchases delivered same-day or next-day within greater Bangkok and 2-3 days to other remote areas.

    adidas.co.th offers a wide range of adidas products including limited edition items which may not be available in the physical stores. Customers can browse online and shop for unique styles and sizes without having to hop from store to store. With 18 physical stores across Thailand, DHL eCommerce will begin to leverage adidas’ retail footprint for e-commerce fulfilment by picking up orders from adidas stores and delivering to customers by Q2 2019.

    Jirot Paowisit, adidas’ Senior Manager of Operations for Thailand said, “E-Commerce is making a true impact not only in the way we sell and deliver our products, but also in how we engage our consumers. We are pleased to make adidas products more easily and conveniently available and we are excited to work with a strong logistics partner like DHL. Besides the excellent delivery service to our customers, their solutions have enabled us to fulfil more orders a day by optimizing our operations for fast e-commerce fulfillment.”

    “E-Commerce is a growing channel for adidas and with Thailand’s increasing e-commerce adoption with the total share of e-commerce expected to more than double in the coming years, we are certain that there will be more adidas fans choosing to shop on our online store. We are pleased with DHL eCommerce’s high quality delivery performance which plays an important role in our e-commerce strategy.” said Suphalada Chalitpattanangkune, E-Commerce Manager for adidas Thailand.

    “Over 57% of shoppers will likely not shop with a retailer again if they had a bad delivery experience, showing how important the quality of delivery is for a retailer’s brand image and customer loyalty. We are proud to enable adidas to deliver quickly and conveniently to their consumers with a successful delivery performance of 99% consistently since we started shipping for them in 2017,” said Kiattichai Pitpreecha, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, DHL eCommerce.

    “With DHL’s fully-owned domestic delivery network with full nationwide coverage across Thailand, adidas fans from anywhere in Thailand will be able to shop online easily with the assurance of a great delivery experience.”

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  • Electric vehicles on the fast track in Thailand

    Electric vehicles on the fast track in Thailand

    Experts see bright prospects for electric vehicles (EV) in Thailand with all concerned agencies pursuing the government’s goal of getting 1.2 million units on the road by 2036.

    There are many reasons and data behind the confidence of success, a seminar was told yesterday. The rising number of registered EVs, the development of a locally made EVs, as well as research and development of some EV parts are indications that it could have a major role in Thai society, said Amonrat Kaewpradap, a committee member of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), at a panel discussion yesterday titled “The future of Electric Vehicle in Thailand”.

    The discussion was held as part of the Delta Future Industry Summit, organised by Delta Electronics (Thailand), as a venue for exchanging innovative ideas for a sustainable future.

    Amornrat said the number of EVs in use in Thailand was gradually increasing, leading to the continuous growth of infrastructure of charging stations.

    “More stations will boost the confidence for consumers in using EVs and so far, there are 500 charging stations in the country, she said. In 2016, there were 80,194 registrations but the number surged to 102,700 in 2017, or an increase of 20,000 units.She pointed out that the accumulated number of EV registrations in Thailand for Battery Electric Vehicles [BEV] and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) sharply increased from 2016 to 2017.Incentives will bring down priceAnother indication is the higher imports of EVs, she said, adding that more BEV motorcycles were sold these days, pointing to its popularity.

    Moreover, EV manufacturers are hiking production amid increasing demand from buyers. Also, educational institutions have launched development projects for EV battery, motors and the structure of a light-weight car.She believes the price of EVs could come down in the future as the government will support its usage with incentives.

    Jumpote Himacharoen, director of research and development, Metropolitan Electricity Authority [MEA], said the power agency would provide sufficient electricity to serve the targeted number of EVs. MEA has recently launched an online application on the locations of EV charging stations for the convenience of drivers.

    In a separate panel discussion titled “A Decade into the Future: Predictions for Thai Cities”, participants said smart cities would be the cornerstone of the country’s future urban landscape, with significant investment from the government and private sector.

    Pansak Siriruchatapong, the vice minister of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, said the government would expand its smart city project to three more provinces – Chon Buri, Rayong and Chaochengsao – on the Eastern Economic Corridor this year.Currently, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Bangkok are the cities earmarked for the pilot program.

    “Within the next five years, Thailand will develop smart cities in all 77 provinces,” he said.He added the two factors driving the development of smart cities are the engagement of community and local government and the connectivity and sharing information with technology solutions.However, Piyapan Tayanithi, Bangkok Bank’s executive vice president, warned that smart or high-technology is a double-edged sword, and back-up measures were needed in the event of malfunctions.

    Piyapan cited an incident late last month when banks’ electronic money transfers, withdrawals and payment services crashed for several hours. The banks attributed the cause to heavy interbank money transfers at the end of the month at large banks.“Simplicity or convenience of a group of people could come along with difficulty or complexity for another group [of people],” he said.

    Hsieh Shen-yen, president of Delta Electronics (Thailand), said: “We are currently witnessing the decline of old technologies such as gasoline cars and the gradual shift to smarter, cleaner technologies to power our lives and manage our cities.“But the shift to the future will only gain real momentum when the public and private sectors work together and get serious about action for climate change and managing urbanization,” he said.

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  • AirAsia to launch Vizag-Bangkok flights from Dec 8

    AirAsia to launch Vizag-Bangkok flights from Dec 8

    AirAsia, a low-cost air carrier, is linking Visakhapatnam and Bangkok and the flights would begin from Dec 8.

    Making the announcement at a media conference here on Monday, Rajkumar Paranthaman, the head of marketing, said there would be flights on four weekdays from here to Bangkok (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) and the return flights from Bangkok to Vizag would be on Monday, Wednesday. Friday and Sunday.

    He said the travel to Bangkok would be hassle-free and visa on arrival would be given to tourists at Bangkok. Further, the airlines has air-connection from Bangkok to 21 destinations within that country. It is also a major hub with international flights to different destinations in the country.

    He said the promotional fare to Bangkok would be Rs 2,999 one way and the tourists and visitors to Thailand could book the tickets up to Oct. 21 to avail themselves of the promotional offer. Visa on arrival would be arranged for Indians, for a fee of roughly Rs 4,000 or so.

    He said, “AirAsia is operating flights to Bangkok from five Indian cities – Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Jaipur and Kochi – and Vizag would be added to the list in December.

    Cholada Siddhivarn, the Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said India was very important for Thailand. “Last year, 1.2 tourists from India visited Thailand and the number is likely to go up to 1.4 million this year,” she said and added that Indians should go to different parts of Thailand and not merely confine themselves to Bangkok. “Thailand is a friendly country to tourists, specially Indians,” she added.

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