Bangkok Mass Transit System PCL (BTSC), a subsidiary of the BTS Group, has received “Transport Deal of the Year” award under “The Asset Triple A Infrastructure Awards 2022” from The Asset, Asia’s leading financial magazine, according to the success of the issuance of its green bonds worth 10.2 billion baht.
Mr Surayut Thavikulwat, Chief Financial Officer of BTS Group Holdings PCL, said: ”We are honored and proud to receive “Transport Deal of The Year” award under “The Asset Triple A Infrastructure Awards 2022” for the success of our bond issuance in the transport sector. We aimed to issue green bonds to strengthen and support the sustainable infrastructure projects, which is an opportunity for investors to invest in projects that contribute to our country’s development and environmental sustainability.”
“The green bond’s proceeds will be used for investment in Electrical and Mechanical Works and rolling stocks of MRT Green Line Extension project (North-South sections). This project will help promote the use of electric mass transit system, resulting in the reduction of carbondioxide (CO2) emissions and fine dust particles (PM2.5), thus bringing about the improvement of air quality in Bangkok Metropolitan area. These are in line with our commitment to business sustainability, especially the continued investment in environmentally-friendly projects,” said Mr Surayut.
Taking Thai OOH up a notch with an army of artists on digital OOH screens
The number one Offline-to-Online (“O2O”) Solutions provider across multiple platforms, VGI Public Company Limited (“VGI”), solidifies its position as the leader of Out-of-Home (“OOH”) media in Thailand with yet another new phenomenon through its ongoing partnership with GMM Grammy Public Company Limited, the leader of content provider. Joining forces for the third year running, this year, the two titans launch “3D City Pop,” a new campaign which brings together 3D Entertainment Illusion Technic and VGI’s unique Digital OOH media to present ravishing and interactive 3D contents from Thailand’s front row artists. With VGI’s OOH wide-ranging reach, the campaign will bring the country’s favourite artists closer to fans as well as create engagement and memorable experience for target consumers across all transportation channels, be it the BTS SkyTrain, main roads and the city’s landmarks.
Kicking off with full light, colour and sound, the “3D City Pop” campaign will start by bringing today’s biggest artists, including Peck Palitchoke, Getsunova and Three Man Down, to perform Vertical 3D Concerts on the Empire Tower’s LED Screen, the first ever to happen in Thailand. This will create a new experience for fans as they will get to see their favourite artists perform on a Mega Screen for the very first time at the heart of the city in Chong Nonsi, making it hard to resist being captivated or bringing out their phones to capture the moment. The Vertical 3D Concert will run from July 18 to August 30, 2022 at the top of the hour at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm.
Moreover, fans will be able to see their beloved artists in 3D across all main transportation spots, from the BTS’s Digital Welcome Pack Screens, where artists await to welcome passengers passing through the ticket barriers, and the 45-meter-long Immerse Screens, where artists will be present to brighten up the spirit of commuters on BTS stations, to the Digital Street View Screens on major roads and the Mega LED Screen on MBK Center in the landmark Siam shopping district. The campaign is set to create a special commuting experience like none other.
Commenting on this campaign, Mr. Nelson Leung, CEO of VGI, said, “This marks the third year in a row that VGI has joined forces with GMM Grammy to present MUSIC CONTENT on VGI’s media network. However, this year is more special than before. As the leading OOH provider in Thailand, VGI has brought in the latest innovation – the 3D Entertainment Illusion Technic – to increase our product ingenuity. Through our powerful and high-quality media solutions and their extensive reach across all urban commuters’ paths, we strongly believe the “3D City Pop” campaign will create gripping impact as well as a unique entertainment experience for consumers, while also modernizing the Thai OOH industry. Moreover, this campaign can serve as a model for marketers, advertisers and brands to build on. Meanwhile, our production team stands ready to constantly create creative and captivating campaigns to enhance consumer reach and engagement.”
Fahmai Damrongchaitham, Chief Strategic Officer of GMM Music at GMM Grammy PLC, said “Our past campaigns with VGI were all a success. For instance, the BTS Train Wrap with creative work of GMM artists – Num Kala, Cocktail, Tilly Birds and Big Ass – which was warmly received and had positive feedbacks from all directions, be it from fans, our clients or various agencies. Crucially, the campaign also allowed our artists to showcase their contents in a variety of formats and better engage their target groups. As for the “3D City Pop” campaign, we believe it will offer an electrifying experience with the 3D Entertainment Illusion Technic, which in turn will allow us to create new gimmicks and exciting marketing activities to follow suit. This campaign will kick off with our hottest Pop and Rock artists, including Peck Palitchoke, Getsunova and Three Man Down, who will be offering enjoyable moments with the people of Bangkok, followed by many more who will join the campaign with new and fun contents. So please stay tuned.”
The “3D City Pop” campaign is ready for all to witness across all of Bangkok’s landmarks throughout this August 2022
Industry leaders advance longstanding collaboration with interactive rooms, available this summer and beyond at Marriott Hotels properties in San Francisco, Bangkok, and London.
BETHESDA, MD – July 2022 – Marriott Hotels, the signature flag of Marriott Bonvoy’s 30 extraordinary hotel brands, furthers its partnership with idea engine TED through its award-winning educational arm TED-Ed, to debut their first-ever immersive experience outside of a TED conference. Aimed at sparking curiosity and enriching the experience of global travelers, the rooms feature interactive, mind-bending activities integrated into the Marriott Hotels guest room design. Aimed Recommended for families and friends ages seven and up, reservations for The Curiosity Room by TED can be made now for stays starting July 15 at San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Following the inaugural launch in San Francisco, guests can also book the discovery-based room at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park and London Marriott Hotel County Hall later this summer with stays starting on August 15 and September 15, respectively. Each room experience will be live for three months at each location.
Recent social listening research conducted on behalf of Marriott saw a significant year-over-year uptick in searches for #themedrooms (+106%) and “hotel rooms” + themed (+65%), suggesting consumers are craving more distinct and inspiring hotel experiences.
Sparking curiosity from the start, guests embark on the adventure immediately upon entry to the room. The entire room is a puzzle box waiting to be solved. Puzzle elements have been seamlessly hidden within the décor; solving them all will lead guests to a grand finale and series of surprises and rewards. The puzzles have also been customized to the three destinations, featuring and celebrating local landmarks, culture, and more. Guests will uncover hidden messages, hunt for puzzle pieces, and experience elements of the room in unexpected and delightful ways. The room’s Curiosity Journal’ serves as the guide and connection to the one-of-a-kind in-room journey, with hints available in case guests need a helpful hand. When the final challenge has been completed, guests receive a certificate of completion and can celebrate with a complimentary dessert in the hotel’s restaurant.
“Marriott Hotels has always been a place where guests can be inspired at every corner of their experience and we’ve taken that to the next level with TED’s award-winning educational arm TED-Ed,” said Jason Nuell, Senior Vice President, Premium Brands, Marriott International. “This one-of-a-kind adventure further fosters the notion for our guests to stay curious in their travels, opening their minds beyond a typical overnight stay and propel them to explore the destination with renewed desire to learn something new.”
Awe-inspiring décor elements have been expertly layered onto Marriott Hotels’ modern, residential guest room design to create a blended experience, with everyday hotel items serving as ‘keys’ to unlock clues to help guests progress through the immersive space. Drawing inspiration from the hotel’s respective destination, the rooms feature eye-catching drawings by illustrator and artist Caleb Morris, who founded ‘Welcome to the Neighborhoods’ – an art series focused on creating unique connections between people and cities all over the world. In addition, throughout the room, guests will discover various moments of wonder as well as a guide of local travel recommendations curated by Marriott Hotels and TED, that encourage further exploration beyond the guest room – from the striking architecture of San Francisco to the culture of Bangkok and rich history of London. Guests will be able to take home some mementos, such as the travel guide, to leave a lasting impression of the trip.
Reservations for The Curiosity Room by TED are available now for the stay dates below:
“Watching millions of people view and share TED-Ed’s educational animated videos online every day is a profoundly rewarding experience for our team of creators,” said TED-Ed’s founding and executive director, Logan Smalley. “What really excites me about our partnership with Marriott Hotels, though, is that it will enable families throughout the world, for the first time ever, to experience a totally unique version of TED-Ed in person. I think everyone who participates will gain, in the most tantalizingly fun way possible, a deeper understanding and appreciation of TED-Ed and their destination, and I’m grateful to Marriott Hotels for making that possible.”
Marriott Hotels has a longstanding, global partnership with TED. The relationship began in 2016 by distributing TED Talks and TED Fellows Salons, blogs, and original quotes to hotel guests worldwide, and has continued to elevate every year with new elements of the partnership. Travelers staying at Marriott Hotels have access to custom content expertly curated by TED, with selected themes that are topical and relevant to guests including innovation, travel, entrepreneurship, and much more. Specifically, new TED-Ed content will now be available at hotels with video-based lessons that vary by subject and age.
To explore more, please visit TEDRooms.Marriott.com. Starting rates vary by hotel and maximum four guests occupied in room. Be inspired by following along with Marriott Hotels on Facebook, @marriott on Twitter, and @marriotthotels on Instagram as well as via #MarriottxTED.
When Akalarp Yimwilai co-founded Zipmex Thailand in 2018, his aim was to create a platform that would become the foundation of Asia’s financial architecture, allowing everyone to experience the digital assets world.
But the falling prices of cryptocurrencies and the liquidity crunch faced by Zipmex Global — a partner of Zipmex Thailand — forced Akalarp to suspend trading on his company’s platform for two hours on Wednesday evening.
The suspension was aimed at distancing Zipmex Thailand from trading on Zipmex Global to prevent more damage.
Akalarp founded Zipmex Thailand with Marcus Lim, the CEO of Zipmex Global.
Akalarp himself is a legal veteran in the finance industry, specialising in capital markets and digital assets.
He registered Zipmex Co Ltd on October 25, 2018 with a registered capital of 112 million.
He registered Zipmex Technology Co Ltd on March 11, 20202 with registered capital of 50 million baht.
On November 8, 2021, he registered Zipmex Thai Subsidiary Co Ltd with registered capital of 51 million baht.
And the Zipmex Thai Group was registered on January 20, 2022 with 26.01 million baht registered capital and Akalarp as founder.
On January 20, 2022, he registered Zipmex Thai Holding Co Ltd with 1.961 million baht registered capital.
Akalarp is the third child of Chaiya Yimwilai, a political science lecturer at Thammasat University, and Tipsuda Yimwilai, a well-known TV anchorwoman.
He got a bachelor’s degree in law from Bloomsbury London University and a master’s degree in law from Georgetown University before getting a doctorate in public administration from Sripathum University.
He is a legal expert on the financial markets and the stock exchange and worked with a trust company for almost 10 years as an executive.
He said he became interested in trading in digital assets when he was studying in England after receiving financial services there. He got more experience with trading in digital assets when he studied for his master’s degree in the United States.
He found Thailand lagging behind in digital assets technologies like several other Asia-Pacific nations. He foresaw that digital assets trading would happen in Thailand one day, so he talked with Lim about setting up the Zipmex Thailand platform.
He initially aimed to push Zipmex Thailand and its partner Zipmex Global as the leading digital assets trading platform in the Asia Pacific but the falling prices of currencies and liquidity crunch of the partner has dealt him a blow.
If you own BCH, BTC, LTC or XRP coins via the Bitkub platform you won’t be able to withdraw them on Friday night-Saturday morning.
Thailand’s cryptocurrency-exchange firm announced it would suspend withdrawal of the four cryptocurrencies from 9.30pm on Friday to 5am on Saturday.
Bitkub said the suspension is for routine maintenance so the service provider can keep its customers’ digital coins secure.
On Wednesday, Bitkub rival Zipmex Thailand suspended services for two hours to disable its ZipUp+ service from its exchange platform after partner Zipmex Global was hit by a liquidity crunch.
Digital assets trading platform Zipmex Thailand said on Thursday that damage to investors in Thailand from their investment in Zipmex Global amounted to less than 5 billion.
Zipmex Thailand CEO Akalarp Yimwilai did not disclose the exact amount of damage from investments in the Zipup+ product of Zipmex Global made via the Zipmex Thailand platform.
Akalarp said he was consulting the company’s lawyer about disclosing details of the investment in Zipup+.
“The damage did not amount to 5 billion baht as reported by sone online media,” Akalarp clarified.
“Now, I am consulting with lawyers as to whether we can disclose the amount.”
Akalarp reiterated that Zipup+ was not a product of Zipmex Thailand but of Zipmex Global.
On Wednesday, Zipmex Thailand sent shock waves among its customers by suspending withdrawal of both cryptocurrency and baht currency at 6pm.
Zipmex Thailand initially announced that the withdrawal function was disabled because its trading partners were in a financial crisis.
Then at 7pm, Akalarp issued a long statement to explain the problem.
Akalarp said the brief suspension was necessary to discontinued the Zipup+ product and its Z Wallet, an electronic wallet of the product, from the Zipmex Thailand platform so that Zipmex Thailand’s own Trade Wallet could continue to be used when the system resumed at 8pm.
In the statement, Akalarp explained that customers in Thailand used ZipUp+ to deposit in Zipmex Global in Singapore, which in turn used the money to deposit with Babel Finance and Celsius.
Akalarp said Babel Finance and Celsius later suffered from a liquidity crunch so Zipmex Global could not respond to clients’ demands when they wanted to withdraw money from their Z Wallet accounts.
As a result of the liquidity crunch, customers were unable to withdraw their digital assets, such as bitcoin and ethereum, from Z Wallet.
Akalarp said the issue did not affect the baht and digital currencies in the Trade Wallet accounts with Zipmex Thailand and the deposit and withdrawal functions of Trade Wallet would resume at 8pm.
Akalarp said in the statement that Zipmex Thailand would sue Zipmex Global, Babel Finance and Celsius for the return of digital assets of Zipmex Thailand’s customers.
Akalarp said Zipmex Thailand was willing to organise a Class Action lawsuit for its customers and would shoulder all the legal costs.
Zipmex Thailand resumed trading at 8pm on Wednesday as announced.
“After we resumed trade at 8pm, our customers still deposited into their Trade Wallet to trade digital assets,” Akalarp said on Thursday.
Zipmex Thailand, a crypto-trading platform, announced at 6pm on Wednesday that the withdrawal of baht and crypto currency on its platform has been suspended temporarily.
It announced that various situations, fluctuations and several incidents in the cryptocurrency and problems with major trading partners of the company prompted Zipmex Thailand to suspend all withdrawals.
It said the suspension was necessary to protect the stability of the platform and withdrawals will be suspended until further notice.
The announcement on its Facebook was shared by over 1,400 times in 40 minutes and drew over 500 angry comments.
But by 7.30pm, the company issued another announcement, saying the platform was working to re-enable withdrawal and could be resumed by 8pm.
With a goal of transforming into logistics 4.0, Thailand Post Distribution (THPD) on Wednesday signed MoU with Singapore-based smart mobility firm, Swat Mobility, to jointly research the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning in delivery load and route optimisation.
The partnership is expected to not only strengthen the logistics operations of THPD through the improvement of load utilisation and route planning optimisation but also become a crucial part of driving a shift to carbon-neutral mobility.
Under the agreement, Swat Mobility will use its AI-powered system to automate the management of route planning and optimise vehicle load utilisations for THPD. It is aimed at putting in place a more efficient planning process that will increase productivity and customer satisfaction while reducing the number of vehicles used in these deliveries.
Peera Udomkitsakul, CEO of THPD Co said that Swat smart solutions will align with its plan to launch a platform for small farmers and community enterprises in the last quarter of this year. The new service is aimed at reducing backhaul waste and energy consumption and also offers farmers good and affordable transport options.
Meanwhile, Swat technology will support THPD’s project to expand B2B logistics service.
“We strive to be a model Thai logistics provider that adopts cutting-edge technology to provide efficient transport systems on par with foreign companies. In addition, the new operating procedures will help reduce the logistics costs of customers and promote sustainability with mitigation of carbon footprint,” said Peera.
Arthur Chua, executive chairman and co-founder of Swat Mobility Co, said that this partnership, more than achieving outcomes beyond increased productivity, is driven by a common desire to create a positive impact through vehicles and mileage reduction. Sustainability and resource-use efficiency are priorities that Swat actively strives toward with the use of technology.
“Mileage reduction has always been at the core of Swat’s technology, and so is the corresponding decrease in carbon emissions. We provide AI-powered technology that optimises your mileage and vehicle usage as well as tools that amplify your environmental impact.”
For reduction of operating costs, Chua said that Swat Mobility has done a similar project with other logistics providers, showing that its smart solutions could reduce the number of vehicles by 50 per cent.
Currently, Swat Mobility has launched its solutions in eight countries with the main focus on Thailand, the Philippines and Japan. Swat Mobility has progressively secured the interests of key Thai stakeholders in the automotive, manufacturing and FMCG industries, following its expansion into the market in 2021 with the support of Enterprise Singapore.
“If we want to bring technology to real life in different countries, we need to act on many unique parameters and need unique operational tools.”
Chua pointed out that the company is moving forward to build more parameters to customise solutions for the different needs of customers. So far, we have done over 200 kinds of customisations to fix different countries, different industries and different using patterns. We’re moving forward to build more and more parameters to make customised solutions,” said Chua.
In 2021, Swat Mobility was listed on the Forbes Asia “100 to Watch” list as a notable startup on the rise in the Asia-Pacific region.
Production and sale of Foremost pasteurised milk has been suspended since July 1 to cope with changes in Thailand’s dairy market, its manufacturer FrieslandCampina (Thailand) announced on Wednesday.
The announcement came after the “Foremost Thailand” Facebook page administrator, in reply to a netizen’s query, said that Foremost pasteurised milk was not currently being produced.
The company said that it had closed its Lak Si plant on July 1, adding that the company has considered this issue thoroughly in line with business strategies.
FrieslandCampina (Thailand) vowed to produce and sell high-quality dairy products to meet Thai consumers’ demand via various brands, such as Foremost UHT, Foremost Omega, Falcon, Debic, Ship and My Boy.
The company also vowed to continue promoting good nutrition among Thais.
“The company will assist employees affected by the closure of the Lak Si plant to the fullest,” the announcement read.
The Dutch multinational launched its Thai arm in 1956, gaining the largest market share in the dairy segment riding Thais’ increasing thirst for sterilised milk, UHT milk, and pasteurised milk.
However, FrieslandCampina (Thailand) suffered a net loss of 1.36 billion baht in 2021, down 180 per cent from the 289.45 million net profit it made in 2020, according to Department of Business Development data.
On April 29, 2022, Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd., led by Mr. Eiichi Koito, President and CEO, together with Mr. Egathi Rattana-Aree, Executive Vice President, Human Resources & General Administration Unit, donated the first solar system to Namphong Hospital in Khon Kaen province as part of its latest environmental project, ‘Solar for Lives’, as well as efforts to promote clean energy in the public health sector and propel Thailand toward a carbon-neutral society. Flagship electric car – Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has also been lent to the hospital to be used for its medical services.
Mr. Eiichi Koito, President & CEO of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) said, “Our goal in putting solar system in community hospitals across Thailand is to increase the opportunities of Thai people to access good health services while promoting the government’s strategic goals in bringing Thailand towards a balanced carbon society. The project has been initiated through a strong partnership among the Ministry of Public Health, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), and the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) to enhance a collaboration between government and private sector to achieve our target which are to support the installation of solar system for approximately 40 community hospitals by 2032, also can reduce carbon emissions more than 17,300 tons throughout the project and save up to 400,000 baht per year in power expense for each hospital.”
“Namphong Hospital was chosen as the first hospital due to its urgent need to expand its facilities to accommodate more patients, as well as the hospital’s location where direct sunlight shines, which helps solar panels produce power more efficiently. We believe solar system will benefit the local community members for both health and environment which associate with our CSR direction: To contribute and grow with Thai Society in 3 areas: Education, environment, and health,” added Mr. Koito.
Under the project, Mitsubishi Motors Thailand is responsible for solar system installation and yearly maintenance.
Namphong Hospital, founded in 1971, is located on Mittraphap Road. The hospital serves residents of numerous districts, including Namphong, Khao Suan Kwang, Ubonrat, Kranuan, Mueang, and Non Sa-ard, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Besides the solar system, Mitsubishi Motors Thailand has also lent one unit of Mitsubishi flagship electric car, Outlander PHEVs, for Namphong Hospital to be used for its medical services. The vehicle is an environmental friendly vehicle which can provide a maximum 1,500 watts to electronic appliances for outdoor activities and as a reliable source of electricity in an emergency or blackout. As the car runs by electricity generated by solar system of the hospital, it can demonstrate the example of sustainable and renewable energy eco system as well.
On June 13, 2022, Mitsubishi Motors expanded its ‘Solar for Lives’ project by providing the solar system to the second community hospital, Phaya Mengrai Hospital in Phaya Mengrai District, Chiang Rai province. The company also provided Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs for the hospital to be used for medical services, which include serving communities in the 20 km. radius of the hospital, thanks to their capacity of running 55 km. on electricity alone and up to 500 km. when using both electricity and gasoline.
The 60-bed Phaya Mengrai Hospital treats outpatients at around 400 persons per day and 10 inpatients daily. It has 7 doctors and 52 medical professionals providing healthcare to local people in Phaya Mengrai and nearby districts.
Mr. Eiichi Koito, President & CEO of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) said “Phaya Mengrai Hospital was selected to join the ‘Solar for Lives’ project’ as it requires power support to cope with increasing patients in the communities. Furthermore, the hospital is located in an area that receives sunlight directly, which helps maximize the efficiency of solar panels. We are confident that the solar system will help improve local people’s quality of life as well as promote the community awareness of environmental conservation.”
Mitsubishi Motors Thailand commits to its environmental goal of supporting Thailand in becoming carbon neutral. There are a number of green programs in place to reduce carbon emissions throughout all of manufacturing operations, including Reforestation, Solar for Lives project, and production of the electric car – Outlander PHEV that made its debut in Thailand in 2020. The company also installs a rooftop solar system at our Laem Chabang factory in Chon Buri, the largest manufacturing center outside of Japan, which can reduce carbon emissions about 6,100 tons per year.
Akalarp is the third child of Chaiya Yimwilai, a political science lecturer at Thammasat University, and Tipsuda Yimwilai, a well-known TV anchorwoman.
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