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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023086

CP and Toyota join forces to study path towards carbon neutrality in Thailand

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022

Toyota Motor Thailand has announced its partnership with Thai conglomerate CP Group to support a carbon neutral pathway.

The project also includes Toyota’s competitors such as Daihatsu, Isuzu, Suzuki, and its affiliated company Hino.

Since its establishment in 1921, CP has been operating with the core value of three benefits: to country, to people, and to organisation.

CP provides accessibility to high-quality products and is expanding its business in Thailand in a wide range of fields, including retail (such as 7-Eleven), distribution, industrial products, agriculture and livestock.

In the distribution field, CP has been supporting the lives of Thai people by transporting and delivering a variety of products through its wide-ranging operations, considering social, economic and environmental impacts and sustainability practices.

Toyota’s business in Thailand has garnered the support of a number of stakeholders including Siam Cement Group, an important local partner for Toyota, and has grown along with the development of Thai society through products, tax payment, employment and technology transfer, while overcoming a number of challenges, such as the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2011 floods.

Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota, said: “The two companies, both of which consider the best for Thailand and the Earth, have agreed to proceed with what we can do now, by using each company’s strengths and assets. I believe that taking this crucial step will allow us to be rewarded with appreciation from the country, and will change the future landscape.”

Dhanin Chearavanont, Senior Chairman of CP Group, responded, “What President Toyoda and I share is affection and gratitude to Thailand, and both of us very much want to give back to the country. I am delighted that both companies have an opportunity to jointly consider collaboration towards carbon neutrality in Thailand and welcome any companies that share the same carbon neutrality ambitions.”

Specifically, CP and Toyota will explore social implementation in the following three areas.

1. Production of hydrogen using biogas derived from farm wastes (with the focus on economic zones)

2. Introduction of fuel cell delivery trucks into CP’s fleet, which are to use the above-mentioned hydrogen (provide a variety of solutions such as BEV and FCEV, considering travel distance and load weight)

3. Efficient logistics by proposing optimised delivery routes through connectivity technology

With these actions being linked with each other, the two companies will proceed with what can be done now, to consistently reduce CO2 emissions throughout the entire process of producing, transporting, and using energy, towards accelerating carbon neutrality.

This collaboration will be considered with the participation of True Leasing Co Ltd, CP’s transportation service business. In addition, the study will be conducted with Hino Motors Ltd, which will participate in these efforts, made in Asia by Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (capitalised by Isuzu Motors Limited, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd, and Toyota), which has been established with the aim of helping solve challenges faced by the transport sector and achieve carbon neutrality by realising and spreading CASE technology. Furthermore, as carbon neutrality should be tackled by all people and industries, CP and Toyota are willing to welcome any partners who share the same view towards carbon neutrality.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023085

KFC celebrates 1,000th store in Thailand with plans to super-size next year

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022

Celebrations to mark the opening of KFC’s 1,000th store in Thailand on Wednesday were boosted by plans to open 30 more branches next year.

Central Restaurants Group (CRG) said it will spend 400 million baht to add about 15 new KFC branches in Bangkok and the rest upcountry.

CRG already runs 320 KFCs in Thailand while the rest are operated by Restaurants Development (250) and The QSR of Asia (430), according to brand manager Yum Restaurants International (Thailand).

Yum managing director Sakechai Choomuenwai hailed KFC’s customers and employees as crucial to the brand’s successful 38-year journey in Thailand.

From its first store at Central Ladprao in 1985 to its recently opened 1,000th quick-service restaurant, KFC has always been by the Thais’ side, he said.

“The 1,000-store celebration is more than just a celebration of the brand’s success, but rather a celebration of all of the customers and employees who made that success possible,” he said.

He added that KFC still has potential to expand in Thailand, with brand performance expected to grow 24% this year as the economy and tourism recover.

“All thanks go to food delivery platforms, such as Foodpanda, Grab and Line Man, for enabling the brand to cope with the Covid-19 crisis,” he said.

“KFC is paying value to about 20,000 employees nationwide, of which 40% are from the young generation,” he continued.

The brand has also granted 1,000 scholarships worth over 10 million baht to employees in a bid to equip them with skills for the future.

“These 1,000 opportunities are just the beginning,” Sakechai said. “KFC has more initiatives to develop people’s potential through 2023.”

Related stories:

• KFC Bucket aims to stand out in crowd of festive gift baskets
• KFC franchisee RD plans Bt2-billion budget for expansion
• KFC warns of fake ‘15th-anniversary’ site seeking private details

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023084

Thai Airways is recruiting 1,000 workers for Suvarnabhumi

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022

Thai Airways International is recruiting about 1,000 ground workers, mainly to tackle delays in luggage handling at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, its acting CEO Suvadhana Sibunruang said on Wednesday.

Suvadhana admitted that it took more than 30 minutes to handle one flight’s luggage at Suvarnabhumi airport earlier this year and that some flights were delayed due to slow luggage handling.

He said the carrier realises this is an issue and is recruiting more staff to deal with it. About 1,000 positions are open at the carrier’s Suvarnabhumi operations. These are positions for ground services, including baggage handlers, drivers of vehicles in the airport, and kitchen staff, he said.

“THAI is recruiting employees to fill ground positions to meet the rising number of passengers,” Suvadhana said, adding: “The new recruits will have to undergo training for four or five weeks in line with the regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.”

He said he is confident that during the long New Year holidays, THAI ground staff would be able to handle baggage efficiently and would do it within a 30-minute per-flight limit.

Currently, THAI provides 80% of ground operations for flights at Suvarnabhumi.

Asked to comment on a report that the Transport Ministry may select a new ground service operator to take about 40% of this work from THAI, Suvadhana said a new company might face the same issues THAI did so it would be useless to reduce its operation at the airport.

Suvadhana replied that the delays earlier this year were caused by staff shortages in the aviation industry as a whole.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023047

Flagship Burger King store takes a leap into the future

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Burger King, the franchise burger restaurant under Minor Food Group, has launched a brand-new flagship store in Thailand equipped with advanced service technology in response to the digital lifestyle trend.

Burger King (Thailand) general manager Tanawat Damnernthong stated that it is the first branch in Thailand to use technology to adapt to the digital lifestyle trend, with a unique exterior building design that blends seamlessly with a touch of American style.

The Ratchadaphisek branch will be the first in Thailand to bring together the best in terms of both products and services, with a focus on introducing modern-day innovations to increase consumer convenience.

Meanwhile, this branch is Asia’s new flagship store, with three highlighted innovative features.

It has Asia’s first new flame-grill burger broilers, which allow customers to see the meat being grilled with a flame in the Burger King style.

Smart lockers facilitate food delivery by separating take-out orders and reducing contact. This innovative solution assists food delivery riders who serve customers via the app-based delivery platform. To open the locker, simply enter the corresponding order code on the screen.

Tanawat Damnernthong and first new flame-grill burger broilers of Asia

To help reduce emissions while adhering to the organisation’s sustainability policy, electric vehicle charging stations are installed. EVs can be fully charged in under 15 minutes. In addition, a solar rooftop has been installed to convert solar energy into electricity.

Tanawat noted, “The opening of this new flagship store is expected to create new experiences for consumers in all aspects while also encouraging sales growth in accordance with the predetermined target.”

Tanawat expected this new flagship store to be one of its top five best-seller branches, based on the concept of “Restaurant as a Future”.

Since the initial launch on December 6 this year, sales have exceeded expectations.

The brand new branch is situated on a 400-square-metre plot of land in the Ratchadaphisek neighbourhood, with ample parking for up to 20 cars. The store’s interior is an entirely new concept, with 60 seats available for customers.

Tanawat stated that Burger King’s new decoration style concept will be applied to another 123 branches across the country by 2030.

Furthermore, the brand intends to open 10 more branches in Bankgok and its environs, including Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, and Pathum Thani, as well as major tourist destinations in the province.

Tanawat stated that the return of foreign tourists has increased Burger King’s overall sales by 30%. He predicted that growth would continue next year, with a 20% increase target.

However, because the majority of Burger King’s ingredients and materials are imported, inflation and currency exchange are factors for concern. Tanawat promised that Burger King would manage the cost so that it has the least impact on its customers.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023042

Bangkok Airways upbeat, predicts 4.5m passengers next year

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

Bangkok Airways reckons it will be able to fly nearly 3 million passengers this year, and about 4.5 million next year now that Thailand has lifted all Covid-19 restrictions.

In an interview with Thansettakij, the airline’s president and CEO Captain Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said bookings began rising as soon as the government lifted the Thailand Pass registration system.

In the first nine months of this year, the number of Bangkok Airways bookings has risen to 40% of pre-pandemic levels, he said.

Puttipong said 1.7 million passengers took Bangkok Airways flights from January to September, marking a 528% increase compared to the same period last year. In the first nine months of 2021, Bangkok Airways only had 270,000 passengers.

During the same period this year, the airline earned 8.12 billion baht and its seat-occupation ratio has risen to 74%.

“We have already gone beyond our target. Our aim was to earn 8.18 billion baht in revenue and achieve 73% seat occupation this year, and we have crossed that target in just the first nine months,” he said.

“Based on this, we can safely say we will have 2.64 million passengers in total this year and earn about 10 billion baht.”

The number of domestic passengers was higher earlier this year, but bookings on international Bangkok Airways flights began picking up since September 1, he added.

Puttipong said 50% of Bangkok Airways flights are to and from Koh Samui, while the other 50% is covered by flights to other local destinations and neighbouring countries like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

“Our situation is gradually returning to normal now that Thais can travel overseas,” Puttipong said.

The ratio of foreign passengers to domestic passengers now stands at 60:40 compared to 80:20 before the pandemic, the CEO added.

In the first nine months of this year, Bangkok Airways reinstated flights to 17 domestic airports and to seven international ones.

From January to September, the airline completed 19,000 flights compared to just 4,800 in the same period last year.

Before the pandemic, Bangkok Airways flew to 34 destinations, 17 in Thailand and 17 overseas.

He said the airline expects to achieve bookings of up to 80% of pre-Covid levels, getting some 4.5 million passengers compared to 6 million before the pandemic.

Bangkok Airways also plans to launch six new international flights next year, from Koh Samui to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Chengdu and Chongqing and from Bangkok to Mandalay and Phu Quoc in Vietnam.

However, Puttipong said his airline will take into account Covid restrictions in other countries and the global economic situation before launching the new routes.

Apart from resuming flights, Bangkok Airways will also invest in the development of the U-Tapao Airport in Rayong and the Eastern Aviation City project through its subsidiary, U-Tapao International Aviation Co Ltd (UTA).

Puttipong said the U-Tapao Airport project will be delayed for a year, while UTA negotiates the extension of investment phases from four to six. He said UTA believes the growth of passengers will be slower than initially expected.

He added that Bangkok Airways will also invest in the expansion of its airport in Trat by extending the runway to accommodate larger planes and expanding the passenger terminal.