The NBTC had set up a subcommitee to determine the compensation that should be paid to six digital TV licence holders returning seven licences they hold.

Voice TV channel will go off the air at midnight on August 31, NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said.

On Tuesday, the subcommittee will also calculate the compensation for MCOT, which aims to return its MCOT Family Channel 14 licence. The MCOT channel will go off the air on September 15 midnight.

The subcommittee has yet to calculate the compensation for BEC World’s Channel 3 for return of its Family Channel 13 and 3SD Channel 28.

Takorn estimated that Channel 13 would get compensation of around Bt162 million and the 3SD Channel 28 of over Bt680 million.

Both will go off the air at midnight on September 30.

Related story: NMG shareholders to decide on returning Spring 26 channel licence to NBTC

Six commercial digital TV broadcasters announced on May 10 that they were returning the seven licences they had secured from the NBTC. May 10 was the deadline for any broadcaster to declare their intention to return their licences.

The six broadcasters returning their licences included Spring News Television Co Ltd’s Spring News Channel 19, and Nation Multimedia Group (NMG)’s Spring 26 Co Ltd, which will hand back its licence for Spring 26 Channel (formerly known as NOW26 channel).

The others are Bright TV, which is returning its licence for Channel 20, Voice TV for Voice TV Channel 21, MCOT for MCOT Family Channel 14, and BEC World’s Channel 3 for its Family Channel 13 and 3SD Channel 28.

The NBTC board last month approved a resolution that the regulator will pay net compensation of Bt675.764 million to Spring 26 Channel, more than Bt500 million to Spring News Channel 19, and Bt371.983 million to Bright TV. All three stations will go off the air at midnight on August 15.

The move fills a revenue gap and allows for sustainable growth.

TQM is appointing two executives and has unveiled a five-point strategy:

• Partnering with up to 100 dealers this year and another 10,000 independent insurance agents within five years;

• Upgrading all services to TQM standard;

• Using advanced technologies to support sales and agent via the “TJN Anywhere” application;

• Building a professional sales team;

• Developing and personalising new products for target customers.

The strategy is the key to hitting a Bt100-million goal this year and Bt2 billion in the next five years.

“The acquisition of 100 per cent of TJN Insurance’s common stock completes TQM’s strength for car dealers and car importers,” said TQM president Unchalin Punnipa. “As a specialist in the business, TJN sold 30 million insurance premiums in 2018.

“These customers are car dealers and importers, including super cars. They are both mass and niche markets. TQM already serves this group, so it is not a big challenge to take care of them. Indeed, it is a great opportunity to get new customers.”

Chief executive Napassanun Punnipa said TQM had appointed Ekkorn Ariyatripong and Kietsuphat Janchay as co-CEOs.

“Both have been experienced executives in the insurance business for more than 20 years,” he said.

Siwagorn Siriwongpanupong, business development chief for Shopee (Thailand), said that with over 95 per cent of transactions being completed on Shopee’s mobile app, it is vital that sellers adopt a “digital-first” strategy to engage with customers.

“We are confident that with the Shopee Brands Suite, all sellers, big and small, will reap the benefits of e-commerce in Thailand,” he said.

Initiatives, such as Super Brand Day, also help sellers enhance their visibility region-wide on the app so they can differentiate themselves from the competition and reach out more buyers. Participants in this initiative say they experience a 200-fold increase in sales.

Shopee also offers sellers games like Shopee Shake, Shopee Quiz and Shopee Slice, to grab the attention of buyers, especially since online shoppers want more than just transaction. So far, millions have made time to play these games on the Shopee app.

Also, with statistics showing that 95 per cent of Thais consume video content on their mobile phones, Shopee LIVE is just the right tool to cater to this demand. This in-app live streaming feature allows brands, SMEs and micro-entrepreneurs to stream live content to fans and potential customers. Plus, sellers can address queries from buyers via the live chat function in real time, eliminating the hassle of going through individual questions on item listings.

Since its launch in March, Shopee LIVE has had nearly 2 million views and participating sellers say they have enjoyed a 30-fold rise in in-store traffic.

Shopee’s offline initiative, Shopee Connect, also allows sellers to deepen their connection with users by providing lifestyle tips.

For instance, in May Philips hosted the Shopee Connect x Philips workshop, which had local celebrity chef Fag Nattapong Norchoovech offering tips on cooking healthier meals at home.

Siriwan Nitkitjatorn, general manager at Philips Thailand’s personal health department, said: “The Shopee Connect x Philips workshop gave us a refreshing way to create closer connections with consumers. By providing real-life tips and simplifying cooking with the Philips AirFryer, for instance, we are confident participants at the workshop learned how to cook better and lead healthier lives.”

The extraordinary meeting of NMG shareholders is set for September 6. Spring 26 Xo Ltd uses the licence to operate the Spring 26 channel, previously known as Now26.

The NBTC has already allowed the channel to discontinue its broadcast service at 12.01am on August 16. The regulator will pay a net compensation of Bt 675.76 million to Spring 26 for return of the licence. The compensation will be paid within 60 days of the closure of its operations.

NMG intends to use the compensation to reduce its debt burden and use the balance amount as working capital.

After returning the Spring 26 channel licence, NMG will still operate one digital TV channel — Nation TV Channel 22 — which offers news programming.

Six commercial digital TV broadcasters announced on May 10 that they will return to the NBTC the seven licences that they hold. May 10 was the deadline given by the watchdog for companies to declare their intention to return the licences.

The licences being returned are: Bright TV’s Bright TV Channel 20; Voice TV’s Voice TV Channel 21; MCOT’s MCOT Family Channel 14; and BEC World’s Channel 3’s Family Channel 13 and 3SD Channel 28. Also exiting the crowded field are Spring News Television Co Ltd, which is returning its licence for Spring News Channel 19, and NMG’s Spring 26 Co Ltd, which will hand back its licence for Spring 26.

The move to let operators return their broadcast licences comes under relief measures announced by the National Council for Peace and Order in April in a bid to ease the financial burden of digital TV licence holders and telecom firms operating the 900MHz spectrum.

Of that number, about 20 sets would have been purchased, putting Thailand among the three countries that have seen the biggest growth in use. Revenues overall have risen 30 to 45 per cent.

Line is now getting its online content creators to diversify the styles available and sales channels are expanded to partnering platforms.

The aim is to more sustainably support Thai creators.

Kanop Supamanop of Line Thailand said 2019 had seen a satisfying growth in the business.

Customers bought 20 sticker sets each for personal use on average and with free stickers widely available often own up to 65 sets. The stickers have been integrated as a part of lifestyle and communication tool for Thai people.

Aside from replacing word text with quick, colourful message bursts, stickers can convey feelings more clearly.

Growth has been continuous, especially in the Line Creators Market, which in the first half of the year became the second-largest creative base in the region.

Line stickers’ important role as a communication and marketing tool for brands and artists is their use in connecting up the fan bases of leading entertainers.

Different artists and celebrities have joined in the creation of more than 100 sticker sets in the official market. Some of the recently most popular stickers have come from BNK48, the Toys and Chris Singto.

The strategy this year will be to continue focusing on keeping the fun alive for users. Custom stickers have been unveiled to which users can add words themselves.

There are now more sales and payment channels thanks to the firm’s partners such as AIS, whose customers can exchange AIS points for stickers directly via the My AIS application.

The Line Creators Market launched in Thailand in 2014 has contests and workshops to boost sales of different characters. It was also a goal for the stickers to showcase the talent of independent artists and thus support the overall sticker industry in Thailand.

The resulting creative community isn’t limited to designers alone but also welcomes amateurs who have created hit stickers. Most recently the firm partnered with Pichai Kaewwichit, known as “Motorcycle Taxi Photographer” on a theme created from his hit photographs.

Currently there are 480,000 sticker creators in Thailand. More than two million sets of stickers made by Thais are sold on the Line Creators Market, amounting to 35 per cent of the total available for purchase.

From this amount, there were 28 characters by Thai creators that also found success internationally and created added value beyond just stickers themselves.

“Line has created a new job as sticker creator that some have made a side job and some their main job,” Kanop said. “Not only has it created jobs for hundreds of thousands of Thais, it’s also a space of opportunities for international growth.”

There are three types of stickers available – sponsored stickers given away for free, the official paid stickers of famous characters and artists, and those from the Creators Market open for all creators.

The key to driving organisational innovation is the preparedness of high-level executives, who become corporate commanders in driving the company forward to achieve its goals and vision. Successful corporate innovation starts with leaders possessing the correct mindset and skills.

To help the region forge ahead in becoming the centre of innovation, RISE, a world-class organisation which strives to accelerate regional corporate innovation, recently joined hands with Stanford Graduate School of Business to drive the Executive Programme on Corporate Innovation from August 27-29 in Thailand.

Dr Supachai Pachariyanon, or “Doctor Kid”, Chief Executive Officer and founder of RISE, said it would be the first time Stanford GSB, the world’s most innovative university, was offering the Executive Programme on Corporate Innovation in Southeast Asia to ensure that executives are able to develop strategies, build the skills required of a world-class leader, and be ready to create change for the organisation in an era in which “speed is a key success factor”.

RISE has designed the programme with Stanford GSB to be suitable for leaders and corporate executives who want to create innovation.

“What we want every executive to acquire is the ability to tap into problems and overcome challenges in creating organisational innovation. Companies that have especially been in existence for a long time should also have an opportunity to create new skills that are necessary, as well as the ability to structure organisational innovation by formulating strategies, brainstorming ideas, developing products, services and marketing strategies, building leadership skills, and creating a sound corporate culture in order to drive organisational innovation in the big picture,” he said.

“The programme reinforces RISE’s core mission to increase the GDP of Thailand and Southeast Asia by one per cent. RISE believes that when executive-level leaders have the right mindset and skill set for the creation and development of organisational innovation, this innovation will become a reality, which is the ultimate outcome we would like to see from executives who complete RISE’s Stanford Graduate School of Business programme,” Supachai added.

In an exclusive interview with The Nation, the executive said more than 5,000 subscribers had used the application in the week following the launch of the online entertainment platform.

“If we manage to keep this growth momentum, we are sure to get around 10,000 subscriptions every month,” he said.

“Our aim is to receive more than 100,000 subscriptions every year. We hope to provide a new choice for Myanmar viewers.”

Phay Thwin Htun said this was the perfect timing for Shwe Stream, as Myanmar is shifting to a digital economy and communication costs and data prices are now more competitive than ever before.

“Nowadays, our infrastructure is much stronger than before, and the majority of Myanmar people know how to use movie applications,” he said.

“We have late-comer advantages, as locals’ experience in using other applications will definitely come in handy. As our app is quite easy to use and packed with good content, we do not see any barrier to our growth right now.”

Right now Android users can download the application via Google Play Store and Lotaya web portal while iOS user have to go to the official website. However, it will soon be downloadable for iOS users, which will largely contribute to meeting the firm’s target of reaching 100,000 users by the end of this year.

Phay Thwin Htun said the rise in smartphone usage and data consumption would drive rapid growth of Shwe Stream.

“Today, many people are too busy to go to the movies. Sometimes, people want to watch new movies starring their favourite actors but simply don’t have time to go to the cinema or, in some cases, have no cinema in their small towns,” he said.

“We hope to fill this gap by providing good content so people can easily watch them at a convenient time and place. They no longer have to worry about missing their favourite movies or soap operas.”

To date, Shwe Stream offers 30,000 minutes of Myanmar and South Korean content, mainly movies and drama series, on its platform. Unlike other over-the-top (OTT) video service providers, Shwe Stream has an equal share of content between Korean and Myanmar movies.

“Our content will be available with Myanmar subtitles, and we offer a wide variety of entertainment including horror, thriller, romance, comedy, action, drama and A-nyeint (Burmese plays),” he said.

“We will make sure to include new content every day and we aim to add much more by the end of this year.”

According to the executive, MPT SIM subscribers can use the application for 99 kyats (Bt2) a day, and a special pay-per-view system is also available from 100 kyats to 500 kyats a movie.

Cooperation with other telecom operators could be part of the firm’s future plans, as the user base grows.

“We have some exclusive content on top of a good mix of new and old movies. We are now cooperating with Korea’s Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and will be adding well-known Bollywood movies soon,” he said.

He said Shwe Stream would continue to cooperate with content providers by ensuring more benefits than advertisement-based businesses like YouTube and Facebook.

“At Shwe Stream, we place creativity at the heart of our business. We always invite producers, creative artists and rising stars to showcase their artistic works on our platform,” he said.

The firm will hold a national-level micro film contest in August, for new generation directors, actors and actresses for future production. The contest details will be announced in the near future.

“Our aim is to encourage creativity. Local creators can participate in our contest even if they produce content with a mobile phone,” he said.

Though Shwe Stream is a newcomer to the OTT business, its parent company eTrade Myanmar has been in the content industry for 16 years. It has been providing value-added services for MPT subscribers since 2016.

The firm now has more than 100 permanent staff with a good mix of gender balance in its workforce, and plans to expand its team as the business grows.

“We have enough translators to make our Korean and Indian contents available with Myanmar subtitles but sometimes work with outsourced professionals for translation work,” he said.

Phay Thwin Htun considers people’s lack of awareness about intellectual property rights and digital literacy as the biggest challenge for expansion of its portfolio.

“Another challenge is to meet the needs of our customers from all walks of life, as different people have different tastes. With our expertise, we are fully confident we can address the challenges,” he said.

This multi-year partnership with INSEAD, a graduate business school with campuses in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, provides a unique six-month intensive leadership and executive training programme for agency leaders around the region.

The programme is part of FWD’s broader Elite Agency vision to build the most trusted, professional, productive and digitally enabled advisory team in Asia. The Elite Agency vision is brought to life through the Signature programme, as transformation starts from grooming the very top insurance agents. The programme aims to develop 100 world-class agency leaders that will lead and transform the way insurance sales is conducted, and ultimately support FWD’s wider vision to change the way people feel about insurance.

The Signature Programme will be carried out in four phases – three-month preparation on business planning and leadership; a one-week residential programme at INSEAD’s Europe campus in France, where participants will learn the latest insights in sales management, leadership, and technology application; a three-month coaching period to put their plan into action; and a perpetual alumni platform that consists of masterclasses and regional networking opportunities.

For the inaugural class, five agency leaders were chosen from five of FWD’s markets – Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hong Kong & Macau. Each of them was required to go through a stringent selection process. They were chosen not only for their business performance but also leadership potential, a desire to grow and learn, and the ability to engage in the digital world. They will interact and learn not only from INSEAD professors but also from one another both within their own country and across the region.

“We are proud to announce this industry first in launching the Signature Programme and welcoming our inaugural class,” said Binayak Dutta, FWD Group chief distribution officer and managing director for emerging markets. “Many companies focus on hiring sales teams but we want to groom our own internally and build the best team in the market. We’re convinced this programme is a game changer for agency distribution and will elevate the professionalism of not just our agency but the whole industry.”

Said FWD Group head of agency Zhuang Li Hao: “We have put a lot of thought behind the programme design. This multi-year, regional programme is specifically designed to provide the largest possible learning space and scope for our leaders. The regional exposure is unique, the quality of teaching from a top business school is unparalleled, and the personal coaching by INSEAD professors and FWD’s senior management is unprecedented. This epitomises FWD’s commitment to our sales force,” he added.

“To be ready for the digital world of tomorrow, we have designed an engaging and enjoyable journey across two key pillars: How can you create a breakthrough business plan & strategy to take your business to the next level? How can we enhance your capability as a leader so that not only do you get better at leading yourself but also at leading others around you?” said V Padmanabhan, Unilever chaired professor of marketing, INSEAD.

“FWD Thailand has selected five top-performing agency leaders to participate in this Signature Programme,” added Banyong Narasavat, adviser to the chief executive officer at FWD Thailand. “The programme aims to use knowledge to develop sales management and transform ways insurance sales is conducted in accordance with customers in a digitally connected world, to elevate our agency forces to be the best professionals and most productive in the industry, and ultimately support FWD’s wider vision to change the way people feel about insurance.”

Taking place on August 19 at INSEAD, the residential programme will see selected participants take part in a rigorous and tailored programme in Fontainebleau, Paris. This programme consists of a blend of bespoke workshops ranging from leadership and entrepreneurship training to the importance of a digital ecosystem, as well as business-plan construction, and a masterclass on the latest sales management system and processes. A number of these classes will also feature coaching by FWD senior management, including the group’s chief executive officer, chief distribution officer and chief agency officer.

“At the root of the investments in our Smart Logistics Network is a simple desire to make global commerce easier for Asian businesses – because when they grow, we grow too,” said Ross McCullough, the president of UPS Asia Pacific Region.

“More UPS customers in the region will now be able to have their shipments sent and received in less time; they’ll be able to find us easily in more cities and towns, and they’ll be able to send shipments later in the day than before – all of which will open new opportunities for businesses in the region to trade more efficiently with the rest of the world.”

A major enhancement in Thailand this year was the launch of the UPS eFulfillment service to facilitate increased global access for Thai small and medium-sized companies.

The programme integrates access to 21 online marketplaces and web stores through a single platform that handles storage, order processing, packaging and shipping.

In the first half of 2019, UPS took other actions as part of its strategy to bolster economic development in the region, which is projected to account for 63 per cent of global GDP growth in 2019.

“We’re seeing increasing demand for connectivity in the region,” said Russell Reed, the managing director of UPS Thailand. “The recent Asean summit here in Bangkok showed strong support in promoting seamless connectivity, a goal that aligns with UPS priorities. A strengthened regional economy will allow Thailand to thrive in a changing environment, and UPS’ extensive experience will continue to help Thai businesses navigate the volatile business landscape of today. Together with our local service enhancements, regional upgrades like the one at our Shenzhen hub will give UPS the capability to support Thailand’s manufacturing and e-commerce growth in the coming years.”

The UPS Shenzhen Hub serves as a transfer point for shipments moving within the region, and the enhancements improve both reliability and quality of service provided to UPS customers in Asia. About 550 employees maintain round-the-clock operations at the hub, which houses separate sorting and handling facilities for express and cargo shipments, an on-site customs office and processing – including China Inspection and Quarantine (CIQ) clearance for import commodities – and a dedicated 150,000 square metre ramp with 13 aircraft parking positions.

Self-operated aircraft ground-handling provides UPS, as a logistics integrator, with greater control over the 86 weekly UPS flights in and out of the hub.

UPS has rolled out a series of service enhancements to help Thai businesses capture new e-commerce opportunities. In 2018, the company implemented the largest expansion of the UPS My Choice service since its launch, offering users in an additional 96 countries and territories enhanced tracking and tracing visibility. Consumers in Thailand can access e-mail and text notifications across the delivery journey, and reschedule the delivery of packages with added convenience.

WeWork Labs on Tuesday announced it would partner with National Innovation Agency (NIA), SET-listed Thai Union Group PCL. and Mahidol University’s Science Faculty in the SPACE-F programme that aims to build a sustainable ecosystem to nurture foodtech startups in Thailand.

SPACE-F is the first global foodtech startup incubator and accelerator in Thailand, and will provide innovative services and support to empower the next generation of FoodTech innovation. There are two tracks to the programme: the incubator track for initial stage startups, and the accelerator track for growth stage startups (for both Thai and non-Thai nationals), and it is accepting applications from now until the end of July.

Eligible applicant startups must innovate in one of the following nine areas: health and wellness, alternative proteins, smart manufacturing, packaging solution, novel food and ingredients, biomaterial and chemical, restaurant tech, food safety and quality, or smart food services.

The SPACE-F programme’s non-equity model allows founders to have full ownership of their ideas and products and at the end of the programme (up to 15 months for the incubator stage and three to eight months for accelerator), founders will have opportunities to meet qualified investors, including Thai Union Group PCL. and other VCs and CVCs.

With the introduction of WeWork Labs, programme participants will also be provided with unique expertise and guidance from local and global mentors.

“By providing value beyond space, we will be mentoring startups in SPACE-F, helping them with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed, and leveraging our global expertise to support them through the programme,” said Adrian Tan, the head of labs in Southeast Asia for WeWork. “The time is ripe for foodtech advancements, and along with the perfect partners for this programme, we are very excited to select Thailand as the first stop to launch our partnered Food Labs programme and help bring to life some of today’s brightest ideas right here in Thailand.”

WeWork Labs is WeWork’s innovation platform that supports early-stage startups and corporations. It recently debuted its Food Labs programme, which is the company’s first innovation space dedicated to powering the future of food and aims to support growing startups by bringing together entrepreneurs, industry experts and investors to build an innovative community to address the biggest challenges facing the global food industry.

In Thailand, WeWork Labs partners with the National Innovation Agency, Thai Union Group PCL and Mahidol University to form part of SPACE-F’s unique cooperation – comprising government, private, and university partners – that supports the local ecosystem by enabling greater access to resources for both ideas and startups to grow.

Dr Pun-Arj Chairatana, executive director of the National Innovation Agency (NIA), said, “As we aim to create greater platforms for nurturing deep tech startups in the food industry, we are delighted to partner with WeWork and leverage its Food Labs platforms to further accelerate startups to grow beyond Thailand seamlessly. Together with our strength in innovation, this will help foster new initiatives leading to a better quality of life, improved global food security and innovative job creation, as well as showcasing Thailand’s ability to compete on the global stage.”

Dr Tunyawat Kasemsuwan, group director, Global Innovation of Thai Union Group PCL, said, “As we look at how innovation in the food industry will help us raise the competitiveness of Thailand’s food industry to international standards, the partnership will open new avenues for startups to prove their ideas. As we seek to boost Thailand on the global stage, we look forward to welcoming a new wave of FoodTech startups looking to disrupt the industry.”

SPACE-F will be located at Mahidol University’s Faculty of Science, which provides downtown lab access to high-tech machinery and instrumentation that will facilitate the research and development of ideas. Expanding to other countries is made easy with access to WeWork Labs’ workspaces in 60 locations worldwide, the support of Thai Union Global connections, as well as the NIA programme of promoting startups abroad.

Said Dr Kanyaratt Supaibulwatana, vice dean of the Faculty of Sciences at Mahidol University, “By pooling our resources and faculty comprising the nation’s best minds in the field, we are committed to nurturing tomorrow’s leaders in this field by broadening their vision. We firmly believe that it is important to foster a vibrant ecosystem that can enable startups to grow and flourish, and we look forward to positively impacting the local landscape,”

To drive innovation and economic growth within Thailand, startups in the SPACE-F programme can also apply for the SMART Visa option from the Thai government, which provides numerous privileges to help attract skilled workers.