Zoos offer free entrance for kids on Children’s Day
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2023
Children can visit six zoos for free on Saturday, the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand announced on Friday, ahead of National Children’s Day tomorrow.
The organisation’s director, Atthaporn Srihheran, said the goal of offering free entrance to children was to “create happiness” and raise children’s awareness about wild animals.
Fun activities – like parades, games and stage shows – will be held at the six zoos, he said.
They are Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Chiang Mai Zoo, Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Songkhla Zoo, Ubon Ratchathani Zoo, and Khon Kaen Zoo.
Free entrance is limited to children whose height does not exceed 135 centimetres, the organisation said.
Life slows down as heavy fog blankets Northeast Thailand
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2023
A thick fog descended on Sakon Nakhon and nearby provinces in the upper Northeast on Friday, with people complaining they could not able to see beyond 10 metres.
This bizarre phenomenon brought the area to a practical standstill as motorists had to slow down due to poor visibility.
The poor visibility also forced Nok Air flights to return to Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok.
Flights were also unable to land at Udon Thani International Airport and Nakhon Phanom Airport due to visibility issues.
Many people in Nong Khai, meanwhile, came down with flu after temperatures dropped to about 15 degrees Celsius on Friday after two days of continuous rain.
The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast cool temperatures with heavy morning fog in the Northeast on Friday.
It also forecast isolated thundershowers in Yasothon, Amnat Charoen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani.
Temperatures in the Northeast of Thailand have been forecast at lows of 16-19 degrees Celsius and highs of 29-33 degrees Celsius.
The mercury on hilltops is likely to drop to 10-15 degrees Celsius.
Demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in Thailand continues to rise this year.
Reservations for popular BEV brands are driving forecasts of strong growth in the EV market in 2023, with consumer confidence supporting investment in Thailand-based production of EVs, batteries and electric charging stations.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have become a hot topic of conversation among Thais after more than 4,000 units of two models of Tesla were booked on the first day of the Telsa website accepting orders last month
Before the official arrival of Tesla to do its own marketing, the BEVs are already gaining popularity in Thailand
It is predicted that overall BEV sales in Thailand last year exceeded 12,500 units, a 212.5% increase over 2021
Total BEV sales this year are estimated at 24,000 units, a 92.0% increase over last year
Driving range The International Energy Agency (IEA) states that a standard BEV had an average driving range of 349 kms per charge in 2022, an increase of 44% compared to 243 kms in 2017
Charging stations Charging devices have been developed with fast charge technology, allowing a direct current fast charge to the level of 80% of battery in less than an hour
The Energy Policy and Planning Office of the Energy Ministry reports that there are 944 charging stations nationwide
The Electric Vehicle Association Of Thailand (EVAT) states that as of September 2022, there are 2,572 charger plugs in the country, a 13% increase year on year
EVAT says 46% of charger plugs are DC type (a 53% increase from last year) and 54% are AC type (an 8% decrease)
By 2025, the number of fast-charge plugs is estimated to rise to 4,400 plugs and to 12,000 plugs by 2030
Wallbox charging devices at home have become an alternative for BEV users
BEV motorists may get wallboxes from:
BEV manufacturers provide a free wallbox as a promotion plus free or discounted installation fee
Property developers provide a wallbox in their new projects
BEV users buy and install their own wallbox with cost ranging from 35,000 to 85,000 baht
Those without a wallbox can use an AC charger provided with their BEV, but the recharging takes up to 24 hours
Great Wall Motor Reveals 2022 Achievement with 11,616 Car Sales
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2023
Great Wall Motor has welcomed in the new year with remarkable sales performance and deliveries of all five models: the HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV, All New HAVAL H6 Plug-in Hybrid SUV, HAVAL JOLION Hybrid SUV, ORA Good Cat, and ORA Good Cat GT, totalling 11,616 units in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 214%.
The number includes 4,135 units of HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV, 3,155 units of HAVAL JOLION Hybrid SUV, and 4,326 units of ORA Good Cat. Of the total, 1,610 units were sold and delivered in December – recording the highest monthly sales volume for last year.
In addition, the HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV has retained its leadership stature in the compact SUV segment for 12 consecutive months while the ORA Good Cat continues to perform outstandingly in the 100% EV market.
Currently, the GWM app currently has 126,825 active users, and there are more than 1.1 million followers on GWM’s social media (all platforms and channels combined).
These achievements reiterate consumers’ trust bestowed upon GWM, which is ready to become the xEV leader, committed to putting cutting-edge vehicles onto Thai roads to transform the county into an electric vehicle society while also completing the EV ecosystem and strengthening Thailand’s automotive industry on the global stage.
Last year’s final quarter was concluded exceptionally once again when GWM achieved total sales and deliveries of 3,522 units from October to December 2022, an increase of 23% from the previous quarter in which 2,875 units were sold and delivered, and a year-on-year growth of 37%.
The success was led by the 12-consecutive-month leader (January-December 2022) in the compact SUV segment – the HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV, which saw 1,188 units sold in the Q4 2022.
As a result, since its official launch in Thailand in June 2021, GWM has delivered a total of 6,776 units of this model to Thai fans. Of those, 4,135 units were sold and delivered in 2022, including 233 units of the All New HAVAL H6 Plug-in Hybrid SUV – the enthusiastically welcomed electric vehicle with plug-in technology, whose first-batch delivery commenced in November 2022.
The much-loved pure electric vehicle, the ORA Good Cat, which has retained tremendous success after having ignited the trend and excited the EV industry since its official launch in Thailand, achieved total sales and deliveries of 1,361 units in Q4 2022, an increase of 195% compared to the sales volume in Q4 2021.
To date, GWM has released 4,788 units of the ORA Good Cat onto Thailand’s roads, with 4,326 units being sold and delivered in 2022. This included 186 units of the sporty ORA Good Cat GT. Not only does it reinforce the blistering popularity of the vehicle itself but also reflects the rising demand for 100% electric vehicles among consumers.
Meanwhile, 973 units of the HAVAL JOLION Hybrid SUV, which is packed with innovative technology and outstanding performance designed to meet various driving lifestyles, were sold in the fourth quarter of 2022. This marked a 67% growth from the previous quarter and a year-on-year increase of 62%. GWM has delivered 3,754 units of this model to Thai customers.
Among the total deliveries, 3,155 were sold and delivered in 2022, including 549 units in December, which was the best sales performance made since its official launch in November 2021. This success demonstrates the HAVAL JOLION Hybrid SUV’s increasing popularity among Thai consumers, who favour SUVs with spacious cabin and cutting-edge technology, providing safety and convenience for various driving scenarios.
In addition to the successful sales performance, GWM can boast achievements as the fastest-growing brand in Thailand’s automotive industry. Its stature is now attested to by the current 126,825 active users on the GWM app, a year-on-year increase of 76,456 users.
The number of daily active users is more than 14,000 (11.5% of total users). There are more than 1.1 million followers on GWM’s social media channels (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube). On Facebook, GWM has almost 800,000 followers combined (GWM Thailand, HAVAL Thailand, and ORA Thailand). On TikTok, GWM has more than 300,000 followers combined (GWM Thailand, HAVAL Thailand, and ORA Thailand).
Narong Sritalayon, Managing Director of Great Wall Motor (Thailand), said: “Throughout the previous year, GWM’s achievements in terms of rapidly growing sales and social media followers is yet another crucial testimonial to consumers’ unwavering trust bestowed upon us from the beginning of our business journey in Thailand. We appreciate the support, which has encouraged us to provide quality products and services as well as to develop new experiences for consumers. For 2023 onwards, GWM will continue listening to consumers to better develop products and services, curate activities that serve different lifestyles of the new generations and fulfil the mission to bring four xEV models to offer new driving experiences highlighting safety, intelligence, and eco-friendliness to the Thai market.”
Additionally, GWM will expand its network of GWM Stores – Direct Stores and Partner Stores – to cover key locations across the country in 2023, allowing Thai consumers to access electric vehicles from the brand more conveniently. At the end of 2021, GWM Stores were established in 30 locations. By the end of 2022, 80 GWM Stores had been appointed nationwide, of which, 62 stores are currently in operation, and 18 stores are being constructed.
In terms of strengthening the EV ecosystem through the expansion of fast-charging (DC) stations, GWM has appointed 55 facility operators following its direction. Most of these are through collaboration with Partner Stores. There are seven fully constructed facilities with installed systems that will be ready to operate in January 2023. All DC charging docks at GWM Partner Stores provide up to 120 kW to every pure EV, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
GWM also achieved remarkable success internationally, with total sales of 1,067,523 units across the world in 2022, resulting in record sales of more than 1 million vehicles in the global market for seven consecutive years. From these units, 173,180 were sold outside China, marking a 21.28% increase in overseas sales growth year-on-year, of which, 616,550 were HAVAL, 103,996 were ORA, and 123,881 were TANK.
As the ‘Global Intelligent Technology Company’, GWM is committed to providing products and services equipped with advanced technology, safety, and eco-friendliness, while adhering to a consumer-centric approach to provide experiences that truly cater to Thai customers. Similarly, GWM is committed to contributing to the growth of Thailand’s automotive industry and economy in a long-term and sustainable way.
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