Thailand’s new Kraken, Orthrus strains evade immunity, virologist warns
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2023
The Kraken and Orthrus subvariants of Omicron recently found in Thailand can evade people’s existing immunity to Covid-19, Chulalongkorn University’s top virologist warned on Wednesday.
Writing on Facebook, Yong Poovorawan said the two new strains showed Covid-19’s ability to mutate over time to escape human immunity. Hence, people can be infected with the virus at any time, he added.
He said Kraken, or Omicron XBB.1.5, is spreading rapidly from the US and Europe and could soon become the dominant variant. The strain is named after a legendary giant octopus said to destroy ships and kill sailors.
Yong said that this dangerous new Covid-19 subvariant should be monitored closely.
Orthrus, known scientifically as CH.1.1 and named after the two-headed dog in a Greek myth, is spreading in the US but has caused fewer infections than Kraken, he added.
The dominant strain in Thailand is still Omicron BA.2.75, which accounted for 88% of infections last month, said Yong, citing a study by Chulalongkorn University’s Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology, which he heads.
However, one case of Kraken and four cases of Orthrus have been discovered in Thailand, he added.
“Even though the severity has not increased, these variants are dangerous as they can escape immunity,” he said.
Thai speakers can now test their hearing and dementia risk thanks to a new app-based test developed jointly by Chulalongkorn University’s faculties of Medicine and Science, University College London (UCL) and an industrial partner.
The EarTest, available via the Eartone app, uses Thai words to examine hearing while also enabling people to screen themselves before consulting a physician to help prevent and reduce risk of dementia.
Currently, there are 12 million elderly persons over the age of 60, among for which around 5-10 percent or about 1 million are at risk ofdementia. The most common types of dementia are Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. If dementia occurs, it will cause difficulties for the patients and their families. Currently, dementia cannot be treated. Therefore, preventing dementia is crucial.
According to Assistant Professor Chaiyaphat Chunharasmi, M.D., a brain specialist “reduced hearing is a highest risk factor of developing dementia that can be prevented, so older people should regularly check their hearing and brain activity. If in doubt, you should see a doctor as soon as possible to check for symptoms.”
Nattawan Utoomprurkporn, M.D., a lecturer of the Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, tell us that this project, Eartest by Eartone Application, use speech recognition to assess the potential risks of dementia. It is a hearing test to determine the ability to comprehend words and sentences that are in the Thai language using the virtual reality (VR) technique. It simulates real situations where sounds are coming from different directions to detect the processing of the brain in native language use by the patients. This can indicate whether there will be a chance of dementia occurrence in the next 5-10 years.”
Nattawan Utoomprurkporn, M.D.
“As recommended by World Health Organization, those who should be screened for hearing loss are those over the age of 50. The application is a Thai language hearing test with an assessment of the most important of the 12 indicators of dementia risk.”
Prof. Dr. Stuart Rosen, professor of linguistics at the University College London (UCL), explained that “the Thai languageis characterized by varying tones giving different meanings. International collaboration with researchers from Chulalongkorn University is driven by a common goal and vision to develop assessments for the hearing impaired, the elderly, and those who may have dementia using virtual reality techniques. This is to make the assessment of the hearing more realistic, and beneficial at a larger scale as well as applicable in many countries while enhancing the learning and knowledge exchange in the speech science.
The Eartest by Eartone Application was developed under the Thai Speech Acoustic Virtual Reality (Thai-SAVR) Test for the Detection of Early Dementia research project with the cooperation of several relevant sectors, including the Royal Academy of Engineering, the United Kingdom through the British Embassy in Thailand and knowledge transfer from the University College London (UCL), the United Kingdom and with the support of the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC), Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) together with our industrial partner. Moreover, British Council, and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI)also support the project through the Thai-UK World-Class University Consortium, as well as cooperation from the industrial sector.
Eartest by Eartone, which is a brief screening version of the full test battery, is currently available for free download on both iOS and Android. Just install it on your phone and you can take a self-hearing test to determine your risk of dementia before going to the hospital for further diagnosis and treatment.
LeBron James becomes NBA’s all-time leading scorer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2023
THE NATION
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Tuesday, setting the new mark with a fadeaway jumpshot late in the third quarter of a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James, who entered the game needing 36 points to break Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387, sent the sold-out crowd into a frenzy when the shot splashed through the net to etch his name into the history books.
Lakers great Abdul-Jabbar, who took the title from Wilt Chamberlain with his signature skyhook on April 5, 1984, sat courtside at Tuesday’s game.
Play was stopped to recognize the achievement and to let James address the crowd.
“I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful, you guys are one of a kind,” James said.
“To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as Kareem is unbelievable, it’s very humbling. Please give a standing ovation to ‘The Captain.'”
Former Los Angeles Lakers player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hands the game ball to forward LeBron James (6) after James becomes the NBA all time scoring leader against the Oklahoma City ThunderLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) celebrates with his mother Gloria James after breaking the all-time scoring record in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.
Thai Honda announces 2023 motorsport plan, emphasising development of Thai racers
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2023
THE NATION
With the concept of “Don’t Limit Your Challenges, Let’s Challenge Your Limit,” the company is planning to enhance Thai racers’ skills in order to qualify for the 2025 MotoGP World Championship said President of Thai Honda Shigeto Kimura.
Two Thai racers will compete in the Moto2 and Moto3 Thailand Grand Prix this year, he added, including Somkiat “Kong” Chantra and Tatchakorn “Kong” Buasri.
“Somkiat aims to finish in the top 4 Moto2 World Championship, and Tatchakorn, who was a stellar rookie, will compete in 4 circuits of Moto3 World Championship,” he said.
Kimura noted that Honda is still training Thai athletes to perform at the highest level internationally.
As businesses face the reality of a global economic slowdown, I am increasingly optimistic about Thailand’s path forward in 2023, as local companies remain durable and resilient – focusing on performance following three years of tremendous transformation.
Thailand’s Ministry of Finance recently forecast up to 3.8% economic growth in 2023, bolstered by an improved tourism sector and domestic demand. This improvement will also be seen in digital spaces, with nearly 60% of worldwide social users set to be based in Asia-Pacific this year.
With an increasingly competitive digital landscape, the potential to connect with customers where they are is crucial; and it will be platforms, creators, friends, and families that drive the discovery and evaluation of local brand products and services.
Businesses that effectively leverage technology, adapt to change, and focus on performance will be the most likely to gain an edge during times of economic downturn, so here are some of the most promising social trends that businesses must consider for their growth in 2023.
1. Artificial Intelligence: Generative AI had a breakthrough moment at the end of last year. AI is becoming more mainstream as the technology continues to advance and its capabilities expand. As a result, a wider range of products and services are now incorporating AI, such as smart home devices, self-driving cars, and virtual assistants. The use of AI to analyze, organize, access, and provide advisory services based on a range of unstructured information is only going to grow. In Apac, IDC (International Data Corporation) spending on AI systems is expected to rise from $17.6 billion in 2022 to around $32 billion in 2025.
Businesses are looking to automation to improve customer experience and save time; as such, Meta has introduced new tools like Meta Advantage to help every advertiser leverage the power of AI and automation — maximizing the performance of their ad spend – and Advantage+ shopping campaigns that help advertisers eliminate the manual steps of ad creation, and automates up to 150 creative combinations at once.
2. Business Messaging: We’re living in a messaging-first world. Globally, one billion people message a business each week on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram Direct – DMing brands, browsing product catalogues, asking for support, or interacting with stories – with Click-to-Messenger Ad spend now standing at US$10 billion annually. In Apac, business messaging is growing across Australia, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Moreover, locally, we see how business messaging unlocks new opportunities for businesses and customers, with a recent survey showing 76% of Thais prefer messaging with a business, while 78% of people in Thailand say they already message a business at least once a week.
3. Cross-Border Shopping: The world is getting smaller as technology makes it easier to shop from anywhere. People are so comfortable purchasing from other countries that cross-border e-commerce growth is now outpacing domestic e-commerce growth by 5 points. By 2026, it’s estimated that the global cross-border e-commerce market will be worth USD 2.2 trillion – a compound annual growth rate of 17% since 2019. Meta worked with YouGov to survey over 16,000 shoppers across eight countries, and over half of those surveyed said they had already bought a product sold by a business in a foreign country, while 82% said they’re open to doing so – further highlighting the future potential of cross-border opportunities. Social media also plays an exceedingly important role in the discovery, with 58% of cross-border shoppers saying they found products from foreign businesses through these channels.
4. Virtual and Augmented Reality: Over the last year, businesses have embraced AR/VR to enhance the customer experience and are building creative and immersive ways for consumers to connect with their brands. According to the IDC, spending on AR/VR in Apac will grow with a compounded annual growth rate of 42.4% (2021-26) and reach $16.6 billion by 2026. AR ads enable businesses to deepen their connection with customers and improve the overall ad experience for people on Meta platforms. There is also a robust community of AR creators in Thailand, with the country being identified as Top 10 globally by the total number of active Spark AR creators in the last quarter.
5. Creators: Creators are the future: 51% of surveyed cross-border shoppers cited creators as a top source of information to discover and evaluate products. This provides an opportunity for brands to work with creators to co-create a brand narrative. At the end of last year, Meta launched ‘Creators of Tomorrow‘, a global campaign to spotlight creators who are innovating and building communities with diverse voices. According to our recent Instagram Trend Report Thailand, Thais – and especially younger generations such as Gen Z – prioritize meaningful connections with the people they follow, such as influencers. For brands, there has never been a better time to explore collabs and co-creations with diverse creators or even complementary brands. As they say, if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.
6. Online Shopping: Consumers are returning to physical stores, but the digital shopping habits formed during the pandemic continue to be relevant. For Gen X and Baby Boomers, mobile as a discovery channel continues to grow. A Nielsen study showed that 85% of Apac shoppers will continue to make purchases online, with Southeast Asian shoppers showing the highest online shopping intent at over 60%.
Social commerce is the fastest-growing sales channel, with 62% of online shoppers in Apac citing it as their preferred channel. With the rise of social commerce, Gen Z shoppers have recently become a driving force for shopping transformation. In Thailand, Gen Zs utilize both online and in-store touch points interchangeably – over 54% of Thai Gen Z shoppers have ordered an item online and had it delivered to or picked up at a store – with smartphones being their most important shopping tool.
7. Short-form Video: Video continues its blistering growth across the internet and on Meta platforms. This includes Reels, which continues to grow quickly across our apps – both in production and consumption. Reels is Meta’s fastest-growing content format by far, counting for 20% of time spent on Instagram. Daily Reels plays across Facebook and Instagram have doubled from 140 billion over the past year. Particularly in Apac, video is becoming the primary way that people use our products and express themselves.
So how should businesses respond? Determine your objectives, whether it is to build a brand or drive more immersive shopping experiences, and go from there. It is important to tell your brand story through video in all formats and lengths to achieve outcomes – from brand building to discovery. The upside is that businesses now have numerous ways to connect with people and build their brand through a variety of social, online, immersive, and conversational experiences. It is an exciting space to explore and as we like to say at Meta, Begin Anywhere – these new ways of doing business and connecting with consumers are only going to grow.
By Prae Dumrongmongcolgul, Country Director of Facebook Thailand, Meta
Danish firm Milestone Systems seeks to make inroads in Asia with high-tech video system
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 07, 2023
Tammy Tameryn Somhar
A global software company, Milestone Systems, is expecting rapid growth in Asia this year, setting its sights on hospitality and transportation as its prime markets in Thailand.
The company CEO, Thomas Jensen, told a meeting with over 100 employees in Asia at the Hyatt Regency Bangkok in Sukhumvit, that the company, headquartered in Brondby, Denmark, would focus on B2B and B2G business this year.
Milestone Systems is marketing video management system (VMS), which is the control panel of any video operation.
VMS provides an intelligence system that combines analytic artificial intelligence and machine learning together as software, an open platform that allows devices from any brand to plug in, such as CCTV camera or other devices, to transform videos into a searchable and quantifiable video data.
It helps add security for hotel guests. On the streets, it enhances the control of traffic and makes sure it runs smoothly. In case of emergency, it helps redirect ambulances to the accident site.
Thailand has a lot of potential for growth in the hospitality sector and also in the manufacturing sector where Thailand houses is one of the biggest manufacturing hubs in Asia, he told The Nation in an exclusive interview.
“We had healthy double-digit growth last year. I see all of Asia, including Thailand, as a market for Milestone Systems. Hospitality and transportation are the priorities in Thailand,” he said.
Thomas Jensen, CEO, Milestone Systems
“Video should become a common tool to help society and for governments to become more efficient and safer in order to get more advantages out of it,” said Jensen.
Milestone Systems has started collaborating with hospitals to help nurses improve their performance and have more time for patients by creating a video management system for patient monitoring.
“Thailand has potential to grow in the hospitality industry. The country is also a production base for manufacturing companies,” Jensen said.
Detecting gestures from patients will tremendously help nurses provide immediate assistance.
“As part of being a responsible tech company, we are very cautious about how the software is used and how we can avoid it being misused,” Jensen said.
Digital lending platform MONIX closes US$20M pre-IPO round led by SCBX and Lombard Asia
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2023
Bangkok, Thailand, February 8, 2023 – MONIX Co., Ltd., a Bangkok-based leading AI-powered digital lending platform, announced today that the company has secured US$20 million in the first close of its pre-IPO fundraising.
The investment was led by the mothership SCBX and a new investor Lombard Asia, a Southeast Asia’s growth-focused private equity manager, demonstrating the company’s strong growth in micro-finance lending on the path to IPO in the near future and becoming the market leader in Thailand’s digital lending arena.
Mr. Qinbin Fan, Chief Executive Officer, and Ms. Thiranun Arunwattanakul, Chief Operating Officer of MONIX, said “We are extremely delighted to welcome our new partner to jointly create better opportunities for underserved people. The new equity we have secured shows the confidence that SCBX and Lombard Asia have in our vision and market-leading position. We are dedicated to continuously delivering inclusive financial products and services across our platform by advancing the power of unrivaled and cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning technology.”
Since its establishment in 2020 as a joint venture fintech startup between SCBX Group and China’s fintech unicorn Abakus Group, MONIX has been at the forefront of digital unsecured lending solutions for underbanked people in Thailand who are oftentimes overlooked by conventional banks or financial institutions. With the unwavering vision of creating opportunities for people to prosper and enjoy life, the company offers the humanized, AI-driven FINNIX application to over 36 million Thai people in order to improve the country’s informal debt problems. This application provides instant money in 5 minutes using only alternative data and does not require any paper documents or guarantors.
As of 2022, MONIX recorded US$458 million in loan disbursements to over 650,000 users, reflecting positive net profits despite the challenging economic situation. With the new funds raised, which bring the company’s aggregated funding to US$40 million, and continued support from both partners, MONIX is well-positioned to accelerate its growth and expansion of digital lending and financial product offerings, bolster customer growth and engagement, and innovate its services to enhance financial inclusion for Thai citizens, as well as prepare for an IPO.
Dr. Arak Sutivong, Deputy CEO of SCBX, said “This follow-on investment in MONIX marks our continued commitment and strong belief in the long-term prospects of the company. As the mothership of the group, SCBX continues to support our portfolio companies in their own way including MONIX’s external fundraising this round to fuel its growth and prepare for IPO in coming years, uplifting value of the company and maximizing returns to shareholders. Together with experienced talents from Lombard Asia and Abakus Group, we ensure MONIX will achieve its established plan. This also strengthens one of our powerful goals of SCBX to pursue new possibilities in financial services and maximize value of portfolio companies. Going forward, we continue to advance our strategy in unleashing hidden value from our investments across fintech space and look forward to many more achievement to come.”
Mr. Ekaluck Wangchucherdkul, Managing Director of Lombard Asia, said “MONIX is a market leader in an exciting and fast-growing business. The partnership is in line with our investment strategy of generating investment returns and creating a positive impact, in this case, by providing access to high quality financial services to the underserved. As an active investor, Lombard Asia will partner with MONIX’s management team to accelerate the execution of growth strategy and work toward a successful IPO.”
Sustainability a pillar of Radisson Hotel Group’s long-term success after Covid-19
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2023
Radisson Hotel Group (RHG), one of the world’s leading hotel company, expressed its vested commitment to sustainability, as the world turns more to green practices.
RHG’s Chief Development Officer for Asia Pacific, Ramzy Fenianos, recently told The Nation in an exclusive interview that the Covid-19 pandemic had made the world realize the importance of the environment and how tremendously it could affect everyone’s life.
“Covid-19 has shown people the value of human life and the fragility of our world, and this has accelerated the drive for sustainability as a key pillar in the industry,” he said.
Fenianos stated that RHG’s mission is to adapt to the needs of its customers while maintaining the group’s firm commitment to responsible business and sustainability practices.
Therefore, RHG is incorporating more innovative methods and tools to elevate the overall process aimed at achieving sustainability.
Radisson Hotel Group launched its first environmental policy in 1989. That landmark move has helped to significantly reduce its carbon footprint over the past years. By 2025, the Group aims to achieve its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 30% and eventually be carbon neutral by 2050.
To achieve its ambitious goal, RHG, in collaboration with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), has developed a new set of sustainability indicators known as ”Hotel Sustainability Basics”.
According to Fenianos, Hotel Sustainability Basics serve as a key performance index. For example, the Group is deploying the use of tools to reduce water consumption, and choosing local suppliers to reduce carbon footprint.
Moreover, energy conservation, waste reduction, and lowering of carbon emissions are also listed in the set as additional requirements.
“One of the most important task before us is to motivate our hotel owners to make their property and asset sustainable, such as setting up water bottling plants within the hotel or partnering with other companies to install electric charging stations,” he said.
Radisson Hotel Group has set intermediate targets in order to meet this ambitious mid-term decarbonization goal. One of these critical short-term steps is the implementation of the Hotel Sustainability Basics in all RHG hotels worldwide by the end of 2023.
In addition, as part of its efforts to encourage greater participation in protecting the environment, RHG welcomes its clients to take part in and benefit from these sustainability measures. Radisson Rewards members can make their hotel stays carbon neutral by redeeming just 325 points per day to offset the carbon footprint of their stay in a reliable and seamless way. Radisson Rewards is one of the few loyalty programs to offer this option in points and as an integral part of the stay, making green stays easy campaign.
Fenianos mentioned that according to Expedia Research in April 2022, 90% of travellers want to see sustainable options, and 95% of Asia-Pacific travellers choose sustainable options. The trend points to an increasing number of travelers showing a willingness to pay for sustainable options.
“We realize that today’s travelers are willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly, convenient, cleaner, and safer stay. I could say that sustainability is requested by most of our guests,” he stated.
Aside from focusing on sustainability, RHG also plans to continue its expansion strategy as the global tourism industry recovers.
Despite challenges such as inflation, RHG continues to grow in key markets in the region, including Thailand.
Fenianos said that RHG intends to add value to Thailand’s tourism, and added that the rich diversity of Thai natural resources, food, and culture would be key factors in making Thailand’s tourism stronger and more sustainable.
“We have a very positive outlook on Thailand’s market and have full faith in its potential,” Fenianos said.
The Group continues to be vested in the growth of Thailand and the region, and prioritises relationships with hotel owners, travelers, and employees while also advocating sustainability, he concluded.
Huawei aims to groom 20,000 Thai IT developers in three years
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 07, 2023
Nongluck Ajanapanya
Huawei Technologies (Thailand) will focus on grooming at least 20,000 talents and developers in Thailand within three years as part of its sustainable growth strategy.
The announcement came as David Li, the company’s newly appointed CEO, unveiled Huawei’s six core business directions for Thailand in 2023 at a media briefing on Tuesday.
Huawei’s goal is to contribute social values and cultivate local digital talents in addition to achieving business success, he said, adding Huawei Thailand will place strong emphasis on developing information and communications technology (ICT) personnel in Thailand, with the goal of grooming 20,000 developers in three years.
Working-age groups and Thai entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) would be included in these figures, he added.
“We aim to develop relevant technology skills for local developers to improve Thailand’s digital technologies through activities, skill-building workshops, and certification through Huawei’s various training programmes, including youth competitions and scholarships,” Li explained.
He also touted the successes in three years of Huawei’s business operations in Thailand.
The work primarily included enabling 5G in various industries, establishing three local data centres for cloud service, collaborating with more than 300 partners to enter 10 industries with intelligent solutions, enabling digital power to support Thailand’s carbon neutral goal, sharing cybersecurity knowledge, and assisting in the development of over 60,000 digital talents in the country.
Li said Huawei’s six core businesses this year would be: improving 5G network connections by expanding to rural areas; strengthening digital cloud and unleashing its potential to Thai clients; assisting Thai businesses in completely transferring digitalisation via its ICT solutions; supporting the development of new energy for green solutions; upgrading Thailand’s cybersecurity on a global level; grooming local Thai workforce for digital skills and educating digital literacy for Thai users.
“We will jointly drive Thailand towards becoming the digital hub of Asean and will push forward intelligent industries, starting with the development of telecommunication infrastructure to enable more connectivity, which we believe is a basic human right. Connectivity will help drive social progress,” he said.
Despite the current global slowdown having an impact on global consumption, Li saw steady growth in 5G infrastructure, new energy, ICT and cloud.
He promised many projects and plans to keep growing in Thailand as well as support businesses and startups in Thailand to adopt secure and reliable cloud solutions that comply with the country’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) with the aim of enhancing the country on the Global Cybersecurity Index.
Huawei is China’s leading global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices. The company employs 195,000 people and operates in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over 3 billion people worldwide.
Scoot gives Bangkok flyers the Pokemon experience in unique Pikachu Jet
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 07, 2023
Jarupong Krisanaraj
In a bid to offer an extraordinary experience to passengers in the post-Covid-19 era, Singaporean low-cost airline Scoot operated its first Pokémon-themed Pikachu Jet, which landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday.
Scoot, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, is the first airline in the Asean region to launch an exclusive design in collaboration with The Pokémon Company, the Japan-based company responsible for the media franchise.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft was designed with yellow petals and leaves inspired by flower scents. It has a capacity of 375 seats, comprising 35 seats in ScootPlus business class and 340 seats in economy class.
Famous Pokémon characters, namely Pikachu, Pichu, Shaymin, Psyduck, Lapras, Celebi and Meganium, are depicted on the fuselage.
Inside the aircraft, passengers can look forward to eye-catching character prints on the seats and overhead cabins, as well as Pokémon-themed amenities and Japanese-inspired dishes.
Passengers can also purchase exclusive merchandise while making their booking on the Pikachu Jet or when onboard these flights, including lanyard, tote bag, and bucket hat.
“The Pokémon Air Adventures flight experience resonates with our fun and innovative brand DNA, and we are excited to bring smiles to travellers going into and out of Bangkok,” Scoot chief commercial officer Calvin Chan said.
“Thailand remains one of Scoot’s important markets and we are committed to connecting travellers between Thailand and other parts of the world,” he added.
Scoot is initially operating its Pikachu Jet in five countries – Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and South Korea.
The next to-and-from flight on the Singapore-Bangkok route will be operated on March 15.
Japan-based All Nippon Airways (ANA) unveiled the world’s first Pokémon Jet on July 1, 1998, two years after the appearance of a Pokémon video game. As many as 10 Pokémon jets have been unveiled by ANA so far.
Other Japanese airlines that have unveiled their Pokémon jets since 2020 are: Solaseed Air (December 19, 2020), Skymark Airlines (June 21, 2021) and Air Do (November 19, 2021).
Scoot became the first non-Japanese airline to introduce a Pokémon Jet on July 17 last year, followed by China Airlines (September 30) and T’way Air (December 28).
Pokémon video games are developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and the Pokémon Company under the Pokémon media franchise.
The monsters, created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, first showed up in 1996 in Game Boy handheld consoles in Japan as Pocket Monsters Red and Green, before going international as Pokémon Red and Blue.
The main series of role-playing video games (RPGs), referred to as the “core series” by their developers, have starred in each generation of Nintendo handhelds with different Pokémon, storylines and characters.
While the main series were developed by Game Freak, several other companies have developed spinoffs encompassing other genres like action role-playing, puzzles, fighting and digital pet games.
Pokémon is said to be the largest media franchise, with successful anime series, films and merchandise, with spinoff games like Pokémon Go having crossed 1 billion downloads worldwide. As of March 2022, the series had sold over 440 million units worldwide.
Nattawan Utoomprurkporn, M.D.
Former Los Angeles Lakers player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hands the game ball to forward LeBron James (6) after James becomes the NBA all time scoring leader against the Oklahoma City Thunder
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) celebrates with his mother Gloria James after breaking the all-time scoring record in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.
Thomas Jensen, CEO, Milestone Systems
“Thailand has potential to grow in the hospitality industry. The country is also a production base for manufacturing companies,” Jensen said.
SootinClaimon.Com 