Sooksunt Jiumjaiswanglerg, Co-President at CP, said overseas operations in the first nine months this year accounted for 67 per cent of sales, an increase of 12 per cent year-on-year. Vietnam’s operation grew the fastest.

“The overseas investment is a part of the company’s sustainable growth strategy. CP Foods has invested in promising overseas markets for agriculture and food sectors, focusing on developing countries with a demand for high quality and modern farming,” he said, adding that CP currently operates in 17 countries.

It had reported a 9-month net profit of Bt13.855 billion, rising by 7 per cent due to pork prices recovering in Vietnam and Cambodia.

To cope with the global economic slowdown, the company placed an importance on reducing the cost of management and lower interest rates via debentures.

Two awards – female entrepreneur in Asean and Vietnam – were presented by Singapore President Halimah Yacob and chairman of Asean Business Advisory Council Robert Yap.

Vietjet, under the leadership of Thao, has expanded its flight network to103 routes. She is now the only female billionaire in Vietnam and was named among world’s 100 most powerful women by Forbes Magazine in 2016 and 2017.

The cooperation is expected to enhance the quality of sweet corn and maximise sustainable revenue for the farmers.

The photo showed Karn Thongyai (third from right), first executive vice president of Loxley and Ongart Kittikhunchai (fifth from right), chairman of executive committee of Sunsweet after signing the contract.

Sompop Chareonkul, vice chairman of the Executive Board of Loxley witnessed the signing.

Across the region, over 11 million orders was recorded on November 11, around 4.5 times that of 2017. Total visits hit over 42 million as shoppers snapped up unbeatable deals across all categories. At its highest, over 58,000 items were sold in a single minute, according to its press statement.

Terence Pang, chief operating officer of Shopee, said, “As our biggest 11.11 shopping event to date, this year’s Shopee 11.11 Big Sale was extremely well-received by users, and again surpassed all past achievements in record time. The year-on-year growth of our 11.11 performance proves that this will continue to be an integral part of the year-end shopping season for shoppers in the region. We would like to thank our loyal users for their support in making this year’s event our most successful one yet.”

The statement revealed this year’s Shopee 11.11 Big Sale in Thailand featured an upsized package of non-stop promotions at up to 90% off; the launch of the brand new in-app game, Shopee Quiz; and exclusive deals from Shopee’s brand and strategic partners.

On 11 November, top participating brands and sellers enjoyed up to 1,909 times their average daily orders and an average of more than 800% increase in traffic. Health & Beauty, Home & Living and Mobile & Gadgets emerged as the top three categories.

Top products on that day included Vaseline Lip Therapy, Opple LED Bulb 3W and Babylove Power Pants.

Mobile continues to drive online shopping forward; In line with the growth of mobile-commerce in the region, Shopee’s mobile-first strategy continued to be a key success factor for this year’s Shopee 11.11 Big Sale in Thailand, with over 95 per cent of orders made in-app.

In-app games continue to grow in popularity; Shopee’s iconic in-app game, Shopee Shake, continued to engage users throughout Shopee 11.11 Big Sale. Shopee Shake was played around 2.5 million times in Thailand throughout the entire campaign.

The brand interactive live quiz game, Shopee Quiz, which debuted on Shopee 11.11 Big Sale, was also a huge hit. The game saw around 1.2 million participants within a single day on 11 November.

Campaign ambassador, Kunpimook “Bambam” Bhuwakul, was highly popular among Thais; In line with Shopee 11.11 Big Sale, Kunpimook was announced as Shopee’s newest campaign ambassador.

On November 10, Shopee hosted a Shopee x Bambam Fanmeet, to celebrate the official launch of JYP Entertainment Official Shop on Shopee and to celebrate the peak of Shopee 11.11 Big Sale. The event was extremely well received and the hashtag became a top trend on Twitter with over 200,000 tweets within a short period.

GARMIN Pay is a contactless payment feature available on supported GARMIN smartwatches which enables fitness enthusiasts to make contactless payments and pay by simply tapping their device at a contactless terminal at 12 million merchant locations globally.

According to its press statement, the partnership between GARMIN, SCB, KTC and Mastercard expands the range of contactless payments options available to Mastercard cardholders, which now includes contactless cards, smartphones, watches and other wearables.

The adoption of payments using connected devices has increased rapidly in recent years, globally and regionally. Mastercard’s 2017 Mobile Shopping Survey found that emerging markets, including Thailand, are leading the region’s growth in mobile shopping, with 65 per cent of Thai respondents saying they have made purchases using their connected mobile devices.

The statement said the rapid adoption of new payments technology combined with the Thai government’s policy to develop digital payments is continuing to drive the growth of mobile and contactless payments in Thailand. Mastercard’s expanding partnerships with leading manufacturers, distributers and local issuers are ensuring the next-generation of innovative, connected digital devices are secure, widely accessible and simple to use.

All contactless payments supported by GARMIN devices are powered by Mastercard’s industry-leading Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES), which includes advanced biometric and gesture-based authentication features to protect transactions.

Krairop Luang U-Thai, general manager of GIS, the authorized distributor of GARMIN products in Thailand said, “The GARMIN Pay service is the latest feature for GARMIN smartwatch users. Customers can tie their Mastercard credit cards issued by KTC and SCB with a supported GARMIN smartwatch and create a GARMIN Pay Wallet through the GARMIN Connect application, along with a passcode.

To make a purchase, all customers need to do is simply place their smartwatch on a Mastercard Contactless acceptance terminal.

GARMIN Pay uses Mastercard Digital Enablement Service to secure users’ information. The tokenized data is saved in an isolated safety chip in the device, protecting sensitive data from malware and viruses. GARMIN Pay is now available in the U.S. and 21 other countries around the world.”

Srihanath Lamsam, executive vice president, Payments Product Development and Solutions Division, SCB, said, “As a leader in digital-lifestyle banking, SCB pays unprecedented attention to the development of innovation, technology, and services to offer new financial and customer experiences. Working hand in hand with our partners we aim to build strong digital platforms to support the development of a cashless society in Thailand.

The partnership with GARMIN and Mastercard will create a brand new health-lifestyle experience for health enthusiasts. Siam Commercial Bank believes that this collaboration will be a crucial part for our push to be the most admired bank, and in addition, revolutionize financial experiences for the better, fulfilling our customers’ needs.”

Pittaya Vorapanyasakul, executive vice president – Credit Card Business, “KTC” or Krungthai Card Public Company Limited, states, “KTC joins hands with “GARMIN” to introduce its latest contactless payment through GARMIN smartwatches for KTC Mastercard credit card members.

“GARMIN Pay allows for convenient and safe transaction that meets the lifestyles of health conscious, modern and tech-savvy customers. In this occasion, KTC launches promotions for members to use GARMIN Pay, offering 5% cashback for members who make over five transactions using KTC Mastercard credit cards through GARMIN Pay per card per month, with an overall spending not exceeding Bt. 5,000/card/month, from November 15, 2018 to December 31, 2018.”

Meanwhile Aileen Chew, head of market development, Thailand and Myanmar, Mastercard, said, “Mastercard is pleased to partner with GARMIN and our issuing partners SCB and KTC to expand our range of contactless payments for Mastercard cardholders. The speed, convenience and security that contactless payments offer, including wearables in the GARMIN range, are transforming everyday commerce, benefiting merchants and consumers, and helping to move Thailand towards a more efficient and inclusive cashless society.”

GARMIN Pay is available on vivoactive 3 series, forerunner 645 series, fenix 5 plus series.

Located in Tien Giang province, the mall has been developed by retail leader Central Group Vietnam, and offers a range of items from food and consumer goods to apparel, accessories, fashion and lifestyle items and electrical home appliances and is also home to innovative playground and entertainment services.

GO! My Tho is spread over 18,742 square metres on three floors and has free parking for up to 1,500 motorbikes and 150 cars. The high-ceilinged lobby, which connects to the exterior in a way that maximizes natural light, is decorated with special patterns in the shape of the boats, the icons of Mekong delta river network.

The mall is designed with an “Eat – Shop – Play” layout allowing customers to access food and beverages, shopping and entertainment on each floor. Services include a food court, coffee and tea shops, restaurants, fresh and grocery shopping, and lifestyle stores from trusted brands.

Philippe Broianigo, CEO of Central Group Vietnam, stated: “Tien Giang has been selected as the first GO! My Tho because we believe in the potential of the town, We are proud to introduce the new Vietnamese brand GO!, which is run by Vietnamese for Vietnamese . My Tho is a milestone achievement in our commitment to Vietnam’s prosperity and to enhancing the quality of life of the people.

“Over the two-week trial period, we saw thousands of customers coming to eat, shop and play, with the food court proving particularly population. That tells us that the GO! My Tho model has been well received and has the support of local residents.”

Le Van Nghia, vice chairman of Tien Giang Province People’s Committee, added: “We very much appreciate the investment of Central Group Vietnam in Tien Giang province, which is contributing to the economic development of the province, especially in the sectors of trading and services. My Tho Trading and Services Mall will play a major role in the development of commerce, services and tourism, enhancing the efficiency of trading activities while firmly placing My Tho City on the map as a tier-1 urban city. This mall has contributed to the stability and social-economic development of My Tho city in particular and Tien Giang province in general.”

In the period between the start of construction and its opening, My Tho has provided employment to more than 1,000 local people and related business partners. The mall is slated to become a preferred destination, attracting more than 200,000 customers a month from Tien Giang and its surroundings.

Ripple’s blockchain-based solution has been deployed to enhance Speedsend, CIMB’s proprietary remittance product. This will expand CIMB’s SpeedSend network and open new payment corridors to improve consumer access to cross-border remittances, both inbound to Asean and outbound to other countries. The solution is now live on Speedsend, enabling remittances via corridors such as Australia (in partnership with Instarem, also a member of RippleNet), USA, UK and Hong Kong.

“We are delighted to be part of RippleNet and look forward to a fruitful partnership with Ripple by leveraging each other’s strengths and capabilities. This innovative blockchain solution will revolutionise international cross-border remittances, and is a testament to CIMB’s ongoing efforts to enhance its digital banking through providing speedy and cost-efficient solutions,” said Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz, CEO, CIMB Group.”

As part of the overall partnership, CIMB intends to extend the solution to other use cases across the Group. There is a growing demand for cross border payment solutions, with the World Bank projecting that remittances to Southeast Asia will grow to US$120 billion by the end of 2018.

“We’re seeing banks and financial institutions from across the world lean into blockchain solutions because it enables a more transparent, quicker and lower cost payments experience,” said Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple chef executive.

“CIMB’s network already spans 15 countries, nearly 800 branches and offers Speedsend – one of the best solutions in the ASEAN region. Now, by integrating Ripple’s blockchain technology, they will enable their customers to send vital funds to family, friends and loved ones more efficiently. With its focus on innovation, CIMB will continue to be a dominant force in the region for years to come.”