The Nong Khai Chamber of Commerce is urging the government to improve border trade as consumer behaviour in Laos has changed a lot after the Covid-19 crisis.
Duangjai Sukkasemsin, the chamber’s vice president, said border trade was buzzing before the crisis as many Laotians came across to purchase consumer goods. She said wealthy Laotians also travelled across to take flights to Bangkok and then to other countries.
“But travel restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 crisis has caused the border trade to drop by more than 60 per cent,” she said.
She said consumer behaviour has transformed after the Covid-19 crisis, as most Laotians only go to Udon Thani to see the doctor, refuel their vehicles or purchase necessities.
Duangjai added that very few Laotians are coming across to Nong Khai to purchase necessities as markets, shopping malls and supermarkets in Vientiane are far more convenient and the prices are the same if not lower than in Thailand.
“Foreign investors have introduced big changes in Laos, with many 4- to 5-star hotels being built in Vientiane,” she said.
She added that now travellers preferred to put up in Vientiane as hotels are cheaper there and they can take the China-Laos high-speed railway to continue their journey.
“Soon Thais will be crossing the Mekong River to go shopping in Vientiane instead,” she added.
Duangjai Sukkasemsin
She explained that the China-Laos railway has been a boon for investors, and believes Laos will benefit from a surge in tourists once China reopens.
Also, she said, plans to develop a rail-and-road link between Laos, Vietnam and China will transform Laos from a land-locked country to a land-linked economy.
Hence, she said, the government should reform border trade in the upper Northeast by doing such things as boosting the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises and establishing special economic zones to attract investment.
Once again with the 7th Annual Thailand Coffee Fest 2022: The Future Design of the Future of Thai Coffee, which will arise during July 14–17, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at IMPACT Exhibition Hall 5–7 Muang Thong Thani.
Under the theme “Designing the Future of Thai Coffee”, the much-awaited Thailand Coffee Fest 2022 kicks off on Thursday, featuring more than 200 cafes and roasters as well as a wide range of related products and innovative services.
The four-day event, a partnership between the Specialty Coffee Association of Thailand and The Cloud, is held at Impact Exhibition Hall 5–7 in Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi province, until Sunday.
It treats coffee drinkers, connoisseurs and proprietors, from Thailand and overseas, to an impressive roster of activities, including coffee omakase tasting, Thai coffee showcase by an award-winning barista, bakery pairing and a robot barista experience and stage talks by well-known guest speakers.
Among the highlighted topics are an introduction to low temperature and low humidity drying, yeast processing coffee cupping, packaging design and coffee sustainability.
There is also a line-up of competitions, such as the World Esyen Championship and coffee drinking contests, a coffee-inspired digital art exhibition and an indoor tree market.
The seventh edition of the country’s largest annual coffee fair occupies 15,000 square metres and can accommodate 25,000 visitors daily. It is an environmentally responsible event with a sustainability mindset. Other than the upcycling practice and efficient waste categorisation, used coffee grounds and recycled plastic from the event will be weaved into fabric to make clothes for children in the coffee plantations in Thailand’s northern region.
Nutrada Kunavivattananon President, Specialty Coffee Association of Thailand
Changnoi Kunjara Co-Founder and Managing Director , Cloud_Ground
For those who are interested in attending the festival for free and for additional details please visit http://www.thailandcoffeefest.org/
The Dot Property Mega Sale is back, and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever. The in-person showcase inside Bangkok’s renowned Mega Bangna shopping mall will be integrated with an online platform to create Thailand’s largest property sales event. Festivities began Thursday and will conclude on July 20.
Several leading homebuilders, including SC Asset, Raimon Land, Real Asset and Asset Wise, are displaying their projects during the seven-day event. Attendees have announced exclusive promotions and special packages that are available during the Dot Property Mega Sale.
“We joined the Dot Property Mega Sale because we are confident working with Dot Property Group. No one can reach homebuyers like they can,” Raimon Land AVP of Sales, Khun Ornnicha Trakulyuthachai, stated. “At the event, we have prepared many hot promotions for some of the most luxurious projects in Bangkok. All those who join us at the Dot Property Mega Sale will find special prices while SCB cardholders can take advantage of an exclusive on-top discount.”
The online/offline hybrid approach from Dot Property Group this year was created to ensure all home seekers had the opportunity to find the best properties at the best price, regardless of circumstance. Those who prefer face-to-face interactions can meet with developers directly at Mega Bangna while the online event is designed for those comfortable operating in the digital sphere.
No matter what type of home you’re in the market for, chances are you will find it at the Dot Property Mega Sale. Housing estates and condominiums from Bangkok, the Eastern Seaboard and further afield are all scheduled to take part.
“The Dot Property Mega Sale is the biggest and best real estate sales event this year if you are looking for a new home. Not only do we have an amazing collection of outstanding properties on display, but you’ll also be able to take advantage of the year’s most exciting promotions,” Adam Sutcliffe, Director, Events and International Markets at Dot Property Group, explained.
The seven-day showcase will be one of Bangkok’s largest in-person real estate gatherings since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. The full integration of offline and online activities at the Dot Property Mega Sale is something never seen before in Thailand and empowers home seekers with greater flexibility.
“Helping people find a home is our mission at Dot Property Group. The Dot Property Mega Sale is another way we can accomplish that. This diverse collection of developers and projects covers a wide range of locations and prices to make it truly inclusive. Additionally, combining the physical event in one of Bangkok’s most popular shopping malls with the country’s biggest online property sales event ensures everyone searching for a new home can join us this year,” Sutcliffe noted.
The Dot Property Mega Sale can be found on the 1st level of Mega Bangna from July 14-20 next to Mango and Zara by the Foodwalk entrance as well as online. Visit the online sale: https://megasale.dotproperty.co.th/
A newly published expert review of real-world data demonstrates that AstraZeneca’s vaccine and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines provide equally effective protection against hospitalisation and death following two doses.
The review, published by Expert Review of Vaccines, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal, looks at the effectiveness of the world’s most-used COVID-19 vaccines from 79 real-world studies.
The data shows that both the AstraZeneca vaccine, a viral vector vaccine, and ‘mRNA’ COVID-19 vaccines, offer equivalent protection against hospitalisation (91.3%-92.5%) and death (91.4%-93.3%) regardless of age, with no statistical difference between them.1 While data available at the time of review relates to Delta and earlier variants, available statistics indicate similar findings on serious COVID-19 outcomes resulting from Omicron.
Professor Guy Thwaites, Director of the Oxford Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam and one of the study’s authors, said: “The data reveals how the world’s most widely used vaccines protect people against the very worst outcomes from COVID-19. With the virus set to have a significant global impact for the foreseeable future, the new data serves as important information for the region’s policymakers as they put strategic plans in place for the continued protection of their populations.”
Mr James Teague, president of AstraZeneca (Thailand) Company Limited, said: “Vaccines have been crucial in saving lives and enabling countries in Southeast Asia to move from the most critical phase of the pandemic towards living with COVID-19. As governments consider the implications of the virus becoming endemic, the published data provides reassuring evidence that the ability of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, and the available mRNA vaccines, in preventing people from being hospitalised or dying is equivalent.”
The data, reviewed by infectious disease experts from across Asia, comes from VIEW-hub, an interactive platform for visualizing global data on vaccine use and impact developed by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the International Vaccine Access Center. The platform is updated on a weekly basis to include global real-world studies on vaccine effectiveness. The 79 real-world studies reviewed included comparative effectiveness data for AstraZeneca’s vaccine and mRNA vaccines, specifically BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273. The VIEW-hub platform is not currently designed to capture the safety outcomes of these studies, preventing similar safety comparisons.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine is a ‘viral vector’ vaccine, which means a version of a virus that cannot cause disease is used as part of the vaccine, so if the body is exposed to the real virus later it is able to fight it. This vaccine technology has been used by scientists over the past 40 years to fight other infectious diseases such as the flu, Zika, Ebola and HIV.
AstraZeneca and its global partners have released over 3 billion vaccine doses to more than 180 countries, and approximately two-thirds of these doses have been delivered to low- and lower-middle income countries. Based on model outcomes assessing COVID-19, the AstraZeneca vaccine is estimated to have helped save over 6 million lives between 08 December 2020 and 08 December 2021.
The launch comes with a full promotion and complete after-sales service before bringing the flagship innovations to Thailand.
Mr. William Wang, HONOR South East Asia Region Sales Head, revealed the return to Thailand of the HONOR brand with “GO BEYOND” concept that “We are back with the confidence to go further and bring superior innovation to consumers in Thailand. Three HONOR X Series smartphones, including HONOR X9, X8 and X7, stand out in innovative chipsets, screens, and batteries, which meet the needs of all users at a great value. Together with the cooperation with professional partners like SYNNEX who takes care of the full service both before and after the sale, we are confident that HONOR will deliver a superior experience for Thai people.”
Ms. Sutida Mongkolsuthree, Chief Executive Officer at Synnex Thailand Public Company Limited, said that “HONOR is a brand with potential and strong growth driven by outstanding innovation and assured quality. SYNNEX is very pleased to represent the HONOR brand to take care of all sales channels and full service under the Trusted by Synnex logo. We are ready to provide after-sales service, whether it is 11 service centres throughout Thailand, hotline service, as well as door-to-door repair service.”
HONOR announces the launch of three models of HONOR X Series smartphones with Android operating system and pre-installed with GMS (Google Mobile Service). They are: HONOR X9, HONOR X8 and HONOR X7, that come with the most innovative. All models are equipped with the Snapdragon 680 chipset, 6nm chipset technology that is fast, powerful and energy-efficient, along with HONOR RAM Turbo technology, an innovative RAM optimization innovation that gives you 2GB of additional space. This makes the HONOR X Series smartphones powerful and functional in every model. Each model also has a different identity such as:
HONOR X9, Innovation of perfection
The model is fully equipped with all functions, from a 6.81-inch screen with a resolution of FHD+, ready to support a refresh rate of up to 90Hz that makes the picture beautiful and smooth. The screen-to-body ratio is up to 94%, helping to expand every viewing angle.
Take great photos with the front and back cameras with 4 rear cameras in Quad Camera format that provide resolutions up to 64MP that makes capturing vivid moments with a photographic algorithm optimized for every situation. This is also along with capturing a wide range of details with the Ultra-Wide Angle camera that has a resolution of 8MP and even more detailed with close-up shots that see even the pollen with a macro lens camera. There is also a fun selfie front camera with 16MP clarity.
HONOR X9 also comes with HONOR SuperCharge 66W, fast charging technology that makes every hassle simple, reducing the worry of using life. HONOR SuperCharge lets you fill the battery capacity to 50% in 15 minutes and 81% in 30 minutes. It also meets the needs of heavy smartphone users with a 4800mAh battery.
HONOR X8, Innovation that comes with design
The model is distinguished by a sleek design that is only 7.45 mm thin and weighs only 177 grams. The body has a rounded shape made of high-strength aluminum alloy. It comes with a sharp 6.7-inch screen, FHD + HONOR FullView Display, providing vivid and smooth images at a refresh rate of up to 90Hz.
You can take more pictures in any situation with the four cameras offering a maximum resolution of 64MP, resulting in very sharp images. Even multiple zooms stay clear with the 64MP main camera. Expand your horizons with the 5MP wide-angle camera and the crystal-clear 16MP selfie camera.
HONOR X7, Innovation of strength that must be tried
The 6.74″ HONOR FullView Display puts a cinematic experience right in the palm of your hand. It’s also smoother with a refresh rate of up to 90Hz, powered by Snapdragon® 680 6nm processor, 6nm chipset technology, and super-fast and enjoyable HONOR RAM Turbo technology. By selecting all the strength technologies, the HONOR X7 is powerful, fast and energy efficient.
Even cheap games should not be missed, but the camera line is still alive with the innovation of 4 cameras, resolutions up to 48MP, with a 5MP ultra-wide lens camera, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP bokeh camera. It can be said that this camera can support all formulas in all activities. But no matter how much time you enjoy, you can rest assured that the HONOR X7 comes with a large 5000 mAh battery that gives you up to 20 hours of online video playback and HONOR SuperCharge 22.5W fast charging technology.
Details of products and promotions of the HONOR X Series are available in Thailand.
HONOR X9 (8+128GB) is available in two colours, Midnight Black and Titanium Silver, priced at 9,299.
HONOR X8 (6 + 128GB) is available in 3 colours: Ocean Blue, Midnight Black and Titanium Silver at a price of 7,999.
HONOR X7 (4+128GB) is available in 3 colours: Ocean Blue, Midnight Black and Titanium Silver for 6,299. Start selling HONOR X Series for the first day on July 27, 2022.
Special promotions when pre-booking HONOR X9, HONOR X8 and HONOR X7 with dealers through online channels from July 12 to July 26, 2022 with benefits totalling up to 5,499 baht.
– When booking HONOR X9, get a free S-GEAR HDMI+PD+VGA+USB Converter, valued at 899 baht.
– When booking HONOR X8 or HONOR X7, get a free S-GEAR Cable 3-in-1 charger, valued at 359 baht.
Regardless of which model of HONOR X Series is booked, you can be assured of full quality with the HONOR X Privilege Card with benefits worth 4,600 baht, which include 90-day cracked screen insurance and the right to receive free-of-charge maintenance for 2 years (for service fee only). Customers can receive the HONOR X Series from 27 July 2022 onwards.
For more information, please visit Facebook: HONORThailand, IG: HONORThailand, Line OA: @SynnexThailand or SYNNEX CARE call 1251 press 1.
July 15, 2022 — Mr Chavalit Tippavanich, president and CEO of IRPC Public Co Ltd and Mr Piyabut Charuphen, managing director of Bangkok Industrial Gas Co Ltd (BIG) together signed the contract to manufacture nitrogen and oxygen gases for IRPC refinery.
The project aims to promote IRPC refinery’s efficiency as well as improve the quality of refined diesel fuel according to Euro 5 standard under the government’s Ultra Clean Fuel Project (UCF), which will be effective on January 1, 2024, in a bid to reduce PM2.5 problem.
“The project is in line with IRPC’s strategic plan which focuses on uplifting the core business by expanding investment that promotes long-term competitive efficiency and becoming an organization with net zero emission,” said Mr Chavalit.
Under the contract, BIG as a leader in industrial gas manufacturing will establish an air separation unit to serve the need of UCF and other future projects of IRPC. The unit will also help strengthen the stability of infrastructure in the IRPC Industrial Park, Rayong, especially in terms of increasing gas demand and the improvement of diesel fuel quality under the Euro 5 standard.
“The new manufacturing facility will be the heart of our refinery’s improvement to achieve Euro 5 standard for our diesel, which will help reduce pollution and improve the country’s environmental standard, in line with IRPC’s business aspiration in promoting growth while providing sustainable care for the society, community, and environment,” said Mr Chavalit.
Mr Piyabut Charuphen, managing director of Bangkok Industrial Gas (BIG), added that the project will have an investment value of over 13 billion baht and will be ready for commercial operation in October 2023.
“BIG will contribute technology in the manufacture of high-quality industrial gases that will facilitate IRPC’s improvement of refinery and achievement of Euro 5 standard, which will drive us closer to the net zero emission goal. This project coincides with BIG’s purpose of promoting efficient energy usage while minimizing the impact of climate change,” said Mr Piyabut.
He also added that the new air separation unit will help reduce the emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as it is located in the IRPC Industrial Park, close to where the gases will be used, and therefore eliminate the need to transport liquid nitrogen and oxygen to factories.
Bangkok, July 13, 2022 — Bitkub Blockchain Technology (Bitkub Chain Total Solution provider) announced that KUB Coin has already been listed on Poloniex Exchange.
KUB Coin, the native coin on Bitkub Chain developed by Bitkub Blockchain Technology Co., Ltd., allows users to interact with decentralized applications with an emphasis on affordable transaction fees and high-speed confirmation times.
At present, KUB Coin has already been listed on 5 global cryptocurrency exchanges, which are
Bitkub Exchange
Gate.io
CoinEx
MEXC Global
Poloniex
Founded in 2014, Poloniex Exchange is a global cryptocurrency exchange ranked 15th compared to global exchange worldwide, which has 100 types of cryptocurrency for users to trade. (This information was updated by Coinmarketcap on July 12, 2022).
“KUB Coin is the native coin on Bitkub Chain, which has the Gas Fee transaction payment as the main utility. By listing on Poloniex exchange, this is the another step of international expansion which conforms to our vision; we would like to democratize opportunities for everyone to have real ownership of the digital assets. In addition, this will also emphasize that Bitkub Chain will be ready to expand the ecosystem worldwide soon” said Mr. Passakorn Pannok, CEO of Bitkub Blockchain Technology.
KBank, Thailand’s most profitable bank, on Thursday launched two virtual influencers, aiming to win over customers from the young and new generation.
The two influencers, called “Ken” and “Kazie”, will appear on all live social network channels of the bank, which are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Line.
The bank said the two influencers would lead young Thai social networkers to explore the world, find answers and join efforts to make the world greener.
KBank said Ken, who appears in sporty trousers, jacket and sneakers, has the character of challenging new things. Ken likes to learn new things, play computer games, loves technology and enjoys travelling with friends, KBank added.
Ken attaches importance to financial planning to ensure he would have enough money to do what he likes each month.
Kazie wears a tight white T-shirt with a fashionable jacket and trousers and white canvas shoes.
KBank said Kazie is open to learning new things and loves fashion, art and travel. She loves to seriously study investments and knows how to make profit from her investments. She also attaches importance to the environment.
KBank had earlier announced it would be adopting new technologies so that it could remain competitive against new small banks who use technologies to win over customers from established traditional banks.
Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya)’s fintech arm announced on Friday it will invest 3 billion baht in Thai and foreign start-ups over the next three years as part of the digital banking revolution.
Krungsri Finnovate will invest the money via its new “Finnoverse” private equity fund, which will focus on blockchain and decentralised technology start-ups.
Sam Tanskul, managing director of Krungsri Finnovate, said the new fund’s launch was driven by the belief that banks and banking services are changing fast.
Blockchain is at the core of the trend for digital banking and assets, as the new technology that underlies secure online transactions.
Both blockchain and digital assets are fast becoming a part of people’s everyday life, Sam said.
The Finnoverse Fund has been launched as a three-year investment plan (2022-2024) worth 3 billion baht.
It will focus on key areas of blockchain technology including domestic and international funds that invest in blockchain, new decentralised finance tech, the Metaverse, Web 3.0, nonfungible tokens and play-to-earn gaming, and blockchain for businesses.
“We will focus on blockchain and decentralised technology – not cryptocurrency, where there is too much speculation,” Sam said.
The fund is already investing in Zipmex, a leading crypto exchange platform in Thailand, and ADDX, a market-investment platform from Singapore.
Sam added that Krungsri Finnovate is in talks to invest in three more start-ups, whose names will be announced later this year.
Meanwhile, the firm’s Finnoventure Private Equity Trust I now has 16 prominent start-ups under its wing, mostly in fintech and e-commerce. Two of them – Grab and Flash Express – have become unicorns.
Investors in this fund include Thai corporations and financial institutions such as PTT Oil and Retail Business (PTT OR), Siam Rajathanee, NTT Data, and the Thai Stock Exchange. Private Equity Trust I is now valued at 5 billion baht, enough to fund Thai start-ups for the next few years. So far, 326.3 million baht has been invested in the start-ups.
With revenue of 1 trillion baht thanks to rising global energy prices, the national oil and gas conglomerate PTT Public Co Ltd is topping the list of Thailand’s highest earners in 2021.
Creden Data, a company insight and data analytics service provider, recently named the top 10 Thai companies in terms of revenue earned in the 2021 fiscal year:
Creden Data said PTT, its subsidiaries and Thai Oil have benefited from rising energy prices globally, while the three gold and jewellery companies were in the top 5 thanks to the value of gold still being widely accepted in financial markets worldwide as a foundation for the capitalistic economic system.
Duangjai Sukkasemsin
Nutrada Kunavivattananon President, Specialty Coffee Association of Thailand
Changnoi Kunjara Co-Founder and Managing Director , Cloud_Ground
SootinClaimon.Com 