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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40014980

The chairman of PM Group, Prayudh Mahagitsiri, who is known as Thailand’s “coffee king”, plans to build a THB5-billion sports complex in Bangkok as a new landmark for social services, his PR officer said.

Sorakrit Wannalak, an adviser and CSR public relations officer of PM 80 Co Ltd, said the sports complex will meet international standards. He said PM Group does not aim to to make money from the complex but is undertaking it as a social service project.

PM 80 is a subsidiary of PM Group, which also owns Quality Coffee Products Co Ltd, a joint venture with Nestlé.

Sorakrit said the new sports complex will be built near the Bhoman Khunaram Temple in Bangkok’s Yannawa district.

The complex will have facilities for holding international competitions in tennis, badminton, snooker, table tennis and golf. There will also be a library, a Buddhist meditation room and an exhibition room, Sorakrit added.

“The goal of the complex is to attract youths to be interested in sports and to learn more about the society,” Sorakrit said.

“Since the project will be located near Bhoman Temple, Gen Y and Gen Alpha children will get a chance to be closer to dhamma.”

He said the project is in being designed after which approval will be sought from concerned authorities.

“We hope that a good CSR project, which is useful for Thai youths and foreigners and the society and the country, will happen in the near future. We hope to get it done within 2024,” Sorakrit said.

Prayudh, a busines mogul, has carried out several types of businesses, including property, oil rigging, and marine line operations. Now, he is focusing on making nutrition supplementary products under the P80 brand, which are mostly Thai herbal drinks.

Prayudh’s joint venture with Nestlé is credited with bringing Nescafe instant coffee to Thailand, giving him the name “Coffee king of Thailand”.

Published : April 27, 2022

By : THE NATION

The five new members of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) announced three measures to consider the planned merger of two leading telecom operators at a first meeting on Wednesday.

NBTC Office acting secretary-general Trairat Wiriyasirikul said the meeting was the ninth one held by the commission this year.

The five new members were royally endorsed on April 13 and their names were published in the Royal Gazette a day later.

The meeting, which was chaired by NBTC chairman Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, resolved to approve a road map for consideration of the planned amalgamation of True Corporation and Total Access Communication (DTAC).

True and DTAC’s shareholders okayed the plan, which was then submitted to the NBTC for approval on January 25.

Academics and consumer protection groups have called on the previous NBTC to wait for the new board to consider the deal.

As a first measure, the meeting resolved to set up four panels to consider the issue, Trairat said. The four panels are the subcommittee on legal affairs, the subcommittee on consumer protection and people’s rights, the subcommittee on technologies and the subcommittee on the economic impact from the merger.

Under a second measure, the NBTC agreed to organise a focus group to hear opinions from businesses and industries which are related to the planned merger, academics and the general public.

A third measure will see the NBTC assign its working panels and advisory committees both in the country and abroad to study possible impacts of the merger, Trairat said.

He did not detail the time frame of the three measures but said the commission would get the studies done as soon as possible.

“The NBTC will carefully and comprehensively study the merger plan and it will allow public participation in the study,” Trairat vowed.

“It will also study legal technicalities and both negative and positive impacts by taking into account the interest of the public and the telecom industry. So, all sides should have confidence [in the NBTC’s decision],” Trairat added.

Published : April 27, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40014975

A special House committee has asked Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to put the brakes on the planned merger of telecom operators True Corporation and Total Access Communication (DTAC).

Anudit Nakhonthap, chairman of the ad hoc House panel considering the possible impacts from the True-DTAC merger, sent a letter dated April 20 to Prayut, asking him to indefinitely suspend the planned merger.

Anudit said in the letter that Prayut, as the chief executive of the country, should ask the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission to indefinitely postpone approval for the merger until the NBTC comes up with clear-cut measures on how to protect the country and people’s interests that may be affected by the merger.

True and DTAC’s shareholders have approved the merger plan and the plan has been submitted to the NBTC for approval since January 25.

The House panel and several consumers protection organisations have voiced opposition to the merger, fearing the deal would lead to a duopoly in the telecom industry at the cost of consumers. They expressed fear that the new firm after the merger, and Advanced Info Service (AIS), the largest mobile phone operator by subscriber base, would somehow collude to increase service fees and hurt customers.

Anudit’s letter pointed out that the NBTC has the authority to block the merger in line with the Constitution of Thailand BE 2560 (2017).

The letter cited Section 60 of the charter that requires the government to protect telecom bandwidth for use for the sake of national and public interest.

“The State shall maintain the frequencies and the right to access a satellite orbit, which are national treasures, in order to utilise them for the benefit of the country and the people.

“The arrangement for utilisation of the frequencies under paragraph one, regardless of whether it is for radio broadcasting, television broadcasting and telecommunications or for any other purposes, shall be for the greatest benefit of the people, security of the State, and public interest as well as the participation of the people in the utilisation of frequency, as provided by law.

“The State shall establish a State organisation which is independent in performing duties to be responsible and supervise the undertakings in relation to frequencies under paragraph two. In this regard, such organisation shall ensure that there are measures to prevent unfair consumer exploitation or imposition of unnecessary burden on consumers, to prevent the interference of frequencies, as well as to prevent an act which results in obstructing the liberty of the people to know or preventing the people from knowing true and accurate data or information, and to prevent any person or any group of person from utilising the frequencies without considering the rights of general public,” the letter quoted Section 60 as saying.

The letter also quoted the first paragraph of Section 75 of the charter as saying that the government has to prevent monopoly in business practices.

“The State should organise an economic system which provides opportunities for the people to all together benefit from the economic growth in a comprehensive, fair and sustainable manner and to be self-reliant in accordance with the philosophy of sufficiency economy, should eliminate unfair economic monopoly, and should develop economic competitiveness of the people and the country.”

Earlier, an executive at True reportedly said that the NBTC would have no reasons to block the merger because the two companies have done everything right according to the telecom law.

The executive argued that several telecom mergers have taken place, so the NBTC could not pick on True and DTAC to block the merger.

Published : April 27, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/business/40014970

Hilton is renewing its commitment to reducing the environmental and social impact of its hotels and operations worldwide, the hotel announced in its latest Environmental, Social and Governance report.

“Across its global network, Hilton continues to considerably close the gap toward meeting key sustainability targets under its Travel with Purpose 2030 goals,” the company said in a press release.

According to Hilton, in 2021 the hotel recorded:

• 70 per cent reduction in landfill waste per square metre from its 2008 baseline (2030 goal: 50%)

• 49 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per square metre from 2008 (2030 goal: 61%)

• 39 per cent reduction in water consumption per square metre from 2008 (2030 goal: 50%)

• More than US$1 billion of cumulative savings in energy costs since 2009, monitored through LightStay.

“In the Asia-Pacific region, Hilton focuses on driving responsible and sustainable tourism through a wide range of initiatives aimed at making a positive environmental and social impact,” it said.

Driving holistic water stewardship

Hilton roped in leading river clean-up organisation Sungai Watch to install more trash barriers in Bali, Indonesia, to lessen the impact of plastics on communities there.

In China, Hilton Ningbo Dongqian Lake’s rainwater recovery system uses ultraviolet disinfection and automatic replenishment to improve water quality.

The system recycles approximately 1,400 tonnes of rainwater each year, which is equivalent to the amount of water consumed by a family of three in one year, the hotel said.

Sustainable dining and green kitchens

In Southeast Asia, Conrad Koh Samui’s Iris Farm provides a multitude of organic herbs and vegetables for the hotel’s bars and restaurants.

The farm produces 1,300kg of food and processes 2,400kg of compostable waste per month, recycling organic resources while conserving landfill space, the press release said.

Hilton has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Seafood Legacy and Umito to procure more sustainable seafood for its hotels in Japan and South Korea.

Using smart kitchen waste treatment equipment, Hilton Shenzhen Shekou Nanhai turns kitchen waste into carbon dioxide, water and organic fertilisers.

The hotel has recycled 390 tonnes of kitchen waste and produced about 20 tonnes of organic fertiliser since last year, it said.

Reducing environmental footprint

With the return of business travel and in-person events, almost 300 of Hilton’s hotels across the Asia Pacific have rolled out the Plan It Forward offer to help businesses and event planners further reduce their environmental impact when hosting events.

For event planners who opt for a carbon neutral meeting, Hilton will offset their event’s carbon emissions as identified by its meeting impact calculator report on its LightStay platform and invest in a portfolio of high-quality carbon reduction projects with global partner South Pole, the hotel said.

Alternatively, event planners can earn double Hilton honours event planner points per US$1 spent on guest rooms, meeting rooms, etc, for qualifying events at participating hotels.

Hilton Honours Points can be donated to charity through PointWorthy, or redeemed for future events or hotel stays, among other benefits.

For its various environmental and social initiatives, Hilton was named a global sustainability leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the fifth consecutive year, and was the only hotel company to earn Gold Class distinction in S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook, the press release added.

Published : April 27, 2022

By : THE NATION