Also projecting strong revenue gains is subsidiary VGI Global Media, which is looking to reach the Bt10 billion mark in annual sales in three years.

BTS Group Holdings Plc chairman Keeree Kanjanapas said that the group expects that over the five years it would boost its revenue by 25 per cent each year.

He said it would do so by advancing its pipeline of projects, such as those involving the collaboration with Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Plc (STEC) and Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Plc (Ratch) for the establishment of the BSR consortium in order to bid for the high-speed and double-track rail projects in the EEC.

BTS owns 75 per cent of the BSR consortium, with STEC holding 15 per cent and Ratch, 10 per cent.

He said that for the high-speed and double-track rail project, the BSR consortium is waiting for the term of reference (TOR) for the project, which will be announced by the end of this month. The consortium will then spend time around one month to study and consideration to bidding.

“We believed that we have experience to construction the infrastructure rail and able to support the project. However, we are waiting and see the TOR, which will be announced in the near future. We are then will able to disclose about the bidding in the next step. However, the BSR also spent around six month to study the demand for the high-speed rail project in support of the EEC project,” said Keeree.

BSR will also start construction on the Green Line mass transit project in December and expects that work will be finished within the next couple of years. The route will take passengers from Bangkok’s outskirts to the inner areas. BSR also won contracts for work on the Pink and Yellow lines of the mass transit system.

“BTS Group Holding’s main business is to lay down rail infrastructure. We still focus on our main business, which is continuing to enjoy growth. We also have VGI, which provide customer-oriented media and U City, which focuses on property business in the domestic and international markets,” Keeree said.

Alongside VGI Global Media, U City is a subsidiary of BTS Group Holdings. U City focuses on the property business, covering hotels and condominiums. Around 70 per cent of its total investment is in a European hotel portfolio.

VGI Global media has invested Bt5.9 billion in Kerry and expects that investment to help it reach the Bt10 billion revenue target in three years.

Kavin Kanjanapas, chairman of the executive committee of VGI Global Media, said that the firm in August will proceed from exercising warrants worth Bt12 billion and will put the money to a range of investment purposes. As well as a stake of 23 per cent in Kerry Express (Thailand), it will invest in artificial intelligence (AI) ventures and joint ventures with other companies, such as with Aeon.

The company took a decisive step to acquire Rabbit Group in 2017 in order to capitalise on Rabbit’s sophisticated data sets and technology within its payment and digital service platforms. However, the firm will transform its traditional business into a digital basis. It has around 10,000 traditional billboards and plans to have 40 per cent of them with digital technology within the next three years.

The firm has expanded its business offerings from the traditional offline out-of-home (OOH) media to embrace an integrated offline and online platform, enabling it to provide offline-to-online (O2O) solutions.

This aims to optimise customer engagement and “deliver a seamless, customers experience” for the market.

“Our vision is to create a seamless ecosystem. We will enrich our data through strategic alliances and research and development as well as strengthen our O2O platform through the continual enrichment of our data sources,” said Kavin.

DTAC will award Bt100,000 to each of these finalists and will further support them in raising fund via a crowdfunding channel in the next step.

The DTAC Plik Thai campaign is aimed at empowering active citizen and various groups of volunteers to make a better Thailand through the use of digital technology and its applications.

The campaign opened for applications in August last year, drawing in more than 500 projects related to social issues , such as education, poverty, domestic violence and income inequality. The judging committee then selected the 10 final projects for the crowdfunding platform.

These projects range from the Braille learning device for the blind, a push for tooth decay prevention in Southern Thailand, to the use of AI-powered chatbot against domestic violence.

The 10 final initiatives share the common goal of making a better Thailand through joining forces to empower societies. The projects cover educational issues, community economy, aging society, human rights and environmental concerns.

Rajiv Bawa, DTAC’s Chief Corporate Affairs and Business Development, yesterday said that economic growth of the last two centuries has led to resource depletion and serious crises in the social realm, and the old approaches to solving these problems have proven to be inadequate in the face of today’s problems.

“If the negative trends are to be reversed, our approaches to development have to be changed methodologically as well as philosophically,”.

“With the rapidly changing society coming with various social issues, there seems to be a tendency that a citizen has to be active and be involved in social activities in order to find a suitable place in society.

Several countries embrace the term “participative society” in order to stimulate their citizens.”

Plik Thai campaign provides options for donors to help fund the ten projects, through the non-profit crowdfunding platform Taejai.com and the mobile phones of DTAC’s subscribers.

Prakobkiat Ninnad, managing director, said the company had proposed the plan to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Committee and Royal Thai Navy which operates the airport.

The company is exploring the possibility of a role in oil depot, aviation fuel or fuel pipeline services.

Once the EEC and U-Tapao Airport have been completed, about 34 million passengers are expected at the airport annually, with the estimated number close to that at Don Mueang International Airport which uses 1,100 million litres of aviation fuel a year, Prakobkiat said.

Aside from U-Tapao Airport, BAFS is also interested in providing services at other local airports which have been upgraded by the Department of Aviation, including Krabi, Udon Thani, Nan and Phrae.

Each airport may take as long as a year for a study on a joint investment plan, Prakobkiat said.

He said the BAFS is expected to post growth in income of about 4-5 per cent this year as more airlines have received licences to operate after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s removal of Thailand’s red flag and the expansion in tourism. In March, 16 airlines obtained licenses and about five airlines are being considered.

BAFS reported a total income of Bt3.64 billion last year.

“The company’s income is expected to reach Bt5 billion within 2021-2022 after the oil pipeline project to the North – Phichit-Lampang route is completed in the fourth quarter of 2019 and the company can fully realise income from Fuel Pipeline Transportation (FPT) which is expecetd to rise to 30 per cent from the current 20 per cent,” he said.

In the second quarter of this year, BAFS is expected to see a rise in income with the contribution from aviation fuel service increasing by 9 and 9.9 per cent year-on-year in April and May respectively due to last year’s low base, no runway shutdown at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, higher number of flights. This year, BAFS has set a budget of Bt5 billion for investment, about Bt4.7 billion of which will be in oil pipeline work in the North and Bt120 million in Uniwave Co Ltd which designs, produces and assembles aviation fueling vehicle and equipment.

BAFS holds a 90 per cent stake in Uniwave.

BAFS also expects to start a joint venture with PTG Energy Plc early next year.

Initially, three petrol service stations will be set up in Phichit, Lampang and Kamphaeng Phet provinces. BAFS will hold a 40 per cent stake in the joint venture with the majority stake of 60 per cent going to PTG Energy.

The joint venture will have a registered capital of about Bt100 million.