Thai Honda Co Ltd, a major manufacturer of power products, is celebrating a milestone of 45 million units produced, and exports to over 50 countries around the world.
The company said it has strengthened its position as the world’s “largest and fastest production base” for power products.
And it is now planning to further penetrate the Thai market through new distribution channels and turnkey after-sales services to cater to its customers.
“Thanks to highly efficient technology and production control, Thai Honda products are exported to 53 countries around the world, including Europe and the Americas,” said the company’s president, Shigeto Kimura.
A total of 39 million units have been exported globally, accounting for 93 per cent of the products produced.
“Thai Honda takes pride in its internationally accepted products made by Thai people, and is committed to developing products to meet our customers’ demand,” Kimura said.
According to him, the power products industry in Thailand started in 1987 as a production base and export hub. With constantly increasing demand and production capacity, Thai Honda has become the world’s largest factory of Honda power products. Also, with a production capacity of 16 seconds per unit, it is considered the fastest.
Thai Honda has achieved cumulative production of 45 million units.
Its eight product categories available in Thailand are: general-purpose engine, generator, water pump, backpack sprayer, brush cutter, lawn mower, outboard engine, and power tiller.
Distribution channels include Honda dealers and modern trade stores, such as Home Pro, DoHome, and Siam Global.
This year, Thai Honda has a plan to penetrate the domestic market by reaching more target groups through new distribution channels. The plan is to increase production for the local market from 7 per cent to 10 per cent and expand the dealer network of some existing 200 nationwide.
The DTAC-True merger will create better competition so customers should not be concerned about the increasing service price, Total Access Communication said.
Total Access Communication (DTAC) held a press conference on Thursday to explain the merger with True and its future direction.
Sigve Brekke, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Telenor Group, said that the company had entered the Thai market around 20 years ago and will stay for 20 more years.
He explained the company’s vision at that time was that every Thai deserves a mobile phone and should be able to afford it.
Brekke said Thailand’s mobile phone penetration is currently at 86 per cent with 98.5 million mobile connections. He called this Telenor’s growth 1.0 in Thailand.
Brekke speculated that Telenor’s growth in the next 20 years will be different.
The telecommunications industry is facing a “perfect storm” with new technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things.
He said that it will no longer be about connecting people together but about connecting machines and physical objects to the internet.
He highlighted new ways consumers, businesses and governments can use these technologies.
He cited four examples based on real cases such as the factory’s 5G private network to control robots via live-feed, the 5G network and AI for port operations in Malaysia, the Norwegian Defence’s piloting private network, and campus mobile for hospitals that give highly robust connectivity to connect with patients at houses or ambulances.
He emphasised that the competitive landscape would be different as competitors will not just be traditional telcos but global platform companies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud and Microsoft.
They will be both partners and also competitors. Brekke added that Telenor has signed global partnerships with AWS, Google and Microsoft.
Therefore, the merger between these two telecommunications companies will create a new ‘telecom-tech company’, and not merge one telecom company with another.
It will revolutionise new products and services by creating new technologies and innovations and strengthen competition in the country by combining two weaker companies into one stronger company.
Brekke said, “What Telenor is trying to build in Thailand is not a telco company. We are trying to build a new technology company that will enable Thailand to take advantage of the perfect storm of technologies and deliver new products and services for Thailand.
“We can only do so if we have scale to partner these global companies. A small local telco will not be of interest to these global companies who are after scale.”, Brekke added.
Brekke cited the merger between Telenor Group’s subsidiary Digi and Celcom in Malaysia as similar to the proposed DTAC-True merger
Jørgen Rostrup, executive vice president and head of Telenor Asia, added that the merger will create a strong company that can invest and contribute to future digital and technology development in Thailand.
He mentioned that the merger would help in investing in new technologies and customers would be able to access at an affordable price because the company could not invest by itself as the technology has a high cost.
It is an opportunity for Thailand to be propelled into growth 2.0 and put the country at the forefront, as Thailand has the potential to be the leader in technology, Brekke said.
He said the reason for the merger was that Thailand needs two strong market players, not one strong and two weak.
Rostrup said that the new company will be good for consumers, businesses, startups and stakeholders.
He added that Telenor’s mission is to empower society by upholding highly responsible business standards, supporting digital talent development and creating a workplace that is fit for the future.
They also told the press that the merger process is expected to finish at the end of this year as the regulator — the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NTBC) — is doing its job and the company expected the process will finish in July. After that, the company has to seek approval from shareholders and investors.
They warned that Thailand would lose an opportunity to put the country at the forefront if the merger was blocked.
They assured consumers again that the price would be controlled by the mechanism while NBTC has a role to regulate and control it.
June 29, 2022 – Covestro, a world leader in polymer materials, organized “Hands for a Brighter World” campaign to drive sustainability by upcycling plastic wastes under the fully circular concept.
The project aims at promoting efficient management of plastic wastes which can be recycled and bring them back to the loop and generate value to them again according to the circular economy principle. The activity includes supporting plastic waste sorting stations for further recycling to Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) by the Department of Environment in collaboration with Less Plastic Thailand Network. The collected plastic waste, PET bottles, will be recycled into high-visibility working suits to enhance the safety of road sweepers in Bangkok. The handover of the sorting stations was held on June 17 at the Bangkok City Hall 2. In addition, five more stations were installed at the Covestro manufacturing site in Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, Rayong province where employees are encouraged to donate recyclable plastic wastes so they can be recycled and create value back to the community and society.
Dr Timo Slawinski, Managing Director of Covestro (Thailand) said, “Covestro’s mission is to promote innovation and growth with profitable products and technologies that benefit society while reducing the impact on the environment. We would like to pass over value and sustainability to our future generation, therefore, we make every effort to align our vision on the direction of circular economy. By creating new ideas and innovations that benefits to reserving and making most use of the natural resources that is being scarce, bringing them back to the loop, reducing impact from plastic wastes and promoting reduction of greenhouse gas emission throughout the value chain.
“In March, Covestro announced our 2035 Climate Neutrality Target. Therefore, our campaign, “Hands for a Brighter World” shares a common vision and goal with the “Bangkok Magic Hands” project. This initiative comprises two of Covestro’s core values together: commitment to safety and sustainability, enabling us to turn waste into value. The results are road sweeper personal safety devices – high-visibility suits made from recycled plastic bottles – for the BMA and the Map Ta Phut Municipality.”
Ms Khawissara Wattanapisit, Head of Communication ASEAN Covestro (Thailand), said, “The Hands for a Brighter World project is one of the latest social activities to reiterate Covestro vision for sustainable business operations under the circular economy concept to protect our limited resources. We are committed to minimizing our carbon footprint seriously to reduce the impact on climate change which, in turn, creates opportunities for future generations in the long term. This project is an outstanding example of collaboration among multiple stakeholders who are aware of the problems and working together to reduce the plastic waste problem. This collaboration not only promotes sustainability at the community level but also contributes to national and global levels. To achieve our common targets, one hand or party cannot succeed on its own, but collaboration is needed – this is where the project name stems from.”
Mr Wirat Manassanitwong, Director of the Department of Environment, BMA, revealed, “The BMA top environmental policy is to achieve Net Zero greenhouse emissions and this is well supported by the private sector, hence the creation of this network. The BMA currently encourages the private sector to collaborate on 4 types of activities: renewable energy, green zone expansion by tree planting, waste reduction & management, and traffic management. Recently we organized Earth Hour in March as 1 of 190 countries around the world to switch to electricity at night to raise awareness of energy conservation. We are also campaigning waste pollution prevention with 17 districts on the Chao Phraya River, aiming to reduce littering in the river, and have so far held activities in 3 districts.
“At present, a number of corporations have volunteered to plant trees in BMA public areas or requested the BMA to arrange for areas in support of the BMA Governor’s 1 Million Tree Planting Policy. The “Bangkok Magic Hands” project is a collaboration of several parties with the BMA acting as the middleman in arranging for locations where donors can contribute. We are pleased that Covestro offer plastic waste sorting stations that are attractive and interesting to the public which helps promote actual waste sorting from all. We plan to use some of the collected PET bottles, upcycle them into PPE, and if they are can achieve existing safety standards and comfort requirements, then we will offer them to our road sweepers.”
Covestro is among the leading global polymers manufacturers with a vision to create a better world by driving a circular economy and optimizing the utilization of resources. We produce plastics sustainably, drawing on the benefits of alternative raw materials and renewable energies. To realize our vision we are committed to reducing plastic wastes and airborne emissions, as well as improving waste management. Moreover, we strive to innovate new technologies to recycle discarded products and materials and turn them into raw materials once again.
Covestro in Thailand is committed to raising environmental protection awareness among the youth through the regular organization of educational activities and the publication of educational materials. This includes the booklet series titled “Bright Minds for a Brighter World” for primary schools in Thailand to educate the importance of waste sorting under the circular economy concept. We also organize workshops for teachers on environmental management both in Bangkok and Rayong.
BTS Group strives to improve the quality of life and well-being of people through the integration of core businesses. The Group has developed and created an innovative ‘3M strategy’ comprising MOVE, MIX, and MATCH, leading to unlimited business growth.
Thailand’s export sector saw a growth of over 10 per cent in May and almost 13 per cent in the first five months of this year, Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Friday.
This healthy growth is expected to continue for the remainder of the year, and the Commerce Ministry’s target of 4 to 5 per cent expansion for 2022 is likely to be achieved, he said.
Jurin, who doubles as deputy prime minister, said exports would continue to serve as the economy’s main driving force this year, with tourism coming in a close second.
In May, Thailand’s exports were worth US$25.5 billion (905.2 billion baht), marking a 10.5 per cent increase year on year. Imports during the month totalled $27.3 billion (969.1 billion baht), marking a 24.2 per cent hike. This resulted in a trade deficit of $1.8 billion (63.9 billion baht) in May.
The first five months of the year saw exports rise 12.9 per cent, at a total value of $122.6 billion (4.3 trillion baht), while imports expanded 20.2 per cent, totalling $127.3 billion (4.5 trillion baht). The trade deficit in the first five months of this year totalled $4.7 billion (166.8 billion baht).
The commerce minister attributed the rise in Thai exports to five key factors: successful policy in exporting food and beverages, the Thaifex-Anuca Asia 2022 food expo, implementation of free trade agreements, global economic recovery, and a weaker baht that makes Thai products more competitive.
Consumer goods giant Saha Group is once again calling on the government to allow manufacturers to increase the price of instant noodles as companies are now making losses.
Thamarat Chokwatana, director and executive vice president of ICC International Plc, said this at the Saha Group Fair on Thursday.
He said the company has asked the government for permission to increase the price of instant noodles from 6 baht per packet. Choosing not to elaborate on what the new price would be, he only said that the cost of production has risen by more than 10 per cent as the price of each ingredient has risen several fold.
Thamarat said the price of instant noodles, like detergent, is controlled so it is difficult to adjust the price tag when production cost rises. The price of other products is controlled by market mechanisms, he said.
He added that instant-noodle manufacturers are trying to maintain the price for as long as possible, but will not be able to do this for too long.
He added that a 1-baht increase in price may not be enough if the cost of ingredients continues rising.
Thamarat added that he understands why the government wants to keep the price unchanged, but if prices are not adjusted then companies will start making huge losses.
Saha Group had called on the Commerce Ministry in June for permission to increase prices, but the request was rejected.
The four-day Saha Group Fair, which wraps up on Sunday, is being held at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Bitec).
Manufacturers sell products at original prices in a bid to help ease consumers’ burden of rising living costs. Thammarat said this year’s fair is bigger than ever, especially since this is the first on-site event since the arrival of Covid-19 in early 2020.
The baht opened at 35.33 to the US dollar on Friday, strengthening from Thursday’s closing of 35.37, and is expected to move between 35.25 and 35.40 during the day.
Krungthai Bank market strategist Poon Panichpibool reckons the baht will strengthen as the dollar weakens, but said the baht will possibly fluctuate and weaken if foreign investments flow out and the market remains in a risk-off state.
The baht may also weaken if the gold price drops to its main support level of US$1,800 per ounce, encouraging some investors to buy at the dip.
He also warned investors to beware of the baht’s volatility before and after eurozone inflation figures have been revealed at 4pm Thailand time.
If inflation in Europe is high, the market will expect the European Central Bank to increase the interest rate, which will strengthen the euro and baht, and weaken the dollar.
Poon advises investors to use hedging tools like options to manage their risks in the highly volatile currency market.
The Thailand Tourism Council (TCT) has vowed to attract at least 10 million foreign tourists to the country in the second half of this year, and is pleading with all government agencies to provide more subsidised, soft loans, and lenient measures to all entrepreneurs, particularly local small and medium-sized enterprises.
Speaking at the press conference for the Thailand Tourism Confidence Index 2022, TCT president Chamnan Srisawat said that the council has already set a target of 12-16 million inbound tourists for this year and two million tourists have already arrived in the first half of the year. This figure target represents 30-40 per cent of all international tourists who visited Thailand prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is critical for all Thai tourism businesses to recover and survive.
According to the report, the tourism confidence index increased in the first six months of 2022 due to the positive sentiment about the sector’s recovery as a result of government measures, such as opening the country’s borders, relaxing some regulations, and lifting the Thailand Pass requirement to make it easier for tourists to visit the kingdom.
In particular, the confidence index of Thailand’s tourism industry rose to 53 points in the second quarter. In Q3, it is expected to reach 62 points. According to the researchers, the number is gradually increasing because many entrepreneurs are concerned about rising energy prices and high inflation, which raises their costs.
Overall, the report predicted that tourism in Thailand will generate more than 671 billion baht this year.
Chanchai insisted that the private sector of all sizes needed some support from various government agencies in order to maintain the country’s competitiveness and remain the favourite destination of tourists. For example, companies require soft loan measures from the Ministry of Finance to provide liquidity for their operations, land and building tax exemptions from the Revenue Department, digital transformation assistance from the Digital Economy Ministry, and labour training sessions from the Labour Ministry.
“We appreciate everything the government has done to help the tourism industry and businesses begin to recover,” but winning this tourism war game while maintaining supply-side competitiveness will require special synergy. There is still work to be done, and those tasks cannot be completed by a single party,” Charnchai explained.
He also forecast that as countries around the world gradually open their borders, competition in the tourism industry would be fierce. Each country will make an effort to lure tourists because they see tourism as a quick-win strategy for generating income and reviving their economies.
According to Vichit Prakobgosol, TCT’s vice president of marketing, tourism is one of the simplest ways to quickly distribute income to people. The most pressing issue right now is determining how to increase the number of inbound visitors.
He proposed that the government meet with travel agencies and airline operators to discuss joint promotions, such as hard sales and chartered flights, as well as any other measures that would make it easier for tourists to visit the country and thus increase the likelihood of more tourists coming to Thailand.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, stated that the country’s hotels and accommodation facilities have yet to fully recover. As a result, they continue to require government assistance, particularly with regard to the exemption of land and building taxes.
Meanwhile, she supported the government’s efforts to promote Thailand’s soft power, which includes food, fashion, film, fighting (Thai traditional boxing), and festivals. All of these forms of soft power will add value to Thailand’s rich culture and entice foreigners to visit the country.
Somchai Jearanaisilp, TCT vice president and president of the Wellness Tourism Committee, added that medical and wellness tourism could be another factor in helping Thailand’s tourism industry grow. The government must prioritise Thailand Medical Hub, particularly the training of skilled personnel with more specific expertise, continue to promote various researches so that Thailand can create Thai-style medical products that are distinctive and different, support investment through the Board of Investment (BOI), and issue a policy promoting a 10-year long-stay visa for foreigners.
Charnchai concluded that the country is currently engaged in a “tourism war game”. While Thailand’s government policies and measures are ready to welcome tourists, many private operators and related businesses, particularly owners of small hotels or local car rentals, remain reluctant to provide their services. As a result, greater collaboration between the government sector, the council, and related businesses is required.
The “Smart SME EXPO 2022” for business franchises will be held from July 7 to 10 at Hall 7-8 of Impact, Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province.
The expo is a centre for the best business franchises of the year 2022, the organisers said.
Booths will be organised over 10,000 square metres, together with a variety of product and merchandise booths for online shopping.
Visitors can find many business franchises for investment with budget ranging from thousands to millions of baht.
The event offers an opportunity to meet business partners and strengthen business expansion.
Visitors can also participate in negotiations with both domestic and international businesses, the organisers said.
There will also be a forum providing knowledge on new business trends and occupational training. Contact 094-915-4624 or 086-314-1482 for more information.
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