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https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/business/40013545

IBM (Thailand) announced its vision of the “New Era of Sustainable Business Underpinned by AI & Hybrid Cloud” on Thursday in support of the government, private and education sectors.

Sawat Asdaron, Managing Director of IBM Thailand and Managing Partner of IBM Consulting, said the vision will focus on three aspects:

Sustainable partnership

IBM has been focusing on the success of customers and business partners since its inception 70 years ago.

In Thailand, the company has cooperated with several agencies, such as Kasikorn Bank in the application of technology to support bank transactions, Bank of Ayudhya in enabling the bank’s partners to access a variety of digital services, and with AI and Robotics Ventures on the development of National Digital Corporate Identity to support Know Your Customer (KYC) procedure.

“In the next phase, IBM will help customers and business partners set up their technology and business roadmap to support their growth both in short term and long term amid changes in IT system and transition to new business models,” Sawat said.

Sawat Asdaron

Technology for sustainable business

The change in consumer behaviour, business models, supply chains, etc, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and digital disruption has forced many companies to make adjustments. And hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) are key to operating business in the digital era.

IBM’s hybrid cloud will enable organisations to connect and utilise data seamlessly to develop or change applications and systems quickly and support digital transformation in both the short and long term.

“This year, IBM will focus on applying AI for Business, such as analytics, automation and security system, to Thai companies to help them overcome technology-related challenges,” Sawat said.

“In addition, IBM Research will continue working on science and innovation development to create sustainability, such as quantum computing and reliable AI.”

Talent for sustainable growth

IBM will cooperate with business partners to create IT and digital personnel to support the growth of Thailand’s digital transformation.

The company will also support universities in building technology skills for students, such as AI, machine learning and mainframe systems.

Published : March 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40013500

An enterprising team of Thai Airways International engineers collected engine parts from decommissioned Boeing 747-400 planes and successfully reassembled them into a serviceable engine that could be sold for as much as Bt100 million.

THAI’s engine service division announced the success of its Engine Re-birth initiative on Wednesday.

Division chief Cherdphan Chotikun said that after THAI underwent a restructuring to cut costs, the division’s staff were reduced from 200 to just 33. The remaining engineers initiated the ambitious project to find extra income for the company and to add more value to the airline’s assets.

They spent two months searching decommissioned planes for usable GE CF6-80C2B1F engine parts for the long-flying Boeing 747-400.

The collected parts were worth about Bt5.5 million, but after the team reassembled them into a serviceable engine, its value soared 20 times. It can now be sold for Bt100 million.

Cherdphan said the reassembled engine passed quality tests by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand and the US Federal Aviation Administration.

He said the GE CF6-80C2B1F engine was in high demand.

Published : March 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40013419

Advertisement spending in Thailand for the first two months amounted to Bt16.871 billion, a 0.36 per cent drop, Nielsen Holdings Inc said.

Nielsen said ad spending in February was valued at Bt8.517 million, a slight increase of 0.58 per cent compared to the same month last year.

But when the ad spending of January and February were added up to Bt16.871 billion, the value dropped 0.36 per cent year on year.

Nielsen said although television saw a contraction in advertising revenue year on year, it was still the media that received the highest portion of money, securing about 55 per cent of overall spending.

The company said ad spending on television for the first two months was Bt9.324 billion, a 4.25 per cent drop.

Spending on other media, according to Nielsen, included:

➣ Bt1.548 billion on outdoor and mobile media (-1.09 per cent)

➣ Bt444 million on radio media (-0.67 per cent)

➣ Bt419 million on print media (-16.53 per cent)

Nielsen said movie theatres saw the biggest growth in ad revenue with Bt1.114 billion being spent on ads in theatres, up 66.27 per cent.

Department stores also received revenue of Bt111 million during the first two months, an increase of 12.12 per cent.

Nielsen added that another Bt3.911 billion was spent for advertisements on internet-based media, but the Digital Advertising Association (Thailand) has yet to announce the rate of growth of this group.

Nielsen said cosmetics and personal care products were the biggest spenders with Bt2.393 billion on advertising, an increase of 8 per cent.

It was followed by media and marketing group that spent Bt981 million, up by 30 per cent. The state sector came third with Bt509 million spent, an increase of 35 per cent.

The product groups that spent less for ads during the first two months included vehicles (Bt944 million, -15 per cent), foods and beverages (Bt2.718 billion, -8 per cent) and retailers and restaurants (Bt1.775 billion, -7 per cent).

Nielsen noted that some giant consumer goods distributors spent less for ads while others spent more during the period.

Those who spent less on ads during the first two months included Nestle Thailand (Bt488 million, down 21 per cent), Unilever Thai Trading (Bt392 million, down 47 per cent), and Toyota Motors Thailand (Bt229 million, slightly lower).

Those who spent more on ads during the first two months included Procter and Gamble Thailand (Bt443 million, up 7 per cent), Mono Shopping (Bt361 million, up 9.72 per cent), and Tri Petch Isuzu Sales (Bt229 million, up 45.85 per cent).

Published : March 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40013168

American fast-food chain A&W, which is known for its frosty mugs of root beer and waffles, is planning to close all its branches in Thailand after suffering huge losses since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asource said Global Consumer Plc, which owns the franchise in Thailand, is in the process of seeking approval from its board of directors to close all 26 branches of the fast-food chain.

The source said A&W has been suffering losses from the many lockdowns and changing behaviour of consumers. Most A&W branches are inside shopping malls, which were closed for long periods due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, another source said three big food chains are in talks with Global Consumer about the purchase of the A&W franchise. The source added that this deal may be worth around 500 million baht and could be concluded within this month.

According to Global Consumer’s annual report, A&W outlets in Thailand suffered losses of more than 70 million baht in 2021 alone.

A&W first started off in 1919 as a roadside shack in Lodi, California before it was transformed into a restaurant in 1923. The first branch was opened in Sacramento and evolved into a franchise in 1926. It now has nearly 1,000 branches across the world. The first A&W outlet in Thailand was opened in the Central Ladprao shopping mall in 1983.

The Global Consumer board has also approved the sale of the two remaining outlets of Kitchen Plus Restaurant and Coffee Corner due to cumulative losses.

In 2021, Global Consumer generated about 1.86 billion baht in revenue. Its main source of income is packaging goods and processed foods.

Published : March 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40013116

Nation Group announced on Friday that it is restructuring to synergise management in all sectors and maximise content production in line with its “One Nation” strategy.

Under the new set-up, Nation Group will be at the top of the management tree with media outlets like Krungthep Turakij, Spring News, Khobsanam, Thainews, OK Nation, The People, Nation TV, The Nation, and Kom Chad Luek underneath it.

With this new hierarchy, each media outlet will be managed by its own editorial team and generate revenue on its own.

“Each media outlet’s editorial team will manage content, news and facts for readers. These teams are like kitchens – free to produce and provide content and news for consumers,” Nation Group’s chief executive Shine Bunnag explained.

This restructuring will also help reduce the group’s expenses and management burden, he added.

Nation News Agency (NNA) has also been revived to produce content and support other media outlets working on three key platforms – online, TV and print. Outside the three main platforms, there are also out-of-home media and on-ground events.

The group will also adapt to boost its digital performance, starting with the issuing of digital tokens. Nation Group has appointed Future Competere, which has expertise in issuing tokens and blockchain technology, as an adviser for the transformation.

“The organisation has invaluable content and old images that can be converted into non-fungible tokens [NFTs],” Shine said.

Nation Group is also shifting its focus to documentaries as part of its new business model. Shine said all content produced by the organisation’s media outlets should be beneficial and utilised for analysis, business operation and daily life.

“If we produce content that is like poisoned fruit … it will distort society,” he said, adding that Nation Group will continue lifting the lid on controversies, especially corruption.

He added that 2022 will be a year of synergising for the group, while 2023 will become the year of moving forward.

“We must all hold hands tightly to create maximum unity and synergy. Once the rope is tightly woven, it will automatically strengthen the organisation,” he said.

Nation Group is expected to generate good profits and turnover for shareholders and create sustainability for employees across the network.

Though the media organisation has not been quick in transforming itself for the digital era, its focus has always been on premium content, he said.

“Nation Group has been part of Thai society for more than 50 years and we have always adhered to the ideology of being a media outlet that focuses on the code of ethics and quality. This is the path we have always adhered to and always will,” he said.

To advance its One Nation strategy, Nation Group announced the purchase of Nation TV 22 and Kom Chad Luek worth Bt461 million in total, and the sale of 691 million shares or 61 per cent of Nation Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to Boonuea Chitthanom and Natthaphong Sitaworarat at Bt1.30 per share in a deal worth Bt898.3 million. Boonuea and Natthaphong are major shareholders of One to One Contacts Plc.

Published : March 07, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40013086

Two of Japan’s biggest brands are teaming up to produce electric vehicles (EVs) in what could be a big boost for Thailand’s budding EV industry.

Honda and Sony have announced a joint venture to develop, manufacture and sell EVs. The new brand plans to be up and running this year, with its first EVs ready for delivery in 2025.

Honda already makes its hybrid Accord model in Thailand, taking advantage of generous government subsidies aimed at making the Kingdom a regional hub of EV production. Thailand is targeting production of 750,000 electric vehicles per year by 2030, or 30 per cent of its total auto production.

Honda also has plans to open an EV battery plant in Thailand to boost its production capacity.

The Japanese automaker will produce the new EVs at one of its plants, though no location for production was given.

The Japanese firms said their alliance brings together Honda’s mobility development capabilities, vehicle body manufacturing technology and after-sales service, with Sony’s expertise in imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network, and entertainment technologies. “Sony is expected to be responsible for developing a mobility service platform and making it available for the new company,” they said in a joint statement, without elaborating.

“Through this alliance with Honda … we intend to build on our vision to ‘make the mobility space an emotional one’ and contribute to the evolution of mobility centred around safety, entertainment and adaptability,” Sony president and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said.

Published : March 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40013048

Thai Airways International (THAI) has launched flights to four destinations in India under the Thai-Indian air travel bubble scheme.

The new flight schedule, which kicked off on March 1, will be valid until March 26. The flights are:

Bangkok-New Delhi: Five flights a week from Monday to Friday

Bangkok-Mumbai: Three flights a week from Monday to Wednesday

Bangkok-Chennai: Three flights a week on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

Bangkok-Bengaluru: Two flights a week on Wednesday and Saturday

Passengers can visit thaiairways.com or call (02) 356 1111 to check out the fares.

Commercial flights between the two countries had been suspended since March 23, 2020, and under the new arrangement, Thai, Indian, Nepal and Bhutan passport holders can fly two and from Thailand. The travel bubble also applies to other people of other nationalities who hold the required visas.

Airlines, however, are still required to meet both India and Thailand’s Covid-19 prevention guidelines.

Published : March 04, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/business/40012947

Collectius, the leading restructuring partner for financial institutions in Asia, has acquired US$80 million (2.6 billion baht) worth of non-performing loans (NPL) from Kiatnakin Phatra Bank in Thailand on January 23.

The deal, which includes a combination of hire purchase and SME loans, extends the strong momentum of portfolio acquisition for Collectius since it was licensed by the Bank of Thailand in 2016.

To date, Collectius has purchased a total of US$460 million worth of unsecured NPLs in the country and is preparing to secure more portfolios this year after the BOT eased debt assistance measures to help businesses and individual borrowers get easier access to credit during the pandemic.

“Kiatnakin Phatra Bank is one of Thailand’s leading banks providing a range of financial services encompassing commercial banking, capital markets and debt restructuring. Its banking services include personal banking, as well as serving the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises,” it explained.

“With the bank upgrading its loan growth target last year, Kiatnakin Phatra Bank expects its NPL ratio to reach 3 per cent by the end of 2021 compared to 3.4 per cent in June last year.”

Commenting on the transaction, Gustav A Eriksson, group CEO at Collectius, said the company is pleased to partner Kiatnakin Phatra Bank in strengthening its liquidity position and thereby drive operational efficiency.

Such a move helps credit to continue to flow freely which would aid the local economy on its road to recovery, he added.

“After our acquisition of Magnate last year — one of Thailand’s top debt servicing firms — we are confident of maintaining strong growth momentum in Thailand where we have expanded our acquisitions from personal loans to leasing and SME loans in recent times,” he said.

As a leading Singapore-based fintech pioneer in unsecured debt purchases, Collectius in 2020 partnered with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, to launch a $60-million Distressed Asset Recovery Programme (DARP) dedicated to acquiring and resolving unsecured debt in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

DARP has allowed banks to offload $30 billion in NPLs and is facilitating the normalisation of obligations of more than 18 million households and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Collectius continues to reinforce its position as the preferred partner for sale of consumer NPLs in Southeast Asia, by employing technology and digital-led strategies to build additional servicing capacity.

“In 2021, the company doubled its assets under management to US$5 billion and registered a 53 per cent growth in portfolio volume and revenue respectively,” it added.

Published : March 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40012863

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) will open 17 more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in different parts of the country within the first half of this year, a senior Egat official said on Monday.

Warit Ratanchuen, assistant governor of the Egat Project Management Office, said with the 17 new stations, Egat will have a total of 57 EV charging stations.

Egat recently brought its total number of charging stations up to 40 by opening 12 new ones under the brand EleX by Egat in PT petrol stations. He said the EleX by Egat stations use dynamic load type chargers and each charger has both a DC Fast Charge function – which can charge up to 125kW in 15 to 30 minutes – and the AC normal charge.

The 12 EleX stations include two in Lampang, one each in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in the North, three in the Northeast, including one each in Udon Thani, Khon Kaen and Buri Ram. There is also one EleX station in the central provinces of Ayutthaya, one in Chanthaburi in the East, one in the western province of Tak and one each in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Songkhla in the South.

Warit said the EV station in Chiang Rai allows motorists to travel as far as the northernmost edge of the country, adding that Egat was providing stations to cater to the needs of inter-provincial motorists.

Most of the 17 new stations will be installed along highways and in PT petrol stations.

Once complete, the new EV stations will give EV motorists enough charge to drive as much as 700 kilometres from Bangkok in all directions.

He added that Egat plans to install superfast EV chargers in all provinces by the end of the year.

Egat is also considering installing more chargers in community malls and golf courses in major cities and said it will welcome business partners to install EleX by Egat charging stations.

Egat can also provide wall box chargers, Warit said.

Published : February 28, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/business/40012766

Owned by the Finance Ministry, this is the only financial institution in Thailand that has been providing banking services for the past 19 years in line with the principles of Islam’s Sharia law.

Islamic Bank of Thailand seeks new manager
–
An ambitious, ethical person with a strong banking background is being sought to fill the position of manager at the Islamic Bank of Thailand.

Owned by the Finance Ministry, this is the only financial institution in Thailand that has been providing banking services for the past 19 years in line with the principles of Islam’s Sharia law.

Applications will be accepted from March 1-31, 2022.

Those interested can visit www.ibank.co.th or scan the QR code.

Contact Pornnapa Padungkiattiwong at (02) 650 6999 Ext 7018 from 8.30am to 4.30pm for queries.

Published : February 27, 2022