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Tag: bangkok

  • Celebrate Chinese New Year at the EM District with a giant flying dragon

    Celebrate Chinese New Year at the EM District with a giant flying dragon

    Ever wondered what would happen if you combined Chinese New Year with Game of Thrones? The EM Disctrict did, and the result is the world’s first 40 meter long flying dragon hovering over EmQuartier. Come gasp at its 10 meter tall head. Go gape at its humongous mirrored body.

    The majestic dragon, along with a Thai Hanuman monkey god, comes to life in performances of light, color, music and sound every day at 7pm and 8pm from Friday February 5, 2016 to Monday February 8, 2016.

    Legend has it that whoever lays eyes on the dragon will have good luck. (Good luck, more money, more shopping.) And good luck will come in handy indeed with all the giveaways going on.

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    Spend 2,000 THB at participating stores, or 1,000 THB at the Dining Hall, and you could win 1 kilogram of gold. There are 9 kilograms to be won worth a total of 1.2 million THB. And with a Platinum M Card and True You membership you have an even bigger chance of winning.

    Be one of the first 1,000 people to spend 1,000 THB at restaurants at Emporium and EmQuartier and you’ll receive a special Fortune Cookie and a chance to win even more cash and vouchers.

    Plus, each day, the first 30 people will be eligible for a special fortune telling session with the famous Ajarn Han and Ajarn Panupong.

    As part of the celebration, the ground floor of EmQuartier has been turned into a chic and bustling Chinese Outdoor Market. Here you’ll find delicious Chinese food and snacks and all the CNY merch you could ask for. Stock up on special dishes and Chinese goodies. And with the cold weather we’ve been having it will feel even more like an open-air market in Hong Kong of Shanghai.

    Be sure to take a lucky selfie and EmQuartier’s lucky waterfall while you’re there. Ok it’s just a normal waterfall but it’s a great selfie spot anyway.

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    Feeling lucky yet? Head on over to experience the Chinese Chronicle 2016 at EmQuartier and Emporium during the entire month of February. Don’t miss the Flying Dragon performances though. The show starts at 7pm and 8pm and will only go until Monday February 8, 2016.

    For more information check out The Em Disctrict’s Facebook page.

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  • TSS Revs up the Bangkok Auto Salon

    TSS Revs up the Bangkok Auto Salon

    Thailand Super Series (TSS) is thinking big these days so it was no surprise that its booth at the 3rd Bangkok International Auto Salon last week was packed out with ambition, menace and muscle. The biggest motorsport series in Thailand was right under the spotlights.

    Leading out the display was the monstrous Camaro GT3 of Vattana Motorsport, the big machine raced by Czech former F1 driver Tomáš Enge to double victory last December in Bangsaen. Next up was the unique ‘Australian V8 Supercar’ Holden that is raced by Craig Corliss. The New Zealander bagged a sensational win in the car (which was shipped to Australia at the end of last year for a total rebuild) at the season opener and he has his eye on the title.

    Then there was the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup of Sarun Sereethoranakul, the drift star turned circuit racer is the joint Super Car championship leader after the first round thanks to two consistent drives and he’s another aiming for the title. Not to be missed was the high-tech Audi R8 LMS Cup of Henk Kiks, the B-Quik Racing machine dazzling onlookers in its customary yellow and black colours, while the booth was wrapped up by the first car to be built for the series’ new ‘Racing Academy’ that aims to teach drivers the art of racing.

    ‘TCR Thailand’ promises to be one of the most exciting new categories to be introduced to Thai motorsport in recent years and the build up to the launch of the series in 2016 is well underway. In Buriram Khun David Sonenscher, CEO of Motorsport Asia, the promoter of TCR Asia Series, explained the exiting new concept in full detail during a well-attended Q&A session.

    Super Car Class 2-GTM regular Khun Paul Kanjanapas has officially launched his team for the 2015 championship with a new title sponsor and a new supporting crew during a prestigious mall ceremony and he has ambitions to keep improving as he undertakes a full season of top level racing.
    Finally, in amongst the many motorsport industry companies supporting the new breed of state-of-the-art racecars in TSS is MCS. Khun Jerome van Gool, President of Worldwide Operations, was in Buriram at the season opener to keep an eye on the Ferrari and Porsche entries from Singha Motorsport Team Thailand and A Motorsport, respectively.

    TSS in the spotlights at the Auto Salon

    TSS had an imposing presence at the 3rd Bangkok International Auto Salon, ASEAN’s biggest tuning and modified car show, which ran from Wednesday to Sunday last week at Muang Thong Thani’s Impact Exhibition Center.

    The strategically located official TSS booth packed a real punch with four stunning ‘Super Car’ machines on display, each one residing at the top the horsepower stakes – as well as at the business end of the racing grids. The TSS display was certainly one of the most popular with visitors to the show over the five days.

    VIP guest during the show’s official opening ceremony was TSS Vice President Khun Preeda Tantemsapya and he reckoned it was a natural ‘fit’ for the series to be seen at this glamorous event. “The reason for being here is that the Auto Salon is mainly about modification and all the cars in TSS are modified to a certain extent as far as the regulations allow them to,” he said.

    “We bring the cars to show so people who are interested in high performance cars and parts see that we exist in Thailand we have top racecars from all over the world in TSS,” Khun Preeda explained. “As we can see we have an Australian V8 Super Car on show all the way to Porsche and Camaro GT3 cars. We hope our display will encourage people to learn more about what we are and become interested in TSS.”

    Khun Preeda also reckoned that is was important for TSS to support this budding show, which is just three editions old but already growing rapidly in stature, not just here in Thailand, but right across the whole of South East Asia.

    Leading out the power packed display was the monstrous Chevrolet Camaro GT3, which is entered in Super Car Class 1-GT3 by Reiter Vattana Motorsport. Former F1 driver Khun Tomáš Enge raced to a superb double victory in the big black Reiter Engineering-built machine in Bangsaen last December and he was straight back onto the front running pace during the season opener in May. The Czech will be targeting more victories in the Camaro when TSS returns to Buriram for Round 3 & 4 at the end of this month.

    Next up was the unique ‘Australian V8 Supercar’ Holden Commodore VE that is raced by Craig Khun Corliss. The New Zealander bagged a sensational Super Car Class 2-GTM win in the big lurid-green car (which was in fact shipped to Australia after Bangsaen for a total rebuild in time for 2015) at the season opener and he’s another driver that has his eye on the title.

    Then there was the striking #55 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup of Khun Sarun Sereethoranakul. The ‘drifting’ star turned circuit racer is already the joint Super Car Class 2-GTM championship leader after the first rounds of the year thanks to two very consistent drives onto the podium and he’s another driver aiming for the title.
 
Then there was the high-tech #26 Audi R8 LMS Cup of Henk Kiks, the B-Quik Racing machine dazzling visitors to the booth in its customary standout yellow and black colours. The Dutchman had a tough start to the season in May but he’s ready to bounce back when racing resumes at the end of the month.

    The booth, laid out in the form of a ‘racing grid’, was completed by a Honda Jazz, the car that will form the backbone of the new TSS Racing Academy (TRA). That was one of a batch of eight examples that have already arrived at the school and which will initially operate from the Pathum Thani Speedway. More ‘learner’ racecars are following. The show was an ideal way to raise the Academy’s profile and plenty of interest followed the Jazz’s public debut.

    Khun Preeda reckoned the Auto Salon was the perfect event to use to bring the TRA to public attention for the first time. “We want people to learn about the TSS Racing Academy which we will launch [this coming weekend] with a soft opening,” he said. “So by having the car on our booth now we have a very good sense that the Academy exists although we won’t fully promote it yet but will wait until we have had a run in, got the concept full honed and then in a few months time we will officially launch it. By carefully honing it we should be able to create a good and solid foundation.”

    The presence of TSS racecars at the show didn’t stop with the official booth either; in fact there were machines from right across the series’ multiple categories on display throughout the Auto Salon. On the official Toyota booth, for example, was the Super Car Class 2-GTM ‘86’ of Khun Nattavude Charoensukhawatana. This car has a superb pedigree, winning the 2013 Drivers’ title while finishing runner up last year.
 
Next door on the Mazda booth the Innovation Motorsports-run cars from Super Production took pride of place. The new Mazda2 turbodiesel hatchback, which debuted at the season opener back in May, sat alongside the brand-new sedan version, which will be seen in TSS for the first time when the racing action resumes at the end of this month. Joining them was the sleek Mazda RX-8 that Khun Michael Freeman ran in Super Car Class 2-GTM at Bangsaen last December.

    Appearing in the big racing car display in the Challenger Hall was the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup of TSS President, Khun Sontaya Kunplome. He’s had a cracking start to the season and two strong results in Buriram in May have put him in command in the points’ standings in Super Car Class 3-GTC.

    H.Drive Racing hosted the new Porsche 991 GT3 Cup that Khun Pitsanu Sirimongkolkasem is using for his graduation year in Super Car. It’s the first of the new ‘991 generation’ to arrive on the racetrack in Thailand and is quite unmistakable as it’s wrapped in a striking gold livery. Alongside the #90 Porsche on the H.Drive stand was the Honda Civic FD that the same driver used to win Super 2000’s ultra-competitive Class B title last year; it was shown in the colours it ran in at Bangsaen last December where Khun Pitsanu wrapped up that title.

    The official Singha booth showcased a real line up of winners from Super Car and Super 2000. Leading the charge were the two Ferrari 458 Challenge machines of reigning Super Car Class 2-GTM champion Khun Voravud Bhirombhakdi and Singha Motorsport Team Thailand’s newest signing, hotshot youngster Khun Kantasak Kusiri.

    The two Prancing Horse machines were complimented by a trio of the team’s Honda Civic FDs, including the examples of Khun Kittipol Pramoj Na Ayudhya and Khun Thamrong Mahadumrongkul, two fast-emerging front-runners in the highly competitive world of Super 2000.

    Finally, the Ginetta G55 of Khun Naputt Assakul made a piece of history at the season opener when it gave the tiny British marque its first ever win in Thailand, the victory coming in Super Car Class 3-GTC. That noteworthy achievement was celebrated at the show as the black and gold car, with its long sweeping bonnet and its compact low-slung glasshouse, was on display in front of visitors.

  • Citi’s exec sees clear focus on target clients

    Citi’s exec sees clear focus on target clients

    Vira-anong Phutrakul was promoted to the post of consumer business manager in November, making her the first local executive to lead Citi Thailand’s consumer-banking business, overseeing functions including credit cards and loans, retail-banking wealth management, e-business and consumer lending.

    The bank has set itself a challenging growth target of 10-15 per cent in terms of customer numbers and revenue, given the prevailing economic conditions, she said.

    To achieve the high growth target, the strategy this year is to make Citi Thailand the bank for its main target segment, that is, people with a family, those doing business overseas and/or who are globally minded, she explained.

    In Thailand, Citi has a customer base of almost 1 million accounts, comprising credit-card holders, personal borrowers and wealth-management customers.

    Wealth-management clients have total assets under management of around US$1 billion (Bt35.7 billion).

    The executive said individual investment provided the main potential growth area for Citi Thailand, as credit cards were the mode of transaction payment for this type of business.

    As a global bank, Citi has the strength to serve globally minded consumers and the Bank of Thailand last year allowed individuals to invest in offshore markets, she said.

    The bank will be the first commercial bank in the Kingdom to offer an offshore-investment service to retail investors, with the facility set to become available this quarter.

    Citi Thailand will also launch a new mobile-banking service for retail customers, through which they can buy offshore mutual funds.

    “We and six fund managers globally will announce the service in the next two weeks, which will be offered to Citigold customers who have assets under management of Bt3 million,” she said.

    The bank has seen a growing trend of retail customers allocating investment to the offshore market, Vira-anong said, adding that the trend of borderless investment should be an opportunity for wealth-management at Citi this year.

    Wealth-management business is forecast to grow by 10-15 per cent after launching the offshore mutual-fund service.

    The bank will also upgrade all benefits offered via its existing products this year, in order to gain market share and ensure that growth in both credit cards and personal loans outpaces the industry, even though double-digit expansion in these areas might not be possible, she explained.

    The loan portfolio at Citi Thailand stood at around $2 billion at the end of last year.

    Meanwhile, Phatra Securities yesterday announced wealth-management services for “mass affluent” customers with the launch of Phatra Edge.

    “Over the last 15 years, Phatra has offered its expertise in wealth management for high-net-worth individuals and therefore has a good understanding of their needs,” said Kulnan Tsanthaiwo, managing director of the company’s Private Client Group.

    “The number of ‘mass affluent’ individuals [with at least Bt2 million in investable assets] in Thailand is growing continuously, and these persons tend to place great importance on financial planning,” she said, adding that these clients need to optimise their money by investing.

    “White-collar workers, employees paying income tax of 20 per cent or more, and people who invest in LTF/RMF [long-term equity fund/retirement mutual fund] products need help and advice with their investments, and Phatra Edge offers a complete range of features and services to help our clients achieve their life goals,” the managing director said.

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  • Uber Tests Cash Option For Bangkok

    Uber Tests Cash Option For Bangkok

    Thailand has become the latest country where Uber taxi drivers can take cash from a passenger instead of a credit card.

    Uber tested its cash payment scheme in Bangkok on Wednesday as an alternative to the credit card option.

    Passengers have to tell the firm before the ride about their cash option and pay the driver at the end of the trip, it said on the website.

    “Bangkok, as a global business, cultural and tourist hub with a sophisticated rider and driver base is the right environment to conduct this cash experiment,” it said.

    Thailand follows nine other countries where cash is a choice for its passengers, Uber spokesman Karun Arya said. The other countries are India, Kenya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Peru, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.

    The test run is being held only in Bangkok and does not cover all customers. But the firm said it planned to expand the option for more passengers in the future.

    Uber was launched in Thailand in 2014. Bangkok is regarded as one of the three fastest-growing cities in Southeast Asia for the firm.

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  • Retail forex broker FBS opens third office in Thailand

    Retail forex broker FBS opens third office in Thailand

    The retail forex broker FBS announced the opening of its third office in Thailand. It is the second office of the company in the country’s capital Bangkok. The first one was opened in July 2015. Since October 2015 the broker also has an office in the city of Chiang Mai.

    FBS is present in more than 120 countries and has 13 international offices.

    Besides the usual business activities with current and new clients and partners, FBS is planning workshops for beginner and professional traders, hosted by Forex experts. It reminds its customers that it provides 24/5 customer support and consultation in Thai language.

    FBS was established in 2009. It is regulated by the international Financial Services Commission (IFSC) in Belize and the Russian self-regulation organisation Centre for Regulation in OTC Financial Instruments and Technologies (CRFIN).

    FBS offers trading in the major currency pairs, metals and CFDs. The minimum deposit is $1 and the leverage is up to 1:2000. The broker also offers spreads from 0 pips.

  • Bangkok Neon Fest market 2016

    Bangkok Neon Fest market 2016

    Eating, drinking and shopping along with live music – that is what to expect at Bangkok’s unofficial container festival, Neon Fest Market BKK, in the heart of the Thai capital.

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    With 931 booths, the new container market will feature concerts by Thai acts Lipta, Nakarin “Pang” Kingsak, Singto Namchok and Tattoo Colour, as well as surprise events.

    Neon Fest Bangkok 1

     

    Covering more than 9000 sqm of the Lumpini area, the neon-lit flea market will be open Thursdays to Sundays from February 11 until July 1. It includes food trucks as well as fashion and craft stalls.

    Next to MRT Lumpini station, the Bangkok event will be in Lumpini Square, which previously housed the Suan-Lum Night Bazaar. Entry is free.

    Neon Fest Bangkok copy

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  • Home Purchasing Tips: What to Look for in a Townhouse

    Home Purchasing Tips: What to Look for in a Townhouse

    You’ve reached a point in your life where you are now thinking about buying a property that you can live in well into the conceivable future. After a few days of internal debate, you believe that a townhouse in the city would be an adequate purchase since you don’t really need a lot of space and you want to be close to where you work and the different malls. However, before you start visiting DD Property and typing in “townhouse” in the search bar, there are several different factors that you need to take into consideration.

    What Can You Reasonably Afford?

    Before you even start looking for a townhouse, you need to determine what sort of payment scheme you would be able to afford in the long term. For example, if you make 35,000 baht per month yet the payments for the house amount to 30,000 baht per month, this just leaves you with 5,000 baht which is far too small to be able to buy enough food for the rest of the month, this doesn’t even take into consideration other expenses such as electricity, water, etc.

    As such, it is highly advisable that you contact the bank that you have an account with, determine how much money you can reasonably borrow for a home purchase loan and examine the interest rates and the number of years to pay a particular loan has. While it might be tempting to pick loans that allow you to pay the entire amount within 20 years, these often have extremely high rates of interest. It is advisable that you select loan terms that allow you to pay the entire amount in 10 years with stipulations that allow you to increase the amount you pay in order to reduce the interest rates.

    Once you have a budget outlined based on the loan terms that were presented, that’s when you can begin searching since, at this point, you know what you can afford.

    Examining Potential Locations

    Another factor is the general location that you want to start living in and its proximity to different services. Just because a townhouse may seem affordable in an online listing doesn’t ensure that it is located in an area that is actually nice. The value of land tends to increase significantly the greater its proximity to certain services and locations such as malls, hospitals or business centers.

    This has a corresponding impact on the price of the townhouse itself resulting in situations where two townhouses are exactly alike yet one costs two times more because it is located a short walk away from a mall. While it is tempting to get a townhouse close to where you work, since this helps to cut down on the amount of time you spend commuting, you have to ask yourself whether you’re going to be working for the same company 5 years down the line.

    If not, then your purchase of a townhouse in that location would be a complete waste since the office of the new company that you would work for could be located much farther away. The best method of selecting a good location is to consider which areas you are familiar with, which locations you frequent for fun (i.e. which malls, bars, etc.) and make your choice based on these areas. You should not choose a location just because it’s close to where you work, you should choose based on where you will be spending most of your time when you’re not at work and where you can relax.

    Gated Community or Not?

    The last decision you should make is to determine whether you want to purchase a townhouse in a gated community or not. Within Thailand, gated communities have become increasingly popular over the years due to the amount of crime within the city. With their amenities and security, gated communities seem to be an ideal choice; however, there are some factors that do detract from their appeal.

    One of the first issues is connected to the monthly association dues that you have to pay. While on the surface this may seem to be reasonable, you have to consider that the amount paid often reaches 3,000 baht or more a month which is an additional added cost on top of the amount that you will be paying the bank for the loan. Not only that, the price of townhouses within gated communities is far higher than those that are located outside of them.

    Conclusion

    Once you have gone over the steps outline in this article, that is when you can start searching for a townhouse online since at this point you will know what you can afford, where you want it and whether or not a gated community appeals to you.

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  • Lalamove delivers good luck during Chinese New Year

    Lalamove delivers good luck during Chinese New Year

    Hong Kong based logistics app provider, lalamove is going bananas over the Year of the Monkey with delivery discounts for new and existing customers in Thailand. The number eight symbolizes good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture and lalamove is bringing eight days of delivery discounts leading up to Chinese New Year.

    From today, Monday, February 1st until Monday, 8th February, 2016, inclusive, first-time lalamove customers are being gifted with a good-fortune THB 88 discount off their first delivery fee.

    To claim their Chinese New Year gift, newbie customers simply download the free android and iOS app and enter the promo code: CNY88 while making the booking.

    Loyalty is being rewarded by lalamove too, with free credit for lucky customers who already use the 24-7 delivery service. The first 100 lalamove customers who request eight deliveries in one day, during the promotion period, will be gifted with a THB 200 delivery credit for that day.

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    The reliable Bangkok-wide express courier and delivery service is expecting greater demand over the Chinese festive period and its fleet is ready for a prosperous new year. Businesses and individuals find lalamove services an ideal way to send special gifts to corporate customers and partners, as well as good wishes, wealth and happiness for the future to family and friends during the week-long Chinese New Year celebrations.

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  • The Crystal opens new mall ‘Crystal Veranda’ behind its old mall

    The Crystal opens new mall ‘Crystal Veranda’ behind its old mall

    The Crystal, the community mall near the Ramintra expressway, has just opened a new mall “Crystal Veranda” right behind it on Friday, because why not?

    Following the opening of the first mall which consists mostly of restaurants, the new Crystal Veranda sets to serve suburban customers with high purchasing power. It features a SF cinema, Fitness First (with the best view, they said) and its own children’s playground, along with a flagship Lego store.

    Taking over 25,000 sq m of space, the THB6 billion mall was built under the concept of “Five Facets of Crystal”: fun, food, fitness, fashion, and the “Full of Fascination” — which means a luxurious lobby lounge and Italian marble bathrooms.

    For food, there are the familiar franchise restaurants missing from the old mall including Dean & Deluca, Peppina, Coffee Bean by Dao, Water Library, Wine Connection, and another Starbucks.

    There may be a little something special for fashion lovers at the Crystal Boutique Store, supposedly the first ever store in Thailand to incorporate clothing and accessories from both Thai and international designers in one place including Michael Kors, ARAMIS, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger and Tory Burch.

    As expected, the mall was already crowded when it opened on Saturday. Obviously, it drew some customers from Central Eastville, the new mall that opened in November and is located only five kilometers away.

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  • Thais battle over limited Adidas trainers

    Thais battle over limited Adidas trainers

    One person fainted and a shop door was damaged after hundreds of Adidas fans tried to push into its Siam Center store on Saturday morning to get their hands on the limited NMD R1 sneakers.

    The photos and videos, which went viral over the weekend, show Adidas fans crowding in front of the Siam Center store as the employees desperately yelled at customers to step away and refused to open the doors.

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    Some of them had reportedly camped out in front of Siam Center overnight as the store only had 51 pairs of NMD R1 in stock.

    One customer at the front reportedly fainted as the shop door was damaged. On the Adidas Facebook page, some users also left comments that they had seen a few people getting injured in the mad event.

    Some customers had their shirts ripped, others had their eye glasses broken, and some even lost their shoes in the scuffle.

    The shoes cost THB6,990.

    “We’re not gonna sell them today! Please don’t push forward. Our shop is now damaged. We can’t open the shop now!” she continued.

    The chaos ended with the store refusing to open, likely to prevent people from stomping each other to death.

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    The shop decided it would choose who could buy the shoes by drawing lots. It is unclear if the lucky draw has taken place yet.

    The NMD R1, or “Nomad,” is described as a “gem of the Adidas design team,” combining design and functionalities in its three models Micro Pacer, Rising Star and Boston Super.

    We admit, the shoes are pretty sexy.

    Adidas Thailand has not issued an official statement after several fans went home disappointed. It only replied to angry comments on its Facebook page apologizing for the “inconvenience.”

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  • Bangkok gets set for Chinese New Year

    Bangkok gets set for Chinese New Year

    Dig out your red clothes, hang up paper lanterns and pick up some firecrackers — Chinese New Year is returning to Bangkok.

    The biggest celebrations will take place on Yaowarat Road in the heart of Chinatown, with cultural displays, dance and musical performances to usher in the Year of the Monkey.

    Kicking off on Feb. 7, the Chinatown festivities will also feature lantern decorations, dragon parades and lion dances, street stalls selling Chinese cuisine and souvenirs, and entertainment from famous artists, including troupes and performers from China.

    Visanu Jaroensilp, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) deputy governor for Tourism Products and Business said: “Thailand’s celebrations to mark the 2016 Chinese New Year will be even more special, as this is a significant year for the country. 

    “This year marks the 41st year of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations, and the 12th anniversary of cooperation between TAT and the Chinese Ministry of Culture in co-hosting the Chinese New Year celebrations in Thailand.”

    TAT estimates a boost in tourism revenue from the celebrations,  with about 1.01 million international tourists are expected to visit from Feb. 6-14. 

    Of those vistorss, an estimated 476,000 are expected to come from countries with Chinese communities including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

    For more details on Chinese New Year celebrations throughout the country, visit the TAT website.

  • Premium SMS Scam in Thailand by Foreign Content Providers

    Premium SMS Scam in Thailand by Foreign Content Providers

    Scammers create SMS competitions or trivia scams to trick you into paying extremely high call or text rates when replying to an unsolicited text message on your mobile or smart phone. Over the last few months mobile operators in Thailand managed to close some sms gateways from frauduleus foreign content providers like Mexcomm.

    A Malaysian company, with offices in Thailand who’s tricking mobile users offering free gifts and promises to win numerous prizes. All fake. True Move together with AIS and DTAC are doing everything they can and even created mobile scam teams to reveal the companies behind these marketing techniques. Shortcode 4741777 was used by one of them, to trick unwilling clients and let them pay high mobile fees. Mobile operators have shut down the companies shortcode and is on the look for other companies who’r running similar marketing campaigns.

    According to their website, Mexcomm has won several mobile content prizes. You can question this, as most of the events were sponsored direct or indirectly by the company over the last decade.

    How this scam works

    An unsolicited text message may invite you to enter a competition for a great prize—for example, a smart phone or tablet or gift vouchers for a well-known retailer. You will be required to send a text message back. You may also receive an email or encounter a pop-up window online asking you to enter your mobile number in order to claim a prize you’ve supposedly won. Sometimes these come in the guise of a ‘customer survey’ in which you are prompted to provide your mobile number.

    Alternatively the message may invite you to take part in a trivia contest with a great prize on offer if you answer a certain number of questions correctly. The first lot of questions will be very easy – scammers do this intentionally to encourage you to keep playing. However, the last one or two questions that you need to answer to claim your ‘prize’ could be very difficult or impossible to answer correctly and may even require you to guess a random number.

    The scammers make money by charging extremely high rates for the text messages you send, and any further messages they send to you. These charges will not be made clear to you, and could be as high as $4 for each message sent and/or received. You may also be automatically subscribed to ongoing charges. You will not discover these charges until you see your next itemised phone bill.

    Warning signs

    • You receive a text message, which may look like an advertisement, offering you the chance to win a great prize by sending a return text to enter a competition.
    • A text message tells you that you could win a great prize by participating in a trivia competition over SMS. The first message may even contain a very easy question to tempt you.
    • The text message (or advertisement) does not contain all the terms and conditions, or an ‘opt out’ to stop receiving more messages.

    Protect yourself

    • Do not respond to text messages or missed calls that come from numbers you don’t recognise.
    • Look out for SMS and MMS numbers that start with 19 or phone numbers beginning with 190. These are charged at a premium rate, even sometimes for receiving a message, and can be very expensive.
    • Contact your mobile phone service provider to ask about the number—they will know if it comes from a premium rate service. Ask your telephone company to put a bar on premium rate services (190 numbers) to and from your phone.
    • If you did not want to participate and you receive more messages, contact your mobile phone service provider and explain that the charges are being made without your permission.
    • Do not provide your mobile number to websites or in response to unsolicited emails claiming you can win a prize without very carefully checking the terms and conditions. If there are no terms and conditions or they seem to be hidden from plain view, don’t risk it.
    • Read all terms and conditions of any offer very carefully. Claims of ‘free’ or ‘very cheap’ offers often have hidden costs. Before you sign up to a subscription service check that there is an option to ‘unsubscribe’.

    Retail News will hold a close watch and will monitor this more the next few weeks and months.

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  • DHL eCommerce Eyes Thailand’s Fast-Growing Online Retail Sector

    DHL eCommerce Eyes Thailand’s Fast-Growing Online Retail Sector

    DHL eCommerce, a division of the world’s leading logistics company, Deutsche Post DHL Group, has expanded its operations into Thailand and is offering end-to-end domestic delivery service for Thai e-commerce merchants. With its new service, DHL eCommerce is offering a range of unique service options that caters to Thailand’s burgeoning e-commerce market.

    Understanding that a strong backbone for e-commerce growth lies in a good logistics system, DHL eCommerce aims to enable a better e-commerce experience for both consumers and merchants through efficient logistics and a seamless online shopping experience. Major additions will be made to DHL’s delivery infrastructure in the country, including a 3,000 sqm central distribution center in Bangkok and a network of over 20 depots located throughout Thailand ensuring full coverage across the entire country. To meet increasing business demands, DHL plans to more than double the number of depots in Thailand by 2017 and expand its fleet primarily in two-wheel vehicles that can operate more efficiently in the traffic situations in Thailand’s major cities.

    As part of its service offerings, DHL eCommerce’s fleet of two- and four-wheel vehicles will provide next-day delivery to all urban areas, and a 2-3 day delivery to all other locations. All merchants have access to Cash on Delivery (COD) with daily remittance and access to a multilingual call center.

    DHL eCommerce launches in Thailand

    The launch of DHL eCommerce in Thailand is a great showcase for Strategy 2020, the corporate strategy of Deutsche Post DHL Group, which has seen a rename of its Mail division to “Post – eCommerce – Parcel” to better reflect the focus on products and services offered for the high-growth e-commerce market. DHL has been operating in Thailand since 1973, through its other business units – DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain.

    “Thailand, with its tremendous growth potential, fast e-commerce adoption and high smartphone penetration rates, has been identified as the first Southeast Asian country to launch DHL eCommerce’s domestic delivery service in line with our group’s Strategy 2020,” said Thomas Kipp, CEO, DHL eCommerce. “The Thai e-commerce market is expected to more than triple in size to EUR 3.6 billion between now and 2020[1] and with this investment, we are well positioned to support the growth of e-commerce businesses in Thailand.” 

    “We see major strategic opportunities for e-commerce growth in Thailand, particularly with the Asean Economic Community which is expected to increase the movement of goods within the region. Despite e-commerce already being a billion-dollar sector with extremely rapid adoption, Thailand’s e-commerce share of the retail market is still relatively low compared to other high-growth economies. Only 1.7% of total sales in Thailand are obtained from e-commerce, compared to more than 10% in China,” said Malcolm Monteiro, CEO, Asia Pacific, DHL eCommerce. “Thailand is ranked as one of our top priority markets in Southeast Asia: its expected annual market growth of more than 20% (from 2014 to 2020) is likely to be largely driven by significant numbers of SMEs beginning to extend their business models into online marketplaces.”[2]

    “In order to fulfill Thai consumers’ expectations of seamless and simple e-commerce, businesses need logistics services that keep up with extremely rapid changes in consumers’ expectations while providing high operational excellence,” said Kiattichai Pitpreecha, Managing Director, DHL eCommerce Thailand. “This makes the need for a tailored e-commerce delivery service greater than ever before – so that merchants, especially SMEs, can focus on their core business and grow faster based on a high performing logistical backbone.”

    “Our successful offerings in India and China have proven that exceptional customer service bolstered by robust and scalable end-to-end delivery networks are the two essential ingredients needed to win e-commerce market share. That applies to all players, from small businesses to multinational retail conglomerates,” added Malcolm Monteiro, CEO, Asia Pacific, DHL eCommerce. “As Thai consumers continue to come online and join the region’s appetite for e-commerce, we are confident that our services will give customers both a first-mover advantage and a unique competitive edge.”

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  • Siam Piwat mounts “The Siam Prosperous Chinese New Year 2016”

    Siam Piwat mounts “The Siam Prosperous Chinese New Year 2016”

    Siam Piwat Company Limited—the operator of Siam Paragon and Siam Center—together with Muang Thai Life Assurance Public Company Limited, Kasikornbank, and Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited, sends happiness during Chinese New Year to welcome the lucky year by launching a special campaign “The Siam Prosperous Chinese New Year 2016” to boost spending during the festival and to attract local shoppers and international tourists to the shopping centers where they enjoy shopping for propitious items as well as fashion and lifestyle ones from leading brands in Siam Paragon and Siam Center. Moreover, the two shopping centers are offering a blow-out sale with up to 80% discount while giving customers a chance to win Siam Ang Pao (red envelope) and many other prizes totaling over 7.5 million baht.

    These special promotions are available from 3 February to 13 March 2016. Siam Paragon also holds a special activity “Siam Paragon The Prosperous Chinese New Year 2016”, allowing its visitors to witness the magnificence of a Hong Kong-based rare-to-see performance “The Magic of Seven Animals of the Gods” by “Lok Chee Fu”—the old performance troupe renowned for over eighty years. The official opening of the event is schedule on Thursday, 4 February 2016 at 17.30 hrs at Parc Paragon. The performance is open to the public with free of charge from 5 to 8 this February, one session a day at Parc Paragon from 17.00 hrs onward.

    Miss Chanisa Kaewruen, Deputy Managing Director for Marketing Events and Business Relations, Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., says, “Every year during the Chinese New Year festival sees a big increase in spending. Siam Piwat has been investing in activities and promotions in order to boost sales in the first quarter. As seen previously, we are constantly holding activities to celebrate many occasions from the New Year festival to Children’s Day and upcoming Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. Each of the previous activities attracted the attention of many Thai shoppers and foreigners, allowing the lively economic atmosphere and boosting sales.”

    Chanisa Kaewruen, Deputy Managing Director for Marketing Events and Business Relations, Siam Piwat (center) and models

    Chanisa continues, “The Chinese New Year festival marks the celebrations of Chinese New Year and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Siam Paragon and Siam Center consequently mount “The Siam Prosperous Chinese New Year 2016”, the first campaign with a budget of over 7.5 million baht to have special activities and promotions. This is to create atmosphere which will then persuade consumers, both Thai shoppers and foreign tourists into spending more—making the economy flow—on fashion products, clothes, accessories, gold jewelry, IT products, food products to name but a few. The Chinese New Year festival is the festival which has the biggest spending of the year, allowing an immense amount of money spent each year. This festival manages to attract more tourists—especially the ones from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea—to the shopping centers than ever. These tourists of Chinese descent are almost 50 percent of the number of foreign tourists who enjoy visiting the two shopping centers. At the same time, this Chinese New Year marks the first year when the ASEAN Economic Community has been officially effective. More Asian people of Chinese descent from different countries joining in the AEC are expected to travel and spend in Thailand.”

    The promotional campaign to welcome this Chinese New Year includes a parade of full-on promotions that feature a chance to win grand prizes. Simply spend every 2,000 baht in the two shopping centers, get one lucky-draw coupon to have a chance to win several special prizes worth over 7.5 million baht. The biggest prizes include gold bullion worth 1 million baht with a quota of one, Royal Barge Suphannahong’s propitious piece of craftsmanship made of 99.9% yellow gold by Prima Art, with a quota of two, as well as eight propitious trees made of 99.9% yellow gold by Prima Art with a quota of twenty. Customers with top spending of the week instantly win The Scarlett Clinic’s Golden Ratio Body Contouring course worth 100,000 baht with a quota of twenty four. Plus many privileges from the participating credit cards.

    Last but not least, the campaign allows customers to go on shopping thanks to “Siam Chinese New Year Sale”—the sale which offers up to 80% discount on items from leading brands from 3 to 14 February 2016. Special Siam Ang Pao, aka Siam red envelopes, are also given away to win many prizes such as gift vouchers from shops, discount cards and complimentary vouchers from service shops in the two shopping centers. These Ang Pao are available from 6 to 8 February 2016 for any customer who shops in Siam Paragon and Siam Center. Very special to Siam Paragon’s customers only on 8 February, spending of 300,000 baht instantly gets TWG Hamper Set worth 10,000 baht with a quota of ten.

    Enjoy shopping with the promotion “The Siam Prosperous Chinese New Year 2016” in celebration of Chinese New Year from 3 February to 13 March 2016 in Siam Paragon and Siam Center.

     

  • Freak accident injures Siam Paragon patrons

    Freak accident injures Siam Paragon patrons

    Sixteen people, mainly children, were injured when a tent at an outdoor event crashed down on them at a Bangkok shopping mall on Saturday.

    Strong winds are blamed for the tent collapsing at Siam Paragon shopping mall, according to acting police chief Lt. Gen. Sanit Mahathaworn.

    He says the tent flew up about a metre in the air and wooden signs attached to the back of the tent flew off and injured nearby people. Among the injured were at least 12 children between about six and nine years old. They were among dozens of people at a “Pokemon Day” dance party as part of Thailand’s Children’s Day celebrations.

    One mother was trying to protect her child, but both received broken legs. They were taken to a nearby hospital along with the other victims. Only two persons were kept in hospital.

    In a statement, Siam Paragon said it “regretfully apologised” for the accident on behalf of the event organisers, which included other Thai companies.

    Mahathaworn said police would press criminal negligence charges against the owners of the company that installed the tent. They could face up to three years’ prison and a fine of 6000 baht ($165).

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