Habitat Hospitality has appointed Peter Lucas as its new managing director.
Experienced in leading some of the top hospitality brands and businesses in Thailand and around the world, Lucas will oversee rapidly expanding Habitat Hospitality, a subsidiary of award-winning premium property-for-investment developer, Habitat Group, the company said.
Having previously held positions at BHMA, Boutique Corporation and Destination Properties, and asset-managed properties for Accor, Starwood, Hilton and more, Lucas comes to Habitat Hospitality from Cross Hotels and Resorts where as CEO he led the company through a period of exponential growth, the company said.
Lucas will oversee current operations, new resort openings and future additions to the company’s pipeline, as well as ensure a healthy return on investment for investors, the company added.
With a strong presence on Thailand’s east coast, current Habitat Hospitality resorts include X2 Pattaya Oceanphere, X2 Vibe Pattaya Seaphere and The Ville Jomtien Pool Villa. Resorts in the pipeline include Best Western Premier Bayphere Pattaya, BluPhere Pattaya Managed By BW Premier Collection, Wyndham Atlas Wongamat Pattaya, and Ramada By Wyndham Mira North Pattaya.
Pizza Hut Thailand, operated by PH Capital, is planning to open another 20 branches in different parts of the country this year.
Ausana Mahagitsiri, director of PH Capital, said: “Pizza Hut Thailand has been improving its performance, as proved by double-digit sales growth and profit since 2019. This was the result of new brand positioning and customer-centric marketing strategy.
“Pizza Hut had to strengthen its delivery system after online orders began pouring because people had to work from home due to the Covid-19 outbreak.”
She added that Pizza Hut aims to open another 20 branches this year. Earlier this year, Pizza Hut had opened 10 branches, including in Mae Sot, Nakhon Pathom, Surin, Prachinburi, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Nonthaburi as well as on Bang Na-Trat in Bangkok, at Tesco Lotus on Phetchakasem 81 and the Jas Ramintra.
There are currently 158 Pizza Hut outlets in Thailand.
MEA seminar discusses data governance and Personal Data Protection Act
Sep 12. 2020
By THE NATION
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), in cooperation with State Owned Enterprise Digital Club of Thailand (SOE-D), organised a seminar on “Guidance on management towards data governance and PDPA [Personal Data Protection Act],” on Friday (September 11).
The seminar was held at the MEA head office in Bangkok’s Khlong Toey district.
MEA deputy governor Wanchai Jiarawattanawi, who is also the 13th president of SOE-D, opened the seminar and gave a lecture on data governance and the PDPA, after which he signed a memorandum of understanding between MEA, SOE-D and Asean Chief Information Officer Association (ACIOA) to promote future cooperation between the three organisations.
The seminar also featured a lecture on the PPDA by Chaijaroen Atiphaet, ACIOA’s president, and a lecture on government’s data protection by Sak Sekkhunthod, ACIOA digital transformation adviser and former director of the Digital Government Development Agency.
Muji Thailand is continuing to revise its prices so the brand becomes more affordable for Thai consumers, said Akihiro Kamogari, managing director of Muji Retail (Thailand).
He said the company has been able to reduce prices by eliminating unnecessary processes and improving its operating efficiency.
This year, the brand adjusted its retail price of more than 604 items sold in Thailand, 127 of which are in garment category and 477 in the household category. The brand plans to revise the price of 55 furniture items this month.
Last month, Muji opened its 20th store in Thailand at the Mall Ngamwongwan in Nonthaburi. This new store is the second biggest branch after the one at Samyan Mitrtown in downtown Bangkok.
eBay pitches its Global 24/7 programme to boost Thai product sales across the world
Sep 10. 2020
By The Nation
eBay, a leader in international e-commerce, today (September 10) launched its Global 24/7 programme, designed specifically to help SMEs in Thailand and other markets across Southeast Asia to leverage its platform for global exports as the economy gradually enters a recovery phase from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The programme is available to any business entity that is new to eBay and wants to start a global online business by joining eBay’s marketplace of more than 182 million active buyers, the platform said.
“Global e-commerce is experiencing exponential growth due to a shift in consumer behaviour resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Tam Yong Sheng, head of Business Development, eBay Southeast Asia. “Thai SME exporters on our platform have seen a corresponding increase in sales, especially in categories such as vitamins and dietary supplements, guitars and bass parts and accessories, fine jewellery, motorcycle parts, and garden & outdoor living, where volumes have shown strong growth compared to the same period last year,” he added.
“This shows e-commerce is a key driver for SMEs, helping them to recover from the economic downturn. Our aspiration with the eBay Global 24/7 programme is to empower businesses by helping them move online more quickly and giving them the opportunity to participate in an international marketplace with approximately 1.5 billion live listings at any given time across 190 markets,” Sheng said.
According to eBay, the programme, which runs from now until December 31, 2020, offers new sellers a range of benefits, including:
• New business seller incentives: eBay will waive 100 per cent of eBay Store fees at the basic subscription tier and 50 per cent of fees for businesses to use the platform’s Promoted Listings to advertise their products. Total rebates for each seller can be as high as US$1,000 (Bt31,290 baht). These benefits will significantly reduce the costs for SMEs, allowing them to grow their businesses online.
• Educational webinars: eBay offers webinars for business owners to gain insights on cross-market selling opportunities on eBay, best practices to optimise listing rankings and visibility, and tips on developing a traffic generation plan for their virtual storefront.
• Free Access to Product Listing Tools worth up to $700: Sellers will have full access to Viewider, enabling easy store set-up on eBay and building on the strengths of their existing online selling channels. Those in the Automotive category will be entitled to additional listing assistance to map their items to eBay’s Master Vehicle List, enhancing visibility through eBay’s fitment finder. These tools will reduce the amount of manual work SMEs need to complete and accelerate their go-global journey.
• Special Offers from DHL Express: eBay sellers who register a new account with DHL Express will get a Bt500 discount voucher, an additional Bt300 when using the service at least once a month for three consecutive months, special shipping rates, 30-day credit (juristic persons), and the chance to collect more discounts every quarter with accumulated shipping with DHL First Promotion.
• Special offers from Fastship: eBay sellers can enjoy a 5 per cent discount when registering a new Fastship account at https://app.fastship.co/joinus/ebay2020 and completing a transaction via Fastship’s API called “eBay Feed”. Sellers can also enjoy a Bt300 discount by using the ebay300 discount code at checkout.
• Dedicated business development manager: Each business owner with more than 100 products listed on eBay will also be assigned a dedicated adviser, who offers personalised guidance and consultation to ensure the owners make the most of their online stores.
• Market intelligence: To help business owners make better-informed decisions and strategies, eBay offers local market intelligence reports for their specific product categories and industries.
SMEs operating an existing business that does not have an eBay account are eligible to apply for this programme.
To get started, they need to apply at eBaySEAforbusiness.com/th and follow the instructions that are provided in subsequent emails. The application period for the eBay Global 24/7 programme is from now until September 30.
Thai products sold on eBay
The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Canada were the top five export destination markets for Thai sellers on eBay in the first quarter of 2020.
Guitar and bass parts and accessories, vitamins and mineral supplements, fine earrings and rings, motorcycle parts, and plants, seeds & bulbs were among the leading items sold globally.
According to eBay, retail exports by Thai sellers on the platform for the first quarter show a strong growth trajectory year-on-year for the following “hot-selling” categories:
> Parts and accessories for guitars and basses saw a growth of roughly 38 per cent in the US market.
> Thai sellers recorded growth of 53 per cent in vitamin and mineral supplements to the UK.
> Thais also recorded massive growth of 98 per cent in vitamin and mineral supplement sales to Australia.
> Thailand’s trade with Germany for fine rings and fine earrings recorded more than 50 and 110 per cent growth, respectively.
> Sales to France, Italy and Spain of motorcycle parts and plants, seeds & bulbs grew 44 and 32 per cent, respectively.
THAI brings its top-class Royal Orchid Dining Experience down to earth
Sep 10. 2020
By The Nation
Thai Airways International’s catering department has launched the Royal Orchid Dining Experience, making meals from its Royal First and Royal Silk in-flight menu available to general customers on the ground.
Following the success of a gourmet event held from July to August, with high-quality meals being prepared by international chefs, another event was held at THAI headquarters’ employees’ canteen, which was converted into a Royal Orchid Dining Experience by volunteer staff from the airline’s technical, operations, and ground equipment services departments, THAI Catering managing director Varangkana Luerojvong said.
To generate a passenger cabin atmosphere on the ground, plane seats and furniture are made from discharged aircraft engines, engine fans have been converted into table legs and rubber wheels made into tables. Some engine parts including the spinner core are on display. Customers can get to climb a ladder car similar to real embarking, before scanning a QR code to receive an e-boarding pass on their smartphones.
Menus served at the latest dining experience were bestsellers from the previous event, such as pasta, shawarma, chicken tikka, yakisoba, cheesecake, macaroni, salad, roasted beef with nam jim jaew, and kanom chin nam prik, with prices starting at Bt65.
There were also special menus made of high quality ingredients by international chefs from THAI Catering, which has over 60 years of experience in serving THAI and customer airlines.
These special menus are now being rotated every month.
Local and imported ingredients used in preparing inflight meals, mixed fruit juice, tamarind tea and lime butterfly pea are sold in the TG Market Zone.
The Royal Orchid Dining Experience is now open every Wednesday to Sunday. Coffee, tea and baked goods are sold from 7am, while international meals are available from 9am-2pm.
Self-service set menus are also on sale at the main level of the Royal Orchid Dining Experience, while full service set menus for a group of customers are served on the mezzanine level. For reservations, please call 0-2356-1666 from 8am-5pm. Those interested need to book three days in advance.
THAI Catering also aims to introduce the Royal Orchid Pop-up Dining Experience at its THAI Silom and Larn Luang offices later this year.
New Birdy 3in1, more intense coffee and less sweet
Sep 09. 2020
By THE NATION
Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd. introduces new formula of “Birdy 3in1” with its intense coffee taste from well-selected Robusta coffee bean to make you feel ready in every morning.
Two new formulas are “Birdy 3in1 Robusta” with well blend coffee taste, and “Birdy 3in1 Espresso” with less 25% sugar from original taste tomeet young generation’s lifestyle who is now focusing on their health and nutrition and want to lessen sugar consumption. The company aims to develop products with low sugar formula to promote creating “healthy living society” and be the healthy choice for consumer as well as to improve the quality of life in accordance with our Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value policy (ASV).
New formula of “Birdy 3in1” with the new packaging are now available for Bt15 at 7-ELEVEN, convenient stores and department stores nationwide.
You can follow Birdy movement via Facebook Fan Page “Birdy World”.
UN Global Compact members brainstorm ways to improve world economy
Sep 09. 2020Prime Minister Prayut Cha-o-cha
By THE NATION
More than 200 UN Global Compact members came together recently for a seminar in Bangkok to find ways to improve the global economy amid the massive impact of Covid-19 while maintaining SGDs, or sustainable development goals.
The August 31 seminar, “GCNT Forum 2020: Thailand Business Leadership for SDGs”, was organised by Global Compact Network Thailand, a group of companies committed to encouraging businesses nationwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies with a focus on human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of United Nations Global Compact.
Prime Minister Prayut Cha-o-cha presided over the forum, giving a speech.
As president of Global Compact Network Thailand, Charoen Pokphand Group chief executive Suphachai Chearavanont announced his group’s intention to become a leader in sustainable business operations under 17 SGDs together with other business organisations, which are Global Compact members.
Dusit Thani College offers international standard courses with focus on hands-on experience
Sep 08. 2020
By The Nation
Dusit Thani College (DTC), one of Thailand’s premier hospitality education institutions, recently held an online learning session for Hotel and Resort Management students to enhance their learning experience in hotel and resort professionalism.
The college said that the programme operates in accordance with international standards secured by the academic certification of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), the world-leading hospitality management school in Switzerland that has been a pioneer in hospitality education for over 125 years.
This programme focuses on expanding new horizons in hotel and resort management; fostering critical thinking, analysis, strategic planning, and innovative management. Hands-on experience is also included in the programme to offer a variety of real-life business challenges, to best utilise and further develop knowledge and skills in problem-solving and hospitality management, the college said.
In this session, Dusit Thani College invited Stefan Heintze, general manager of Pathumwan Princess Hotel and an alumni of EHL as well as a part of the EHL Bangkok Stamm Committee, to discuss with students the topic of “Hotel renovations and refurbishments – The Case of the Pathumwan Princess”.
His talk explored how the Pathumwan Princess has renovated its rooms in the past year to maintain its strategic positioning in the Bangkok market; decision factors that led to the renovation (customer feedback, increasing competition, potentially decreasing average daily rate; how the renovation was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and how the hotel took advantage of the forced hotel closures to speed up the renovation process and decrease the impact of Covid-19.
Dusit Thani College was established to meet the demand for well-trained professionals and is a private educational institution specialising in tourism and hospitality management. The college offers three bachelor’s degree programmes in the Thai language: Hotel Management, Culinary Arts and Kitchen Management, and Service Innovation in Tourism Industry, along with a Master of Business Administration. English language bachelor’s degree programmes are offered in Hotel and Resort Management, and Professional Culinary Arts.
In addition, many specialised short courses are also available. All programmes are recognised nationally and internationally.
The college is accredited to the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (Public Organisation) and international standards of excellence by The International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education.
For more information, contact public relations office on +66 (0) 2361 7811-3, or e-mail pr.pr@dtc.ac.th, or visit www.dtc.ac.th
Krungsri’s subsidiary in Cambodia gets regulatory nod for commercial banking
Sep 08. 2020
By THE NATION
Hattha Kaksekar Limited, a microfinance institution in Cambodia wholly-owned by Krungsri, has been given regulatory approvals to become a commercial bank under the name Hattha Bank Plc.
Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya Pcl), a member of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), said the development marks another key milestone in Krungsri’s journey to pursue regional business expansion and capture growth opportunities in CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam) countries by leveraging local expertise and physical presence together with its established business platform and extensive networks.
Krungsri president and chief executive officer Seiichiro Akita said: “We are pleased to announce that, after successfully obtaining all regulatory approvals, Hattha Kaksekar Limited has now become Hattha Bank Plc. With the new status, Hattha Bank is eligible to deliver most excellent financial products and services to better meet diverse demands of clients in Cambodia through its financial innovation and inclusion.”
He said Krungsri will continue to support Hattha Bank through sharing best banking practices, marketing expertise, product development, sales channel enhancement and risk management.
“We believe that, through the synergy of Krungsri’s distinctive financial expertise and Hattha Bank’s local business know-how and experience, Hattha Bank will play an important role in driving the Cambodian economy towards a sustainable growth path,” Akita added.
Hattha Bank Plc (formerly Hattha Kaksekar Ltd) has been providing financial services to people in Cambodia for over 26 years. It became a part of Krungsri Group family after being acquired in 2016.
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Prime Minister Prayut Cha-o-cha 
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