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Tag: Thailand

  • DHL boosts offerings for e-commerce

    DHL boosts offerings for e-commerce

    Charles Brewer, chief executive officer of DHL eCommerce, said that Thailand has huge potential for growth in the logistic and e-commerce sector.

    Brewer, who said the company also aimed to have up to 2,500 service points by the end of next year, said that e-commerce accounted for 2.4 per cent of the total retail market in Thailand, and this segment was expected to grow 22 per cent a year until 2020.

    “The country therefore has the potential for e-commerce to grow by more than three to four times. Thailand’s e-commerce market will reach 4 billion euros in 2020,” Brewer said.

    The company’s same-day service, DHL Parcel Metro, will ship parcels of up to 20 kilograms from retailers to their customers.

    The service allows customers to enjoy a late cut-off of up to 12 pm for same-day delivery within Bangkok, Pathumthani, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan provinces. The service fee charge starts at Bt100.

    “Thailand is a fantastic country to do business in and not only e-commerce,” Brewer said. “Thailand is now the second country in which we provide same-say deliveries to the market. The firm announced same-day deliveries in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam last month and expects to provide this service in Kuala Lumpur in the next step.”

    He said that the same-day delivery service in global market in 2016 accounts for less than 1 per cent of the total and that this is expected to jump to 22 per cent by 2025. McKinsey reports that demand for same-day delivery is expected to increase by over 43 per cent a year worldwide and that retailers that offer this service see significant advantages in e-commerce.

    Brewer said that the firm would later provide new services that use drones, artificial intelligence, robotics and PostBot.

    Kiattichai Pitpreecha, managing director for Southeast Asia at DHL |e-Commerce, said the firm will have around 1,000 e-commerce shops by the end of the year.

  • Zilingo hopes to get $50 million more fund

    Zilingo hopes to get $50 million more fund

    Southeast Asian fashion startup Zilingo is set to raise a further US$50 million as it strengthens its operations in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand and beyond.

    Zilingo was founded in October 2015 by Dhruv Kapoor and Ankiti Bose, who were inspired by the clothing stalls in labyrinthine markets they saw while backpacking across Indonesia and Thailand. Their idea was to connect a fragmented landscape of fashion supply for buyers across Asia.

    Now the company aggregates small fashion retailers in the three Southeast Asian markets on a single platform. With more than 10,000 merchants now on board, the site has evolved into a service attractive to both B2B and B2C customers.

    Users can upload and manage their inventory in any language, using any currency, connecting them through 25 interfaces with logistics, warehousing and payment providers, as well as services like loans, cataloguing and insurance.

    “Nowhere in the world has a horizontal e-commerce company also cracked fashion,” says Bose. “It’s a unique, high-margin category that is highly dependent on fast-moving cycles and has its own nuances. Unlike buying detergent or electronics, fashion is much more about your choice, individuality and trends. It requires a different approach than the rest of e-commerce.”

    Besides selling in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, Zilingo ships to four further countries and has supply bases in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China and Vietnam.

    The latest fundraising follows a $54 million round in March.

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  • Air Asia introduces two new international routes from Hanoi and Phuket to Penang

    Air Asia introduces two new international routes from Hanoi and Phuket to Penang

    Expanding its wings even further, AirAsia marked another milestone by celebrating its new international inaugural flights from Hanoi in Vietnam and Phuket in Thailand, into its Penang hub at the Penang International Airport (PIA) here today.

    Its three-hour flight from Hanoi touched down at PIA at 12.50pm, carrying passengers up to 80 per cent load, while the Phuket flight will land later tonight at 11.05pm.

    The inaugural flight from Hanoi was received by state Tourism Development, Heritage, Culture and Arts committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, AirAsia Malaysia Head of Commercial Spencer Lee and Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan.

    Lee said AirAsia was pleased to strengthen its Penang hub further with the two new routes. He said the AirAsia Group had flown over 11 million guests in and out of Penang since 2015.

    “In 2017 alone, we had 3.5 million passengers, and for this year until June, we already have two million guests.

    “We are happy to share that we are leading the market in Penang with 68 per cent of direct routes as of this April.

    “We look forward to further boosting tourist arrivals, while at the same time, connecting Penangites and the northern community to more destinations internationally with the AirAsia network,” he said in his speech.

    Yeoh said that the two new direct routes from Hanoi and Phuket would further boost the number of tourists arriving from these two cities.

    “This upward trend in Penang tourism is a good indicator for a robust economy in the immediate foreseeable future,” he added.

    The four-times weekly direct flight from Hanoi and daily direct flights from Phuket are the seventh and eighth new routes launched by the airline into Penang as a group, thus further strengthening the Asean footprint through connectivity aside from the Kuala Lumpur hub.

    The flights heading to Hanoi will take off at 6.15am every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The return flights from Hanoi will take off at 8.50am Vietnam time on the same four days every week.

    The one-hour flight to Phuket will depart at 8.25pm daily while the return flight will take off at 11pm Thailand time.

    In conjunction with the momentous occasion, AirAsia is offering celebratory promotional all-in-fares from RM119 flight to Hanoi and RM79 flight to Phuket, both flights from Penang.

    The special promotion is available for booking from July 2 to July 8 for the travel period between July 2, 2018, to Jan 31 next year.

    Guests can visit airasia.com or use the AirAsia mobile app on the iPhone or Android devices to enjoy the special promotional fares.

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  • AEON and Thai Airways brings you to experience “Wonderful Autumn in Japan”

    AEON and Thai Airways brings you to experience “Wonderful Autumn in Japan”

    AEON Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Public Company Limited together with Thai Airways International Public Company Limited launched the “Wonderful Autumn in Japan” campaign to offer privileges for AEON Royal Orchid Plus World Mastercard and AEON Royal Orchid Plus Platinum cardholders, 10 prizes of Japan tour package with 2 seats of Thai Airways tickets worth over 2 million Baht. Get a chance to experience a miracle nature of colorful Fall and Autumn in Japan when spending every 1,000 Baht with AEON credit card and receive 10 chances for every 1,000 points redeemed into mileage points, or by spending 1,000 Baht per sales slip at Thai Airways Sales Office

    Additional special promotion for AEON credit card top spenders at Thai Airways Sales Office or online will get a chance to win a premium Japan tour package, 2 business class tickets from Thai Airways. This promo will be active until 31 August 2018.

  • Purecare Announces International Partnership With Index Living Mall

    Purecare Announces International Partnership With Index Living Mall

    North American bedding retailer PureCare has announced a partnership with home furnishings retail chain store Index Living Mall.

    Index Living operates 28 locations in Thailand out of 114 stores throughout the Southeast Asia region. It is the largest network of home goods retail stores in Thailand. It will carry a curated collection of PureCare’s bed linens, mattress protectors and pillows from this summer through to autumn this year.

    Ralph Rosen, PureCare’s VP of business development, said: “Both of our companies are committed to offering the very best quality and value to today’s health-conscious consumers and allergy sufferers.

    Our international product and sales team worked closely with their merchandising team of professionals to come up with a specific selection of products that augmented and enhanced Index Living Mall’s current retail offering.”

    President and COO of PureCare Jeff Bergman said that by partnering with PureCare, Index Living Mall has embraced what it envisions as a growing global movement of health and wellness in the ‘top of bed’ category.

    Index Mall’s VP product development Pichapim Patamasatayasonthi added: “This year Index Living Mall aims to become the total “sleep solution center” for our customers. We offer ‘PureCare’ one of the leading innovative brands in the world from the USA now to the Thailand market.”

    PureCare has previously expanded into Canada, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, the UAE, Central America and the Caribbean.

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  • Thai investors acquiring more retail market share in Vietnam

    Thai investors acquiring more retail market share in Vietnam

    In 2015, just after four years of establishment, Central Group Vietnam (CGV), acquired 49 percent of stake of Nguyen Kim. In 2016 alone, CGV acquired two big brands – Big C Vietnam and Lan Chi Mart. Through M&A deals, CGV has also brought other brands from Thailand and other countries to Vietnam.

    BJC, a subsidiary of TCC Holdings, has also been expanding in Vietnam. With MM Mega Market alone, BJC has 19 shopping centers, 3 entrepots in Da Lat (fresh vegetables and fruits), Dong Nai (fresh pork), Can Tho (seafood) and two general storehouses that provide fresh food. Besides, it also has B’s Mart with the network covering large cities.

    In 2016, after wrapping up the deal of taking over Metro Cash & Carry, BJC renamed the supermarket chain as MM Mega Market Vietnam, and since then, it has been following the business strategy with B2B (70 percent) and B2C (30 percent) Investment modes.

    Phidsanu Pongwatana, managing director of MM Mega Market, said the company is building the first pork entrepot in the north. It plans to open one to three distribution centers in the north next year, which will create 700 jobs.

    In 2017, CGV announced investment of $30 million to increase retail premises in Vietnam to 470,000 square meters.

    Meanwhile, the holding company in Thailand plans to invest $6.4 billion more in the next five years to expand the domestic and overseas markets, especially Vietnam, which is a key part in its plan to expand operation in the retail and hotel fields.

    Vietnam is considered a potential market, expected to bring to the group turnover four times higher in the next five years. It strives for revenue of $13 billion this year, an increase of 14 percent over 2017. Tos Chirathivat, CEO of Central Group, said the group would open 500 more shops in Vietnam by 2022.

    An analyst said Thai investors are now eyeing Vietnam because the market is witnessing development like Thailand did some decades ago with the rapid increase of the middle class and high economic growth rates.

    He also said the young population, increased consumption level, and the tariff cut to zero percent all have turned Vietnam into a vast market in ASEAN.

    According to the Foreign Investment Agency, the accumulative capital registered by Thai investors in Vietnam by March 2018 had reached $9.3 billion.

    With 490 projects, Thailand now ranks 10th among 126 countries and territories having FDI in Vietnam.

  • Cosmax opens factory in Thailand to tap market in Asean

    Cosmax opens factory in Thailand to tap market in Asean

    Cosmax’s manufacturing facilities in Thailand recently started up, the company said Monday, with the goal of tapping into Asean’s largest beauty market.

    An original design manufacturer for big-name beauty brands worldwide, the company announced that the 9,000-square-meter (836-square-foot) facility in Bangplee, Thailand, started running on Wednesday.

    With 150 employees, the facility has the capacity to produce 30 million units of skin care and cosmetics products per year.

    Cosmax set up an office in Thailand last year to tap into the beauty market of it and other neighboring countries in the Asean region.

    “Thailand has the biggest beauty market among Asean countries-it’s also an influential market that leads trends in the region,” said a Cosmax spokeswoman.

    Thailand is a rising target for global beauty brands. Johnson & Johnson, P&G and Unilever manufacture there. The research firm Euromonitor estimated the country’s beauty market at 5.6 billion won ($5.01 million) in 2016 and a Kotra report predicted it to reach 7.2 billion won in size by 2021.

    “Thailand has big market potential: It’s at the center of the hallyu wave and has a high level of interest in Korean cosmetics,” said Lee Geon-il, head of Cosmax’s Thailand corporation.

    “There’s also a wide perception that Korean beauty brands have good quality.”

    The spokeswoman added the company hopes to sign more deals with beauty companies in Thailand and other nearby countries.

    The Thai factory completes a two-track plan that Cosmax has for tackling the Asean beauty market. It already has one factory in Indonesia that manufactures halal-certified products.

    Combined, the two facilities will be able to make products for both Muslim and Buddhist populations in the Asean region.

    Cosmax now has six overseas factories in total, including the United States and China.

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  • Australia’s IAG to sell Thai, Indonesia units to Tokio Marine for $390 million

    Australia’s IAG to sell Thai, Indonesia units to Tokio Marine for $390 million

    Insurance Australia Group (IAG) said on Tuesday it will sell its Thai and Indonesian operations to Japanese insurer Tokio Marine Holdings or A$525 million ($390 million).

    The Japanese company’s unit, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, will buy IAG’s 98.6 percent stake in Thailand’s Safety Insurance and 80 percent of PT Asuransi Parolamas in Indonesia.

    “We believe Tokio Marine is an ideal owner given its experience in the region, and that this is a good outcome for the associated employees, customers and other stakeholders,” IAG Chief Executive Peter Harmer said in a statement.

    IAG said in February it was reviewing its Asian operations as it faced a lack of buying opportunities to boost growth in a competitive region attractive for its low penetration rates.

    Separate to the Tokio Marine deal, IAG said it has also agreed to sell its 73.07 percent stake in Vietnam-based AAA Assurance Corp. It did not give more details on the deal.

    IAG said it would record an after-tax profit of at least A$200 million in its fiscal 2019 results from the combined transactions, after certain deductions.

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  • Omotesando Koffee Opens First Store in Bangkok

    Omotesando Koffee Opens First Store in Bangkok

    Upscale Tokyo cafe Omotesando Koffee may have closed its original location in Japan – but it survives in other markets and will soon be launched in Bangkok, Thailand.

    The cafe has been signed up by Siam Piwat to take space in Siam Paragon shopping centre, amidst up-market furniture stores on level 3.

    In Tokyo, Omotesando Koffee was renowned for serving espresso-style coffees from a 3m x 3m space inside a Japanese house. It closed in 2015 when the building was demolished.

    Founder Eiichi Kunitomo has opened a new cafe in the same spot (but new building) under the name Koffee Mameya.

    Omotesando Koffee has outlets in Hong Kong and Singapore and another store is planned for the UK after the Bangkok opening.

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  • Thailand on the Verge of Becoming a Cryptocurrency Heaven

    Thailand on the Verge of Becoming a Cryptocurrency Heaven

    Following the Royal Decree by Thailand’s regulatory authorities on May 14, 2018, that cryptocurrencies are formerly digital assets, the Asian nation is set to take its local blockchain-based digital currency industry to the next level by showing five Initial Coin Offering (ICO) projects the green light to operate in the area, out of the 50 startups that filed for approval.

    A Crypto Giant in the Making?

    The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is looking to register five ICO projects later in June when the cryptocurrency decree takes effect.

    According to the SEC director of equity finance Thawatchai Kiatkwankul, of the 50 firms that filed to launch their crypto-based fundraisers, only five meet the set standards of the SEC. As such they will fall under the regulatory watchdog’s approval.

    Amidst that backdrop, the SEC is looking to hire more staff and expand its operations to enable it to handle both Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and ICOs.

    ICOs Must Have Real Use Cases

    While many startups have succeeded in developing products and services to solve real-life problems via the ICO route, the sad truth remains that there are a vast array of projects that have no real use cases but are merely interested in deceiving people with technical grammatical jargons and cart away with their funds.

    The regulator has also hinted on easing the rules governing crypto investments and transactions provided investors become more educated concerning the risks involved in the burgeoning industry.

    Bitcoin, Six Altcoins, 90-days Ultimatum, and Token Sale Information

    The Thai authority’s guidelines also entail that only seven established cryptocurrencies including bitcoin, ether, XRP, litecoin, stellar, ethereum classic and bitcoin cash could be used as trading pairs.

    With the latest development, the SEC has mandated all “stakehodlers” in its crypto space including exchanges, brokers, ICO organizers to endeavor to come under its umbrella within 90 days.

    Additionally, all market participants are required to seek approval from the Thai Finance Ministry before carrying out activities in the virtual currency industry. Interestingly the SEC has also made it clear that retail investors are not allowed to purchase ICO-generated tokens worth more than 300,000 baht ($9,000), while institutional investors and high net worth persons can pump in an unlimited amount of funds into any project. At a time when crypto-related businesses and digital currency exchanges are migrating to Malta due to the nation’s amenable regulation for cryptos, this latest move by the Thai authorities could also lure more blockchain startups to the region.

  • Line Thailand launching theme park in Bangkok

    Line Thailand launching theme park in Bangkok

    Line Thailand, a Japanese company that started off as messaging app and has since expanded its services across food delivery to finance, will open its first digital indoor theme park in Bangkok’s Siam Square One on Friday.

    Line Village Bangkok: The Digital Adventure will cover 1300sqm across three floors of the mall. The visitor experience will begin with a mystery: finding a key to get in to Line Village. From there, guests proceed one stage at a time from a space tunnel to a library, then to a kitchen, theatre and rooftop, where the games and Line characters await.

    One of the highlights is for fans to see the world of their favourite chat stickers via a VR headset, and the attraction also includes a merchandise store and a themed restaurant.

    While several Asian cities already have Line stores, Bangkok will be the first to have a permanent indoor park.

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  • Thailand Post to launch e-commerce service offering local products

    Thailand Post to launch e-commerce service offering local products

    Thailand Post is to add e-commerce to its logistics services, offering locally made products from across the country.

    From the fourth quarter, the enterprise will pilot exports of community-made products to Japan by collaborating with Japanese online marketplaces. The move aims to capitalise on cross-border e-commerce to compete with Chinese internet giants dumping their products in Thailand.

    “The company spent 10 million baht to launch Thailandpostmart.com, helping local communities sell their products in a marketplace with special delivery costs,” says Thailand Post president Samorn Terdtampiboon. The website, co-developed with BEC Tero, gathers local products nationwide into a “digital community”, aiming to be the largest distribution channel for agricultural products, crafts, food and One Tambon One Product items.

    The site’s eight categories are halal products, health and beauty, mail products, best cuisine in Thailand, best provincial products, locally made products, home and garden, and automotive.

    In the next phase, the site will integrate with at least 5000 points of sale in communities by year-end through collaboration with the Ministries of Commerce, Industry, Interior, Energy and Agriculture, as well as the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives, to bring more local products to the e-marketplace.

    After the official launch, there will be an estimated 12,000 stock-keeping units of locally made products by April next, with THB200 million (US$6.2 million) in sales revenue through the website.

    Products can be delivered to buyers within two days after order and payment, and mobile apps for both Android and iOS will be available soon.

    By the fourth quarter, Thailand Post will pilot cross-border products to Japan’s largest e-marketplace for items like crafts, jewellery and locally made goods.

    Thailand Post will next month launch an e-wallet developed with partner 2C2P.

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  • Central JD to launch online marketplace in Thailand

    Central JD to launch online marketplace in Thailand

    A JV between JD and Thailand’s Central Group, Central JD Commerce will launch online marketplace www.jd.co.th in August.

    A soft launch is scheduled within the next few weeks.

    “Thailand is our second-biggest market in Southeast Asia following Indonesia, with Vietnam in third place,” says JD corporate VP Gloria Li.

    She says Southeast Asia became part of JD’s overseas expansion strategy two years ago. “We will bring our technology expertise and transfers to local teams, building an innovative retail industry.”
    Li says Thailand is an attractive market because of its preference for high-quality products and the rising number of middle-income consumers.

    A partnership with Central Group will enhance the customer experience for online shopping and logistics, as well as warehouse and delivery capabilities.

    The marketplace will provide goods from qualified merchants, most of whom are brand owners and small- and medium-sized enterprises.

    Li says the JV will export Thai products where the company has a footprint, such as China and Russia.

    “Our big-data analytics technology will provide customers insights into products for which there is high demand, helping them run promotions for targeted customers,” says Li. The return on investment with such marketing campaigns can be measured.

    Globally, JD has 301 million customers, with 82 per cent of its orders made via mobile. It is the largest retailer in China with revenue of US$55.7 billion last year.

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  • Giorgio Armani Beauty launches in Thailand

    Giorgio Armani Beauty launches in Thailand

    High-end fashion brand Giorgio Armani Beauty has launched its first boutique for southeast Asia, at Central Lat Phrao.

    Part of the L’Oreal Group, the store stocks Luminous Silk Foundation, Maestro Foundation and My Armani To Go Cushion, as well as the Lip Maestro line. Also available are skincare products and floral fragrances.

    On the second floor of Gaysorn Village, the first Jurlique Concept Store in Thailand offers skincare products and treatments including the all-natural creams and lotions for which the ingredients are grown at Jurlique’s organic farm in Australia’s Adelaide Hills.

    Spanning 170sqm, the store uses natural materials in its five full-scale treatment rooms.

    Also in stock are Pandora’s new necklaces in sterling silver and leather. And, for the first time ever, the collection includes tassels combined with sterling silver inspired by Native American culture, plus handcrafted feather earrings in sterling silver finished with turquoise enamel.

    As it celebrates the 10th anniversary of the first Cosmolite case, Samsonite is releasing an exclusive gold/silver limited edition to mark this milestone. It has golden embellishments and special executions.

    The pull handle, the zipper pullers and details are accentuated by traces of gold and it has a black embossed lining.

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  • Lift non-tariff barriers on car imports, Thailand tells Vietnam

    Lift non-tariff barriers on car imports, Thailand tells Vietnam

    Thailand wants Vietnam to lift non-tariff barriers on its completely built-up car units (CBU).

    Earlier this year, the Vietnamese government had stiffened inspections on all CBUs, which are completely assembled units ready to export.

    The new restriction requires CBUs to pass environmental and emissions tests done by a Vietnamese laboratory.

    However, Vietnam lacks the laboratory facilities to handle a large number of cars, and the move could be a new measure to block car imports.

    Vietnam Register is currently the only car testing facility. The agency will test select a car from a shipment at random. The whole process will take about two months, a long time for a shipment to be passed.

    Somchai Harnhiran, Thailand’s deputy minister of industry, said the country’s automotive industry has lost 80 percent of its car exports to Vietnam. He said both governments will discuss this topic further in the future and hopes “for a good sign from both countries.”

    It is also reported that shipments of cars to Vietnam have been stalling for over six months.

    Thailand’s auto makers have reported that around 4,590 units were exported to Vietnam in the first quarter of this year, while the country’s annual target is 65,000 units.

    Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Trade Negotiation Department, said that the country will continue to revisit this issue at every upcoming meeting with Vietnam and will propose mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) at the Joint Trade Committee meeting in August.

    She explained that MRAs will allow Thailand to inspect its cars before shipping them to Vietnam.

    Vietnam has yet to agree on the MRAs.

    Among 922 imported cars since the beginning of June, 564 cars were from Thailand, according to General Department of Vietnam Customs.

    Beside Thailand, Vietnam has this year imported cars several other countries including China, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Spain.

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