Tag: bangkok

  • Thai Airways celebrates 59 years of operations

    Thai Airways celebrates 59 years of operations

    Thai Airways International has recognized the airlines’ long-serving staff with certificates at a ceremony to mark the 59th anniversary.

    Thai Airways president, Sumeth Damrongchaitham, presided over a ceremony to present certificates and souvenirs to staff who have completed 35 years and 25 years of service with the national airline.

    The certificates were also given to staff who were commended by customers, and staff who made a significant contribution to the airline’s success over the years.

    Thai conducts the ceremony annually to mark the anniversary of its establishment on March 29, 1960.

  • UOB Launches Comparison Website for Utilities

    UOB Launches Comparison Website for Utilities

    United Overseas Bank on Monday launched Singapore’s first online utility marketplace by a bank, as part of the Open Electricity Market initiative. United Overseas Bank (UOB)’s utility marketplace will add to an existing array of comparison websites under Singapore’s Open Electricity Market initiative by the Energy Market Authority. Featuring 10 utility providers on a single website, customers can now search and sign up for the best deals for electricity, gas, water, broadband and TV services.

    With utility bills making up an average of about 10 percent of monthly household expenses, we want to help people stretch their household budget, said Jacquelyn Tan, UOB’s head of personal financial services Singapore in a media statement.

    With more than 50 different plans offered by electricity retailers under the Open Electricity Market rollout, Singapore consumers could find it time-consuming to find the right electricity plan.

    The UOB Utility Marketplace aims to make it easy for consumers to compare providers and plans through its Electricity Price Plan Recommender. Users simply need to indicate if they prefer a fixed price or discounted price plan, their preferred subscription tenure, and their monthly electricity bill budget.

    A list of suitable electricity plans and potential savings will then be generated based on their selection. Consumers are then directed to the electricity partner’s website to sign up for their plan of choice. In all, the process takes less than 10 minutes to complete, the bank said.

  • Julius Baer Starts to Serve Thai Wealthy Individuals

    Julius Baer Starts to Serve Thai Wealthy Individuals

    The Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), the first commercial bank in Thailand, and Julius Baer, the leading Swiss wealth management group and one of the four largest private banks in Asia, announced on Thursday that their joint venture company, SCB Julius Baer, has received the necessary approvals and licenses to operate in Thailand, beginning with over 50 dedicated professionals.

    SCB Julius Baer will focus on bringing best-in-class global wealth management capabilities to clients in the growing Thai wealth management market.

    Jiralawan Tangitvet joins as Chief Executive Officer to lead SCB Julius Baer. A seasoned investment specialist with over two decades of experience, both in the buy- and sell-side in the financial industry, Jiralawan has a track record of helping clients build investment strategies tailored to their financial goals as well as design business plans that accelerate growth and opportunities. Prior to joining SCB Julius Baer, she was most recently Managing Director at Kasikorn Securities.

    «We are delighted that Jiralawan has been appointed to lead this important joint venture in Thailand. Her extensive experience combined with Julius Baer and SCB’s capabilities provide our clients with a unique value proposition in Thailand,» said Jimmy Lee, Member of the Executive Board and Head Asia Pacific, Julius Baer.

    Over the last few months, concrete steps have been taken and key personnel has been hired with the leadership experience and expertise in Thailand to advise clients regarding their wealth management and wealth planning needs. Julius Baer’s international expertise and SCB’s on-the-ground experience form the foundation of these training and development programmes.

    «SCB’s strong brand name in Thailand provides the joint venture with a home-court advantage while Julius Baer contributes its comprehensive investment and advisory solutions built on global best-in-class expertise. Together, we have a winning formula for our clients in Thailand,» said Christian Cappelli, Market Head Emerging Asia, Julius Baer.

  • NEXT BLOCK ASIA + Fabulous Bangkok After-Party

    NEXT BLOCK ASIA + Fabulous Bangkok After-Party

    Bangkok, Thailand will host the 2-day NEXT BLOCK ASIA “Beyond Crypto” by Krypton Events and CoinAdvice on 25-26 June 2019 at the W Hotel. The conference will bring together experts from CRYPTO and BEYOND, combining the best of Blockchain, CFD and Affiliates with the next generation of traditional finance.

    Bringing together 750+ participants and 45+ distinguished speakers, investors & startups, the Conference will be devoted to shared fields and common grounds of the crypto universe and traditional finance. With the umbrella topic of the conference “Beyond Crypto” the participants will discuss the best of both worlds and how to move the industries from denial and antagonism to cooperation and mutually beneficial coexistence. As a good tradition, the event will be celebrated by a luxurious After-Party by NEXT BLOCK ASIA.

    June 27 take a unique opportunity to explore different faces of Bangkok while building connections and enjoying an award-winning 5-hour bicycle & boat tour joining NEXT BLOCK ASIA Cultural Day with an award-winning Co van Kessel!

    On top, we will host a Private Investors Pre-Party a day before the event, where investors will be able to network, discuss, find co-investors, meet best startups – all while enjoying refined drinks and buffet.

    • A sneak-peak of the confirmed speakers:
    • Giacomo Arcaro, №1 European ICO Growth Hacker, ICO STO Advisor, University Professor,
    • Herbert R. Sim, TheBitcoinMan, Broctagon FinTech Group,
    • Tal Itzhak Ron, Chairman and CEO – Tal Ron, Drihem & Co. with the presentation “Emergency Briefing regarding Visa and Mastercard new legal opinion requirements and solutions (Crypto, CFD, FX)”,
    • Stefania Barbaglio, Disruptor, Entrepreneur, Investor, PR Marketing Guru, Blockchain Strategist and Advisor,Dato Steve Cheah, President at Global Entrepreneurship Network (Thailand),
    • Topp Jirayut Srupsrisopa, Co-founder & CEO at Bitkub Capital Group Holdings Co., Ltd Board of Director at Thai Fintech Association,
    • Neha Mehta, Founder of FemTech Partners,
    • Chris Ziomkowski, Founder at XTend Online,
    • Ralph Liu, Founder and CEO, MuleChain, Inc.
    • Eran Tirer, Founder & CEO, Ledgertech AG

    Check next-block.org for the event’s agenda and attending speakers. If you want to know what to expect, take a look at our highlights from recent events in Sofia, Tel Aviv and Kiev.

    Present your company in the EXPO ZONE and/or from the main stage – we facilitate promising ventures in getting a great audience.

    To get a ticket, sign up for presenting your project, becoming a sponsored or a media partner, visit our site at next-block.org.

    To follow the conversation and deepen engagement with us and participants please join our Facebook event.

    Media contacts: Heena Gupta heena@coinadvice.org, +91 965 439 47 97
    Svitlana Kokarieva svitlana.k@kryptonevents.com, +38 063 213 12 12

  • AirAsia becomes Brisbane Broncos Official Airline

    AirAsia becomes Brisbane Broncos Official Airline

    AirAsia has formalised a deal to become the Brisbane Broncos’ official airline, along with promotions held at every Broncos home game and special discounts for fans.

    The deal is centred around the launch of the new ‘The Buck Stops Here’ campaign, to celebrate AirAsia the airline’s new services from Brisbane to Bangkok, which are set to commence on 26 June.

    AirAsia Group Head of Branding, Rudy Khaw, said AirAsia is excited to partner with the Brisbane Broncos.

    “We are thrilled to partner with Queensland’s number one sports team, and National Rugby League favourites, the Brisbane Broncos.

    “Queensland is an integral part of our Australian network, and since commencing flights to the Gold Coast in November 2007, we’ve flown more than 2 million passengers through the sunshine state,” Mr Khaw said.

    “Our new services from Brisbane will soon become the most affordable and convenient way to travel to Thailand’s capital, and with the help of the Brisbane Broncos, we hope to see demand for these new flights grow even more.”

    As part of the partnership, AirAsia will run events and giveaways at Brisbane Broncos home games over the 2019 NRL season, as well as provide fans advanced notice on AirAsia promotional offers.

    Brisbane Broncos CEO, Paul White, said the partnership reflects a shared culture for both organisations.

    “Our partnership with AirAsia reflects a shared culture of delivering a fantastic experience at exceptional value for fans, whether it’s a night at the footy or choosing your next holiday.

    “The Broncos look forward to seeing how the beloved Buck is made part of this exciting plan to further enhance the fan experience and showcase AirAsia and their exciting destinations,” Mr White said.

    The deal, which was announced during the Broncos home game against the West Tigers at Suncorp Stadium last night, has already seen one fan receive return flights for two to Bangkok, Thailand.

  • Nok Air to cease flights to Nan

    Nok Air to cease flights to Nan

    Nok Air will end flights between Bangkok and Nan from April 18, leaving the province scrambling to convince another airline to take up the service.

    Nan airport general manager Ruangyuth Nittayanon announced on Thursday the airport had been advised by the budget airline of its decision to stop flying the route from April 18, after more than one year in operation. Nok Air did not explain the reason, he added. A check showed its website no longer allows bookings for Nan flights from April 18. Ticket prices to the province are shown only until April 17.

    The no-frills airline currently has two daily flights between Don Mueang and Nan. Terminating the service  leaves Thai AirAsia the only airline linking the capital and the northern province. Nok Air is operating at a loss and its financial situation is being closely watched by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
    Mr Ruangyuth said the airport had contacted the Airports Department to approach other airlines to fly to Nan to reduce the impacts on air travellers, tourism and business. He named Bangkok Airways and Thai Vietjet as possible options.

    With Thai AirAsia to be the lone airline on the route, the airport chief was concerned about the possibility of higher fares due to the lack of competition.
    The province and business operators in Nan will hold a meeting to approach other airlines to replace Nok Air when it ends the service, with the last flights on April 17.

  • AirAsia to Launch Flights Between Bangkok and Ahmedabad

    AirAsia to Launch Flights Between Bangkok and Ahmedabad

    AirAsia is to launch flights between Bangkok and Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat state and India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City. The airline will operate the route four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, from 31 May 2019.

    AirAsia Thailand CEO, Santisuk Klongchaiya, said, “India is a strategic market that is fast becoming an important contributor of inbound tourists for AirAsia Thailand. To fully leverage on this, we plan to regularly introduce routes connecting the two countries, focusing particularly on India’s burgeoning metros. Thailand’s own worldwide fame for hospitality should attract travellers from Ahmedabad, which is the capital of Gujarat state and India’s fifth most populous city.”

    According to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand welcomed 1.5 million Indian visitors in 2018, up 12% on the previous year.

    Thai AirAsia has recorded a load factor of up to 87% on its India routes, with passengers travelling between Bangkok and existing destinations in India increasing 7% year-on-year. Indian nationals made up 85% of passengers on those routes.

  • Thai telcos fear excessive costs from new cable policy

    Thai telcos fear excessive costs from new cable policy

    The Telecommunications Association of Thailand (TCT), the industry body representing Thailand’s major operators, has argued that the policy will impose excessive costs on telecommunications service providers and may prove to be impractical.

    The association is urging the government to subsidize construction costs for the underground pipelines that would hold the currently overhead cables, and has suggested that operators would be willing to pay “reasonable” rental fees for this passive infrastructure.

    But as it stands, the association has stated that it is concerned that operators would be required to pay rental fees for underground pipelines that are up to 100 times higher than the current price paid for using overhead poles – nearly 20,000 baht per kilometer per month, compared to around 200 to 300 baht for per kilometer per month for overhead poles.

    Meanwhile the association has also proposed an alternative model involving using a combination of underground pipes and overhead poles that in some cases could use tubing that can group all cables together.

    This would help the government achieve its goal of helping to beautify the city while being a more affordable option to locating all cables underground.

  • 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.