#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Asia Pacific ranked top area for expansion by European, American companies

Sep 01. 2020

By The Nation

Research published today by Standard Chartered Bank reveals that while corporations in the West are prioritising their home regions of Europe (84 per cent) and North America (74 per cent) as a source of growth, Asia Pacific (55 per cent) remains a target for their international expansion strategies.

The survey of CFOs’ and treasurers’ ambitions, concerns and goals shows how the Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped many Western organisations’ focus. Over half (51 per cent) were worried about its impact on growth outside the home region, with supply chain failure identified as the top challenge to liquidity.

The most significant perceived challenge to expansion is the ability to understand and comply with local regulations (32 per cent), which was cited especially by technology companies (52 per cent).

When it came to financing international growth, equity capital markets (76 per cent) were the preferred choice of funding. Alternatively, 44 per cent of American respondents were inclined to use cash from across the business for funding, compared with 39 per cent among Europeans. Likewise, use of venture capital, such as private placements, was more common, with a more established private placement market in the United States than Europe.

Almost one-third (32 per cent) of respondents said their top supply chain priority was to diversify their supplier base beyond their home market. This was followed closely with the need to digitise trade (28 per cent). The lowest priority cited for trade and supply chains outside the home market was environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria and sustainability issues. Only 2 per cent nominated it as their top supply chain priority.

“During what is a challenging time for corporations all over the world, expansion into new markets remains a key way for corporations of all sizes and industries to diversify and grow their business, both through new customer and supplier relationships,” said Tracy Clarke, Standard Chartered’s regional CEO for Europe and Americas.

“This research has shown, by exploring ambitions, concerns and priorities, how the Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped plans for today and the future, and with it, the knock-on impacts for liquidity, trade and even digitisation. What is clear though is that significant opportunities remain.”

Said Mike Vrontamitis, head of Trade for Europe and Americas: “International trade is a cornerstone of companies expanding their client base and increasing the resilience of their supply chains by diversifying outside of their home market creating prosperity and jobs.

“In a world where resilience is more important than ever companies are focusing on managing foreign exchange volatility as well as digitisation and vertical integration of their supply chains. It is no surprise given the increased geopolitical tensions that companies are also highlighting the need for local advice from experts. It is disappointing to see how few companies have ESG issues as a top priority given the opportunity of a ‘green’ recovery.”

The survey was conducted from May 25 to June 5 on 300 respondents equally split between Europe (UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Turkey, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway) and the Americas (US, Canada, Brazil).

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Indorama Ventures takes back used PET bottles to make PPE suits

Sep 01. 2020

By The Nation

Global chemical firm Indorama Ventures (IVL) is transforming PET bottles into PPE (personal protective equipment) to donate to local hospitals and help with the fight against Covid-19.

Initiated by Less Plastic Thailand in May this year, the “Separate PET Bottles to Help Doctors” project ensures complete end-to-end waste separation and PPE production process. As the world’s largest PET (polyethylene terephthalate) producer, Indorama’s plastic recycling expertise and infrastructure is key to the project’s operation.

Under the project, some 360,000 PET bottles were recycled and converted into high-quality yarn at Indorama’s recycling facilities in Nakhon Pathom and Rayong, before being cut to produce more than 16,000 PPE suits. The project’s aim is to provide these suits to more than 200 hospitals nationwide to help protect medical personnel working on the Covid-19 frontline.

Meanwhile, HSBC Thailand became the first commercial bank to participate in the project by calling on all its staff to collect and donate their used water bottles to the cause.

Richard Jones, senior vice president and chief of corporate communications at Indorama Ventures, said: “IVL is delighted to bring onboard key partners such as HSBC to take part in this much-needed recycling project during the Covid-19 crisis. The bottles collected by HSBC’s employees will be converted into recycled yarns to produce PPE suits made from 100 per cent recycled PET bottles sourced in Thailand. By utilising our facilities, IVL aims to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfills and promote the efficient use of resources through recycling, which is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] fostering sustainable consumption and production.”

HSBC has provided more than 200 kilograms of used bottles for the production of 650 recycled PPE suits that will be used when treating low-to-medium risk patients. This translates to a reduction of carbon emission by 300 kilograms.

Krisda Phatcharoen, chief of HSBC Thailand’s commercial banking division, said: “HSBC is one of many corporations that have been assisting people affected by the pandemic as well as working with partners to benefit the society constructively. We are thrilled to play a part in IVL’s efforts to create a circular value chain.”

To bring this end-to-end initiative to life, Less Plastic Thailand – a local environmental conservation network – has brought together a range of partners including Indorama Ventures, Thai Taffeta, Thong Thai Textile, TOA Paint and GoWith20.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

New partnership sees guests insured on every night spent at an OYO hotel

Aug 31. 2020

By The Nation

OYO, an Indian hospitality chain, signed a strategic partnership with insurance firms Chubb Samaggi and Qoala on Monday (August 31) to provide complimentary insurance coverage to guests who book rooms at any of the 800-plus OYO partner hotels in Thailand.

This is the second time that OYO and Qoala have partnered in Southeast Asia. The first such partnership was signed in Indonesia a few weeks ago.

The insurance coverage – Hotel Protection – is underwritten by Chubb Samaggi, a member of the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, and powered by Qoala, the fast-growing and leading multichannel insurtech in Southeast Asia.

The policy covers hotel guests for personal accidents, emergency hospitalisation, loss of luggage or personal effects and other benefits for every night they spend at an OYO partner hotel.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Krungsri appoints new head of consumer group

Aug 31. 2020Nayanee Peaugkham 

By THE NATION

Krungsri Group has appointed Nayanee Peaugkham as head of Krungsri Consumer Group, effective from Tuesday (September 1).

Nayanee was managing director of Ayudhya Capital Services Co Ltd, where she managed the support functions and operations of Krungsri Consumer Group, including the brands Krungsri Credit Card, Krungsri First Choice, Central The 1 Credit Card, and Tesco Lotus Visa Card, the company said.

Seiichiro Akita, Krungsri president and chief executive officer, said: “Nayanee has

long-standing experience and unparalleled expertise in consumer finance. As managing director of Ayudhya Capital Services Co Ltd, her role in spearheading the operations and support functions of Krungsri Consumer Group including operations, finance and accounting, risk management, internal audit, legal and compliance, HR, corporate communications and AEC business development, has helped propel Krungsri Consumer’s growth in recent years. She has played a vital role in driving Krungsri Consumer’s business to become the leader in credit card and personal loan industry, with over 9 million accounts of customers and the biggest market share.”

“In her new role as Head of Krungsri Consumer Group, Nayanee would definitely take Krungsri Consumer to the next level of success,” he added.

As head of Krungsri Consumer Group, Nayanee will be responsible for overall strategic direction, and management of the credit card and personal loan businesses, as well as embracing innovation for new products and services of Krungsri Consumer Group.

Nayanee graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Assumption University, and a master’s degree programme in marketing (International Programme) from Thammasat University.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Dentsu Aegis Network tops Thai ad industry ranking for size and quality

Aug 31. 2020

By The Nation

Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) Thailand has once again been named Thailand’s top media and advertising firm, with a 33 per cent share in the Thai ad industry and a No 1 ranking for quality.

Carat, DAN’s media arm, contributes the strongest to these successes after achieving a growth rate of five times the industry average while also acquiring the highest quality marks.

The assessment was made by RECMA, the leading research company evaluating media agencies worldwide.

R3, another global independent consultancy firm, also named Carat as the highest achiever in its June 2020 New Business League rankings for Thailand.

Parithas Moongprasittichai

Parithas Moongprasittichai, Carat Thailand’s chief executive officer, commented: “The media industry and technology have evolved so quickly. And so have our consumers! To ensure our clients’ enhanced competitiveness, we cannot just keep up with the industry’s offerings. To win, we must defeat standards. The growth we achieved and the positions we earned are simple proofs that our policy produced pleasing results – especially in growing our digital activities by winning new prominent partners such as Minor Food Group, Estee Lauder Companies, SCB Abacus, to name a few.”

Wisarn Sirijantanon, Carat managing director, added: “To maintain our leadership positions and continuously widen the winning gap, it is essential that our people are empowered to deliver at a pace much faster than the industry’s, despite growing economic difficulty. Data-powered, Local Focal, Startup-Minded Ecosystem, Academy Cloud, Talent First – these are some of the strategies we deployed to excel growth.”

Parithas concluded: “Competing as the winner will be tough as people will look at you with an expectation. This year we’ve laid a strong future-proofing foundation, so going forward, we’ll focus more on client servicing and services integration. The future is clear. We’ll continue to create value for our clients through our data-driven, ideas-led, tech-enabled solutions through profound service of specialists.”

About Carat

Carat (Thailand) Co Ltd is an independent media and communications specialist, a member of Dentsu Aegis Network, headquartered in London. Dentsu Aegis Network consists of a group of world-class marketing communications specialists: Creative – Dentsu, Dentsu One, Media communications – Carat, dentsuX, Vizeum, Digital marketing – Columbus, iProspect, Isobar | Out-of-Home – Posterscope.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

GSB earmarks Bt15 billion as soft loans for tourism SMEs

Aug 31. 2020

By THE NATION

The Government Savings Bank (GSB) is offering soft loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by Covid-19 in the tourism industry, GSB president Withai Ratanakorn said.

“Two loans are now being granted. One is the ‘Loan for Restoration of Thai Tourism’ with a budget of Bt10 billion. Eligible applicants must be operators or supply chain providers in tourism-related businesses who have been affected, either directly or indirectly, by the Covid-19 outbreak,” he said.

“The maximum loan limit is Bt20 million per customer, whereas GSB will provide loans to commercial banks and state-run financial institutions at 0.01 per cent interest annually, while the institutions will grant the loan to customers at 2 per cent interest annually. This campaign is expected to start by mid-September.

“The other one is the ‘Loan for Tourism SMEs’ with a budget of Bt5 billion. Eligible applicants include operators of such businesses as hotels, guest houses, restaurants, spas, traditional massage parlours and tour guides that have been doing business in tourism field for at least two years,” added Withai.

“The loan limit for each customer is Bt500,000 with fixed interest rate at 3.99 per cent annually and five years repayment plan. This loan will offer a one-year grace period and will require a personal guarantor,” he said.

“We hope that the loan programmes totalling Bt15 billion will help operators of tourism-related businesses to get back on their feet from the impact of Covid-19 and continue their businesses in the new normal era,” Withai added.

Interested people can contact GSB’s SME Call Centre at 02-299-8899.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Tips on refinancing your car

Aug 31. 2020

By The Nation

Do you need to refinance your car? Is it time to save more money or change your terms?

Check out some tips on refinancing your car.

For many of you who have recently purchased a car, it is unlikely you have paid in full for your comfy set of wheels and chances are that you took out a loan. If you are unhappy with your current loan conditions, or would simply like to alter some of the details, you should look into refinancing your car. This can reduce your monthly payments, lower your interest rate, or change the length of your loan to either longer or shorter, depending on your needs.

Of course, you need to be aware that there is much to learn and this article will only cover the basics. If you wish to find out more information, look online for more details.

Well, to start with, many of you might ask: “What is car refinancing?” Simply put, it means you take out a new loan to pay off an existing one, using your car as collateral. This loan is a new contract between you and the lender, with new terms upon which you both agree. These fresh terms, that should better suit your budget, are the main reason people opt to refinance their cars.

New terms include reducing or extending the duration of the loan: lengthen your loan if you believe you need more time for repayments and smaller monthly payments; reduce your loan if you wish to pay off your car sooner. Of course, this means larger monthly payments.

You could also change the amount of the current monthly repayments on the original loan. Refinancing by lowering the interest rate and therefore the repayments is one option, or you could lengthen the loan, or both.

If you choose and qualify for this lower interest loan, you may reduce the total interest paid on completion.

Keep in mind that there is likely to be a transaction fee if you decide to refinance. For those of you who would like to examine the numbers, plenty of online websites offer refinancing calculators that provide you with exact amounts and details.

If you are still undecided, here are some helpful hints to guide you. This process, unlike home or credit refinancing, is relatively quick and easy. No appraisal is necessary, and if there are fees, they are minimal.

The six scenarios outlined below help you decide when you should consider refinancing your car.

1. Look at your current interest rate. If it is over 6 per cent, consider refinancing.

2. Your credit score has improved. This will allow you to have lower interest rates. Check your credit score to see if this applies to you.

3. The current lease on your car is set to expire, and you wish to purchase the vehicle. Fulfilling the terms of a lease usually grants you the option to buy.

4. A drop in interest rates. If rates have dropped since you bought your car, you could save money. Even a drop of 1 per cent could save you a lot of cash over the course of the loan.

5. Your financial situation has taken a turn for the worse. In the event of a financial emergency in which you find yourself struggling to make the repayments you had budgeted for, refinancing can ease this problem by lowering your monthly costs.

6. You currently have a bad rate of interest on your loan. Even a solid credit rating when you purchased the vehicle does not mean you will have a good interest rate on the loan. Many customers are unaware of this fact. Look into this in more detail if you believe it applies to you.

If you decide to refinance your vehicle, shop around first for one that will ultimately work for you. Don’t jump for the first option you find.

EasyCompare is a leading online insurance broker enabling you to customise and easily view quotations from a range of quality insurance products. Our comparison services from our partner insurers make it easy for you to buy the right level of cover.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Govt Pension Fund hits new high of Bt1 trillion

Aug 27. 2020

By The Nation

The Government Pension Fund (GPF) is celebrating after its net asset value rose above Bt1 trillion on Thursday (August 27).

Srikanya Yathip, GPF secretary-general, said the achievement reflected expertise in fund management, adding that the GPF will continue to work hard for the benefit of fund members.

Wat Yannawa’s abbot Somdet Phra Maha Thirachan led 10 monks marked the occasion on Thursday with a ceremonial blessing of GPF executives and employees.

The GPF was established under the Government Pension Fund Act, BE2539 (1996) to grant pensions and other benefits for retired civil servants, and encourage them to save money.

The fund has about 1 million members.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Emirates to resume daily Bangkok flights from September 1

Aug 27. 2020

By The Nation

Emirates Airline has announced it is resuming its daily flights to Bangkok from September 1 onwards.

The resumption of flights to Bangkok will expand the airline’s current network to 78 cities, offering travellers from Thailand connections to destinations in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific via its hub in Dubai.

Flights between Bangkok and Dubai will be operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offering seats in first, business and economy class.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

GrabFood voucher for MEA customers who register for digital power bills

Aug 27. 2020

By THE NATION

The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) is offering a Bt50 GrabFood voucher for customers who apply for its e-billing service via mobile phone or email.

This offer is only available on September 9 as part of GrabFood’s “9.9 Hot Deals” campaign.

“E-billing allows for fast, eco-friendly notification with no use of paper. It also cuts down on the need to visit MEA branch offices and reduces the risk of contracting Covid-19,” the MEA said.

Users can register for the e-billing service at https://ebill.mea.or.th

On September 9 from 9am onwards, customers who have applied for the e-billing service can register for a GrabFood discount voucher via the MEA Smart Life application. The first 9,000 registrants will receive codes for a voucher that can be applied for orders worth Bt200 or higher. The vouchers will be valid until March 8, 2021.

For more information, call 1130 MEA hotline, or message @meathailand on Line. The “MEA Smart Life” application is also available for both Android and iOS users.