Thai AirAsia commenced two new routes from Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) to India. Flights from the Thai airport to Tiruchirappalli (TRZ) commenced on 28 September, followed by the inaugural service to Jaipur (JAI) on 29 September. Both routes will be served four times weekly by Thai AirAsia A320s. There is no competition on either route. The airline now serves six destinations in India from Don Mueang, accounting for 32 weekly flights.
Tag: bangkok
-
Central Group buying Dean & Deluca rights outside US
Thailand’s Central Group is set to acquire the Dean & Deluca chain of deli-cafes outside the US from Thai luxury property developer Pace Development for US$50 million.
The deal is in the due diligence process, says Pace, which acquired the chain through its subsidiary Pace Food Retail for $140 million in 2014. Dean & Deluca was founded in the US in 1977.
Under the agreement, the Thai retail giant will be licensed to run and expand the business outside the US while Pace retains ownership of the brand, runs the chain in the US and owns the right to produce and distribute consumer products under the Dean & Deluca trademark.
Pace CEO Sorapoj Techakraisri says Central Group has the financial resources, expertise and knowledge to handle the day-to-day business of the stores, logistics and licensee relationships.
“Having Central as a partner will give Dean & Deluca healthy growth globally,” he says.
Pace, which develops luxury residential properties, has reported operating losses for five consecutive quarters, reaching THB1.7 billion ($50.9 million) last quarter.
Currently, the company is developing four projects worth THB34 billion in total, including the Ritz-Carlton Residences Bangkok.
The original Dean & Deluca was an iconic delicatessen in New York which continues to trade to this day. In Thailand, Pace converted the concept into more of a cafe business, before expanding outside Thailand, including in the Middle East, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and the Philippines. It was pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy in Asia.
-
Bangkok Apple Store in planning
Multiple reports from Thailand tip the opening of the first Bangkok Apple Store in 2018.
The move began as a rumour when recruitment advertisements appeared in the country seeking creative, expert, “genius”, managers, store leaders and business leader roles in what – based on similar advertising in other markets – could only mean a search for qualified staff for an official Apple store. Advertisements also invited applications for the two-year Apple Store Leader Program, according to MacRumors.com.
The ads added credibility to rumours published in Thailand earlier this year which tipped the first Bangkok Apple Store would open at the IconSiam shopping centre, currently being built on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, by Siam Piwat, which also owns the Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery and Siam Center malls in the heart of Bangkok. Of those, only Siam Paragon would seem to have sufficient space to host a flagship Apple store, although it would lack the bold street frontage Apple prefers for its retail outlets. IconSiam will feature a row of two-story brand maisons which, while previously earmarked for luxury European fashion brands, could include a distinctive Apple store with bold frontage, such as that used in Apple’s Orchard Road store in Singapore, (pictured above), or its Hong Kong stores, one of which is built on an overpass spanning two buildings across a busy street.
Apple is also working on its retail debut in Macau and Seoul in this part of the world, following the successful (but delayed) opening of the Singapore store in May.
-
Passion Delivery doubles offering in two months
Within two months, the number of suppliers and products trading through new Thailand online marketplace Passion Delivery has doubled.
Directly connecting customers with local producers and importers of artisanal food and drink products, cookware and healthy lifestyle goods, the platform has increased its range from 600 products from 25 suppliers to more than 1200 products from 45 suppliers.
Co-founder/CEO Ian Soo says the increased choice has inspired more than 1000 people to create accounts.
“We always knew that people passionate about cooking want as much choice as possible,” says Soo. “Orders grow every month, proving this.”
Passion Delivery is achieving an average basket size of more than THB2400 (US$70) an order.
Soo, with wife Sara, founded the business in 2014 after being frustrated by the lack of availability of quality, locally produced food products and ingredients in Bangkok.
“We’d seen a lot of great food and met some really passionate producers at local farmers’ markets,” says Sara Soo, “but we found it difficult, if not impossible, to find their products in shops. We thought that other people must share our frustration, so we created Passion Delivery.”
It started as a specialist online order and delivery business from their home, offering just 25 products from three suppliers.
Eventually, the marketplace was launched as a virtual shop window, connecting customers with suppliers, who fulfil and deliver the orders.
Passion Delivery plans to expand the marketplace to 4000 products with 2500 customers by year-end.
-
Xiaomi to open Bangkok Mi store
A Bangkok Mi store has been announced, not long after the Chinese electronics brand Xiaomi launched in Thailand.
The authorised Bangkok Mi store will open on October 8, in partnership with Fanslink, at Imperial World Samrong.
Xiaomi is also strengthening its service network, entering into an after-sales support agreement with VST ECS, which has 10 outlets in Thailand.
Senior VP with Xiaomi, Wang Xiang, said the brand is planning considerable presence in the country, expecting it to become a key regional market over time.
“We are all very excited to have this momentum in Thailand and to continue bringing new products with great technology to the people at price points that provide outstanding value,” said Wang.
-
Paragon Shopping Centre merging tech and fashion
Paragon Shopping Centre on Orchard Road has branched into robotics and virtual reality for its latest fashion promotion.
Shoppers can watch fashion runway shows projected onto the floor, and with virtual-reality goggles can have a 360-degree view of a fashion show in which mannequins morph into models.
Using Samsung VR Gear, the experience was created by multimedia and fashion-design students from Raffles College of Higher Education. It features apparel and jewellery from 11 capsule collections, each created by a student from the school’s fashion-design course.
Central to the display is a large robotic arm, typically used for precision engineering. It picks up and moves boxes containing fashion pieces such as bags and shoes, giving shoppers a 360-degree view of each item. The arm is on loan from automation firm Weltron Equipment.
Running until October 1, the display features items from Moschino’s fall/winter collection. The next day, until October 15, athleisure collections take over the spotlight, featuring such brands as AX Exchange, Diesel, DKNY, Puma and Star360.
-
Online retail sales going strong in Thailand
Thailand has seen an explosion of Internet shopping in recent years as consumers become more tech-savvy. If that is anything to go by, e-commerce in South-east Asia is taking off as well.
Online retail sales in Thailand of everything, from washing machines and televisions to fish sauce, are growing more than 100 per cent, far outpacing purchases made at traditional stores, where sales are rising by about 10 per cent.
That is down to a combination of stronger and faster Internet speeds in the country and the success of online merchants, such as Lazada.
Thailand’s third-biggest mobile-phone company, Total Access Communication, estimates that Thais spend up to six hours a day on social media websites, including Facebook and YouTube.
Thailand is the only country in South-east Asia that breaks down retail sales data into an online category, providing a useful guide of what e-commerce growth may be like in the region, according to Maybank Kim Eng.
Bigger markets, such as China and South Korea, already have higher penetration rates of online retailing at 16 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively.
That shows the potential for South-east Asia, where e-commerce sales could grow to 5 per cent to 10 per cent of overall retail purchases over the next five years, according to Maybank.
Alibaba founder Jack Ma recently signed up to be a member of a government panel in Indonesia tasked with steering the e-commerce industry in South-east Asia’s most-populous nation. Macquarie Research estimates online retailing in the country can reach US$65 billion (S$88 billion) by 2020.
The surge in e-commerce and a lack of official data means the health of the consumer in South-east Asia may be underestimated, according to Maybank. Tracking consumer patterns will involve more than just looking at official retail sales, it said.
-
Muji Thailand opens CentralWorld flagship
After a decade in Bangkok, Muji Thailand has opened a flagship store at CentralWorld.
Covering 1000sqm, it is the Japanese brand’s biggest outlet in Bangkok, offering for the first time clothing lines like Found Muji, which borrows materials and techniques from around the world, Muji Labo, which offers everyday basics in neutral colours, and ReMuji, which revives vintage garments through indigo dyeing techniques.
There is also the first Green Space, a corner devoted to plants ideal for tiny indoor gardens. The store also offers the Muji basics of toiletries, stationery, kitchenware, clothing and bedding.
Meanwhile, the What is Muji? exhibition at Central Embassy mall showcases Muji’s brand philosophy through a range of products. It continues until October 1.
-
Bangkok’s Stadium One puts focus on sports retail
Downtown Bangkok’s first sports community mall, Stadium One, is planned to open in November.
Developed by Sportsociety Co, the retail project is at the Banthat Thong intersection opposite Tesco Lotus hypermarket and near National Stadium, Chulalongkorn University and several shopping centres.
Stadium One will cover about 27,000sqm, of which 20,000sqm will house 124 shops selling sports products and equipment. The five-storey building will also include a sports clinic, 5000sqm for indoor sporting activities, and 2000sqm for events.
Sportsociety’s four partners – Thanomkiat Summavuthichai, Natapak Rekijtisirikul, Sittichai Srisanguansakul and Pongwat Tiyapornchai – have budgeted THB200 million (US$6 million) to rent the project site from Chulalongkorn University for seven years.
Executive director Thanomkiat says the number of people concerned with their health has been continually rising. The market size for the sporting business is estimated to be worth THB160 billion, with growth of 8 to 10 per cent a year.
“Thailand’s sporting market is in an upside trend,” Thanomkiat says. “The market size for sporting goods is still lower than Singapore and Malaysia by several times. With this growth opportunity, sporting goods and fitness chains will be parading to the Thai market soon.”
Leading the way will be a Swedish fitness brand that will offer around-the-clock service in a 1000sqm space at Stadium One in November, says Sportsociety director Natapak.
He says about 60 per cent of space at Stadium One is already booked and about 90 per cent is expected to be taken by opening time.
-
New trucks spur business use of Lalamove
Hong Kong on-demand delivery app Lalamove has gained more business clients since introducing its fleet of high-top pick-up trucks.
Its vehicles are now standardised and branded, while the drivers wear Lalamove uniforms, introduced last month. The trucks are closed to offer maximum protection to the goods in transit, and the drivers undergo regular training.
In Thailand, one of its most active markets, Lalamove has 150 active trucks, with a pool of 500 drivers in Bangkok alone. It dropped its pricing in May for door-to-door delivery services in Bangkok, Chanthaburi Chonburi, Nakhon Rachasima and Rayong.
Lalamove Thailand MD Chanon Klahan says there is a growing demand for logistics, specifically last-mile delivery, attracting the corporate market. “We are expanding to meet the expectations of this market. Our drivers accept jobs within 45 minutes, and we also provide business customers with insurance.”
There are also flexible packages and delivery options that appeal to businesses seeking a more customised approach.
Business delivery demands include a range of goods, such as IT equipment, office furniture, medical supplies, vehicle spare parts, industrial goods, gardening tools and equipment.
Lalamove also works in Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, Taipei and Vietnam, as well as in 43 cities in China. It employs more than 50,000 drivers.
Thailand downloads of the Lalamove app have surpassed 240,000.
-
Hitachi forms IoT alliance with Thailand’s EEC
Hitachi has teamed up with Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office to apply digital technologies including IoT to establish an innovative environment to promote development of the corridor.
Under the agreement, the EEC Office and Hitachi will be working collectively using advanced digital technologies, including IoT related technologies, within the Eastern Economic Corridor region to establish a ‘cutting-edge’ IoT center.
The EEC Office and Hitachi will collaborate on EEC development in various areas, such as implementing necessary study, introducing advanced science and technology.
EEC Office will also provide relevant information and possible support in creating bases for the use of advanced digital technologies. With the EEC Office’s cooperation, Hitachi will promote the use of IoT technologies – for example, through undertaking data analytics using AI based on big data obtained from plants, office buildings, and other sources.
It will also utilize the solution core and customer cases for Lumada, Hitachi’s IoT platform, and roll out digital solutions that contribute to the resolution of various issues in Thailand and the ASEAN region as a whole.
Thailand is currently promoting measures aimed at establishing an advanced economic base and achieving further economic development. In 2015, Thailand 4.0 was presented as a long-term vision of an ideal economic society, and the EEC development plan was laid out as one key measure in realizing this vision.Based on the EEC development plan, total investments on a scale of 1.5 trillion baht ($45.34 billion) are expected in the public and private sectors combined, and in addition to expanding airports and high-speed railways, the country will aim to attract and foster growth in 10 targeted industries, including robotics, digital technologies, and next-generation automotive.
Meanwhile, as part of its 2018 Mid-term Management Plan, Hitachi will be promoting growth in the global market through the rollout of the Social Innovation Business, which creates new value through collaborative creation with customers by combining operational technology, IT, and products.
Hitachi’s largest scale of business in the ASEAN market is in Thailand, where it is rolling out business in a broad range of fields, including the railways, elevators/escalators, industrial products, and information and telecommunications systems businesses.
-
AirAsia to operate flights to Bangkok
AirAsia will operate direct flights to Bangkok from Visakhapatnam either from October or from November this year. The airline submitted a letter to Airport Director of Visakhapatnam International Airport requesting for time slots.
Tour and Travel Operators Association of Andhra (TTOA) has been following up continuously with the airline operator starting with the visit of High Commissioner of Thailand Pisan Manawat and his team and also the top decision makers of Thai Smile to Visakhapatnam on August 31, 2013, according to TTOA chairman O. Naresh Kumar and its president K. Vijay Mohan. In the absence of a direct flight, people from Vizag region are going to Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata to catch flights to Bangkok and other cities in Thailand.
The advantages of having direct flights from Vizag to Thailand over other nearest major cities is that the distance between these two destinations is only 1,905 km as against 2,400 km from Hyderabad to Bangkok and 2,254 km from Chennai to Bangkok. This will save a lot of time and money to the travellers from this region, according to the TTOA representatives. Pharmaceutical product manufacturers and other traders exporting their goods to Japan from Vizag can now route them through Bangkok, which is 268 km less than sending them through Hyderabad.
-
Central Group launches luxury cross-border shopping
Conglomerate Central Group has taken a step toward an omnichannel strategy by launching a cross-border e-commerce luxury brand experience it claims is a world first.
It has introduced access to its luxury-brand websites through messaging app WhatsApp as part of its vision of integrating online and offline shopping channels, says Central Group chairman/CEO Tos Chirathivat.
“This move is calculated to serve the lifestyles of Central Group’s new customers by providing seamless integration of online and offline shopping channels,” he says. “That is the vision of the group moving forward.”
Central Group is putting together a network of global luxury department stores across eight cities, including locations in Italy, Spain, Denmark and Germany, as well as Bangkok’s Central Chidlom and Central Embassy.
It offers a digital magazine and e-newsletter through the website AuxVillesDuMonde.com, provides information fashion, food and culture in the eight cities. The website supports eight languages and also has a mobile app for Android and iOS.
Users can add luxury department stores in WhatsApp, check product availability through live chat and make purchases through online payment options. Users can then pick up products at the store or have them shipped to their home.
Central Department Store Group CEO Yuwadee Chirathivat says the company has spent €500,000 (THB19.8 million/US$595,000) on the website.
“Cross-border shopping at nine stores in eight global cities is a new retail phenomenon,” she says. “Through the WhatsApp live-chat option, Thai shoppers will be able to order products from Europe and have them shipped in two to five days.”
Shoppers have to pay import tax depending on the country of origin of their purchases.
Central Department Store Group expects revenue from overseas stores to climb by 40 per cent this year, with revenue from abroad representing more than 20 per cent of Central Department Store’s THB130 billion (US$3.9 billion) revenue.
-
Honestbee flies high with new logistics services honestbee GOODSHIP
Honestbee, Asia’s leading and trusted online concierge and delivery service has today officially announced the launch of honestbee GOODSHIP, their logistics service in Thailand.
Honestbee GOODSHIP has been operating parcel deliveries in Bangkok for a couple of months before this official announcement, catering to B2B and B2C deliveries. The focus is on last-mile same-day or next-day e-commerce delivery with a move towards on-demand delivery for end-consumers within an hour to follow soon.
Country Head of honestbee GOODSHIP, Theresa Mathawaphan has a background in retail, technology management and business start-up and was part of the international team who developed the country’s first tech start-up incubator at the Thailand Science Park. She is confident that honestbee GOODSHIP will be a good partner for many businesses in the city.
“Logistics can let companies down and therefore being able to call on the reliable services of a third-party, and one that understands the need for a fast, trustworthy delivery is crucial, particularly in a city where, whether online or offline, goods need to move quickly. Customer tracking and a real-time fleet tracking system are essential elements of this service too.”
Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Development Agency has forecasted that the total e-commerce market in Thailand this year will be worth Bt2.52 trillion (USD74 billion).
With daily deliveries of honestbee GOODSHIP now surpassing the grocery and restaurant deliveries combined, the target is to deliver in excess of 50,000 orders per day over the next 12 months.
As well as Thailand, honestbee GOODSHIP has a successful presence in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Japan. More countries are to be rolled out to provide the excellent services to its partners and non-partners.
Currently, honestbee runs two B2C delivery services in Bangkok; groceries handpicked by shoppers and delivered fresh to customers’ doors in one hour as well as restaurant food deliveries with customers ordering online and on-demand delivery in less than 60 minutes.
Bounthay Khammanyvong, honestbee Country General Manager, Thailand has experience in building up successful companies to create billion-dollar businesses and working with cutting edge e-commerce. He believes that honestbee GOODSHIP is a natural progression for honestbee and will really take flight in Thailand.
“E-commerce in Thailand is going through an incredible boom period, and at the heart of that success is logistics, both for businesses which need products delivered to certain branches or retail outlets and for consumers who order online. With its own boutique-style e-commerce platform, honestbee has relevant experience of business and consumer delivery demands in order to create the right quality of customizable services and branding customers can trust.”
The Thai e-commerce market is not only growing but consumer experience online is growing as is the digital ecosystem, Internet penetration and social commerce channels which contributes to the majority of all deliveries.
Currently honestbee GOODSHIP’s fleet consists of 80% delivery motorbikes or ‘Rider-Bees’ and 20% delivery trucks. There are also services rolling out soon that would help marry the online and offline world.
Some of the current honestbee GOODSHIP clients include Nu Skin, SE-ED Books, aCommerce, Aramex, Siam Outlet, City-Link and OfficeMate.
-
NY Portuguese Short Film Festival’17 in Thailand” to be held on Sep 16-17
The Camões Portuguese Cultural Centre in Bangkok and the Embassy of Portugal in Thailand, in partnership with Arte Institute in New York and Siam Piwat present the “NY Portuguese Short Film Festival ’17” in Thailand for the second year between September 16-17, at Royal Paragon Hall, the 5th floor, Siam Paragon
The NY Portuguese Short Film Festival (NYPSFF) was the first Portuguese film festival in NYC and the US. The Festival shows the work of the new generation of young Portuguese directors. By annually organizing the Festival in several countries, the Arte Institute intends to expand and gather new audiences for the contemporary Portuguese cinema worldwide.
This year, the Festival showcases 11 shorts films by Portugal’s most promising filmmakers. The short films were selected and submitted to a distinguished jury composed of American, Portuguese and Brazilian film experts, as Rúben Alves (Director), Márcio Miranda Perez (São Paulo International Short Festival) and Don Cato (Director).
In this regard, the Camões Portuguese Cultural Centre and the Embassy of Portugal in Thailand in partnership with Arte Institute in New York and Siam Piwat organize the “NY Portuguese Short Film Festival’17” in Thailand aiming to support and disseminate the works of Portuguese short film directors to international audiences. 11 short films with English subtitles will be showcased between September 16-17, at Royal Paragon Hall, the 5th floor, Siam Paragon.
His Excellency Francisco Vaz Patto, Ambassador of Portugal to Thailand will preside over the opening ceremony on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 6.00 p.m. onwards.
Don’t miss it!! The return of the NY Portuguese Short Film Festival to Thailand presents a unique blend of culture and new perspectives on the mind and spirit, transmitting the life of the Portuguese through short films, which this year’s highlights the short film Carga, by Luís Campos, the awarded film at this year’s festival in New York.
The “NY Portuguese Short Film Festival’17” in Thailand is divided into two series of 54 minutes each.
First series include CARGA, by director Luís Campos, THE WOOD CRAVER OR THE WORLD’S MOST IMPROVED WORKSHOP, by director João Vasco, THE FEAR INSTALLATIO, by director Ricardo Leite, YOU, by director Hugo Pinto and ONCE UPON A THREAD, guest short film by director Patrícia Figueiredo.
The second series showcases A ROOM IN LISBON, by director Francisco Carvalho, ALVANÉU, by director André C. Santos, MANUEL, by director Bruno Carnide, THE AMAZING ORDINARY MAN, by director Paulo Portugal, RIBBON TOOTH, by director Sara Gouveia and A LONG DAY, guest short film, by director Sérgio Graciano.