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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40018513

Two major brands – Mama OK and Lay’s – have teamed up to take on the boiling-hot competition in a 40-million-baht venture, launching their “Join the multiverse of yummy goodness” campaign.

The campaign features introduction of two new Mama flavours and Lay’s potato chips called “Chili Crab-Miso Butter”.

The move seeks to whet the appetites of consumers who “love to explore diverse flavours”, the two brands announced as they co-create “vibrant marketing campaigns” to stimulate the existing market.

For the first time in Thailand, two big brands of instant noodles and Potato Chips, Mama OK and Lay’s have partnered together to launch the “Join the Multiverse of Yummy Goodness” campaign, featuring two new flavours of Mama OK and Lay’s Potato Chips, “Chili Crab – Miso Butter” in response to the needs of consumers who love to explore diverse flavours, ready to invest 40 million baht to continuously co-create the vibrant marketing campaigns to stimulate the existing market.

Petch Paniangvait, Marketing Director, Saha Pathanapibul PLC., revealed that with its 50th anniversary, “Mama” still ceaselessly puts our effort to improve high-quality products with value and tastes that satisfy the diverse needs of all consumer segments. Most recently, Mama OK products have joined hands with Lay’s potato chips to develop new product formulas together and launch 2 new flavours of Mama OK, namely, Chilli Crab Flavor and Miso Butter Flavor. This is to meet the needs of consumers seeking a variety of new flavours while offering product differentiation and vibrance for the instant noodle and snack market.

Mama OK Chilli Crab Flavor is a dried noodle packed with perfect spicy taste, mellow aroma of crab flavour and the unique thick noodles of Mama OK, available in stores nationwide and online. Mama OK Dried Noodles Miso Butter flavour offers a perfect blend of butter and miso flavour, complemented with the Thick and soft dry noodles that are unique to Mama OK, available only at 7-11 convenience stores.

“This is the first-ever brand collaboration between Mama and Lay’s, stemming from the market analysis that Miso butter ramen is very popular among tourists visiting Japan while the famous Jumbo restaurant is a not-to-be-missed place in Singapore, trying their signature dish, Singapore Chili Crab. In this collab, Mama and Lay have pushed the product launch to another level, by developing these 2 flavours and adjusting the recipe to satisfy Thai people’s taste buds. Both brands are targeting the same target group, that is, the new generation consumers who constantly love to explore new colours and new flavour products,” Petch said. 

In addition to the co-creation of yummy goodness in both instant noodle and potato chip products from the most favourite flavours of the two countries, Mama OK and Lay’s have set aside 30-40 million baht for differentiated marketing campaigns and promotional activities. Their unique online campaign aims to penetrate into every social media platform, namely, IG, Twitter, Tiktok, youtube, etc. to spread joy and fun to all consumers who take part in this campaign.

Over the past year, Mama has concentrated more on marketing Mama OK products. Mama’s brand image is adjusted to appear modern and young. Meanwhile, Mama OK’s campaign is the most mentioned on Twitter as the No. 1 Twitter trend every time there is a live via online media. Meanwhile, its TikTok Challenge campaign has achieved as high as 600 million views altogether. 

Pantipar Pongchairerks Marketing Lead – Lay’s Pepsi-cola (thai) Trading Co., Ltd., revealed that as the leader in the potato chip market, Lay’s has rolled out new product innovations through co-creation campaigns by collaborating with various partners. This is to continuously deliver fresh, new experiences to consumers in response to the market demand and consumption trends. This time, we saw a marketing opportunity in our collaboration with Mama OK, by launching the “Join the Multiverse of Yummy Goodness” campaign. This collaboration involves new product development, featuring both Lay’s potato chip and Mama OK instant noodle products. It is anticipated that customers will enjoy this new trend, which will undoubtedly generate excitement in the market. The partnership also includes joint marketing activities to create excitement and provide new experiences for the fans of both brands.

Lay’s Chili Crab Flavor is a Lay’s real Potato Chips packed with aromatic Singapore chilli crab flavour, matched perfectly with the crispy ridges of Lay’s real potatoes to create an intriguing, tasty snack. The product is available in stores nationwide as well as online. Lay’s Miso butter flavour is Lay’s Rock Ridge potato chips inspired by the popular trend of Japanese ramen dishes. The mouthwatering aroma of miso butter flavour that smells like butter and miso is balanced with the delicious crispiness of real potato chips, available only at 7-11 convenience stores.

Bringing in new vibrance, the Company anticipates a positive consumer response to this campaign. It will also help stimulate the snack market to expand like previously. Additionally, Lay’s is awarded the Top Growing Brand in the food category from the Brand Footprint Award 2022 Thailand by Kantar and the Best of Tweets award from Twitter Thailand for two consecutive years (2020-2021). In this regard, Lay’s strives to deliver new experiences for consumers and continues to develop new products to match the ever-shifting needs of customers.

Published : August 04, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40018509

Bank of Ayudhaya (BAY) announced on Thursday that it had not been affected by financial trouble impacting Zipmex Thailand after the latter’s customers saw their crypto coins disappear into thin air.

BAY said its subsidiary Krungsri Finnovate invested only 1 per cent of shares in Zipmex Thailand for about 66 million baht to study fintech technologies. The shares were purchased in September last year.

Zipmex had announced that its clients who deposited coins in partner Zipmex Global’s ZipUp+ saw their deposits frozen because Zipmex Global lost the coins to two crypto lenders that were hit by losses. But Zipmex Thailand said it would gradually return the coins to its clients once it received fresh funds.

BAY pointed out that the investment in Zipmex Thailand constituted only 3 per cent of all investments by Krungsri Finnovate.

As of June 30, the value of Krungsri Finnovate’s investment in Zipmex Thailand was a mere 0.0028 per cent of BAY’s total assets, the bank added.

Published : August 04, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40018483

Kiatnakin Phatra Financial Group (KKP) reported a net profit of 4.08 billion baht in the first half of this year, up 45.1 per cent year on year.

KKP chief executive officer Aphinant Klewpatinond said commercial bank loans, especially hire purchase and home loans, grew by 10 per cent.

He added that the group’s brokerage business had No. 1 market share at 18.18 per cent, while the investment business grew considerably from equity and derivative trading, which made good profits despite volatile conditions.

“As for investment banking, the number of transactions declined at the beginning of the year, but large transactions are expected in the second half,” he explained.

He added that the group’s wealth management business had assets under advice of 700 billion baht.

Debtor repayment rate was better than expected, as a provision of 1.87 billion baht was set aside, a considerable decrease from the previous year, he said.

He said they would continue to focus on commercial banking and capital markets to develop complete and seamless services for customers and diversify sources of income to prepare for a more volatile future.

“KKP will leverage the country’s financial technologies and infrastructure that reduce size or network constraints to allow the bank to compete equally with others,” he said.

“At the same time, KKP continues investing in systems for its core businesses, such as loans that we believe to have room for growth.”

He added that the group has prepared to assist customers who may be affected by prolonged economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“However, sustainable relief efforts rather than immediate measures will be emphasised in order to best benefit customers during prolonged economic downturn,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kiatnakin Phatra Bank president Philip Chen Chong Tan said in the first half of this year, bank loans generated interest income of 69 per cent, mainly from secured retail loans, including auto hire purchase loans (up by 11 per cent) and home loans (up by 19 per cent).

He added that the bank will streamline internal systems and processes to make credit approval more efficient and accessible through the KKP Mobile app, launch new credit products like KKP Auto, and expand the service network through partnerships.

“In addition, to help alleviate high household debt and support sustainable growth, the bank will strive to empower customers financially by increasingly linking our banking services to investment services,” he added.

Kiatnakin Phatra Bank head of finance and budgeting Preecha Techarungchaikul explained that KKP had a net profit of 4.08 billion baht in the first half of this year, up 45.1 per cent year on year. Net profit from the capital markets was 672 million baht, he added.

“Provision in the first half of 2022 was reduced as loan quality remained at a manageable level, with an NPL coverage ratio of 169.1 per cent,” he said.

He said the bank saw an increase in both net interest and non-interest incomes.

Net interest income amounted to 8.77 billion baht, up 15.1 per cent year on year, while non-interest income was 3.80 billion, up 2.2 per cent, he added.

“The bank had a BIS ratio of 16.56 per cent, which was calculated according to the Basel III rules and included profits up to the end of the second quarter this year, and Common Equity Tier 1 of 12.99 per cent,” he added.

Published : August 03, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40018481

The five members of the board of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission on Wednesday unanimously decided to defer a decision on the merger of two giant telecom operators.

Trairat Viriyasirikul, acting NBTC secretary-general, said the five commissioners said they would need more information before making a decision on measures to prevent monopolistic or unfair trade practices following the merger of True Corporation and Total Access Communication Plc (DTAC).

Trairat said the NBTC on Wednesday considered the request for the merger by the second and third-largest mobile phone operators in terms of number of customers.

He said the five commissioners on Wednesday considered five categories of information:

– Studies by four subcommittees on the merger deal

– Results of public hearings of three focus groups

– A report on possible economic impact from the merger from the NBTC Office

– A study by Chulalongkorn University on the impact of the merger

– Opinion from an independent adviser, Finansa Securities Ltd.

After studying the information presented on Wednesday, Trairat said the five commissioners found the presented information inadequate and not comprehensive enough to design measures to protect consumers and to prevent possible damage to the telecom industry.

Trairat said the commissioners have asked the NBTC Office to come up analyses of six aspects:

– Business structure of the merger deal, all licences that True and DTAC have, and the licences which will be controlled by the new company

– Possible impact on management and businesses as well as competitions by holders of telecom licences to be controlled by the new company

– Analyse cost savings from the new economies of scale following the merger and how to translate the saved money into benefits for consumers

– Analyse ownership of telecom bandwidth by the new company to see whether it would have an advantage in the market

– Analyse possible measures for reducing airtime prices and to maintain service quality to reduce impact on consumers in the short, medium and long term


– Analyse measures for promoting mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and to propose measures for revising regulations so that MVNO services would have higher competitiveness and become an alternative operator for consumers.

Published : August 03, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40018475

Bangkok, August 3, 2022 – Bitkub Blockchain Technology, Bitkub Chain and Blockchain Total Solution Provider, which aims to be an infrastructure of the Thai blockchain ecosystem, explained in-depth technology from the beginning to the present and emphasized the importance of blockchain technology by Mr. Samret Wajanasathian, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Bitkub Blockchain Technology via Bitkub Chain Official Facebook Page.

All of the information is concluded as follows:

The Beginning of the Bitkub Chain

The Bitkub Chain project idea originated from 3 main visions which are
1.  Able to allow everyone to easily interact with blockchain DApps (support mass adoption)
2. To make the blockchain secure and stable
3. Enhance on-chain user experience
 

Bitkub Chain technically derived some of the technology from Ethereum (EVM Compatibility). This allows developers to build decentralized applications (DApp) on Bitkub Chain with several advantages such as rapid on-chain processing data, low transaction fees, and compatible consensus.

New Technology Developed on Bitkub Chain

1. KUB Coin – A native utility token on Bitkub Chain, which can be used for several utility functions such as on-chain gas fee payment, convertibility to fee credits, locking coins within a certain period of time, and earning various digital assets and redemptions for partners’ services and products.

2. Block Size – The block size of Bitkub Chain has been set to 60,000,000 Gas. Nevertheless, the block size could be increased in the future or more than other chains such as Ethereum to support on-chain transactions. (In 2021, Ethereum was set at 15,000,000 Gas).

3. Block Time – Bitkub Chain started with Proof-of-Authority (POA) consensus, which the system is fixed to around 5 seconds. This can be claimed that the confirmation time is faster than Ethereum. In addition, the time variation is extremely low due to the network’s low latency, and the speed can be calculated from the block size and transaction per block.  The number adjustment is also becoming a challenge in technical terms. However, the process depends on the other factors to enhance the adjustment to be more practical and stable on the blockchain.   

4. Transaction Fee – Bitkub Chain used a different mechanism called  “Fixed Minimum” to stabilize the transaction fee to 50 GBit, which can suit several business use cases and gas fee estimation for both its users and developers. Furthermore, the high transaction fee is one of the main pain points for blockchain adopters, which depends on the crypto-economic model. In comparison, Ethereum uses the dynamic gas price mechanism based on the congestion on the network, which is different from Bitkub Chain. To clarify, the more the network is congested, the higher the gas price and transaction fees. 

5. Hyper Block – A mechanism to aggregate the transactions from several wallet addresses on Bitkub Chain. Hyperblock can increase the speed of the transaction by over 1,000 transactions per second (TPS), making Bitkub Chain process faster and more secure. Hyperblock consists of four main parts:

a. Backend Service – the technology to help manage the “Backed Transaction Pool” by calling all of the data transactions at once via contract address. In addition, the Transaction Defragmentation Mechanism can increase the efficiency of the remaining block size.

b. Gas Tank Module –  The wallet addresses to pay the transaction fees for the users on Bitkub Chain.

c. KAP Standard (Smart Contract) – Standard token on Bitkub Chain forked from ERC Standard. Bitkub Chain also invents 3 main functions which can secure the ecosystem: 

1. getOwner() : The function is to help investigate the owner of smart contracts on Bitkub Chain to be more transparent. 
2. batchTransfer (from , to[] , value[]) : The function is to help call a thousand transactions at once to record the data into the blockchain. This can economize the transaction fee and rapidly distribute a large number of coins.
3. adminTransfer(from , to , value) :The function of the KUB coin working group is appointed to monitor the law infringement actions such as Rug Pull. They can use this function as a majority agreement or appointed by the court to take action to retrieve back all of the stolen assets.

d. Fail-Safe Mechanism – The Fail-Safe mechanism works by using an off-chain engine to detect the failed transaction in the transaction pool and try to diagnose the root cause of the failure.

6. Security – Bitkub Chain’s security system is designed based on fundamental safety, which comes with a registration feature to protect users’ assets. However, the full functionality of KYC will be available in the future.

Bitkub Chain As Thailand’s Future Digital Infrastructure

1. Gas Optimization from 50 Gbit to 5 Gbit – Bitkub Chain’s vision is to prepare for mass adoption in the future. To align with the new configuration, KUB Coin supply was reduced to 110,000,000 KUB and the distribution was also revised to ensure balanced incentives for a sustainably growing ecosystem.

2. Byte Code – The fundamental encoding Bytecode to compare the smart contract similarity with KAP fundamental Bytecode. This could help reduce human errors from inserting the wrong code into DApps.

3. Bitkub Chain Layer-2 – Bitkub Chain launched Bitkub Chain Layer-2 or “BKC Ping” on June 29, 2022. It is the secondary framework or protocol that is built on top of the Bitkub Chain (Layer-1) to maximize the efficiency of blockchain utilization. For instance, it can reduce the transaction traffic and fee and inherits the security from Layer-1 with fraud-proof. In the future, there will be the launching of another 3 frameworks which are Wang, Yom, and Nan.

4. Software Development Kit (SDK) – Bitkub Chain software development kit was designed to facilitate almost all developers to connect with Bitkub Chain. To clarify, this software development kit has several advantages, including 1. To handle transaction submissions to blockchain 2. Transaction gas fee support 3. Environment testing (helps developer debug and deploy on mainnet) 4. Less time is needed for project development on Bitkub Chain.

5. BKC Oracle – The main infrastructure on Bitkub Chain that connects the data from the real world to blockchain and supports blockchain developers to use the tools and platform more efficiently.

6. Static Web Hosting – The technology that can bring the website to use on blockchain by using Bitkub Chain as Database to connect with Smart Contract from Software Development Kit (SDK).

Technical Paper (Yellow Paper)

Technical Paper (Yellow Paper) is officially announced on http://www.bitkubchain.com and published through Bitkub Chain Official Facebook Page. In addition, The Technical Paper (Yellow Paper) has already been verified by independent specialists.  

Mr. Samret Wajanasathian, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Bitkub Blockchain Technology, said, “I would like to ensure that Bitkub Chain has always been and uses a high standard of blockchain technology. For example, we have KUB Coin, the native utility token on Bitkub Chain. Our system has an estimated 2 million wallet addresses which are composed of an estimated 990 thousand Bitkub NEXT accounts and 83.5 million transactions. We still strive to continuously develop our technology for Thai people and prepare for mass adoption in the future”

Follow for more news and updates of the Bitkub Chain
Website: https://www.bitkubchain.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bitkubchainofficial 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bitkubchain 
Discord: https://discord.gg/WkJ6j279
Telegram: https://t.me/+jiM6dAP5cxUzZTM1
 

#MOVEFORWARDwithBITKUBCHAIN #BKC #BitkubChain #ThaiBlockchain #KUBGlobal #PoweredbyBitkubBlockchainTechnology #Telegram
 

Published : August 03, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40018464

True and Dtac have come out against a news article titled “AIS presses NBTC on mega merger”. According to the firms, the article stated that the merger may violate applicable laws and require explicit approval from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission.

The companies said they are in “full compliance with the law” and insisted that “AIS’s attempt to compare the deal with other 3BB acquisitions in not applicable”.

True and Dtac said they wish to clarify the issues as follows:

•    Mergers in the Thai telecommunications industry have been consistently and continuously carried out. Since the 2018 NBTC notification on mergers (the “2018 NBTC Notification”) came into force, there have been at least 9 merger cases whereby NBTC had considered the mergers according to the 2018 NBTC Notification by issuing resolutions to acknowledge the notification of those mergers. Since then, has never resolved to ”approve”: or “disapprove” the merger cases and adopt the 2006 NBTC Notification in considering such 9 merger cases. We believe that NBTC will uphold its principles fairly and apply the same standards as previous merger cases without discrimination in considering the amalgamation of True and Dtac.

•    It is inaccurate and misleading to refer to laws and regulations applicable to other industries (e.g. energy and banking sectors) to the mergers in the telecommunications sector which has caused confusion to the public because each regulated sector has a specific regulatory body and regulations to oversee mergers. Therefore, the regulations and practices in the telecommunications sector in which the private sector has complied with, have to apply in considering merger cases the telecommunications sector.   For the telecommunications sector, NBTC has the power to impose specific measures in accordance with the 2018 NBTC Notification which is the specific regulation applying to mergers in the telecommunications sector. True and Dtac have fully complied with all procedures required in connection with the proposed amalgamation both as governed by the NBTC and the Public Limited Companies Act B.E. 2535.

•    The amalgamation of True and Dtac and the acquisition of 3BB by AIS are incomparable because each of them is subject to different NBTC’s notifications

o    The 2006 NBTC Notification regarding the acquisition of shares or business, and significant assets between telecommunication licensees (the “2016 NBTC Notification”)– the acquisition of 3BB by AIS is captured by this 2006 NBTC Notification as it refers to acquisition of shares or assets of another licensee, which requires prior approval from the NBTC.

o    With respect to the amalgamation between True and dtac, such amalgamation has to be considered in accordance with the 2018  NBTC Notification which specifically regulates the amalgamation of telecommunication licensees or their controlling persons. The 2018 NBTC Notification repealed the 2010 NBTC Notification. Therefore, referring to the  2010 NBTC Notification as the regulation applying to mergers creates confusion because 2010 NBTC Notification is no longer in effect. 

•    With respect to Somchai, AIS Executive’s comment in The Bangkok Post questioning whether the foreign shareholders of True and dtac have an understanding of Thai laws and regulations, True and dtac reaffirm that the two companies and their major shareholders have undertaken their businesses in strict adherence to corporate governance principles and ethical business practice, including treating business partners and competitors with respect, adhering to the pillars of fair competition, and complying with relevant laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which they invest and operate.  With respect to this amalgamation, the parties have thoroughly considered all applicable Thai laws and regulations to ensure full compliance with all relevant procedures.

•    Linklaters (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and Allen and Overy (Thailand) Co., Ltd., legal counsels to True Corporation Public Company Limited and Total Access Communication Public Company Limited respectively, have provided legal view to True and dtac regarding the amalgamation between True and dtac as follows:

o    “Based on the NBTC’s practice in considering the amalgamation and merger and acquisition cases in the past, after the 2018 NBTC Notification came into force since 20 January 2018, there were at least 9 merger cases where merging parties notified the NBTC of their mergers in accordance with the 2018 NBTC Notification.   In all those cases, the NBTC had resolutions to acknowledge the merger notifications  without issuing an order to “approve” such merger cases and the NBTC’s consideration of such merger cases did not base on the 2006 NBTC Notification.”

o    “Even though NBTC does not have the power y to approve or disapprove the amalgamation, it has power to regulate the amalgamation according to Clause 12 of the 2018 NBTC Notification to impose specific conditions or measures to the business operators with significant market power in the telecommunications market, in order to prevent damage to the public interests.”

•    True and dtac reiterate that True and dtac have followed all required procedures, including having obtained approvals from the Board of Directors and shareholders of True and dtac and the management of True and dtac having carried out all the required steps.  We are confident that the new tech company arising from this amalgamation will deliver greater benefits and values to the Thai consumers, businesses, society, and support the country’s sustainable development going forward. The new tech company will enable Thailand to take advantage of the perfect storm of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G, Internet of Things and deliver new products and services through partnerships with global platform companies. Thailand needs two strong market players, not one strong and 2-3 weak players, which does not promote effective competition. 

Published : August 03, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40018449

Bangkok, August 2, 2022 – AIA Thailand, the country’s leading life insurance company that truly understands need of Thai people, introduces “AIA One Billion Trail 2022” the walking/running trail event where we allow runners to participate in the event as a team of 4 people for the first time in Thailand.

The trail event is organised to reinforce the company’s purpose to help people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. Runners in the team of four will enjoy the spectacular route from Doi Inthanon to Doi Suthep while proving their stamina as well as physical and mental strength. This team-based trail event will help participants develop trust and teamwork, as they need the strength to carry on, help each other, get rested, and compete to the finish line together. Participants and spectators of this event will also help raise funds to support the Thai Red Cross Language Literacy project which aim to improve Thai language skills among schoolchildren in remote areas.

The AIA One Billion Trail 2022 is scheduled on 2-4 December 2022 in Chiang Mai province, registration is now open on its website aiaonebilliontrail.run.

Mr. Nikhil Advani, Chief Executive Officer, AIA Thailand, said “AIA One Billion Trail 2022 is the first 4-person trail walking/running event in Thailand that we are the main sponsor. It aims to encourage physical strength, unity, and teamwork to achieve a common goal. It is also part of the “AIA One Billion” initiative originated by AIA Group and other 18 markets including Thailand, which was launched earlier this year to engage a billion people to live healthier, longer, better lives by the year 2030. We intend to start a movement to bring our purpose to life and create a more sustainable future for people across the region. Furthermore, participants of the AIA One Billion Trail 2022, either the runners, family members, friends and general public will be able to donate to raise funds for the Thai Red Cross Language Literacy project to improve the speaking, reading, and writing skills of children in remote areas. This event reinforces the company’s commitment to helping people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.”

Mr. Knattapisit Krutkrongchai, Chief Agency Officer, AIA Thailand, said “In visiting communities of Thai children in remote areas, we found that there are still many children who lack access to basic education or low literacy skills, especially in speaking, reading, and writing Thai language, which are necessary skills for their future. The company, therefore, decided to initiate the “AIA One Billion Trail 2022” project in Chiang Mai to raise funds to support children’s education and maximise their potential. The event features a walking and running competition in a team of four using a natural trail route from Doi Inthanon to Doi Suthep amid the fresh winter air in December. All members of the team will need to work together while harnessing their physical and mental capabilities to cross the finish line together. There are four categories: 100, 50, 25 and 10 kilometres, whereas winners of each category will receive a trophy from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.”

“We want this event to be a turning point that inspires Thai people to take care of their health as well as appreciate the beautiful nature and environment. Moreover, this event will also raise funds from runners and participants to support the Thai Red Cross Language Literacy project to improve the speaking, reading, and writing skills of children in remote areas, in line with AIA’s brand promise to helping Thai people live healthier, longer, better lives,” he added.

In the AIA One Billion Trail 2022 Press Conference, there are two organisations that are key partnership of this trail event; Thai Red Cross Society, led by Mr. Khan Prachuabmoh, Director Fund Raising Bureau and Mr. Wittaya Chanchalong, Assistant Director Thai Red Cross Chapters Administration Office, together with Chiang Mai Provincial Office of Tourism and Sports, led by Mr. Jakkapong Sidthilaw. They are joining the panel to discuss about the details of Thai Red Cross Language Literacy project and the readiness of Chiang Mai to welcome trail runners from all over the country. Another special guest is Mr. Artiwara Kongmalai (Toon Bodyslam), the leading rock star and healthy idol, presented on stage to share technique for long distance running as well as invite the runners to participate in AIA One Billion Trail 2022 which help delivering educational opportunity to Thai youth.

Furthermore, the famous trail runner Coach Nam – Namphet Phorntharakjaroen and Dr. Nathee Thongsiri from Goody Box Ltd, the designer of the trail route for AIA One Billion Trail 2022, also showed up with a video presentation to introduce the Chiang Mai trail, which is one of the most beautiful trail routes in Thailand.

“We want to organise a decent trail event to grant positive experience to Thai runners and pave the way to events at the international level. Most importantly, we want to create a strong and sustainable exercising community that also takes part in the conservation of nature, forests, mountains, and all living things in the ecosystem in a sustainable manner,” said Namphet.

“AIA One Billion Trail 2022” is scheduled on 2-4 December 2022 in Chiang Mai. Interested persons can register as runners or donate directly to the Thai Red Cross Society bank account via website: aiaonebilliontrail.run from today onward.

Published : August 03, 2022

By : THE NATION