#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Minor Food adjusts strategy to boost revenue in second half

Jul 31. 2020

By The Nation

The Minor Food Group on Friday (July 31) unveiled its strategy to boost revenue in the second half of this year, which includes improving delivery services, launching new products, building kiosks for grab-and-go services, as well as developing a “cloud kitchen” or central kitchen to control cost and ensure freshness.

Meanwhile, 95 per cent of Minor Food restaurants in Thailand have reopened with all hygiene and safety measures in place.

Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor International (MINT) and acting CEO of Minor Food, said Minor Food is one of the largest restaurant companies in Asia with well-known brands like The Pizza Company, Swensen’s, Sizzler, The Coffee Club, Dairy Queen, Burger King and Bonchon under its belt. In total, Minor Food has more than 2,200 eateries in 26 countries, with 1,490 in Thailand alone.

In response to the “new normal” brought on by the Covid-19 outbreak, Minor Food has adjusted its organisational set up to focus on food delivery and takeaway services.

Though many restaurant brands are doing better after reopening than they did before the outbreak, the company continues focusing on driving sales across all its channels.

Prapat Siangchan, deputy chief operating officer for Minor Food, said the firm has improved its readiness for operations in the second half with the following:

• Upgraded delivery service: Minor Food will maintain its position as a top online food-ordering platform by upgrading the system to meet demands under the new normal, like allowing consumers to include a larger variety in a single order. In the second quarter of this year, the company has seen its delivery sales rise three times compared to all of last year.

• Developing new menus, innovative products: The company will use effective marketing channels and create new marketing campaigns to attract customers.

• Kiosk shops: These grab-and-go outlets will be located close to customers, such as office buildings and Skytrain stations. An example of such a shop is Sizzler To Go. The company is also encouraging stores to start providing grab-and-go services.

• “Cloud kitchen” or a new central kitchen: This concept will allow customers to have their food delivered faster and fresher within a 3-kilometre range. This will also allow diners to include food from different brands under the Minor Food banner.

Minor Food has also set up the “Business Beyond Covid” project, under which staff are being trained to always prioritise safety and hygiene when serving consumers.

It has also launched other food security campaigns such as “Zero Touch Delivery”, “Safety Seal” and “Easy Pick Up” and has ensured that all cleaning equipment and sanitising gel comes from ECOLAB and Diversey. These products are specifically designed for the food service industry, food processing, hospitality and health care, Prapat said.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Thai Vietjet launches Bangkok-Khon Kaen service

Jul 30. 2020

By The Nation

Thai Vietjet passengers were treated to a “sky concert” on the carrier’s inaugural flight from Bangkok to Khon Kaen today.

A full team of dancers joined cabin crew for a “Ying Lee” concert to celebrate the new service from Suvarnabhumi to the Northeast’s commercial hub. The airline is offering Bt5 tickets on the route (one-way, excluding taxes and fees) during the “five golden days” of August 1-5 at www.vietjetair.com or the Vietjet Air mobile app.

Meanwhile more bargains on all Thai Vietjet domestic flights are available from August 1 to September 30 (excluding public holidays).

The airline is also increasing destinations and frequency of flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

It currently operates eight flights per day to Phuket, three per day to Chiang Mai, and two daily to Chiang Rai, Udon Thani, Krabi, Hat Yai and Khon Kaen. The Hat Yai service will increase to three flights daily from August 15.

The airline will also open a Suvarnabhumi-Nakhon Si Thammarat service on August 6. Online check-in has been introduced for domestic passengers at Suvarnabhumi.

The new Bangkok- Khon Kaen flight takes 1 hour and 5 minutes and is the airline’s seventh service from Suvarnabhumi.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

PTT sets up charging station for electric cars in Bitec

Jul 30. 2020

By The Nation

PTT Plc has tied up with Charge Management to open a second electric vehicle charging station at Bitec Convention Centre on Bang Na-Trat Road to serve the growing market of electric vehicles in Thailand.

PTT’s first charging station was at True Digital Park on Sukhumvit 101.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Line Man’s success attracts investment from top capital firm

Jul 30. 2020

By The Nation

Growth capital firm, BRV Capital Management, is planning to invest US$110 million (approximately Bt3.3 billion) in Line Man, a top “daily life assistant” delivery app in Thailand.

This is the first time that any branch of the Line Group has secured an investment of this size for one of its overseas services, which proves that Line Man’s success in Thailand has a large scope for future growth.

The investment comes at a time when Line Man is merging with Wongnai Media Co, a leading “restaurant review and discovery platform” in Thailand, which has been Line Man’s restaurant partner since 2016.

Wongnai has the largest restaurant database in Thailand with more than 400,000 restaurants nationwide. Line Man app users are also able to order food via the Wongnai database.

Line Man provides six services, namely food delivery, groceries, convenience store items and parcels, along with messenger and taxi-hailing services.

Now partnering with more than 100,000 restaurants, Line Man currently operates in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Ayutthaya, Chonburi and Chiang Mai, and plans to cover 15 more areas in Thailand soon.

“We’re excited to be working with BRV Capital Management, which has repeatedly shown it knows how to find and develop winners,” said Eunjung Lee, chief of Line Plus Corporation’s global business for Southeast Asia.

“Since its launch four years ago, Line Man has grown into the most popular delivery application for Thai people – and now, this investment will help take it to the next level.”

BRV is a growth capital firm that led early rounds in PayPal and Waze, and operates offices in South Korea, Japan, and China. Based on the firm’s experiences investing in companies in Silicon Valley and around the world, BRV said it decided to invest in Line Man because of its ongoing success in delivering innovative services in the Thai market, becoming a “daily assistant” for local users.

BRV Capital Management, an affiliated entity of US-based BlueRun Ventures, is an Asia-focused growth investment platform, with an active presence across Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo and California.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

AIS partners with Amata for smart industrial city

Jul 24. 2020AIS CEO Somchai Lertsutiwong, left, and AMATA Corporation’s Acting CEO Vikrom Kromadit at the signing ceremony.

By The Nation

Advanced Info Service (AIS) today signed a deal with industrial-estate developer Amata Corporation to roll out its 5G wireless broadband technology and facilities for hundreds of factories at Amata City Chonburi.

The move comes after the two companies formed the Amata Network joint venture in December 2016 for digital infrastructure at Amata City Chonburi.

AIS chief executive officer Somchai Lertsutiwong said: “Since 2016, AIS and Amata have been working closely together to bring the essential digital infrastructure and Internet of Things (IoT) innovation to support management, production, and utilities in Amata City Chonburi.”

AIS said it has now expanded collaboration with Amata to create “the perfect smart city” by using 5G intelligent technologies to boost more than 750 factories at the Chon Buri industrial estate. The move would lift production capability of Thai industry to a world-class level as well as developing solutions helpful for the production of modern smart cities, including management of resources, transportation, and security systems, it added.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Dtac unveils 3-pronged strategy for ‘new normal’ era

Jul 24. 2020Dtac CEO Sharad Mehrotra

By The Nation

Total Access Communication (dtac) said it is combating the Covid-19 fallout with a three-pronged strategy – seamless digital ecosystems, network capacity improvements nationwide and new ways of work.

With the World Bank predicting 8.3 million Thais could lose their income to the virus crisis, dtac said it has announced affordable offers to meet customers’ everyday needs, such as insurance and online shopping. It is also supporting customers’ rapidly increasing data usage by accelerating its rollout of high-capacity massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) and TDD (Time Division Duplex) sites, which are compatible with 76 per cent of mobile devices used by dtac customers.

Dtac CEO Sharad Mehrotra said the pandemic had transformed Thai consumers’ behaviour:

Average monthly data consumption per user grew 44 per cent from January to June, following the explosion of work-from-home apps such as Zoom and MS Teams.

Redemption of dtac online shopping rewards grew fivefold during the same period, as shop closures pushed customers towards digital channels.

Data usage grew five times faster in the provinces than in Bangkok, and is remaining high despite lockdown measures being eased – a sign many are choosing to stay in their hometown rather than face joblessness in Bangkok.

Dtac said it is responding by blending offline and online services and joining with partners across industries to offer a wide range of services and products on its mobile application.

On the network front, dtac announced sustained investments in the second half of 2020 to respond to the massive human migration triggered by Covid-19 and the rise of remote work.

This includes meeting a nationwide target of over 20,000 high-speed TDD sites on 2300MHZ (in partnership with TOT) within 2020; tripling capacity at high-traffic spots nationwide, with additional Massive MIMO sites for an enhanced mobile broadband experience; continued rollout of 5G on 26GHz in select sites and 700MHz (pending National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission approval) with industry use cases in the Eastern Economic Corridor in Q3 such as smart video surveillance and fixed wireless access; and increased coverage on 700MHz in key regions (pending NBTC approval).

Meanwhile, due to the acceleration of change, dtac is also implementing an internal transformation programme based on flexible work, automation and a new company culture. All of dtac’s offices now allow flexible work for 95 per cent of employees, allowing them to come to the office every other week or only when needed.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Mango Tree opens newest eatery in Tokyo

Jul 24. 2020

By The Nation

Leading Thai restaurant operator, Mango Tree Worldwide, has just opened the Mango Tree Café Tokyo Dome City LaQua, located in one of the Japanese capital’s top entertainment complexes.

This opening underscores Mango Tree’s confidence in Asia’s hospitality industry after the Covid-19 pandemic. As life in many countries is slowly returning to normal, most of Mango Tree’s 69 outlets worldwide have now reopened in line with the “new normal” with advanced safety standards and social distancing.

The company has also reinforced its focus on healthy cuisine, using organic ingredients and local produce to create fresh and sustainable dishes.

Trevor MacKenzie, global managing director of Mango Tree Worldwide, said Japan has successfully handled the outbreak and Mango Tree’s faith in the country is demonstrated by this new opening. It plans to expand further in Japan by opening new outlets in popular, high-profile locations.

Mango Tree Worldwide currently has 29 outlets in Japan under five brands: Mango Tree, Mango Tree Bistro, Mango Tree Café, Mango Tree Deli and Mango Tree Kitchen. This latest addition to the group’s portfolio follows the launch of five new locations in 2019 in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

MINT raises almost Bt10bn in oversubscribed rights offering

Jul 24. 2020

By The Nation

Minor International (MINT) said it has raised Bt9.858 billion through its rights offering issuance, which was oversubscribed by about 30 per cent despite business and capital market volatility due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

MINT received strong support from the full range of investors and shareholders, including domestic, regional and international institutional investors, as well as retail investors, said the company.

The funds raised will be used for working capital and to refinance existing debt obligations, as well as acting as a cushion for unexpected uncertainty amid the currently improving Covid-19 situation.

The hospitality, restaurant and leisure group said the transaction marks the culmination of its comprehensive funding strategy,

Earlier, MINT successfully issued US$300 million in perpetual bonds. The company also received support from creditors and bondholders by obtaining a waiver of financial covenant testing until the end of fiscal year 2020.

In addition, MINT is seeking to raise about Bt5 billion in additional equity from 3-year warrants, which will be issued to all shareholders on August 7.

The company reports gradual recovery across its businesses since mid-May, with 72 per cent of its hotels and 95 per cent of its restaurant now open.

“The overwhelming success of the rights offering illustrates our shareholders’ strong confidence in the company’s future. Additionally, both the rights issuance and warrants are rewards for our shareholders as the true value of the company should strengthen when the global pandemic subsides,” William E Heinecke, MINT’s founder and board chairman, said.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

MEA offers free skills training for electricians

Jul 24. 2020

By THE NATION

On Wednesday (July 22), Phongphan Kanlaprawit, deputy director-general of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), presided over the opening ceremony of MEA’s 2020 Training Programme for Building Electricians Level 1 (First Batch), which was held at the MEA Head Office in Nonthaburi.

The programme is open to interested electricians who want to improve their skills free of charge. It consists of a classroom session on July 22 followed by a practical course on July 23-24.

“MEA realises the importance of skills that electricians must possess in order to install, monitor and maintain an efficient electrical system within the building as well as guarantee the safety of users,” said Phongphan. “Graduates will receive a certificate from the Labour Ministry’s Department of Skill Development. Furthermore, they can participate in advanced classes provided by MEA such as for the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, or become a service provider under the MEA e-Fix application, which offers electrical services to residential users in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.”

The training programme is a part of MEA’s “Professional Electrician Initiative” which has been running since 2016, for which the MEA covers the instructors’ fee and provides equipment as well as the venue so that candidates can participate free of charge.

Free training for the next batches is as follows:

2nd Batch: August 26-28 (application closes on August 10)

3rd Batch: September 30-October 2 (application closes on September 14)

4th Batch: November 25-27 (application closes on November 9)

For more details and for application, visit: https://www.mea.or.th/minisite/electrician

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Dive into Lamont’s daring designs at Gaysorn Village

Jul 22. 2020Alexander LamontDesigner Alexander Lamont has unveiled his latest collection of furniture, lighting and decor at his flagship store in Bangkok’s Gaysorn Village mall.

The Sirena collection marks Lamonte’s 20th year in the design business and draws on meticulous workmanship, rare materials and aesthetic taste refined by his life lived between East and West.

His luxurious contemporary forms are infused with an uncompromising approach to innovation, craftsmanship and quality. This has been achieved through the mastery of ancient skills and techniques, and a willingness to break through those same traditions.

Sirena is a sumptuous new collection of furniture, lighting and art objects crafted with help from Brazilian designer Antonio da Motta. Ideas that invoke symbolism and power are explored throughout the collection. Majestic form and subtle texture are brought to life through Lamont’s palette of precious materials and artisan virtuosity.

Sirena is introduced in conjunction with the launch of Alexander Lamont’s Couture 20/20, a catalogue presenting two decades of the British designer’s work along with new interpretations of some of his classic designs.