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Tag: Thailand

  • Bangkok’s Stadium One puts focus on sports retail

    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.

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  • New trucks spur business use of Lalamove

    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.

  • Indonesia overtakes Thailand to become Vietnam’s top car supplier in August

    Indonesia overtakes Thailand to become Vietnam’s top car supplier in August

    Tariff cuts under a regional trade deal are making cars from Southeast Asia more affordable in Vietnam. Indonesia dethroned Thailand to dominate Vietnam’s car market in August, with Toyota and Ford among the most popular brands, according to Vietnam Customs.

    Nearly 3,000 made-in-Indonesia cars flooded into Vietnam in August, compared to 438 units during the same period last year, official data showed. Most of the vehicles had nine seats and below.

    Thailand was the runner-up, exporting 2,000 cars to Vietnam, followed by China with 800 units.

    The import tariff on cars from Thailand and Indonesia was cut to 30 percent from 40 percent at the start of this year, according to tax authorities. As a result, many imported cars are now 7 percent cheaper, ranging from $18,000-19,000.

    Vietnam’s car imports in August soared 13 percent from the previous month to about 7,800 units worth $190 million, customs data shows.

    However, Thailand still leads the way so far this year, followed by Indonesia and China.

    Vietnam imported at total of 65,485 cars in the first eight months, down 5 percent on-year. Over 60 percent of those came from Thailand and Indonesia.

    The surge in imports from Southeast Asian countries is expected to continue when the import tariff on cars is abolished at the start of 2018 under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.

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  • Hitachi forms IoT alliance with Thailand’s EEC

    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.

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  • AirAsia to operate flights to Bangkok

    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.

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  • Zilingo raises fresh funds for Indonesian expansion

    Zilingo raises fresh funds for Indonesian expansion

    Thai-headquartered fashion and lifestyle online marketplace Zilingo has raised US$17 million in a fresh investment round to fund expansion.

    Much of the funding came from Zilingo’s original investor, Sequoia India, with Burda Principal Investments (BPI), Venturra Capital, SIG, Wavemaker and Beenext also joining in.

    Zilingo is expanding across Southeast Asia and funds from this round are earmarked to strengthen its position in Indonesia.

    The concept is essentially an app-based solution which allows people to find fashion items, chat with vendors and shop online, within a country or cross-border. It targets small fashion retailers and labels and SMEs without the resources or scale to build their own online stores.

    One of the investors, Albert Shyy, principal at Burda, said he was “extremely impressed” with Zilingo’s growth and its focus on strong unit economics.

    “We believe there is a massive opportunity to build the leading fashion marketplace in the region and are very excited to join their journey.”

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  • Supersnap International Opens the Most Advanced Data Center in Asia

    Supersnap International Opens the Most Advanced Data Center in Asia

    SUPERNAP International today announced the opening of one of the largest, most advanced data centers in the ASEAN region, SUPERNAP Thailand, The Bangkok Campus.

    The opening of the campus is a major catalyst for propelling the success of “Thailand 4.0” – the Thai government’s plan to transform the country into a high-value based economy through innovation and technology.

    This new multi-tenant carrier-neutral data center facility, located in the eastern province of Chonburi, plays an important role in the region as the critical infrastructure that powers the ability of businesses to succeed on the growing Internet of Things, Cloud and Artificial Intelligence markets. SUPERNAP Thailand is expected to be a catalyst for attracting more investment to the region and is poised to become the data center hub for Asia Pacific.

    SUPERNAP Thailand’s BANGKOK 1 data center is designed and built to the specifications of the industry-renowned, Tier IV Gold-rated Switch LAS VEGAS multi-tenant/colocation data centers in the United States. Its advanced design and diverse connectivity options are expected to enable clients to respond to rapid market growth and connect to global economies.

    “We welcome clients throughout ASEAN, APAC and the rest of the world to run their mission-critical IT infrastructure in what we expect will be one of the most secure, reliable and connected data centers in the world,” said Sunita Bottse, Managing Director of SUPERNAP Thailand. “Our high standards in uptime, security, efficiency and resiliency can be critical for corporations who operate 24 hours a day in every business line – including finance, e-commerce, oil and gas, transportation and health care.”

    The world-class SUPERNAP Thailand data center is one of the safest places to operate mission-critical IT infrastructure in the region. Its location 110 meters above sea level is outside of the flood zone and links to national and international telecommunications carriers enabling businesses to connect to key markets in Asia and around the world.

    SUPERNAP Thailand incorporates Switch’s patented designs that deliver highly efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) technology enabling the facility to host high-density IT workloads. It is designed to achieve a target PUE range of 1.35-1.45 – a level more efficient than other data centers in ASEAN, which typically have PUE levels above 2. Its efficient design and plans for sourcing renewable energy helps SUPERNAP Thailand promote economic growth and technology development in a sustainable manner, directly in alignment with the sustainability goal of Thailand 4.0.

    The SUPERNAP Thailand data center in Chonburi is expected to include: 

    • 21,000 square meters of data center space with two data halls
    • 20 megawatts of power distributed through diverse 115 kilovolt transmission paths
    • Proprietary tri-redundant UPS power system
    • Up to 40 kilowatts of power per cabinet
    • Multi-carrier fiber couples with separate paths
    • Patented Switch SHIELD: dual independent roof decks rated to withstand 322 kph winds
    • 24/7 on-site network operations center (NOC), fire, safety and security
    • On-site, on-net member resources including conference spaces

    “Companies that have built their own data centers in the past are now realizing that they can mitigate risks and achieve better service level agreements (SLAs) by operating in SUPERNAP Thailand’s mission-critical colocation data center,” Sunita Bottse said. “Clients who tour the SUPERNAP Thailand data center experience first-hand the power and scale of the campus and what that means to their business growth.”

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  • Honestbee flies high with new logistics services honestbee GOODSHIP

    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.

     

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  • NY Portuguese Short Film Festival’17 in Thailand” to be held on Sep 16-17

    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.

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  • Visa cardholder spent THB 28 on snacks and won gold

    Visa cardholder spent THB 28 on snacks and won gold

    Suripong Tantiyanon (second left), Visa Country Manager, Thailand, together with Athip Sinpagekan (second right), Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing – Consumer Financial Services, Ayudhya Capital Services Co., Ltd, and Dr. Piyawan Piyapong (left), Senior Vice President, New Service Development of Big C Supercenter PCL congratulate Nanyapat Paransirijarune (center) on winning THB1 million worth of gold.

    Ms. Nanyapat won this Visa campaign by using her Krungsri First Choice Visa card on her Samsung Pay to purchase THB 28 snack from Big C Supercenter. Big C Supercenter, as the lucky retailer that served Ms Nunyapat, also received THB 1 million as part of the campaign.

    More than 20 major retailers nationwide joined the campaign that ran from January to March 2017, including 7-Eleven, Big C, Emporium, Family Mart, Gourmet Market, Home Fresh Mart, Isetan, Hello Kitty House, Krispy Kreme, Lawson, Major Cineplex, MaxValu, McDonald’s, Siam Paragon, Tang Hua Seng, Tesco Lotus, The Mall, Tom n Tom Coffee, Tops, and Watsons.

    “Contactless is continuing to gain momentum among consumers and merchants, in Thailand and markets around the world. The campaign demonstrates Visa’s commitment to improve payment experience, ensuring that it remains seamless, frictionless, reliable and secure. It is consistent investment like this, underpinned by Visa’s global standards, that encourages wider adoption of electronic payments in the country,” said Suripong Tangtiyanon, Visa Country Manager, Thailand.

    Visa contactless payments combine unparalleled convenience with security. Visa payWave transactions under THB 1,500 require no signature. A Visa payWave card uses encryption technology via an EMV chip to protect cardholders’ data, while Samsung Pay features the Visa Token Service, which replaces cardholders’ information, such as account numbers and expiration dates, with a unique digital identifier (a “token”) that can be used for payment without exposing a cardholder’s more sensitive account information.

    There are more than 400,000 merchants in Thailand that accept Visa payWave and Samsung Pay, the latter can also be used at magnetic stripe-only point-of-sales.

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  • Platinum Group sees gold in Chinese tourism

    Platinum Group sees gold in Chinese tourism

    Mall company The Platinum Group is banking on Chinese tourism to support a retail shopping centre it plans to open next year.

    With a wholesale fashion mall in Bangkok that attracts about 15 million people annually, the group is investing about THB6 billion (US$180 million) in the project, says president Chanchai Phansopha.

    “We want to transform the company from an operator of a wholesale fashion mall into a commercial property developer,” he says. The Bangkok project is part of a wider, THB11-billion investment plan that will also add hotel and office space over five years.

    Thailand last year had nearly 9 million Chinese visitors who spent an above-average $176 a head daily.

    Chanchai says he foresees double-digit growth in sales and profit, with the new mall, The Market, expected to boost revenue at least 30 per cent in 2019.

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  • Central Pattana forms JV with Tesco

    Central Pattana forms JV with Tesco

    Retail property developer Central Pattana (CPN) has set up a JV with British retail giant Tesco to co-develop property in the Thai market.

    The  Central Group subsidiary has told the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) that the new company, Synergistic Property Development, will support business expansion. It has registered capital of THB100,000 (US$3000) with ordinary share capital of 1000 shares at a par value of THB100 each.

    CPN holds a 50 per cent stake in the JV company while the other 50 per cent belongs to Ek-Chai Distribution System, which runs Tesco Lotus hypermarkets in Thailand.

    Details of the business model to be developed under the new company are under study, says CPN executive VP for marketing Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana.

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  • ShopBack Thailand launches Cashback Day

    ShopBack Thailand launches Cashback Day

    ShopBack Thailand, the cashback platform that rewards consumers for shopping online, has declared next Saturday as the nation’s first Cashback Day.

    Five days of savings kick off today with sneak-preview deals between 9pm and midnight. Until Friday, shoppers are offered up to 49 per cent cashback from such platforms as Aliexpress, Apple Store, Expedia, Lazada, Sephora and Uber. Then all day Saturday shoppers can receive up to 99 per cent cashback on purchases, plus discounts and promotional codes from travel, food, lifestyle and entertainment businesses.

    “To thank our customers for the overwhelming response we’ve received since ShopBack’s launch in Thailand in July, this inaugural Cashback Day will bring them more savings than usual” says ShopBack co-founder/country head Kawin Prachanukul.

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  • 11street Thailand eyes top spot

    11street Thailand eyes top spot

    Korean-owned 11street may be exiting Indonesia, but the e-commerce platform remains bullish about its opportunities in Thailand.

    Yun Chang-sung, 11street Thailand VP of sales, says the company is working towards being the largest e-commerce player in the nation by 2022.

    A week ago, 11street parent SK Planet, a subsidiary of SK Telecom, announced it was selling its half stake in Indonesian website Elevenia to fellow Korean corporation Lotte, with whom it is in discussions over an e-commerce joint venture at home.

    “SK Planet decided it was best to close down money-losing operations overseas to focus on propping up the domestic business,” wrote Pulse News. “After Indonesia, the next to go could be Malaysia among the three overseas markets including Thailand and Turkey.”

    First, 11street Malaysia dismissed such speculation, saying it was committed to the long term., 11Street Malaysia is operated by Celcom Planet, a joint venture between Celcom Axiata Berhad and SK Planet.

    11street Thailand says it has more than 580,000 shoppers buying from 18,000 sellers on its platform, just seven months after its launch.

    “We have become number two in the market in just a few months, and we are sure we can become number one in less than five years,” Yun said.

    He said Thailand’s e-commerce size is comparatively small at present, relative to mature markets like South Korea and the US.

    “Competition in Thailand is not that aggressive compared with other countries such as South Korea,” he said. “There are great opportunities to grow. The more dynamic logistics and payment industries in Thailand also contribute to the growth of e-commerce.”

    Thai and international brands including as Nestle, Samsung, Mahajak, Cotton USA, Watsons, FBT and Grand Sport list goods on 11street Thailand.

  • Boom time for Thailand internet shopping

    Boom time for Thailand internet shopping

    As consumers become more tech savvy, Thailand internet shopping has boomed.

    Online retail sales in Thailand are more than doubling annually, whereas traditional stores are seeing only about 10 per cent growth.

    This is attributed to a combination of stronger and faster internet speeds in Thailand plus the success of online merchants such as Lazada.

    Thailand mobile-phone company Total Access Communication estimates Thais spend up to six hours a day on social media websites like Facebook and Youtube.

    Corporate financial services company Maybank Kim Eng Holdings says Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that includes an online category for retail sales data.

    While online sales in Southeast Asia have been growing strongly, they still account for less than 4 per cent of overall retail purchases, according to a Maybank report by economists Chua Hak Bin and Lee Ju Ye.

    Larger markets, like China and South Korea, already have higher penetration rates of online retailing at 16 and 18 per cent respectively. They say this shows the potential for Southeast Asia, where e-commerce sales could reach 5 to 10 per cent of overall retail purchases over the next five years.

    Meanwhile, Alibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma has joined a government panel in Indonesia that has the task of steering the e-commerce industry in Southeast Asia’s most-populous nation. Macquarie Research estimates online retailing in the country could reach $65 billion by 2020.

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