Thailand launched its bid for Phuket to host the global 2028 Specialised Expo in Paris on Sunday, a government spokeswoman said.
AThai team led by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is showcasing the southern island as the ideal venue for the expo under the theme “Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity”.
Thailand is competing with four other countries – the US, Argentina, Serbia and Spain – to host the expo.
Specialised Expos are meant to respond to a specific challenge facing humanity and usually take place in the interval between two World Expos.
Team Thailand will give the three-day presentation until Tuesday at the headquarters of the Bureau of International Exposition (BIE), the inter-governmental organisation in charge of organising non-commercial international expos.
BIE officials will survey Phuket in July and again at a later date.
The winning bid will be announced in June next year.
If Phuket is selected as the venue, Thailand would have four years to prepare for the expo, to be held from March 20 to June 17, 2028.
TCEB estimates the expo would draw 4.93 million visitors, including 2.66 million foreign tourists, to Phuket.
The Public Health Ministry wants the expo to serve as a showcase for Phuket’s advanced medical tourism industry.
Property giants Raimon Land, Nava Nakorn and Ratch Group have joined forces to explore the fast-growing market of sustainable data centres.
This follows Raimon Land’s recent tie-up with US-based Nautilus Data Technologies, a world leader in green and environmentally sustainable data centre technology, Raimon Land’s COO Stephane Michel said on Friday.
“Upon signing the memorandum of understanding between the three parties, the foundations are set for smoother and more cohesive collaboration, and utilisation of each party’s key expertise,” he said.
He added that the data centres, set to be completed next year, will be able to reduce energy consumption by 20 per cent.
“The data centre market is one of the fastest-growing in the new economy, with advancing cloud services and steady adoption of working from home permanently among a multitude of market drivers,” he said.
“This joint agreement is a significant first step toward penetrating the nascent data centre market in Thailand as well as the Asean region.”
Nava Nakorn CEO Suthiporn Chandawanich, pointed out that people have started consuming a large amount of data thanks to digital transformation, while businesses are paying attention to preserving the environment.
He added that data centres built under this cooperation will focus on using renewable energy and will help businesses tackle digital transformation.
“Nava Nakorn will support Raimon Land on infrastructure, utilities and telecom network,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ratch Group CEO Choosri Kietkajornkul added that data centres will become critical to businesses in the next normal.
After the Covid outbreak, although the path of human resource management has altered, upskilling of management teams is critical to quickly transform the organization.
PacRim held a press conference at the JW Marriott Bangkok Hotel on June 15, on “Decoding the Great and Enduring: Wisdom from 30 Leaders”, an event being held online on July 7 to mark the group’s 30th anniversary.
Research shows that 80 percent of team leaders’ success comes from people skills. The research by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford University concluded that 85 percent of job success comes from having well-developed soft skills.
To be successful in the future, organizations should focus on developing future leaders at all levels she said. They are:
• Build a company that is ready for change and has the same mindset as leaders who are eager to learn. • Learn new skills and establish a clear organizational culture that allows everyone to feel like they are a part of the team. • Create leaders who are open to change, take action, and achieve the desired outcome.
PacRim Group is a premier leadership development and results-driven consulting organization.
Porntip Lyimapun.Fouder&CEO of PacRim Group
PacRim conducted in-depth interviews with 30 leaders who symbolize successful persons in sectors such as industry, government, and education to share their principles, ideas, insights, and leadership practices on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.
The aim is to benefit and inspire the next generation of leaders, as well as the general public, she said. “Wisdom from 30 Leaders” will be the focus of the e-book and movie on July 7, 2022, at 9.30 am, by Zoom application online, for the 30th anniversary.
Paul Walker, CEO of FranklinCovey, a global consulting organization with a 160-country network of experience, will one of the highlights of the program. He has collaborated with a number of world-class organizations and offers lessons from Covid-19 with a global view on how to build new sorts of leaders in the future. He will speak live from Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States.
Porntip said: “Today, we were honored to have 30 leaders who allowed us to interview them about their leadership paths in three key success areas — Lead Self, Lead Team, Lead Organisation — to pass on significant experiences and insights to future generations of leaders.”
The ability of organizational leaders and employees, as well as the readiness of people in the organization to overcome hurdles and emergencies, including a lack of sense of urgency, were problems encountered in organizational management during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Insufficient budget and time were challenges. As a result, the transformation had to be completed quickly, and the organizational culture had to be altered to turn the crisis into a chance for continual growth and sustainability, she added
She suggested the solutions start with leaders who can inspire their teams.
“An organization’s inability to transform is limited by unclear directions, so the leader must have a clear goal to transform effectively, have the ability to alter leadership, ideas for employees to adopt the same attitude, is willing to develop and collaborate, and, most importantly, trust if everyone has it.Top management alignment is advantageous, Porntip added.
On the 30th anniversary, PacRim will award Special Contribution Programs to three major groups that contribute to the organization’s and the country’s future growth and sustainability: business executives, management of human resources, and educational institutions’ leaders.
Government officials joined industry leaders to gauge progress in Thailand’s bid to become the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub of ASEAN on Friday.
Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow told the “EV Forum 2022: Move Forward to New Opportunity” that Thailand is well-equipped to keep its status as the Detroit of Asia, by gearing its large auto industry to mass manufacturing electric vehicles.
“We are the 10th biggest car producer in the world and the largest in ASEAN. This means that not only are we now playing an important role in this industry but that we can generate huge future revenues from the automobile sector,” said Supattanapong, who is also deputy prime minister.
As green economics and sustainable growth become major global trends, traditional factories producing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles find themselves on the wrong side of history. Thailand and its automotive industry must now transform quickly to build a 21st-century engine of sustainable growth for the country.
Supattanapong noted the government has already launched various measures to boost domestic demand for electric cars and also lure investors and manufacturers to the EV industry in Thailand. The government’s goal is for 30 per cent of total auto production to be EVs by 2030.
He added that supporting the EV industry would also help Thailand switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
“For Thailand, the EV industry is the beginning of new and endless business opportunities, such as biofuel production, power storage technology, charger devices and smart electronics and connectivity software,” said Suppatanapong.
Raft of govt incentives
The forum also heard from Excise Department spokesman Nattakorn Utensut, who said various tax cuts have been rolled out to boost EV demand. The latest one is the cut in excise tax from 8 per cent to 2 per cent to make EV imports cheaper. The government is also offering a 150,000-baht subsidy on the purchase of an EV costing up to 200,000 baht. Both measures will last until 2025.
Accepting that these measures were only temporary, Nattakorn said the Excise department is now considering other measures to support EV demand, for example, tax incentives for EV charging stations and related businesses.
“Once we have enough required infrastructure like nationwide charging stations and EV maintenance services, I believe the EV industry will grow sustainably without needing tax measures,” he said.
The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) pointed out that collaboration across industries was vital to the success of the country’s EV blueprint. Hence, the BOI has partnered with various organisations and companies to build the new sector.
Since 2017, BOI has launched supporting measures to develop four key EV ecosystems: production, parts, charging network, and software and applications.
BOI deputy secretary-general Narit Therdsteerasukdi explained the main focus was to attract international key players to establish research and development centres that would turn Thailand into the region’s EV hub. The BOI is also rolling out various incentives to speed up development of a nationwide EV charging network. Meanwhile, it is supporting start-ups and tech firms developing integrated software and apps for EV use.
Thailand was the first country in ASEAN to deploy an ecosystem to support the EV industry, Narit boasted.
“We will continue to issue more policies to support both demand and supply in EVs as well as training our own skilled workforce,” he added.
Meanwhile, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat)’s Warit Rattanachuen explained that as Thailand’s main power provider, Egat is working on a power network to support EV charging stations across the country.
The agency has also partnered with major automakers to provide charging tools for EV drivers to use at home. Moreover, the agency is also behind pilot charging stations in government offices such as the Finance Ministry.
Massive untapped potential
The special talk section of the forum saw five big firms present their business strategies in the EV market.
Roland Folger, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Thailand, said that all Mercedes-Benz vehicles will be fully electric from 2025 onwards.
Folger noted that only Tesla and Mercedes-Benz have pledged to fulfil the Paris Agreement on carbon neutrality, with Mercedes targeting 2039 – ahead of Thailand’s goal of 2050.
Folger added that the EQS will be the first locally produced Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) in Thailand, with domestic production launching at the end of 2022. Meanwhile, the first overseas-made EQS units have been delivered to Thai customers.
Pongsak Lertrudeewattanavong, vice president of MG Sales Thailand, said the company was focusing on the entire EV ecosystem, not just vehicles.
The MG ZS and MG EP are already on sale in Thailand, but the company plans to add other EV models that are now available in China.
The Bangkok International Motor Show in April saw EV bookings top 6,000. However, delivery of some models might be delayed due to the Covid-19 situation in China, said Pongsak.
MG has also launched the “One Station Every 150km” project to install more charging stations and boost confidence and demand for EVs.
The company has already installed around 140 stations in Thailand but does not expect to reach its initial goal of 500 as more providers have joined the market.
Meanwhile, PTT told forum participants that the energy giant aims to become a major EV ecosystem player.
PTT has invested in EV sectors including batteries, vehicles, mobility as a service, chargers, swapping stations, and service and maintenance, explained Noppadol Pinsupa, PTT’s chief New Business and Infrastructure. The aim was to strengthen the ecosystem that will support Thailand’s bid to become an international EV hub.
Amorn Sapthaweekul, Deputy CEO of Energy Absolute (EA), said the company was focused on domestic manufacture of EV buses for commercial or public use. He explained that EV buses made in Thailand did not face the 40 per cent tax on imported EV buses and trucks.
He also boasted that EA has the fastest charging platform, able to charge any battery to 80 per cent within 15 minutes. To power its EV business, the company aims to increase capacity at its battery manufacturing plants to 4 gigawatts per hour by next year and 50GWh eventually.
Amorn said EA is also targeting production of 8,000 buses per year. It delivered 120 buses last year and set a target of up to 1,500 buses this year. He expects almost all buses in Bangkok to be EVs by the end of 2023.
Narong Sritalayon, managing director of Great Wall Motor (Thailand), said the company has been around for about a year and wants to expand its market presence. It is also happy to support Thailand’s development as the EV manufacturing hub of Asean, he added.
GWM will start assembling batteries in Thailand by the fourth quarter of 2023 and producing EVs in 2024.
The company will open 55 charging stations in 2022 in three formats – partner charging stations, G-charge supercharging stations, and destination charging stations.
He added that nine more GWM electric models will launch in the next three years, adding to the three models on sale from 2021.
Among those is the ORA Good Cat, 4,296 units of which were booked on launch day with 1,748 units already delivered.
“EV Forum 2022: Move Forward to New Opportunity” was co-sponsored by The Nation-Thailand.
First images of flagship Six Senses London hotel, spa and social and wellness club at the Whiteley also released
Savills Thailand will be launching the new world-class residences at The Whiteley in Bangkok on Thursday 30th of June 2022, offering a first chance to purchase an apartment in the grand reimagining of the former Whiteleys department store on Queensway, in London’s Bayswater.
‘Prapaporn Boonkajornkul, Director and Thannicha Chowiwatthana, Manager, Savills Thailand’.
Prapaporn Boonkajornkul, Director, Savills Thailand; commented – ‘The restoration and refurbishment of Whiteleys places the development as one of the most significant and prestigious new landmark residential developments in London’.
Thannicha Chowiwatthana, Manager, Savills Thailand; commented – ‘The Whiteley has strong appeal for Thai buyers as it will be completed together with London’s first and flagship Six Senses hotel and spa’.
Designed by world leading architects Foster + Partners, The Whiteley brings together new, modern architecture with retained and restored Grade II-listed features, including the building’s entire frontage and iconic dome. Occupying over 1.1 million sq ft and providing 139 high specification residences, 20 new shops, cafes and restaurants, a cinema, and state-of-the-art gym, The Whiteley will be completed with London’s first and flagship Six Senses hotel and spa, offering 110 rooms, 14 Six Senses residences and a members’ social and wellness club.
Living room at The Whiteley (image credit: The Whiteley)
The Whiteley offers a selection of one-to five-bedroom homes in the heart of a regenerated Bayswater, just a short walk from Hyde Park, Westbourne Grove and Notting Hill, as well as the transport connectivity of Paddington just a stone’s throw away. Some of the world’s leading museums, galleries, schools and theatres are also all within touching distance.
Curated and managed by Finchatton, residences are architecturally ambitious and proportioned with exceptional generosity of space, offering large outdoor spaces and ceiling heights of up to six metres. The elegant and refined surroundings of The Whiteley provide a lifestyle to residents where five-star amenities are paired with an exceptional service to offer an unparalleled standard of living.
The Whiteley will be home to the flagship Six Senses London, the brand’s first entry into the UK. It will feature 110 rooms, lobby bar and lounge, all-day dining restaurant, and Six Senses Spa with a fitness studio, 20-metre indoor swimming pool, steam room and sauna, relaxation room and Alchemy Bar. Designed by award-winning AvroKO, the building’s historic iron staircase will become an interior centrepiece for the new hotel, leading residents and members to a private members’ social and wellness club. This space will feature a central bar and lounge, co-working spaces, restaurants and wellness rooms.
Residents will have access to Six Senses services and amenities, including state-of-the-art gym, swimming pool, a music room, childcare facilities, libraries, meeting rooms, a Padel tennis court, dining, housekeeping, concierge, and arts and wellness programming.
Amenities at Six Senses Spa London at The Whiteley (image credit: The Whiteley)
Offering a new model for modern living to rival any building in the world, the hotel will also include 14 branded residences, giving owners unique access to the hotel’s services and offerings.
Originally named William Whiteley Limited, and later Whiteleys, this landmark building housed London’s first luxury department store which opened its doors in 1911. This legacy of the building has been carefully considered and preserved by the design team, with visitors and residents arriving at its restored Grade II-listed facade, with its famous clock and sculptures once again taking pride of place, showcasing the building’s original craftsmanship and heritage, offset against sympathetic yet future-facing modern architecture.
A series of new shops, cafés and restaurants will be situated within the frontage on Queensway, and a new main entrance will lead directly beneath the building’s retained, iconic glass rotunda, through to a large-scale public courtyard lined with a mix of destination shopping and dining experiences.
The major restoration and refurbishment of Whiteleys into a new residential, retail, dining and hotel destination marks the beginning of a new era for Bayswater. Over £3bn of collective landowner investment is set to transform the street over the coming years, including a new retail strategy, greening of the streets, significant public realm improvements and a new gate to Hyde Park.
The Whiteley is a joint venture development between MARK and C C Land, with Finchatton acting as development manager. Prices start from £1.5 million through Savills Thailand.
Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand hosted the first meeting of the APEC Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE1) on 15 and 16 June 2022.
The meeting was held virtually under the theme of “Women’s Empowerment through the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy”.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Renee Graham, Chief Executive, Social Wellbeing Agency, New Zealand, who delivered a keynote address focusing on women leadership and inclusivity and how we can explore new frontiers and models.
Mrs. Patcharee Arayakul, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand, delivered the opening remarks during the meeting.
And Mrs. Jintana Chanbamrung is the Head of Delegation of PPWE Thailand.
On the first day of the two-day meeting, member economies focused their discussion on how to continue advancing women’s economic empowerment while pursuing COVID-19 recovery, which remains a challenge in Asia-Pacific.
The meeting also considered a draft of the Women and the Economy Forum (WEF) statement and agreed on the drafting process and timeframe. On the second day of the meeting, Thailand’s co-chair, Dr. Juree Vichit-Vadakan presented the topic of the policy dialogue, which is “Towards balanced, inclusive, and sustainable growth: empowering women through BCG”.
The discussion of women empowerment, opportunities, and challenges through the BCG models was further discussed in the breakout sessions where member economies shared their views and experience through three different tracks; the Bio-Economy track, the Circular Economy track, and the Green Economy track.
These discussions will be brought forward to the next PPWE meeting which will be held from 16 to 18 August 2022.
B.Grimm Power PCL (BGRIM) has advanced the acquisition of a substantial stake in Malaysia’s major renewable energy developing concern reNIKOLA.
Through its wholly-owned subsidiary B.Grimm Power (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., BGRIM on 10 June paid the initial portion of the subscription of newly issued ordinary shares of reNIKOLA Holdings Sdn. Bhd.
The payment is part of the overall RM367-million share purchase B.Grimm Malaysia agreed to subscribe with the reNIKOLA in the accord entered on 10 November 2021.
The transaction has afforded B.Grimm Malaysia a 45% holding in reNIKOLA and indirectly owning the interests of its three subsidiaries involving in solar energy development.
These companies are SBU Power Sdn. Bhd., RE Gebeng Sdn. Bhd., and Halpro Engineering Sdn. Bhd. which all together have a combined installed capacity of 88 megawatts.
Their power output is transmitted to Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Malaysia’s sole electric utility company under a 21-year supply agreement.
The reNIKOLA is a leading renewable energy group that has experienced tremendous growth in recent years.
Currently, reNIKOLA has three solar energy projects with a total installed capacity of 88 MW in commercial operation.
There is also a 90-MW solar power scheme under negotiation to acquire by reNIKOLA.
Meanwhile, the reNIKOLA is pursuing opportunities to establish solar farms with a combined generating capacity of 375 MW.
“Investing in renewable energy business in Malaysia will benefit the overall investment portfolio of BGRIM, said BGRIM President Harald Link.
“Furthermore, it will enhance BGRIM’s drive towards Net-Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 and in line with our vision of Empowering the World Compassionately based on the principles of generosity, creating value for society and growing alongside Thailand,” he added.
Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) recently held its sixth annual awards ceremony for buildings that demonstrate excellent energy efficiency.
“In 2021, 110 buildings from 145 entries passed MEA energy-efficiency standards, while MEA also provided a fund of 10.67 million baht for 50 winners to further improve their energy efficiency,” said MEA deputy director Wilas Chaloeysat. “Over the six years of our campaign, buildings certified with the MEA Energy Award have helped save electricity worth 26 million baht or 6.87 million units per year, as well as reducing carbon dioxide emission by 2,954 tonnes per year on average.”
MEA launched the campaign in 2012 to encourage businesses to invest in highly energy-efficient equipment to save energy and reduce operational costs in the long term.
“To be certified with the MEA Energy Award, buildings must pass the Management of Energy Achievement Index developed by MEA, and the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) standard – an international standard that of air quality across different parameters including CO, CO2, PM2.5, PM10, TVOC, and formaldehyde,” he said.
The MEA Energy Awards are organised in collaboration with King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), which offers guidance on criteria for energy efficiency.
The 110 establishments that received MEA Energy Awards in 2021 comprised of 41 office buildings, 28 shopping malls, 19 convenience stores, 11 hospitals, four hotels, three hypermarkets, two schools and two universities. Their names and locations can be found at https://www.meaenergyawards.info/about/m-mea-energy-awards.
MEA also provided a fund of 10.67 million baht to 50 selected winners to use in upgrading their buildings with energy-efficient equipment. The fund is capped at 20 per cent of the costs or 1 million baht per building. MEA calculates that the reduced electricity cost will pay for the investment in 3.32 years.
Award winners will also be entitled to special training by MEA, installation of EV charging stations, and discounts on the MEA Better Care service and air-conditioner cleaning.
“We believe the campaign will help promote Thailand’s energy stability and reduce carbon emissions in the business sector, catapulting Thailand towards the government’s goal of carbon neutrality in 2050,” said Wilas. “Furthermore, it will promote the use of innovations and technology that reduce energy consumption and minimise environmental impact, while winners of the MEA Energy Award will also serve as a model for smart buildings for future businesses.
Telecom operator AIS and the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) have jointly established the first 5G innovation centre and laboratory in Thailand Digital Valley in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) with the aim of strengthening the country’s 5G ecosystem and improving workforce skills.
To make Thailand the digital hub in Asean, Asst Prof Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, president/CEO of the DEPA, said the agency has built a network of partners with 5G technology competence in Thailand. This will lead to 5G innovation/use case development and 5G adoption to strengthen competitive advantage and growth in various industries such as manufacturing and service. Thailand Digital Valley in the EEC at Sri Racha, Chonburi province is one of the key action plans.
“DEPA and AIS will establish 5G NEXTGen Centre in the second building to enable Digital Tech cluster to test their 5G use cases with AIS 5G network and platform to enhance new digital solutions or innovative business models in the future,” the DEPA president said.
According to the DEPA, Thailand Digital Valley consists of five buildings and the second building is the “Digital Startup Knowledge Exchange Centre” where 5G NEXTGen Centre will be located. With an area of 4,500 square metres, this building is designed for collaboration and exchange of digital technology and innovation, digital business networking, and residence for digital developers and Thai startups to become the largest startup community in Thailand.
Tanapong Ittisakulchai, AIS chief enterprise business officer, revealed that the centre will be ready to provide 5G technology development ad testing services in the fourth quarter of this year. AIS will utilise 100 per cent 5G network coverage there to generate business opportunities by learning, idealisation, and realisation to develop 5G use cases or solutions together, which is crucial to completing the 5G ecosystem in Thailand’s digital economy.
“AIS has collaborated with various industries to enable and accelerate their digital transformations effectively to gain more competitive advantages and the DEPA is one of our partnerships.The 5G ecosystem with the concept of ‘AIS 5G NEXTGen for Business’ aims to bring innovative solutions and services to enable and accelerate the digital transformation of businesses in Thailand,” said Tanapong.
He added that in order to provide complete digital transformation and solutions to Thailand business owners and entrepreneurs, AIS has launched the country’s first industry 5G and MEC (Multi-access Edge Compute) platform which aggregates 5G network, network slicing capability, edge compute, leading cloud hyper-scalers, and application altogether in an automated fashion, making it easier, faster, cheaper, and more efficient for enterprises, government departments, application providers, solution providers, and system integrators to integrate and deploy end-to-end 5G solutions with low latency.
“AIS 5G NEXTGen Platform will also be used as a testbed tool at AIS NEXTGen Centre to facilitate 5G solution development by customers and solution co-creation between AIS and customers and partners,” said Tanapong.
To completely deliver end-to-end solutions to the enterprise as well as government customers, AIS also announced a new partnership with leading world-class partners like Singtel, NCS Telco+ and Siemens to jointly develop 5G and MEC platform capabilities, 5G Transformation Solutions, and Siemens Smart Manufacturing for industrial solutions. Besides, this collaboration will allow AIS and its partners to share their resources and application so that Thai customers, entrepreneurs and developers would find the right digital solutions, he said.
“We are ready to enable and accelerate digital adoptions of businesses in Thailand to transform and create competitive advantages by leveraging 5G technology and ecosystem from us and our partners in various verticals, both locally and globally. This will foster Thailand’s digital economy to keep growing sustainably,” Tanapong said.
A new study by SAP, one of the leading enterprise application software firms, has found that 98 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand face workforce volatility, including the “Great Resignation” phenomenon, directly impacting their digital transformation plans.
About 80 per cent of SMEs say digital transformation is very important to their survival over the next year.
The new SME research released on Thursday explores the impact of the “Great Resignation” on Thailand’s SMEs under the topic “Transformational Talent: The impact of the Great Resignation on Digital Transformation in APJ’s SMEs” commissioned by Dynata. There are 1,363 small and medium business owners and decision-makers across eight countries in the region, including 207 in Thailand that participated in the survey.
The report found that as the world economy recovers from the pandemic, businesses now face another challenge which is the Great Resignation. First mentioned in 2021, the phrase refers to a worldwide trend of millions of employees across the world leaving their jobs.
SAP’s research found the Great Resignation is real and impacting SMEs in Thailand today. Almost half (47 per cent) of respondents agreed that more employees are resigning now compared to just 12 months ago, while 67 per cent of SMEs said they are not finding it easy to cope with the impact of the Great Resignation.
The talent crunch is also impacting organisations’ ability to digitally transform their businesses. In fact, lack of skilled talent ranks as one of the top challenges to achieve successful transformation for Thai SMEs, trailing understanding of digital solutions and balancing priorities, but ahead of traditional obstacles like cybersecurity or lack of budgets.
Atul Tuli, managing director, SAP Indochina, said this latest study revealed how the Great Resignation could be seen as an existential threat to many organisations. Digital transformation is a fundamental way SMEs not only build resilience, but how they create agile, innovative paths to growth.
“Without the right people, any transformation will struggle. Investment in talent must match investment in innovation to ensure SMEs in Thailand both survive and thrive,” said Tuli.
Meanwhile, to mitigate the impact of the Great Resignation, investing in talent and training is required. The survey found that SMEs in Thailand are investing in their workforce to mitigate the effects of the Great Resignation and to bolster their organisations’ ability to deliver digital transformation.
Survey respondents said they were focusing on boosting digital literacy (39 per cent) to boost talent retention over the next 12 months – as well as investing in more traditional employee priorities like financial incentives and flexible working arrangements (both 39 per cent).
The focus on training can’t come too soon. More than seven in ten (71 per cent) of SMEs say upskilling to support digital transformation is urgent, leading to 77 per cent of Thai SMEs focusing on digital training throughout this year.
“The Great Resignation has often been misconstrued as employees leaving to pursue their purpose. That’s not the whole story. Talent requires the right remuneration, flexibility, and a clearly communicated progression journey. Prioritising upskilling and career progression, and supporting it with access to the right technology and partners is proven to be a win-win for employees and for SMEs here in Thailand,” said Tuli.
Furthermore, 78 per cent of APJ SMEs say their organisation is neutral, highly, or fully resilient in weathering the pandemic’s impact. Just six per cent believe they are not resilient at all.
That confidence in their ability has resulted in a feeling of optimism about their growth prospects. About 85 per cent of SMEs in Thailand said they are moderately, very, or extremely confident in their growth over the next 12 months. “Our small and medium-sized businesses are a bellwether for the wider economy, making up 97 per cent of businesses in Asia and employing 50 per cent of the workforce. I firmly believe that when SMEs thrive, economies grow, and Asia prospers”, said Tuli.
He insisted that by harnessing this optimism and putting it together with great innovation, a commitment to talent, and a strong partner ecosystem, they can chart a course to the next decade of SME success in Thailand.
BIE officials will survey Phuket in July and again at a later date.
TCEB estimates the expo would draw 4.93 million visitors, including 2.66 million foreign tourists, to Phuket.
Porntip Lyimapun.Fouder&CEO of PacRim Group 
‘Prapaporn Boonkajornkul, Director and Thannicha Chowiwatthana, Manager, Savills Thailand’.
Living room at The Whiteley (image credit: The Whiteley)
Amenities at Six Senses Spa London at The Whiteley (image credit: The Whiteley)
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