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Tag: Suvarnabhumi

  • Thailand tightens disease control measures at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    Thailand tightens disease control measures at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    The Department of Disease Control (DDC) under Thailand’s Ministry of Heath has tightened disease control measures at Suvarnabhumi International Airport regarding an outbreak of an unknown illness in Congo, its Director General Doctor Panumas Yanwetsakul has said.

    Currently, no suspected cases of this disease have been identified in Thailand. Nevertheless, the DDC has enhanced surveillance, prevention, and control measures, including stricter screening protocols at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

    Travelers arriving from Congo are required to undergo temperature checks and provide their addresses and contact numbers in Thailand, along with details of their departure from Congo.

    Additionally, those who have traveled from Congo within the last 21 days must complete a health reporting form and adhere to the guidelines on the Health Beware Card issued by health officials.

    People who have been in Congo within the past 21 days should monitor for initial symptoms such as fever exceeding 38 degrees Celsius, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, fatigue, or exhaustion. If these symptoms worsen, they must seek medical attention immediately and inform doctors of their travel history for diagnosis and treatment to prevent disease transmission, Dr. Panumas advised.

    As of Feb. 19, the World Health Organization (WHO)’s data indicated that the outbreak in Boloko and Bomate villages in Equateur province of Congo had resulted in 955 cases and 60 fatalities, reflecting a 6.3% fatality rate.

    Laboratory tests confirmed that the illness was not caused by the Ebola or Marburg viruses.

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  • King Power monopoly ending at Bangkok’s airport

    King Power monopoly ending at Bangkok’s airport

    Thailand’s much-maligned airport duty-free monopoly appears set to be nearing an end.

    For years, major Thai retailers have complained that incumbent operator King Power has controlled the retail offer – and prices – at Thailand’s largest airports, especially Suvarnabhumi outside Bangkok. Frequent travellers often comment that airport ‘duty-free’ prices are higher than at other airports in the region, including Singapore and Hong Kong.

    On Wednesday, state-owned Airports of Thailand (AOT) approved guidelines for concessions for duty-free and commercial activities at its airports, the first step in opening up retail spaces to other companies.

    According to Reuters, AOT will offer three retail licences at an upcoming auction, clearing the way for Thai retail giants Central Group and The Mall Group, along with South Korea’s Hotel Shilla, to enter the fray.

    King Power’s current licence ends next year.

    AOT says contracts will cover duty-free retail, commercial businesses such as food and beverage outlets and pick-up counters for shoppers who buy goods in town and collect them at the airport after clearing customs and immigration.

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  • King Power Group plans THB10 billion expansion

    King Power Group plans THB10 billion expansion

    Thai duty-free giant King Power Group plans to spend THB10 billion (US$290.4 million) for business expansion over the next five years.

    CEO Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha says the budget will be used to open five branches in Thailand and overseas, bringing its total to 14 by 2021. The stores are planned for downtown in major tourist destinations, with Chiang Mai one location being considered.

    The group will also join the bidding for a duty-free shop concession at U-Tapao International Airport, which serves Pattaya and Rayong.

    King Power is also studying opportunities to open and manage duty-free shops at such Asean airports as Myanmar and the Philippines.

    “King Power is set to become a top-five duty-free chain within five years,” says Srivaddhanaprabha. “Expansion both overseas and domestically will help grow our sales by 20 per cent to reach 130 to 140 billion baht in five years, on a par with leading duty-free brands in the US.”

    The company is the world’s seventh-largest duty-free chain, with its sales of THB75 billion last year missing its target by THB11 billion because of weak spending by Thai tourists and a drop in Chinese tourists. Tourists from China, Thailand and other Asean countries contributed about 75 per cent of its total sales last year, and the group is aiming for sales of THB92 billion this year.

    “Chinese tourists have rebounded, but are not back to normal yet,” says Srivaddhanaprabha.

    King Power will allocate THB400-500 million to promote its business this year, and has already pegged THB100 million to place its logo on three Thai AirAsia (TAA) jets and put advertising inside more than 40 TAA aircraft. The group hopes the tactic will raise the number of shoppers at its branches by 20 per cent this year.

    Meanwhile, King Power is ready to bid for a new licence to run a duty-free shop at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport when its present licence expires in 2020.

    It will also allocate about THB2.5 billion to renovate its Rangnam branch in Bangkok, which will be closed for renovation from next month.

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