The airline’s Ground Equipment Services Department said passenger hygiene is its top priority. It has increased cleaning and providing its staff preventive equipment to handle the outbreak of the coronavirus and to gain passengers’ confidence.

Measures for passenger buses, microbuses and high-lift trucks are as follows:

➤ Educate drivers about coronavirus and preventative measures.

➤ Prepare hand gel, surgical masks, cleaning liquid and gloves for drivers.

➤ Require drivers to wear gloves while cleaning handrails and other contact points in the bus with cleaning liquid before the next service trip,

➤ Require drivers to wear surgical masks.

The Integrated Oxide segment comprises integrated ethylene oxides and specialty chemical segment including sought after value-added ethylene oxide derivatives and proplylene oxide derivatives.

IVL has appointed Alastair Port as president of Integrated Oxide, effective from January 3. He will report to Dilip Kumar Agarwal, CEO of the feedstock and PET businesses.

Alastair joined Huntsman in 1988 and was previously global vice president of manufacturing and upstream business at Huntsman.

Alastair’s leadership team will be composed of executives from all integrated businesses:

Joel Saltzman has been appointed senior executive vice president. Joel is currently with Indorama Ventures Oxide and Glycols (IVOG).

The other appointees are: John O Smith, vice president, procurement and upstream. John is currently with IVOG; John Q Smyth, vice president, global downstream derivatives; Carol Ottaway, vice president, supply chain, logistics and IVL transition; Chad Anderson, vice president manufacturing; Kim Knotts, director EHSQ; Steve Thallemer, chief finance officer — Steve was previously with IVOG; Leo Guglielmi, vice president and legal counsel; Paul Fusco, director of HR.

Dilip Kumar Agarwal, CEO of Feedstock and PET, said, “We are taking an important step to set IVL on a successful path forward. With the creation of a more focused segment and great leaders in place, we will be able to more effectively build upon our competitive advantages to create greater value for our customers and stakeholders.”

The initiative is aimed at entrepreneurs of traditional and digital businesses in Thailand who wish to transform their operations and stay competitive in the digital era.

It is jointly organised by Alibaba Business School, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), National Innovation Agency (NIA) and multinational venture capital firm Gobi Partners. Applications are open from now until March 8, 2020.

The ANT Thailand Programme made a successful debut in October last year, with 43 Thai entrepreneurs and business owners from a wide range of industries graduating from the course.

Many members of the first cohort have since demonstrated a strong passion for applying their newly acquired insights to drive positive change in their businesses and at the same time sharing this knowledge with communities at large – from leveraging live-streaming to build branding and customer base, inspiring other Thai SMEs to digitise their operations, enter the Chinese market via e-commerce and to organise regular e-commerce training for rural sellers.

The second Alibaba Netpreneur Training Thailand Programme will be held from May 10-20, 2020 at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China.

Through lectures, discussions and site visits, the 10-day programme will allow participants to gain exposure to Alibaba’s transformational journey from a small start-up to a digital ecosystem serving a global network of SMEs and consumers, as well as the mission, vision, value, strategy and culture that drive the company’s growth.

Mission-driven, open-minded entrepreneurs and business owners with a digital aspiration are encouraged to apply. For more information on the program details including enrollment criteria, please visit Activity.Alibaba.com

The new division will initially be embedded in ADK’s Singapore, Bangkok, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei and Vietnam offices, before expanding to the entire network within 12 months.

As part of the initiative, ADK has acquired shares of Vietnamese independent digital agency, VietBuzzAd in Ho Chi Minh City. VietBuzzAd, is one of the leading digital agencies in Vietnam, having won a top 10 YouTube Ads Leaderboard at Cannes Lions Festival 2019 for the LG World Cup campaign `Set Fire to the Dreams`.

ADK CONNECT provides fully integrated end-to-end digital solutions, using data analytics to empower creative planning and performance campaigns.

Following the share acquisition by ADK, VietBuzzAd’s brand name has changed to “VBA”. The acquisition will enhance ADK’s capabilities in Vietnam, further strengthen its digital-related services and expand business scale.

Yasu Katagi, CEO of ADK Global Operations said: “ADK CONNECT takes us into the next stage of our growth in Asia, focused on bringing future-facing solutions to our client partners. ADK CONNECT helps us deploy the best trends, tech and practices to develop new tactics and strategies to optimise results. I’m also very happy to be able to work with VietBuzzAd in Vietnam, one of our fastest growing markets that’s 100 per cent focused on digital innovation. ADK CONNECT lets us further accelerate this growth and provides solutions that will drive our clients’ businesses”.

Nguyen Huu Hanh, CEO and founder of VietBuzzAd, said: “I am excited to be joining the ADK Global family and especially ADK CONNECT. It will provide strong integrated digital solutions for ADK clients and a base for us to further grow the businesses of our existing clients as well as opening up opportunities in other markets”.

The event is set for the second floor of the Ratthaprasasanabhakti Building (Building B) of the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road.

Banyat Kamnoonwatana of CP All said the first “Opportunity Market” in 2019 received “very good feedback” from SMEs, students and job-seekers.

The spotlights this year will be on opportunities for jobs, education, business partnerships including with 7-Eleven, “good quality of life”, knowledge and shopping.

There will be a Knowledge Zone, Pavilion Zone, Educational Zone, Job Fair Zone, Agro-products Zone, Selected SME Products Zone, SME Clinic Zone, Business Matching Zone and Partnering with 7-Eleven Zone, all free to visit at no cost.

“We have allies from all sectors setting up more than 300 booths across 10,000 square metres,” Banyat said. “These are SMEs bringing community products and agro-products to sell at discount prices.

“There will be more than 35,000 jobs ready to apply for, and financial institutions offering consultations in business.”

The main stage will have seminars on “Education Transform” and “Success Tips of Successful SMEs” and the “7-Eleven Thai SMEs Sustainability Awards”. SMEs keen to place their products in 7-Elevens or become business partners with 7-Eleven will be able to get information directly from the people in charge.

“CP All wants to make sure that all Thai people have secure employment, a good education and a pleasant quality of life,” Banyat said. “It also wants to enable SMEs to scale up their businesses and gain knowledge from this event.”

Sutthikan Masamran of the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion said the agency would this year focus on supporting early-stage, micro- and small-scale entrepreneurs.

“These three groups cover more than three million people and we aim to help them ride the waves of change to stay competitive by adding value and reducing costs,” she said.

The agency’s booth will have officials to consult and allow SMEs to register via the SME Connext application and SMEONE website to access news and information.

Dr Ariyaporn Amnucksoradej of the Department of Industry Promotion’s Division of Industrial Business Capability Development said this is the decade when the world will go fully digital, and Thailand meanwhile will auction off 5G bandwidth, bringing numerous benefits to the country.

“My department is determined to enhance knowledge and creativity among SMEs and enable them to use smart technology to increase productivity through seminars and booths,” she said.

Nattavuth Mathayomchan, Chief Residential Development Officer, said Rangnam is considered a rising residential area located right in the heart of Bangkok and has a lot of potential for new condominium developments. The EXTRO Phayathai-Rangnam is excellently located next to Santiphap Park, a rare opportunity to stay close to the 20-rai park in Rangnam, and well connected to many areas in Bangkok via mass transit systems and expressways.

Singha Estate has developed the EXTRO Phayathai-Rangnam around the “Extraordinary Living” concept which provides extraordinary features that fulfill the needs of a dynamic younger generation looking for ever-changing experiences. The project focuses on design and living innovation with construction materials carefully chosen to deliver superior living standards.

“We have designed the EXTRO Phayathai-Rangnam to serve the younger generation wishing to buy a condominium with astonishing and enjoyable features coupled with design excellence. We created extra-wide room layouts and duplex-style units with double volume living room (6.15m). Curtain walls in every unit ensure owners enjoy a panoramic view of the beautiful 20-rai park,” claimed Nattavuth.

On Wednesday (January 22), MEA deputy governor Wanchai Jiarawattanawi and Uthai Uthaisaengsuk, chief operating officer of Sansiri Pcl, launched the “MEA Smart Life Platform” to improve convenience at Sansiri’s property projects starting with the The Line Phahon-Pradipat condominium.

Wanchai said that the MEA, as an agency responsible for providing electricity and related services in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakarn provinces, realises the importance of improving its services to suit the needs of modern people and the urban lifestyle.

“We will not only install charging stations at Sansiri projects, we will also integrate parts of our services on the Smart Life application with Sansiri’s Home Service application to allow users to seamlessly access services of both parties anytime,” he said.

“The integration should finish by mid-February, when app users can check their electrical bills via mobile phones, pay the bills by scanning the QR code, and check their bill history for a maximum of six months.”

The smart-charging station is part of a pilot project by MEA to manufacture high-quality charging stations for electric vehicles that are certified with MEA safety standards, he said. “We are also planning to expand the project to cover other residential properties in Bangkok and its perimeter in the future,” Wanchai added.

For further information about smart life application and smart charging station, contact MEA’s application development department on Tel 022890151 ext 5579.

The board of Thai Airways International (THAI) appointed Air Chief Marshal Chaiyapruk Didyasarin as chairman of the board of directors, Air Chief Marshal Chanyoot Sirithumakul as vice chairman, and Chakkrit Parapuntakul as director, at a meeting on January 16, effective immediately.

Air Chief Marshal Chaiyapruk Didyasarin, 62-years old, holds a Bachelor of Science (Aeronautical Engineering) from the Royal Thai Air Force Academy (Class 25); Flying Training School, RTAF (Class 72); Air Command and Staff College, RTAF (Class 37); Oversea Joint Welfare (Australia); Master of Business Administration Program in General Management, Ramkhamhaeng University; the National Defence College Course (Class 53); Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies (Hawaii), USA; Logistics Technology for Executives at Institute for Defense & Business, University of North Carolina, USA and the Executive Programme in Energy Literacy for a Sustainable Future, TEA (Class 12).

He previously held the position of Deputy Director of Operations, Director of Intelligence, Director of Operations, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Assistant Commander-in-Chief (Support Services), and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force.

Mostly recently, he was vice chairman and acting chairman of THAI.

MEA governor Keerapat Jiamset said on Friday (January 17) that the authority had signed a memorandum of understanding with Forth and Yip In Tsoi in a joint venture to undertake the “Smart Metro Grid” project with a budget of Bt1.149 billion.

“This project aims to improve electrical services to fully support the modern lifestyle of people in metropolitan areas using digital technology,” he said.

“It is expected to be completed by 2022. The project includes installation of smart meters and two-way communication devices that will enable the MEA to monitor electricity usage in real time and pinpoint the locations where power malfunctions occur so as to deploy corrective measures as quickly as possible.

“Data collected by smart meters will be analysed to increase efficiency and minimise malfunction occurrences for future planning of the power grid system, with the focus on creating a foundation for the government’s smart city development plan.

“Furthermore, the smart meter will be more effective in preventing stealing of electricity by third parties as compared to a traditional meter,” the governor said.

In the first phase of the project, MEA aims to install 33,265 smart meters for electricity users in selected areas of Bangkok, Samut Prakarn and Nonthaburi provinces free of charge. “The smart metro grid in the second phase will continue to cover the entire metropolitan areas after we evaluate the effectiveness of the first phase and make necessary adjustments,” Keerapat added.

Aeon Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Pcl together with partners opened the new platform branch at CentralWorld in Bangkok to advance the future of financial innovation.

Among the experiences the new smart branch offers is an Aeon Virtual Teller Machine that enables customers to apply and receive a new Aeon card while visiting the branch, as well as process “Digital Your Cash”, a new type of personal loan service. It is a credit line in the form of a virtual account that facilitates cardless cash withdrawals using the Aeon Thai mobile application QR code scan, that can be used at Aeon’s ATM and K-Bank immediately after accepting loans.

Customers can apply for instant card issuance for both credit cards and membership cards, allowing them to access Aeon’s many financial offers and promotions within an hour.

Customers can also enjoy access to the Aeon Lounge using face recognition technology, after a one-time registration, with snacks, beverages, free Wi-Fi and tourist tips for travelling in Japan on offer.