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Tag: Thailand

  • Spar Thailand launching 300 stores

    Spar Thailand launching 300 stores

    An agreement has just been signed that will lead to more than 300 Spar Thailand food retail stores opening over the next four years.

    It is part of a €102 million (US$108 million) investment by Netherlands-based Spar International, which has partnered with Bangchak Retail Company (BCR).

    spar-thai
    Spar International has more than 12,100 stores worldwide and had global retail sales of €33 billion last year. It works in partnership with independent retailers to share global scale and expertise.

    BCR plans to open seven stores this year, comprising key flagship convenience stores and neighbourhood developments. From next year the company plans to open 50 to 80 stores annually, creating up to 2500 jobs.

    Under the partnership, Spar is sharing industry expertise including best practice across supply chain, staff training, retail design and brand development strategy.

    “The launch of Spar in Thailand in partnership with BCR represents a significant and important step forward in our ongoing expansion into Asian markets,” says Spar International MD Tobias Wasmuht. “Today, we have a significant multi-format presence including hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience and online in China, India and Indonesia.”

    BCR MD Viboon Wongsakul says Spar and BCR share many key values “such as a dedication to growth, a commitment to local suppliers, supporting communities and offering diverse retail solutions”.

    As a shared core value, BCR and Spar focus on supporting the communities in which they have a presence. During the development of the flagship stores, special focus is being given to the ability to source produce and product locally.

    Spar International has been working with BCR on the development and launch of a national range of own-brand products.

    Formed this year, BCR is affiliated with energy company The Bangchak Petroleum Public Company. As well as the Spar portfolio, BCR will expand its Inthanin Coffee and Lemon Kitchen brands.

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  • Jamie’s Italian opens its first restaurant in Thailand at the ­renovated Siam Discovery

    Jamie’s Italian opens its first restaurant in Thailand at the ­renovated Siam Discovery

    Jamie’s Italian opens its first restaurant in Thailand at the newly ­renovated Siam Discovery, situated in the heart of Bangkok. This rustic Italian restaurant, serving delicious food at an affordable price, is proudly brought to you by Hotel Properties Limited and Siam Piwat.

    Jamie’s Italian began as a partnership between Jamie Oliver and his mentor, Gennaro Contaldo. The first restaurant opened in 2008 in Oxford and there are now 42 Jamie’s Italian outlets in the UK and over 25 internationally, including Australia, Dubai, Brazil and Singapore.

    As with all Jamie’s Italian outlets, the Siam Discovery restaurant will remain committed to sourcing only the best free-range, higher welfare meat and sustainable and ethically produced ingredients. All the recipes are Italian classics with a Jamie twist, including fresh pasta made on site every day. The restaurant will also work closely with fantastic Thai farmers and suppliers to showcase local produce.

    MENU HIGHLIGHTS

    Menu highlights at Jamie’s Italian Siam Discovery will include the famous antipasti planks, perfect for sharing. Placed on large wooden boards supported by tins of tomatoes, the impressive platter allows guests to pick from a wide selection of meats, cheeses, vegetables and pickles.

    All Jamie’s Italian restaurants serve fresh pasta made in the restaurant, every day. The Siam Discovery restaurant will feature a range of popular pasta dishes, including Gennaro’s Tagliatelle Bolognese, made to his recipe, Silky spaghetti carbonara and Fresh crab spaghetti. The prawn linguine is a Jamie’s Italian classic, loved worldwide.

    Also on offer will be beautiful artisan pizza dough, made by hand, and proved for hours before being hand ­stretched to create an irresistibly crisp base. The simple but classic Margherita, and Funghi, with seasonal mushrooms, are just a few of the pizzas on offer.

    A selection of Italian-inspired main courses is also on offer, including the Tuscan-style Chicken al mattone– chicken is cooked under a brick, ensuring that the chicken is pushed further against the grates of the grill, producing a smoky flavour, with an addictively crisp skin. The Jamie’s Italian burger, a signature main dish, and the Grilled pork chop served with crispy crackling, are also must-try dishes. For those looking for a lighter meal, the Classic super food salad is a super-fresh combination of avocado, roasted beets, mixed pulses & grains, broccolini, fennel, pomegranate & spicy seeds with harissa dressing & artisan ricotta.

    A favourite among families, Jamie’s Italian will also be bringing its award-winning kids’ menu to Thailand. Awarded the best kids’ menu in the UK by The SOIL Association in 2013, there’s a choice of 2 two sizes for different age groups, with all the meals nutritionally balanced. It comes with a viewfinder menu and colouring sheets to keep the kids entertained.

    If you love your Jamie’s Italian experience, don’t forget to take a bit home with you. Jamie’s Italian Siam Discovery will also stock a wide range of Jamie’s cook books and the restaurant’s signature napkins, as well as gifts, allowing you to recreate your Jamie’s Italian experience at home.

    THE INTERIOR

    Every Jamie’s Italian restaurant is designed to be easily accessible with a warm and comfortable feel and incorporates the personality of the city it’s in. Siam Discovery’s design takes inspiration from its location to create a friendly, neighborhood restaurant that the whole family can enjoy.

    With 184 covers, the restaurant will boast a tasteful mix of rustic, reclaimed timber refectory tables, industrial ­chic zinc tables and vintage upholstered lounge chairs, with monochromatic and hand­-painted floral tile flooring. To add warmth, the dining area will be illuminated with brass spotlights, vintage enamel shades and a textured glass chandelier.

    The creative use of space allows guests to view the open kitchen,  watch their antipasti planks being made before their eyes at the antipasti counter in the main dining room, or hang out for a pre or post- meal tipple at Jamie’s Bar.

    READY TO WELCOME YOU

    Welcoming you to the first Jamie’s Italian restaurant in Thailand is General Manager Sarah Smith, winner of the Jamie’s Italian International Rising Star award for 2015/2016. She has worked closely with Head Chef, Alex Barman and local staff to make sure that the new restaurant is ready to receive guests.

    Jamie Oliver said: “Taking Jamie’s Italian to Thailand is incredibly exciting for me. Bangkok is a vibrant and buzzing city with a great food scene and we can’t wait to be a part of it. We’ll be sourcing lots of beautiful, top-quality produce from fantastic local suppliers, and making food that we just know you’re going to love. Come down and visit soon!”

    For more information please visit our website www.jamiesitalian.co.th

     

  • GoSwiff Partners UnionPay International to Increase Mobile Transactions in Thailand

    GoSwiff Partners UnionPay International to Increase Mobile Transactions in Thailand

    GoSwiff, a global leader in digital payments, announced a partnership with UnionPay International (UPI), a global payment network, to enable merchants on Nimmanahaeminda Road in Chiang Mai to accept UnionPay cards. Using GoSwiff’s mobile point of sale (mPOS) solution, micro merchants can now accept and process secure PIN-based card transactions in Thailand.

    Merchants and shoppers on Nimmanahaeminda Road, a street popular with both locals and tourists visiting Chiang Mai, will reap significant advantages with the launch of mPOS. Merchants will benefit from the convenience of digital payments, while consumers can pay with their UnionPay cards, minimizing foreign exchange costs from ATM withdrawals and reducing the risk of carrying cash. All the banks within the UPI network can now connect to mPOS, and leverage NFC, HCE and PIN payments for the first time in Thailand.

     “We see great benefits in this partnership with GoSwiff in the Thai market,” said Wenhui Yang, General Manager, UnionPay International, Southeast Asia. “We are not only enabling small merchants to accept micro-payments securely, but also supporting our customers who prefer to pay with cards. With the help of our contactless mobile payment solution, we are confident this will lead to a wider adoption of cashless payments in Thailand and Southeast Asia alike.”

    On Nimmanahaeminda Road, small and mobile merchant stalls are not able yet to provide PIN-based card acceptance through regular electronic data capture platforms. There are constraints on telephone and electricity lines and investment requirements on the bank’s side.

    “Thailand has seen an enormous increase in mobile payment acceptance in recent years thanks to the very active approach from the banks to roll out mPOS services to their clients. The Bank of Thailand has encouraged all debit cards to include a PIN code, which will create even more interest from the merchants to use mPOS”, said Svyatoslav Garal, Head of Asia Pacific and CIS, GoSwiff. “We have implemented mobile payment solutions for banks and Mobile Network Operators across the globe and boosted electronic payments in the emerging markets. The payment ecosystem greatly benefits from our mPOS solution with UnionPay, as well as the expansion of payment acceptance locations, especially in countries where the card penetration is increasing.”

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  • Triumph Motorcycles sees easy ride as market hums

    Triumph Motorcycles sees easy ride as market hums

    Despite murky economic prospects, British manufacturer Triumph Motorcycles remains upbeat about sales prospects in Thailand this year because of lower retail prices and a growing big-bike market.

    According to Jakkrapong Santirat, general manager of Triumph Motorcycles Thailand, Triumph’s sales fared well after Leicestershire-based Triumph took over the dealership network in Thailand last year.

    Through its wholly owned subsidiary Triumph Motorcycles Thailand, the company since last November has handled not only manufacturing but all aspects of the business, including sales and marketing activity, in coordination with distributors such as Britbike.

    Britbike is owned by Dom Hetrakul, an actor who became the first authorised dealer of Triumph motorcycles in 2007.

    Last year, Triumph reported domestic sales of 1,512 units, compared with just 292 in 2014.

    Mr Jakkrapong said the company is feeling more confident it will achieve sales of 2,400 units this year, after selling 2,112 in the January-October period.

    “The British parent firm has been working closely with its wholly-owned manufacturer in Thailand to make all retail prices more attractive,” he said. “All Triumph models sold in the Thai market have seen prices drop by about 30%.”

    Mr Jakkrapong said Triumph’s market share in Thailand has grown significantly to 40%, up from 25% last year.

    In keeping with the growing big-bike market, he expected Triumph would be able to maintain annual sales growth rate of 5-10%.

    Triumph entered Thailand in 2002, opening its first factory in May 2002 to make motorcycle components such as frames, fuel tanks, header systems, swinging arms, engine covers and chrome-plated parts.

    A second factory opened in 2006 with a painting facility and assembly line, and a third plant, opened in 2007, includes high-pressure die casting and machining.

    All three factories are at the Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate in Chon Buri.

    The company employs 1,100 workers in Thailand. Existing facilities make up half of total production capacity of 80,000 units a year.

    All Triumph motorcycles are made at its Thai facilities, using 50-60% local content. Triumph also ships its Thai-made motorcycles to more than 40 countries.

    Triumph’s Thai facilities, with a combined investment of more than 3 billion baht, are the only facilities offering completely built-up production outside of Britain, representing 65-70% of Triumph sales worldwide.

    In Thailand, Triumph runs eight sales outlets nationwide, including its latest showroom that opened last week in Bang Na district.

  • Airports of Thailand sees nine-month commercial revenue climb

    Airports of Thailand sees nine-month commercial revenue climb

    Airports of Thailand saw non-aeronautical revenue climb 21.34% to Bt3.83bn ($107m) in the first nine months of 2016, mainly as a consequence of an increasing number of flights and passengers.

    Revenue generated from duty-free sales increased by Bt934m, with the majority of non-aeronautical attributed to concession revenues. Non-aeronautical revenue represented also 43% of the total revenue share.

    Concession revenue represented Bt13.62bn in the nine months of 2016, up 16.1% year-on-year from the Bt11.73bn registered in the same period of 2015.

    Total revenues grew by Bt7.27bn up to September 30 this year, while generating net profit of Bt19.57bn, up Bt842m or 4.5% from the same period last year.

    Photo of AOT 2

    Photo of AOT

  • Grey Goose limited edition lands at Bangkok

    Grey Goose limited edition lands at Bangkok

    Bacardi Global Travel Retail has entered into a two-month promotion with the King Power International Group Thailand, where the partners are selling a new GTR exclusive Bangkok Limited Edition gift-pack at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport in the run up to Christmas.

    In a statement, Bacardi said: “Running in two prominent in-store locations from 1 November to 31 December 2016 with dedicated branded space and a strong focus on gifting, the shopper campaign will have high visibility to the large volume of passengers expected to depart through the airport in November and December.

    FULL RANGE IS BEING FEATURED

    “A specialist team of Grey Goose retail ambassadors will lead the interaction with shoppers to encourage conversion across the full range of Grey Goose vodka, including Grey Goose Interpreted by Ducasse and Grey Goose VX.”

    Grey Goose Bangkok KPIG2 Nov 2016This is the first promotion of its kind between Bacardi and KPIG at Bangkok.

    APPEALING TO THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN COCKTAIL TREND

    This represents Bacardi’s first major campaign at Suvarnabhumi Airport, with the company adding that Grey Goose is currently the best selling vodka brand and the fastest growing top five spirit brand in travel retail according to respected analysts, IWSR.

    “It’s very likely that our more discerning shoppers will have seen Grey Goose on the shelves of Bangkok’s finest cocktail bars and so there’s an instant synergy with this in-store promotion. Equally, there’s huge appeal to present this global brand to the growing number of Asian shoppers embracing the new trend of home cocktail-making.”Commenting on the event, Pichai Pitakchaisuk, Executive Vice President at King Power said: “We are very excited to bring Grey Goose to life in-store at a time when super-premium vodka is enjoying enormous popularity thanks in particular to the growing appeal of cocktails and white spirits in South East Asia.

    Adding his comments, Vinay Golikeri, Regional Director Asia Pacific and Middle East Africa, Bacardi Global Travel Retail said: “The bespoke Grey Goose Bangkok Limited Edition gift-pack is a GTR exclusive which we are proud to launch in partnership with King Power Thailand.

    “Based on past experience, Grey Goose is proven to drive sales where it is given the optimal space, range and activation and we are very excited about what this campaign will deliver with King Power in Bangkok.”

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  • Tesco Thailand ‘not for sale’

    Tesco Thailand ‘not for sale’

    Tesco Thailand is not for sale, the parent company’s CEO Dave Lewis has committed during a visit to Bangkok. “I’m here to look at the expansion plans.”

    After Tesco UK sold off its Malaysian subsidiary in 2015 and its Turkish operation earlier this year, there was considerable speculation the Thai operation may also be divested as the embattled retailer repaid mounting debts and restored its balance sheet.

    But in recent quarters the company has reported improving sales and margins and the Tesco Lotus operation in Thailand – which now boasts 1800 outlets ranging from hypermarkets to convenience stores – performs strongly in the group’s remaining portfolio covering 11 markets.

    Lewis, on a visit to Thailand, says the company now plans to increase its investment in the country during the next few years and sees growing opportunities there.

    “What you will see over the next three to five years is continued investment,” Lewis said in an interview. “If anything, we have an opportunity to invest more now than in the past.”

    He categorically denied the chain may be sold.

    “I want to be very clear – our commitment to Southeast Asia, our commitment to Thailand is absolute and not changing. The business is not for sale.”

    Lewis said that Tesco wants to expand its store formats to serve as marketplaces for small businesses and communities.

    “If you look at the history of Tesco, this is how we built our business in the UK,” he said. “Our relationships with suppliers go back 50, 60, 70 years. They have grown as we have grown. So one of the things that we think we can do well is incubate and grow businesses.”

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  • Thai Kasikornbank, IBM join forces on blockchain network

    Thai Kasikornbank, IBM join forces on blockchain network

    Thailand’s Kasikornbank Pcl has joined with the Thai unit of International Business Machines Corp to develop blockchain services in a bid to save costs and speed up transaction process, the companies said on Thursday.

    Kasikornbank will be the first Thai bank to apply the blockchain technology and aims to start the services in the first half of 2017, Somkid Jiranuntarat, vice chairman of Kasikornbank’s technology group, told reporters.

    Kasikornbank is also in talks with other Thai banks to share the blockchain network, he said.

    Blockchain is a web-based transaction-processing and settlement system whose efficiency banks say could slash costs. It creates a “golden record” of any given set of data that is automatically replicated for all parties in a secure network, eliminating any need for third-party verification.

    Financial services companies around the world have been focusing on developing blockchain technology, with advocates saying it has the potential to save billions of dollars in costs and speed up transaction times.

    The technology will be used to certify original documents by using IBM’s Hyperledger infrastructure. At the initial stage, a system called OriginCert API is used to certify letters of guarantee (LG), which helps simplify and speed up the LG issuance process for customers, according to a joint statement.

    Kasikornbank, Thailand’s fourth-largest lender by assets, is the leader in digital banking with a market share of almost 40 percent. It aimed to spend 5 billion baht ($143 million) to develop information technology, it said in April.

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  • Spar International Expands in Thailand

    Spar International Expands in Thailand

    SPAR International (“SPAR”) and Bangchak Retail Company Limited (“BCR”), today announced a significant new partnership agreement which will see up to 300 new SPAR stores opening in Thailand by the end of 2020, as part of a €102 million investment 

    SPAR International is the world’s largest food retail voluntary chain with over 12,100 stores worldwide and global retail sales of €33 billion in 2015. SPAR presence in Asia continues to grow with the brand attracting independent partners.

    BCR plan to open 7 new stores during 2016, comprising key flagship convenience and neighbourhood developments. From 2017 the company plans to open 50-80 stores each year for the next five years with up to 2,500 jobs created in the process. BCR’s retail strategy meets customer needs, with strong market growth in the neighbourhood grocery sector in Thailand; the company anticipates retail sales of €260 million by 2020.

    The partnership with BCR will see SPAR share industry expertise with its new partner including the sharing of best practice across its supply chain, retail operations, staff training, retail design and brand development strategy. SPAR Thailand is expanding forecourt retailing stores around food purchasing moments and to achieve this initiative SPAR International worked with BCR to generate detailed store designs and layouts. Ahead of the opening of the first store, SPAR International also supported the formation of the requisite supply chain capability, introduced the SPAR culture to the teams in the stores and central office, given advice about equipment suppliers and assisted with secondments to other SPAR Partners by key team members to expand their knowledge of the SPAR Brand.

    Speaking at the official announcement of the new partnership Tobias Wasmuht, Managing Director of SPAR International said “In the last decade, SPAR International has grown from strength to strength in key strategic markets of Asia. Today, we have a significant multi-format presence including hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience and online in China, India, and Indonesia. The launch of SPAR in Thailand in partnership with BCR represents a significant and important step forward in SPAR’s ongoing expansion into Asian markets.  It brings together our internationally tried and tested retail expertise particularly in convenience and supermarket formats with the extensive knowledge of the Thai market. The partnership is a true example of the SPAR ethos in which through working together all shall benefit.”

    The new venture is being lead on the BCR side by Mr. Viboon Wongsakul, Managing Director of Bangchak Retail Company Limited. Speaking about the partnership Mr. Wongsakul said “BCR is excited to bring this new offering to customers in Thailand. SPAR and BCR share many key values such as a dedication to growth, a commitment to local suppliers, supporting communities and offering diverse retail solutions. We plan to bring local retailing to the next level and will dedicate the resources necessary to have a significant presence in the market in the shorted possible timeframe.” 

    As a shared core value, SPAR and BCR focus on supporting the communities in which they operate. During the development of the flagship stores in 2016, special focus will be given to the ability to source produce and product locally. SPAR International has a process in place for the development of own brand products by a Partner and has worked with BCR on the development and launch of a national range of own brand products.

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  • Jollibee to list Highlands Coffee in Vietnam

    Jollibee to list Highlands Coffee in Vietnam

    Jollibee Foods Corp’s subsidiary JSF Investment and its partner Viet Thai International plan to list the Highlands Coffee business on the Vietnam stock exchange.

    According to the announcement, Super Foods, the company owns 51 per cent of Highlands Coffee brand, will be listed publicly by July, 2019.

    The exact stake of the IPO has yet to be disclosed.

    Besides Highlands, Superfoods also owns and operates Pho 24 and the Hard Rock Cafe stores in Vietnam.

    After being acquired by Jollibee Food Corp in 2012 with a $25 million deal, Super Foods has rapidly expanded its Highlands chain throughout Vietnam up to 130 outlets in July.

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  • SATO Aims for Auto-ID Market Leadership in Thailand

    SATO Aims for Auto-ID Market Leadership in Thailand

    SATO, a leading global provider of Auto-ID solutions that empower workforces and streamline operations, announced its aim to become the No.1 Auto-ID company in Thailand by 2018, through development of food safety and patient safety solutions for the Thai food and healthcare industries.

    SATO, the market leader in Japan with over 75 years of Auto-ID expertise and a culture of innovation, operates in Thailand as SATO Auto-ID (Thailand) Co., Ltd. By integrating technologies from RFID to visual recognition and robotics, it seeks to support the food and healthcare industries as Thailand moves towards becoming the “Kitchen of the World” and the “Region’s Medical Hub.”

    SATO Auto-ID (Thailand) Co., Ltd. General Manager Daisuke Tatsuta said, “Speed and accuracy are keys to increase business competitiveness in today’s world and especially for Thailand as it transforms itself to become an advanced economy driven by high tech and creativity. With our strong know-how and established presence in Thailand as well as end-to-end Auto-ID solutions, SATO is well positioned to help companies make the transition to the new Thailand 4.0 economic model, streamlining the movement of assets with speed and precision.”

    A leading food safety solution provider, SATO supports food manufacturers and restaurants alike, by developing solutions that integrate labels, barcode, printers, scanners, software and aftersales support to allow companies to quickly track products and control quality to ensure food safety. 

    As the patient safety provider, SATO delivers fast and reliable identification solutions to provide precision, labor savings and peace of mind for Thai hospitals. It seeks to provide fail-safe systems of patient identification to improve caregivers’ peace of mind, which is directly connected to patient safety.

    “In 2015, we achieved 475 million baht in sales and the second highest market share among direct distributing Auto-ID companies with approximately 14%. Considering the rate of Thai economic development and our strategic focus on food and healthcare, we aim to be the No. 1 auto-ID solution provider by 2018 with sales of 745 million baht,” said Tatsuta.

    In its 15 years in Thailand, SATO has supported leading automotive clients such as Toyota, Nissan, and Isuzu. It supported the manufacturing sector with efficient stock control systems, shipping labels, labels for hazardous materials, inventory-control and scheduling systems for just-in-time manufacturing to control the supply chain. It will now grow its presence in the burgeoning food, beverage, and medical industries, utilizing know-how from success cases with clients such as CPF, Ajinomoto, Nestle, Hoya, Thai Red Cross, Samitvej, Bumrungrad Hospital and Nipro. 

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  • Smith & Wollensky restaurants going global

    Smith & Wollensky restaurants going global

    US steakhouse Smith & Wollensky, famously described by the New York Times as “the steakhouse to end all arguments”, is expanding its global presence, setting its sights initially on such cities as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo, as well as Dubai and Mexico City.

    This follows Irish investment company Danu Partners acquiring Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group (SWRG) from Bunker Hill Capital this year. Its first overseas restaurant was opened in London.

    “Our teams in the US and London have worked closely together to build a robust infrastructure, and this is a perfect platform on which to build a global business,” says Leonard Ryan of Danu Partners. Joining the team will be international development executive Oliver Munday, who in the past 20 years has worked at growing US restaurant brands internationally.

    “Having completed transactions in more than 30 countries with multiple restaurant brands including Hard Rock, Margaritaville and Planet Hollywood, Oliver brings the contacts and expertise needed to allow us to reach our full potential on the international stage,” says SWRG president/CEO Michael Feighery .

    “Smith & Wollensky occupies a special place among the great US fine-dining restaurant brands, and there is global demand for such a classic American steakhouse experience,” says Munday. “We will be entertaining only a handful of select markets … but interest is already strong.”

    Since Danu Partners bought Smith & Wollensky it has embarked upon a program of reinvestment, which as well as expansion includes upgrades of its restaurants in the US.

    Established in 1977 with its headquarters in Boston, Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group has seven locations in the US. The restaurant has received such accolades as the Grand Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator and an Award of Excellence from Distinguished Restaurants of North America.

    An investment holding company based in Dublin, Danu Investment Partners was founded in 2009 and covers a range of business sectors, with a focus on the hospitality sector.

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  • Big year-end discounts on way

    Big year-end discounts on way

    The government seeks cooperation from retailers and wholesalers to cut product prices to help reduce consumers’ expenses and stimulate the economy in the final month of the year.

    The government is set to team up with wholesalers and retailers, which together have 13,500 branches nationwide, to cut product prices by 20%-80% to help reduce consumers’ expenses and stimulate the economy in the final month of the year.

    Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said the Internal Trade Department has been assigned to discuss with retailers and wholesalers, including hypermarket and supermarket operators, the possibility of holding special promotions to spur spending among Thais and tourists during December.

    “The ministry has cooperated with retailers and wholesalers to organise various activities to cut living costs since late 2015,” she said. “The campaign for this year-end promises special events with discounts as high as 80% for certain items.”

    Mrs Apiradi insisted the discounts will be given to brand-new products, not those currently on sale. Products that will feature in the campaign include food and beverages, consumer goods, electrical appliances, garments and accessories.

    The Business Development Department has also been instructed to talk with retail outlets under its supervision to participate in the year-end special discount programme, particularly for items like milled rice, instant noodles, vegetable oil, seasonings, detergent, dishwashing liquid, fabric softener, toothpaste and shampoo.

    She said the ministry has also asked for cooperation from department stores and retail outlets to hold special events or sales promotions to stimulate rice purchases to help local rice farmers.

    Retailers and wholesalers who are expected to participate in the scheme include the Thai Retailers Association, Siam Makro, the operator of Makro cash-and-carry store chain, Ek-chai Distribution System, the operator of Tesco Lotus hypermarkets, Big C Supercenter, Central Department Store, Robinson Department Store, Central Food Retail, the Mall Group, Tang Hua Seng, CP All, Foodland supermarket, Aeon (Thailand), Saha Lawson, Central FamilyMart, CPF Trading and TCC Logistics & Warehouse.

    In a separate development, the savings and credit cooperatives of employees of Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) will support direct sales of rice from farmers, said Mrs Apiradi.

    Flt Lt Kanok Thongpurk, vice-president of THAI, said farmers will be allowed to sell their products through all channels of THAI employees’ savings and credit cooperatives as well as THAI offices both in the provinces and Bangkok, including Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports.

    Meanwhile, the Public Warehouse Organization and agricultural cooperatives have been instructed to open their spaces for farmers to sell their grain.

  • Thai cash and carry chain Makro in $86m acquisitions, expands in SE Asia

    Thai cash and carry chain Makro in $86m acquisitions, expands in SE Asia

    Thai listed wholesaler Siam Makro, through its subsidiary Siam Food Services, has entered agreements to acquire four food service businesses in Asia and the United Arab Emirates, for over 3 billion baht ($86 million).

    The Thai cash and carry operator said, in a regulatory filing, it will be buying 80 per cent each in these targeted companies, which are Indoguna (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Indoguna Dubai LLC and two Hong Kong-based firms Lordly Company Limited and Just Meat Company Limited.

    Siam Makro said it would use its own capital and bank loans to facilitate the acquisitions.

    The transactions are expected to “support Siam Food in expanding its business with respect to providing food services solutions to premium food supplies in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong and in accelerating an expansion of the business to ASEAN countries,” the company stated.

    The targeted firms are engaged in a business related to Siam Food and Siam Makro operation, which is importing, exporting and distributing raw and frozen premium food supplies including Halal products and sausage and salami processing.

    In conjunction with the aim to expand in Asia, Siam Makro has also set up a $2 million joint venture in Cambodia, registered as Makro Cambodia Limited in September 2016, in which it holds 70 per cent equity.

    Siam Makro had said earlier this year that it was looking at the possibility of investing 6 billion baht to open 20 stores domestically during the year, and 3 billion baht to expand elsewhere in Southeast Asia, possibly in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

    The cash and carry chain’s parent company, CP All – controlled by business conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group, operates the 7Eleven retail outlets in Thailand. CP All is reportedly planning to bring down its major holding of 97 per cent in Siam Makro.

     

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  • Two Thai clans stay on Forbes rich list

    Two Thai clans stay on Forbes rich list

    The Chearavanont and Chirathivat families are among the 50 richest Asia families in 2016 as ranked by Forbes Asia magazine. Families in the top five of this year’s list are in businesses that span technology, livestock, real estate and oil and gas, the magazine reported in its latest issue published yesterday. Leading the list for the second year in a row is South Korea’s Lee family, the founder of Samsung Group, with a combined wealth of US$29.6 billion, up from $26.6 billion last year.

    Thailand’s Chearavanont family, which controls the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group), rose to second place with US$27.7 billion in wealth, moving up from fourth place and $19.9 billion last year.

    CP Group led by billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont operates various businesses ranging from poultry, telecom and retail under the 7-Eleven convenience chain in Thailand.

    Third-richest are the Ambanis of India’s Reliance Group with a combined net worth of $25.8 billion, followed by the Kwok family of Hong Kong with $25.2 billion, Asia’s richest real estate family. The Lee family from Hong Kong ranks fifth with $24.7 billion.

    The Chirathivat family, which owns giant retail businesses in Thailand under the Central Group, retains the 14th spot with $13.8 billion. Its combined wealth grew from $11.7 billion last year.

    Headed by chief executive Tos Chirathivat, Central Group just restructured its organisation by recruiting professionals to run the group’s operations, including property, trading, food and online, which have combined sales revenue of about 320 billion baht this year.

    Slipping from this year’s list is the Ratanarak family, a Thai clan that controls Bangkok Broadcasting’s Channel 7 and ranked 45th with $3.5 billion in net worth last year.

    The reports notes that Indian families stood out on the 2016 Forbes list of Asia’s richest families, with 17 of the top 50 families hailing from India.

    Many of these Asian families’ conglomerates have worldwide footprints. Collectively, the top 50 families are worth US$519 billion.

    “Sources of Asian wealth are broadening. You can see that among the rich families here, and even within many of the families — no particular sectors of the economy dominate,” said Tim Ferguson, editor of Forbes Asia.

    The minimum net wealth to qualify for the list was $3.4 billion, up from $2.9 billion a year ago.