Boon Tiam Tan, managing director of UPS SCS Services (Thailand) Ltd, said the company’s services expansion would target the Eastern Seaboard in the first quarter of 2017, including Chachoengsao, Chon Buri, Prachinburi, and Rayong.

The Thai government has focused on developments in the Special Economic Zones as well as investments worth Bt1.5 trillion are expected by the Board of Investment to promote next year.

As part of UPS’s service expansion, the company will extend shipment pickup cut-off times in those provincial areas by up to seven hours.

“With this service, we have expanded our ground networks by two times,” said Tan, adding that UPS was also joining with more local and international partners.

UPS currently has dedicated cargo aircraft flying five round-trips a week.

He said customers would be able to extend their production lead time, process more orders and deliver the goods to their end-consumers in a more efficient manner.

“We are interested in the high-tech sector covering the automative industry, which accounts for 30 per cent of Thailand’s total exports,” said Tan, adding that they needed to balance just-in-time productions with a guaranteed service level to become the supplier of choice.

With its worldwide network, he said UPS also offers customers comprehensive solutions to help them decide which logistics services are most suitable on a cost and speed basis.

In the first quarter of next year, an expert will be available to help customers map their supply chains to determine which service suits them best, said Tan.

He said UPS has invested $2 billion in the EU to improve transit times, helping its customers deliver goods and products two days shorter than before. He declined to disclose UPS’s investment in Asean.