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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023943

Bangchak to acquire ExxonMobil’s 66% stake in Esso Thailand

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023

Bangchak Corporation (BCP) said on Thursday that it had signed a deal to acquire the entire stake of ExxonMobil Asia Holdings (ExxonMobil) in Esso Thailand (ETL), marking a new chapter in greater energy security and energy affordability for the country.

In its letter to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, BCP said the company had entered into an agreement with ExxonMobil for the acquisition of 2,283,750,000 ordinary shares of ETL, accounting for 65.99% of total ETL shares, on Wednesday.

“The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of this year,” BCP said, adding that the company would subsequently launch a tender offer for the remaining ETL shares once the transaction with ExxonMobil was completed.

BCP Group chief executive officer and president, Chaiwat Kovavisarach, said the investment is “a step towards greater energy security, balancing our long-term strategy with energy affordability and sustainability”.

“I believe this transformational transaction marks the beginning of a new chapter for BCP and for Thailand,” he said.

Chaiwat Kovavisarach

The transaction, which entails a 174 thousand of barrels per day (KBD) complex refinery, a network of distribution terminals, and over 700 service stations, will provide BCP with important catalysts for further growth and margin improvement.

“With a combined nameplate capacity of 294 KBD and a network of 2,100 service stations, the company would not only benefit from a complementary refining portfolio providing fuel supply security and optionality but would also be able to offer more comprehensive customer service through the enlarged footprint of service stations nationwide,” he said.

He added that exchange of knowledge and technology would enhance employees’ skills and capabilities, which would enable the company to deliver the best customer experiences and prepare for a move towards energy transition.

Related stories:

• PTT, Bangchak ‘will not raise’ petrol prices during New Year holidays
• Bangchak in joint venture to buy used cooking oil at 44 petrol stations
• Bangchak unveils ambitious new strategy as it prepares for sustainable future

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023925

Amazon Web launching more cloud services in Thailand

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Amazon Web Service says it is launching more cloud services in Thailand this year, with the goal of signing up more large and small business clients to maintain, what it calls, its leadership position in the cloud market.

Vatsun Thirapatarapong, its country manager for Thailand, told a press conference on Wednesday that the company’s 15-year plan includes strengthening its provision of cloud service in Thailand.

AWS announced a US$ 5 billion investment in the fourth quarter of last year, which included cloud data centres in Thailand.

“As we look forward … we believe the cloud will play an even larger role in assisting ASEAN and Thai organisations in meeting their business objectives, and we are committed to assisting our customers in effectively leveraging AWS cloud to reduce their IT costs,” Vatsun said.

Spending on public cloud services in Thailand is expected to increase 31.8% this year, exceeding the global growth rate of 20.7% predicted for 2004, according to research company Gartner.

End-user spending on public cloud services in Thailand is expected to reach 54.4 billion baht this year, up over 25$ from 41.3 billion baht in 2022.

Over the next five years, governments, private companies and people are forecast to produce more than twice as much data as has been produced since the beginning of the digital age, industry boosters say.

Vatsun said that new innovation technologies can be divided into three categories: data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning , and data governance and security.

“Our customers all have one thing in common: data is at the heart of their applications, processes, and business decisions. Working with data, on the other hand, is difficult. It necessitates a comprehensive set of tools that account for the scale and variety of this data, as well as the numerous purposes for which you intend to use it,” he said.

Meanwhile, companies require governance so that teams can explore and innovate while ensuring data safety and security. Companies must also be able to visualise data in a way that allows for quick and easy discovery and sharing of insights, he added.

Some of the company’s new products are: Amazon Aurora, Redshift, SageMaker and Amazon Security Lake.

Amazon Web Service’s new cloud products are facing intense competition from Huawei, Microsoft, Tencent and others, but Vatsun expressed confidence that AWS would remain a leader in the global cloud market.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023924

Trendsetting Thai company adds CBD line of lotions

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Thai-owned British Dispensary Group is launching a line of skin-care products using cannabidiol, or CBD, marking the first time the more than 130-year-old company will use a hemp extract in its products, it announced on Wednesday.

Group president Anurut Vongvanij told media that the new product line, named “HerbaCeutic”, will start with four lotions using CBD produced by Salus Biocutical (Thailand), a subsidiary of one of Canada’s largest cannabis companies, MPX International.

Anurut said the collaboration with Salus would guarantee Canadian expertise as well as large-scale production of hemp extract. The new products use medical grade, high quality CBD that meets standards in Canada as well as Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration, Anurut said.

Products using CBD extract have exponential growth prospects, Anurat said.

Kasikorn Research Center valued the hemp market in Thailand last year at about 7.2 billion baht. The Thai hemp market will be worth about 40 billion baht by 2023, with the market in Asean as a whole worth 250 billion baht, according to US forecasts.

Anurut said personal care products with CBD as an ingredient are among the five most popular CBD products. Adding CBD products to its lineup is a milestone for the company, he said.

Anurut Vongvanij“Since its inception in 1892, the British Dispensary Group has expanded its product line from prickly heat cooling powder to body spray, shower gel, facial foam, cooling hygiene wipes, and supplements. It is now time to have a brand new product to attract new customers. It is the first time in 130 years that we have new CBD products,” he said.

The main target of the company’s Snake Brand HerbaCeutic’s is working-class people aged 25 to 45, Anurat said, adding that they face more stress and pressure than people in other age groups. CBD will help them relieve that stress, he said.

The company expects sales of its CBD product line to reach 200 million baht this year, and total sales of other products to reach 1.5 billion baht.

“We will first focus on the domestic market, but we intend to launch these CBD products in Vietnam this year,” Anurut said.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023920

Thai owner of Miss Universe brand to raise 3 billion baht through rights issue

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023

JKN Global Group Plc (JKN), the Thai owner of Miss Universe Organisation (MUO), is seeking to raise 3 billon baht through a rights issue after its CEO sold four big lots of shares worth nearly 310 million.

JKN said its board of directors had agreed at its meeting on January 5 to launch a rights issue of 1,019.79 billion shares in the ratio of 1:1.

The new shares are being offered at 3 baht a share, which is lower than the traded price .

Following the announcement, JKN’s shares were traded at between 3.40-3.50 baht per share.

Stock market gurus were puzzled by the decision to go for a rights issue, as it came after JKN’s chief executive, Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, unloaded her shares four times within a week in November.

Experts said it was unusual for a CEO or owner of a listed firm to sell their stake before issuing new shares to current shareholders.

JKN acquired MUO on October 25 for 800 million baht. JKN said it believed the brand would generate growth of at least 40% and prove to be an engine in its drive to become a big player in the global content commerce industry.

The decision to buy MUO sent JKN’s share price soaring from 3.80 baht to 5.60 baht on October 27.

But a month later, Jakkaphong sold four big lots of her shares via Krungthai XSpring Securiites. Her sales, according to her filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, were:

November 23, 2022: 17,516,400 shares at the average price of 4.74 baht per share, totalling 83.17 million baht

November 24: 18,292,500 shares at an average price of 4.54 baht per share, totalling 83.04 million

November 25: 20,191,100 shares at an average price of 4.26 baht per share, totalling 86.01 million baht

November 28: 14,000,000 shares at an average price of 4.10 baht per share, totalling 57.40 million baht.

Jakkaphong revealed that she would be lending the proceeds from the sale of her first and second lots of shares to JKN without charging interest. JKN would use the amount to invest in the MU Water business and for organising the Miss Universe pageant.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023912

Line Stickers introduces a training course for professional content creators

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023

Line Stickers has introduced “Line Creators Course”, an online training course in the form of a six-episode video to help new-generation content creators produce high-quality content in the era of creative economy.

Line Creators Course will teach viewers how to make Line Stickers from beginner to advanced level. Learners will also explore sales and marketing techniques, as well as tips to start a career as a content creator with ease from famous creators and experts in related fields.

The six-episode video is divided into two parts:

The first part (episodes 1-3) will teach novice creators about basic knowledge of content creation, drawing techniques, character design, as well as income and tax management for content creators.

The second part (episodes 4-6) will feature the story of creators in the Line Creators Club, who will share their knowledge and experience in character building, marketing, and advanced techniques in designing Line Stickers, e.g. animated stickers and stickers with sound.

Issree Damrongpitakkul, Director of Consumer Business at LINE Thailand, said Line Creators Course is the first-ever training course on how to create, sell, and market Line Stickers efficiently from basic to advanced levels. 

“We hope that the course would greatly benefit new creators as well as existing creators who wish to improve the quality of their works,” she said. “Line is committed to maximising the creative potential of Thai creators to compete at the international level.”

Line Creators Course will be broadcast one episode per week, starting from January 11 at Line Thailand’s Youtube channel https://lin.ee/gN68ArL/sknj/pr 

For more information regarding LINE CREATORS, visit: https://lin.ee/OBtGZcv/sknj/PR

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