Nation Broadcasting Corp boosted by 88% rise in revenue
Feb 19. 2021Shine Bunnag
By The Nation
Nation Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) on Friday revealed company revenue rose 88 per cent last year.
NBC revenue in 2020 was Bt911.53 million, up 88 per cent from the year before. However, the company’s net profit was Bt32.13 million, down 89 per cent year on year.
Shine Bunnag, NBC chairman of the board of directors, said most of the revenue came from NBC’s home shopping business and business restructuring.
He added that the company would pay the Bt48-million digital TV licence fee to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission by May this year.
“This year, we will adjust NBC’s capital structure to ensure that the company will be able to pay dividends to shareholders,” said Shine.
He expected NBC’s revenue to increase by 6 per cent this year if Thailand is spared another wave of Covid-19, emphasising the company’s commitment to presenting fact-based and socially responsible news via its digital TV and online outlets.
“This year, NBC will hold two large events, namely the Kom Chad Luek Awards and the 50th anniversary of The Nation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the first branch of Nation Coffee will open at Nation Tower in March, part of plans to launch 10 branches in Bangkok this year.
“Our strong point is that Nation Coffee uses coffee beans grown in the country to produce quality beverages at an affordable price,” he added.
Ajinomoto unveils healthy ‘answer’ to high-salt diet
Feb 19. 2021
By The Nation
More than 22 million Thais suffer from ailments due to high salt and sodium consumption and each year 20,000 of them die from one of four related diseases, costing the country an estimated Bt98.9 billion a year.
To help tackle this problem, Japanese food corporation Ajinomoto has developed a low-sodium flavour enhancer to help Thai food manufacturers produce healthier instant noodles, snacks and seasoning products.
Salt Answer Kem can reduce salt use by 30 per cent while maintaining taste and enhancing the flavour of spices such as chilli and garlic, said Ajinomoto.
As a flavour-enhancer, the new product can also reduce ingredient costs for food producers, said the company.
dtac Accelerates 700 MHz Rollout To Bring High-Speed For All
Feb 19. 2021
By THE NATIONFebruary 18, 2021 – dtac is ramping up the rollout of its low-band 700 MHz network to bring high-speed internet for all. The license for the new spectrum was acquired on 24 December 2020 and dtac turned on more than 2,400 sites within Q4, 2020. An aggressive rollout plan in 2021 includes targeting an additional 4,000 sites for Q1 alone followed by accelerated expansion throughout the year.
The 700 MHz spectrum will bring additional coverage both indoors and in rural areas, improving the customer experience significantly. This is in addition to constant additions to the dtac network in terms of speed and capacity. dtac added 3,000 base stations on the 2300 MHz spectrum (spectrum in partnership with NT or former TOT) in 2020, reaching a total of approximately 20,400 base stations. The total number of users on 4G is currently 12.2 million, accounting for 64 percent of the overall customer base.
Moreover, dtac successfully upgraded the network last year with 5G-ready massive MIMO technology on mid-band while launching 5G uses cases with industry partners on the 26 GHz band (high-band). The 700 MHz band thus complements dtac’s strong portfolio of low-, mid- and high-band spectrum.
Mr. Sharad Mehrotra, CEO of Total Access Communication PLC or dtac said, “With the rollout of 5G-ready massive MIMO technology last year and over 20,000 high-speed 4G TDD sites, we improved network capacity by three times, giving our customers the highest download speeds in Thailand. With the deployment of 700 MHz network, we will significantly improve coverage and speed nationwide and allow customers to enjoy more of our services.”
As part of the rollout, dtac is also introducing 5G services on 700 MHz band in six major cities: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phuket, and Surat Thani. dtac will be rapidly expanding 5G sites to other high-traffic areas across the country throughout 2021, catering to growing demand as more 5G devices become available in the market.
Moreover, dtac is deploying dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) technology with the 700 MHz network to enable both 5G and 4G services on the same band without bandwidth sharing and at optimal efficiency.
“We’re confident that dtac’s network improvements will deliver an exceptional experience for our users. They will also accelerate Thailand’s digital transformation. Our 5G journey started with initiating industry partnerships on the 26 GHz band, and now we add 5G on 700 MHz or low-band to continue exploring which use cases will benefit our customers and industry partners the most,” said Mr. Mehrotra.
5G on 700 MHz offers improved low-band capacity and innovative network features such as dedicated networks, lower latencies, and higher quality-of-service guarantees. Through these features, dtac will continue to explore opportunities for commercial, industrial, and public interest use cases with various partners in the fields of smart cities, smart farming, smart energy, smart security, and more.
Currently, 41 models of Android and iOS mobile devices support 700 MHz 5G service with 175 models supporting 700 MHz 4G. Many upcoming smartphones will also support 700 MHz 5G and 4G services. Users can check for 700 MHz band-compatible mobile devices and coverage at http://www.dtac.co.th/network
Marriott Bonvoy mobile app refreshed to offer a more intuitive and personalized experience in anticipation of increased desire for travel
Feb 19. 2021
By THE NATIONIncludes New Booking Options, Enhanced Customization for Contactless Experiences and Tailored Ways to Earn and Redeem Points Beyond the Stay Toward Free Nights
Marriott Bonvoy, the highly awarded travel program from Marriott International, has released a redesigned, more intuitive version of its mobile app in anticipation of increased desire and demand for travel this year. Featuring new travel shopping options based on inspiring destinations and access to more experiences to book, such as premium vacation rentals from Homes & Villas by Marriott International as well as destination tours and activities, the app will offer members even more personalized recommendations and offers to maximize their points earned when traveling and even when they are not. As the centerpiece of the company’s mobile-first mindset, the Marriott Bonvoy app ensures guests receive the best available rate; enjoy program benefits such as exclusive member rates and accruing points for stays; and enables members to customize their experience. The app will make it easier for guests to choose a contactless option for check-in and check-out, easy access to mobile keys, and the ability to request services and amenities via chat and mobile requests.
“The enhanced Marriott Bonvoy Mobile app is a must-have travel companion. It simplifies the travel planning process, allows for the most frictionless experience before and during your stay and gets smarter the more you interact with it,” said Leigh Zarelli, Senior Vice President Digital, Marriott International. “Only the Marriott Bonvoy Mobile app offers travelers so much whether it is the breadth of global accommodations — from 7,500 hotels among our 30 brands to home rentals — destination experiences and relevant and customizable content for travel inspiration. Through tailored, displayed offers, members can learn how to earn hundreds of thousands of points just by booking stays, or going about their daily lives’ grocery shopping, ordering takeout or buying items for their home.”
What’s new on the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app:
• New Shopping and Booking Options: Homes & Villas by Marriott International home rentals, Work Anywhere with Marriott Bonvoy day, stay and play passes and Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities are all now available through in-app browsing. By booking via the app, guests are guaranteed the lowest rate available and is one of the ways members can earn points and receive on-property benefits during stays.
• More Customization During the Stay: Improvements and additions to mobile requests and mobile key enable members to get more from their experience and choose to minimize contact and better maintain social distance.
o Mobile Key, available at over 4000 properties, is now accessible on the home screen once checked in. Making it easy to skip the desk and minimize social interactions.
o Mobile Requests now contains more one-touch-buttons so users can order a crib, shoeshine, and dry cleaning, along with bath towels, pillows, bath products and more, as well as the ability to chat directly with hotel staff.
• Making it Easier for Members to Earn Points: Members can capitalize on points promotions relevant to them on the home screen and their account page. This provides members with easy to access, tailored Marriott Bonvoy American Express and Chase limited time offers, as well as access to points promotions with Eat Around Town and Hertz.
• Increased Functionality for Non-Members: While nearly a million people used the app to become members in 2020, those not ready to join for free can still search and book stays easier than before.
• Updated Searching & Booking with New, Dynamic Map: Users can search and book accommodations by hotel brand, destination, price or points needed for a free night’s stay.
• And More Improvements for the Frequent App Users:
o Updated Marriott Bonvoy account profile page highlighting personalized promotions, on-property benefits to take advantage of during stays and full account activity.
o Member numbers can be copied and pasted onto other web-based forms.
o FaceID and TouchID automatically engages after the first login.
o Room numbers will now appear on the home screen.
***For APAC and MEA: Members now can access a QR code in the app that can be scanned at select on-property restaurants to earn and redeem points for food and beverage purchases.
An ever-expanding travel program, Marriott Bonvoy connects 30 extraordinary hotel brands with 7,500 properties located in 132 countries & territories, 20,000 premium and luxury vacation home rentals, and tens of thousands of tours & activities enabling members countless ways to earn and redeem points for a perfect and personalized travel experience. The refreshed Marriott Bonvoy mobile app provides front and center, easy access to points earning opportunities, as well as the ability to sign-up for and earn points with the Marriott Bonvoy co-brand credit cards, providing additional ways beyond the stay for members to earn points.
The app is available in seven languages – English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese. Four additional languages will be added later this year including Italian (April), Russian (May), Portuguese (June) and Arabic (August). The improved app experience launches first on Apple’s iOS operating system which accounts for most Marriott Bonvoy app users followed the Android operating system later this year.
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa to introduce purpose-driven environmental protection experience as part of ‘Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy’
Feb 16. 2021
By THE NATION
PHUKET, THAILAND – 15 Feb 2021 – Against the backdrop of the global pandemic, and with travelers increasingly aspiring to make a positive impact on the communities they visit whether locally or abroad, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa introduces the Turtle Shelter, as part of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy.
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa joins 14 other Marriott International properties across Asia Pacific as part of the program’s pilot launch. Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy is a program offering meaningful travel across Asia Pacific, aiming to create opportunities for guests to forge first-hand connections with local communities and the environment during their stay, promoting both cultural understanding and positive change.
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa is nestled on Mai Khao Beach, next to Sirinat National Park, which is where leatherback sea turtles come to nest and lay eggs. As custodians of this land, the resort understands that it has a responsibility to protect these endangered reptiles. The Turtle Shelter is a dedicated facility at the property, operated in partnership with the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Rehabilitation & Education Center and Phuket Marine Biology Center, which helps to care for the turtles that are disable and injured on Mai Khao Beach. Hotel guests can visit the shelter, learn about the turtles’ life-cycle, observe feeding sessions and be educated about the environmental issues that impact their survival.
The resort’s turtle mascot, Nong Ta Wahn, is on-hand meet and greet guests and all visitors will receive a turtle bracelet made by the local community. The hotel has also created plenty of turtle-themed features around the resort, especially at the kid’s club and pool, and guests can take part in turtle towel-folding classes! The 16th Mai Khao Turtle Run is taking place virtually this year, to raise awareness of the project. The overall aim is to deliver meaningful experiences for every guest, which raise awareness about the plight of leatherback sea turtles and support their conservation, while also working with the local community and generating benefits for the entire area.
Every year during Songkran Festival, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa together with Mai Khao Marine Turtle Rehabilitation & Education Center organize an annual “Sea Turtles Release Ceremony”. The aim of this event is to release fully recovered turtles back to their natural habitat in the ocean.
“One of the growing trends we’re observing is how conscious people are of their personal impact on the environment and the destinations they visit,” said George Varughese, General Manager, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa. “The Turtle Shelter offered at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa provides an excellent opportunity for our guests to connect with nature, allowing them to give back while staying with us. We are excited to launch the Turtle Shelter as part of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy and look forward to bringing truly meaningful travel to our guests at home, or from abroad once international travel resumes.”
Feb 16. 2021Tanate Kasemsarn, Partner, KPMG in Thailand
By THE NATION
In 2020, even best laid plans were hijacked by COVID-19. And the uncertainty of the pandemic still hangs all around us. But the world is already moving forward. KPMG recently launched a report detailing 10 Emerging Global Infrastructure Trends for 2021.
“In 2021, the infrastructure sector globally is expected to adjust itself to cope with the changes from disruptions and from the COVID-19 pandemic. The infrastructure project should be resilient and focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) to emerge from the crisis with renewed vigor, fulfilling a key role as a catalyst to sustainable economic recovery,” says Tanate Kasemsarn, COO and Head of Infrastructure and Government, KPMG in Thailand. “The year ahead will likely be characterized by growth, sustainability and resilience. These are the 10 trends we expect to see in 2021.”
Trend 1: Uncertainty creates planning complexity
With the current uncertain situation, how do infrastructure planners differentiate between the impact that are permanent and those that are temporary, especially with building assets with lifecycles that span decades? In the absence of clarity, infrastructure owners and planners are now trying to identify investments that align to their existing long-term plans but allow for increased flexibility and agility. Over the coming year, we expect to see a much more nimble and flexible approach to infrastructure planning as well as much more focus on leveraging technology, data and analytics and other decision-making tools.
Trend 2: Cities rethink their value proposition
Over the coming year, expect urban planners and city infrastructure leaders to begin reassessing the infrastructure needs of their cities to understand not only how they deliver value to citizens today, but what citizens will consider value-adding in the future. Smart, digitally enabled cities will undoubtedly play a role, helping government evolve the urban environment in order to deliver a better, cleaner and more efficient quality of life for its citizens.
Trend 3: Borders become real again
With borders closed, nationalistic policies and trade wars, flows of goods between borders were greatly impacted. As a result, airport and port operators have recognized the need for technology and automation as a way to create greater resilience and stronger response mechanisms. Over the coming year, expect to see greater investment into digital and smart ports, airport automation and the development of institutional mechanisms for improving collaboration between supply chain actors.
Trend 4: Infrastructure supply networks evolve
The pace of change in infrastructure and construction supply chains will pick up as organizations invest in resiliency. We expect to see developers start to think more broadly about the factors that influence their supply strategies. In some cases, this will likely mean a strong shift towards re-shoring and near-shoring. And it will almost certainly mean that inventory levels will rise considerably, offering opportunities for new suppliers and smaller suppliers to grow
Trend 5: New finance floods the market.
2021 should see a flood of new capital flow in from pension funds and insurance companies who, now that the risks are better understood, are looking aggressively at brownfield assets and greenfield projects for increased returns.However, the flip side of the coin is that lower interest rates and increased funding options also means that well-structured projects in emerging markets are attracting investors with much lower return expectations. Expect to see new investors gravitate towards infrastructure vehicles that provide sustainable inflation-protected long-term annuity returns, particularly as treasury rates remain low.
Trend 6: Toward a greener, fairer rebuild
Expect to see the infrastructure agenda be powerfully influenced by a focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) outcomes aimed at ensuring actions are contributing to a fairer, more inclusive and more equitable world. On the environmental side of the ESG equation, at least, governments clearly agree, and many have been making significant policy announcements to support that agenda.
Trend 7: Resilience jumps up the agenda
While the pandemic may have taken the spotlight in recent months, governments and asset owners have increasingly focused on the resilience of their infrastructure to climate and weather-related risks. Apart from climate and weather-related risks, the definition of resilience has also broadened. Many infrastructure players have started to ask whether their assets could react quickly to unexpected demand fluctuations. Over the coming year, expect infrastructure owners, planners and regulators to start asking difficult questions about the resilience of their assets in the broadest sense.
Trend 8: Delivering securely in a digital world
Today is an era of hyperconnectivity. Connectivity technologies like 5G and cloud will also be central to driving innovation and value in infrastructure. Governments will start to recognize that they must address the growing deficits in their digital infrastructure to drive growth in both their economies and balance their sheets.
Trend 9: Government gets permission to transform
This year, we expect to see government officials and infrastructure leaders assess the extent to which they can make some of the pandemic-driven changes, such as online learning and distance healthcare delivery, more permanent.Data will be critical to imagining and implementing radical change.However, one clear challenge will be around privacy as seen by mixed reception of apps such as COVID-19 track and trace. Expect privacy considerations to play a much greater role in infrastructure decision-making going forward.
Trend 10: Governments look for partners
Governments increasingly see that the private sector can be a trusted delivery partner. And, as a result, a range of new opportunities for private sector participation are emerging. Beyond traditional financing partnerships, many governments are now striving to create partnerships that give them access to enhanced expertise and capabilities, as seen in the COVID-19 vaccine development and delivery. These new partnerships will be driven by innovation and the desire to deliver more to stakeholders.
Speciallly priced eggs on sale at PTT petrol stations
Feb 13. 2021
By THE NATION
PTT Oil and Retail Business Pcl (OR) has joined hand with the Department of Internal Trade and Ministry of Commerce to sell eggs from the ministry’s Blue Flag shops at 400 PTT gas station nationwide at a special price in a bid to help egg farmers maximise sales channels.
“Egg farmers are facing oversupply problem which in turn has lowered the egg price in the market,” said the company. “OR therefore will serve as a sales channel for them by helping consumers buy eggs more conveniently. We will sell 4.5 million eggs at only Bt70 per tray [each tray contains 30 eggs of M size, or 55-65 grams] at 400 petrol stations until February 28.”
For names of participating gas stations, contact call centre 1365 or visit www.pttor.com.
King Power Group broadens new campaign to tap sales talent of its staff
Feb 13. 2021
By THE NATION
King Power Group has developed a special business strategy “to deliver an exclusively superior experience and valuable benefits through merchandises and services of affiliated members for both on-ground and online platforms through the usage of employee’s SV Code”, the company said.
Under the concept “Life Beyond Boundaries”, the “SV Team Challenge” campaign has been initiated to boost the retail and tourism industry and it opened to the public from February 12.
Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, chief executive officer of King Power Group, said: “The pandemic, which has been going on for more than a year, has had an extreme impact on society and on almost every business and King Power Group has inevitably been affected by this crisis.
“Previously, we had adapted our merchandise services to counter the situation by kicking off a campaign called ‘King Power Team Power’, which allows all staff members to participate in sales activities as an online salesperson to raise brand awareness. SV codes were given out to all employees for them to provide their customers with exclusive discounts.
“The campaign was very successful. The number of online-platform users on Kingpower.com and King Power mobile application increased considerably. Thus, it helped expand our customer base; simultaneously, not only does this generate extra income for our staff, but our customers are also able to confidently purchase merchandise from leading iconic global brands at reasonable discount.”
To further enhance the good feedback from Thai customers for the “King Power Team Power” business model, King Power continued to offer an exceptional shopping experience and more benefits provided by affiliated companies within King Power Group to our customers through this latest campaign “SV Team Challenge”, the synergy that opens a brand new portal for customers to experience the exclusivity not only of products but also of the services of affiliated tourism businesses, such as Pullman Bangkok King Power (Hotel) and King Power Mahanakhon, he added.
The “SV Team Challenge” encourages staff to work collaboratively as a team determining their shared goals and strategy to earn extra income.
Aiyawatt added that the “SV Team Challenge” was an unconventional business strategy necessary in this time of crisis amidst the pandemic.
King Power has provided all staff with the necessary knowledge to enhance their learning and keep them motivated to promote sales activities.
All staff will be giving out discounts through their SV Codes starting from February 12.
For the upcoming SV Team Challenge, customers with and without flight itinerary can use the SV Code to purchase both duty-free and non-duty-free merchandise through the website www.kingpower.com and the King Power application.
The SV Code can be used as a discount for other King Power dining services at King Power Mahanakhon, Pullman Bangkok King Power, and ‘Thai Taste Hub’, King Power’s Thai street food court.
ThaiHealth wins WHO award for outstanding contribution
Feb 04. 2021Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (right) congratulated ThaiHealth CEO Supreda Adulyanon
By THE NATION
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has won the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2021. The global award was conferred on Thailand for the first time by the World Health Organisation, in recognition of ThaiHealth’s “dedication to improving health conditions of the country’s 70 million population”.
ThaiHealth was selected from among eight candidates nominated by WHO member-countries around the world.
“This prestigious global recognition honours the entire ThaiHealth family, its partners and stakeholders working tirelessly to drive public awareness on health promotion and contribution to good health for all. This is not only for ThaiHealth but also for Thailand as a whole to continue improving health of our people, especially those who are vulnerable and facing health inequities,” said Dr Supreda Adulyanon, ThaiHealth CEO.
According to Dr Supreda, the award panel unanimously selected ThaiHealth due to five contributions:
1. Advocating for pro-health laws and policies, such as the Tobacco Control Act 2017 and a legal provision to restrict alcohol advertisement.
2. Shifting social norms towards a healthier and a more inclusive society by promoting alcohol-free social and cultural events, alcohol-free Buddhist Lent, and promoting work opportunities for the disabled.
3. Propagating an effective model for innovative health financing as well as providing technical support in setting up health promotion agencies in Mongolia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos and South Korea.
4. Reacting quickly to emerging needs including the Covid-19 “new normal”, by launching effective public communication campaigns, initiating new projects and reorienting existing projects.
5. Boosting health indicators by promoting physical activity and campaigns to cut alcohol and tobacco consumption.
ThaiHealth will receive the award at the 74th World Health Assembly in May this year.
True Group gets three new top bosses to help turn it into a tech leader
Feb 03. 2021
By The NationTrue Corporation’s board of directors appointed Manat Manavutiveth, Dr Teeradet Dumrongbhalasitr and Natwut Amornvivat as co-presidents responsible for strategic management and business operations of True Group.
They have been tasked with transforming the company in line with rapid socio-economic changes in Thailand, as well as enhancing the group’s innovation development capabilities to help it become a leading tech company in the digital era.
The company has also made Anat Mekpaiboonvatana and Sarit Jinnasith executive vice-chairpersons of True Corp’s executive committee.
The appointments are effective from Thursday onwards.
Shine Bunnag
Tanate Kasemsarn, Partner, KPMG in Thailand
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (right) congratulated ThaiHealth CEO Supreda Adulyanon
SootinClaimon.Com 