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Tag: bangkok

  • Long queues in Apple Bangkok store opening day

    Long queues in Apple Bangkok store opening day

    The first official Apple Bangkok store is now trading, located in the heart of the new US$1.6 billion IconSiam project. Queues formed overnight as Thai Apple fans vied to be among the store’s first customers and the company says “thousands” of shoppers visited the store in the first day of trading on Saturday.

    Inside Retail understands Apple’s designers, London-based Foster + Partners, worked with the architecture team from IconSiam to make the store stand out from the centre’s curved river-facing facade. The result is a clean, open square profile fronting a large outdoor courtyard, giving the store a ‘high-street feel’ despite being inside a larger mall structure.

    The interior features living trees and floor to ceiling glass facing both into the mall and out of it.

    For opening weekend, the store hosted local band Polycat performing live and the company also gave its iconic Apple logo a Thai-style makeover to celebrate its debut in the country.

    A second Apple store is believed to be under construction in the basement of the CentralWorld shopping centre in downtown Bangkok. See how long the queue in the gallery below (4 images) :

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  • Bangkok’s IconSiam launches tonight

    Bangkok’s IconSiam launches tonight

    Six years in design and construction, Bangkok’s US$1.6 billion IconSiam development will finally be officially launched tonight before opening its doors to the public tomorrow morning. With 500 stores, more than 100 restaurants and 14 cinema screens, a luxury apartment tower and a Mandarin Oriental hotel, the ambitious development is probably the most significant addition to Asia’s retail landscape in decades.

    Tonight, 10,000 businesspeople, retailers, media and guests have been invited to an opening ceremony which kicks off a weekend of festivities costing US$30 million. A fleet of 1500 drones organised by Intel will take to the sky above the Chao Phraya River and a “famous US singer” whose identity is being kept a closely guarded secret, will perform on stage somewhere along the 400-metre riverfront promenade of the building.

    Tickets to the invitation-only event, which also features a raft of Asian entertainers, fireworks, light and water shows, have been trading online for 10,000 THB (US$300), despite never being sold in the first place.

    Tomorrow, thousands of Thais are expected to visit the 750,000sqm venue, with stores offering rewards for early customers – like H&M issuing a 20,000 THB voucher to its first – and Apple is expected to draw long queues for its first official retail outlet in Thailand.

    About 80 per cent of the stores at IconSiam will be open for business tomorrow, the balance opening in ensuing weeks as fitouts are completed and approved by offshore head offices. But the project is still not complete. Several stories above the retail and dining area remain under construction, scheduled to open in July. They will house a world-class 6500sqm River Museum, a 3000-seat concert hall and other community facilities.

    Defining IconSiam is not easy.

    “It’s not a mall. It’s not a mixed use project,” IconSiam MD Supoj Chaiwatsirikul said last night. “It’s a destination.”

    The story of how IconSiam investors acquired the 8.8 hectare riverfront site gives an insight into how the project evolved into much more than a shopping centre. The owners of the land had been approached many times over the years, including by cashed up foreign developers. But they wouldn’t sell – until Siam Piwat CEO Chadatip Chutrakul talked to them, promising to create something that could showcase Thai culture and history to the world and be something all Thais could be proud of.

    Since then, IconSiam’s operational team have worked with Thais literally the length and breadth of the country to involve them in the project. Artworks and sculptures have been selected from 100 artists, mostly Thai, to appear throughout the complex, a 1.6 hectare space called SookSiam (“a city of Thai happiness”) will feature products and cultural heritage of the nation’s four regions, showcasing their handicrafts, performing arts, food, beverages “and local wisdom” in a single destination promised as “immersive, emotional and entertaining”.

    “IconSiam inaugurates a globally innovative model for destination development that moves the project away from being a mall or a mixed-use complex to being an inspiring destination,” explains Chutrakul.

    “It’s a place to regenerate and refresh, to be inspired and seek new ideas, and a place to discover the best of Thailand and the best on offer from around the world.”

    Unprecedented coordination has taken place with city and government authorities to enhance the transport system surrounding the site. A new skytrain track – aptly called the Gold Line – is under construction linking two other rail routes and which ultimately will make it a 20-minute railway journey from downtown Bangkok to the river. The company has built its own wharf in front of the building and worked to enhance a network of 73 river piers making it easier to reach the venue. Some 45,000 Thais travel along the river using public transport every day and they are starting to find that more convenient than ever.

    Work is continuing with landowners and hotel properties along the waterfront to create a public walkway, opening up the riverfront to the people for the first time in centuries.

    SiamPiwat’s Siam Paragon shopping centre which, when neighbouring properties Siam Center and Siam Discovery are added, create the city’s largest single shopping destination, attracts about 250,000 visitors on a typical weekend day. The company expects IconSiam to draw as many as 400,000 once the project is fully operational. About 60 per cent of those will be Thais, the balance tourists, although it is obvious from the size and scale of the luxury duplexes facing the river – bearing brand names including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier and Hermes – that the ratio will be quite different zone-by-zone: This part of the project is very clearly designed to appeal to the growing legions of Chinese tourists heading to Thailand.

    Another key retail drawcard of IconSiam will be the country’s first Takashimaya department store spread over several levels and including a comprehensive food and grocery offer as well as fashion and accessories.

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  • DKSH adds 3 brands in path to double Thai luxury

    DKSH adds 3 brands in path to double Thai luxury

    Market expansion service provider DKSH Thailand has announced plans to double the scale of its Thai luxury and lifestyle business within two years. The firm has picked up three international brands this year, with another Italian lifestyle brand to be added to its portfolio next year.

    Included in the expansion is a THB30 million (US$913,800) investment in a new 200sqm flagship Bally store in Thailand, opening at Iconsiam on Friday (November 9).

    DKSH regional VP of luxury and lifestyle business Franck Giacobini said luxury and lifestyle is picking up again and sales are strong.

    “DKSH’s luxury and lifestyle business in Thailand will strengthen in the next few years because the country has a young population with high spending power.”

    He added that DKSH will allocate a huge investment to the Thai market, considering the country’s high-end retail complexes and strong tourism.

    President of DKSH Thailand Douglas Humphrey added: “DKSH has been in Thailand for over a century. Our consumer product business in Thailand is the biggest market for the DKSH network globally. We will continue to invest here in terms of people, capability and supply chain in the coming years.”

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  • Hong Kong Top 10 Most Visited Cities in Asia Pacific: Mastercard

    Hong Kong Top 10 Most Visited Cities in Asia Pacific: Mastercard

    Hong Kong is listed as one of Asia Pacific’s top 10 most visited destinations for the eighth consecutive year in the Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index 2018 released. Ranked 14th globally and seventh in Asia Pacific, Hong Kong welcomed 9.03 million international overnight visitors in 2017. Despite dropping a notch from ranking the sixth the previous year, the city saw a slight increase in international overnight visitors from 2016 which saw 8.86 million visitors. Overnight visitor arrivals to Hong Kong are forecast to grow by 0.9 percent in 2018.

    The city is currently at the tenth spot regionally, and is also expected to see 3.78 percent growth in international overnight visitor spending from US$5.92 billion in 2017.

    Ranking the world’s 162 top destination cities, the Index analyzes visitor volume and spending for the 2017 calendar year and provides a forecast for annual growth, insights on the fastest growing destination cities, and a deeper understanding of why people travel and how they spend around the world.

    Global & Asia Pacific Highlights:

     Bangkok remains to be the No. 1 destination city in the world with 20.05 million international overnight visitor arrivals, while London came in a close second with 19.83 million visitors. Paris and Dubai came at the third and fourth spots, with 17.44 million and 15.79 million visitors respectively. Singapore remains at the fifth spot with 13.91 million visitors.

     Forty-eight point five percent of travelers to the global destinations came from China, which ranks at number two among the top origin countries, next to the United States with 57.4 percent.

     Dubai continues to be the top ranking destination city in the world based on overnight visitor spend, having recorded an International Overnight Visitor Spend of US$29.70 billion, followed by Makkah and London with US$18.45 billion and US$17.45 billion each.

     The top three overnight international visitors in Hong Kong last year were from the Republic of Korea (12.9 percent), the U.S.A. (9.6 percent) and Taiwan (9.5 percent).

     

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  • Thai’s KBank presses ahead with 2019 loan growth target of 5-7%

    Thai’s KBank presses ahead with 2019 loan growth target of 5-7%

    In the recently announced 2019 business plans, KASIKORNBANK (KBank) will press ahead to become the “Customers’ Life Platform of Choice” by using K PLUS to introduce financial and lifestyle services that suit individual clients. KBank’s financial and IT capabilities will be further enhanced through using data for decision making and steering business toward becoming a “Bank of Sustainability. The Bank has set 2019 loan growth target of 5-7%

    Mr. Banthoon Lamsam, Chairman of the Board of KBank, said that the Thai economy will likely post steady growth in 2019. Despite sagging demand abroad, domestic spending, buoyed by both public and private investments, may play a more important role in bolstering the Thai economic performance. It is expected the Thai GDP growth will reach 4.3 percent in 2019, which would be lower than the 4.6 percent pace projected for 2018 due to the slowdown in the export sector and tourism caused by the high 2018 base and the protracted US-China trade dispute that may dampen the global trade overall. Major drivers for the Thai economy in 2019 may include steady public infrastructure investment and the scheduled general election that will likely help reinvigorate investment climate overall while Thailand’s interest rates will be on the upward trend amid lofty household debt.

    Amid numerous challenges, KBank’s 2019 business operations will continue to focus on our “Customer Centricity” philosophy. With this mantra, we will press ahead with the “Customers’ Life Platform of Choice” strategy by using K PLUS, which has the highest number of users of any mobile banking applications in the country, to introduce financial and lifestyle services to meet the needs of individual customers. Our financial and IT capabilities will be enhanced further to allow KBank to be more responsive to every situation and become a data-driven bank, thus paving the way toward being a “Bank of Sustainability”.

    With regard to overall goals for 2019, KBank looks forward to achieving loan growth of 5-7%, which would be consistent with the 2019 economic growth, breaking down into corporate loan growth at 3-5%, SME loan growth at 2-4% and retail loan growth at 9-12%. We also set growth targets for our net interest margin (NIM) at 3.3-3.5%, and non-interest income growth at -5 to -7%. KBank’s NPL ratio is projected at 3.3-3.7%.

    Mr. Banthoon added that KBank continues to operate business, based on being a “Bank of Sustainability”, and under appropriate risk management and good governance. We are also building a balance in economic, social and environmental dimensions via strategies that will enable us to achieve and create sustainable returns over the long term. Such a sustainable development philosophy has been instilled in all of our operations until it becomes part of our corporate DNA, which has helped create maximum benefit for all stakeholders and promote sustainable growth to Thailand.

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  • aCommerce Launches BrandIQ to Help Brands grow sales

    aCommerce Launches BrandIQ to Help Brands grow sales

    Southeast Asia’s leading brand ecommerce enabler, aCommerce, introduces BrandIQ, the company’s new ecommerce measurement and analytics suite. BrandIQ will enable brands to understand and visualize more than 11 million SKUs across 600 brands and 160,000 sellers online across Southeast Asia, enabling global consumer brands and retailers to grow online sales and market share.

    BrandIQ is envisioned to provide brands in Southeast Asia with measurable data and actionable insights for their online commerce strategy. Using sophisticated ecommerce data collection and proprietary machine learning technologies, BrandIQ will empower brands to monitor online merchandise, analyze competitors, offer better promotions, understand consumer sentiments, and improve the overall ecommerce experience.

    “We are now entering an era where usage of survey data is not sufficient to succeed in Southeast Asia’s growing ecommerce landscape,” said Poonpat Wattanavinit, Regional Director of Product, aCommerce. “BrandIQ is a new technology platform that collects data from all the leading online marketplaces to offer brands real-time insights. Through BrandIQ, brands will be able to benchmark their own performance on marketplaces over time as well as compare against competitors in terms of online sales and share of digital shelf.”

    As part of the launch, BrandIQ is also rolling out additional services to help brands and consumers engage in a more meaningful and personal way. Brands can now discover brand advocates and generate authentic product reviews, reward and retain them, and grow brand advocacy at scale.

    “For the last five years, aCommerce has helped brands in Southeast Asia overcome ecommerce challenges, including physical infrastructure and distribution barriers,” added Phensiri Sathianvongnusar, Chief Executive Officer, aCommerce Thailand. “Throughout these years, we saw that data and information is incredibly important to operate a business. The launch of BrandIQ comes naturally as a stepping stone for aCommerce to utilize data and further advance the success of our brands, along with the right tools, teams, and mindset throughout their ecommerce journey.”

    BrandIQ kicked off its pilot operations in Thailand last year and since then has expanded its presence across the Southeast Asian region covering six countries, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. BrandIQ will continue to expand the service to other Southeast Asian countries and marketplaces as the ecommerce space continues to grow throughout the region.

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  • Skechers launched biggest Southeast Asia flagship store in Bangkok

    Skechers launched biggest Southeast Asia flagship store in Bangkok

    Bangkok’s CentralWorld shopping centre is home to the newly opened Skechers Thailand flagship store. The North American footwear company says Thailand represents its fastest-growing market in the region which is why the store, at 275sqm, is its largest yet in Southeast Asia. In the first nine months of the year, sales grew by more than 50 per cent.

    The new store features the Skechers apparel range for the first time in the market, with management hoping that will grow to account for up to 30 per cent of Thailand sales volume.

    Kaimuk Nilsatetee, assistant VP of CRC Sports, the licensee for Skechers Thailand, said the company sold about 400,000 pairs of Skechers across the country last year and is targeting double that number this year.

    “Skechers shoes generate the most sales revenue for CRC Sports,” Kaimuk said. “Its performance has gone well since expanding its business to Thailand in the past several years.”

    CRC Sports sells Skechers in 32 concept stores, two outlet stores, 25 concessions and through 95 resellers. Another 12 stores are planned for next year.

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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.