Marriott joins hands with SOS Thailand to continue improving food security and combating hunger in Phuket
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022
THE NATION
Phuket, Thailand – October 16th is World Food Day, and considered an important day for raising awareness of global food waste. For the second consecutive year, the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotels and resorts in Phuket, together with Scholars of Sustenance Foundation Thailand (SOS), and in cooperation with local authorities, have initiated a Rescue Kitchen activity on October 14th.
The objective is to promote World Food Day, and serve over 20,000 freshly cooked nutritious meals, along with drinking water, milk, and snacks to 18 local communities in Mueang Phuket, Thalang, and Kathu districts in Phuket.
“Serving our world is one of Marriott’s core values. Marriott’s International Business Councils are formed in markets where there are multiple hotels to support the communities they operate in. Together with our local partner SOS, we’ve been serving thousands of nutritious meals across the island throughout the year and we plan to continue over the coming years.” said, Mr. Brad Edman, Multi-Property Vice President Phuket and General Manager at Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa.
The Rescue Kitchen activity seeks to promote food equity – it demonstrates that everyone should have access to warm, nutritious meals regardless of their religion, skin color, race, age, or gender; and all sectors in the community shall take care and support each other.
“At Marriott, we are dedicated to supporting the communities in which our associates and their families live and work. This is an important part of our culture and our core values.” added by Ms. Khanittanee Kanthanit, Director of Human Resources at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa.
This activity took place on Friday, October 14th, 2022 at Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town with support from management and culinary teams from eight Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotels and resorts across the island including JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa Phuket, Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort, Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa Merlin Beach, Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa Nai Yang Beach, The Naka Island Resort & Spa, and Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort.
Thailand unveils digital payment plan in 3-year push for cashless economy
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has unveiled its three-year plan for a payment system that will underpin the country’s digital economy.
The plan is Thailand’s response to the challenges of digital disruption, said Ronadol Numnonda, BOT deputy governor of financial institutions stability, on Thursday.
He added that digital finance is rising in Thailand and across the world, as seen in the popularity of digital payments and currencies.
“The number of digital payments globally increased five times last year,” Ronadol remarked.
He outlined three aspects of Thailand’s three-year payment system plan:
Openness: connecting data to create an ecosystem conducive to competition using new technologies and innovations.
Inclusivity: developing the system to cover all groups of users, as well as creating digital literacy among them.
Resiliency: ensuring that all businesses can operate smoothly and combat risks by developing new tools and cybersecurity cooperation.
“This will enable all groups of people to access digital payment, improve their quality of life and drive Thailand towards the digital economy,” he said.
Bangkok Bank executive vice president Sudsanguan Chusacultanachai said digital payment was essential to drive Thailand towards a digitised economy, adding that traditional transactions add costs for financial institutions.
“If we can reduce the use of traditional financial transactions, we can use the leftover cash to develop other services,” she said.
She said that though most people are now familiar with smartphones, old behaviours pose a challenge to Thailand’s digital development. However, a digital economy would relieve burdens for businesses and reduce errors in their operations.
“Digital payment will be key to streamlining processes, enabling Thailand to move towards a digital economy,” she added.
Elon Musk began his regime at Twitter by firing top executives for allegedly misleading him, but provided little information on how he will achieve his outlined ambitions, a Reuters report said.
The CEO of electric automaker Tesla has said he wants to “defeat” spam bots on Twitter, make algorithms that determine how content is presented publicly available and prevent the platform from becoming an echo chamber for hate and division.
Without providing details on how he will achieve these ambitions and who will run the company, Musk has only said he plans to cut jobs, leaving Twitter’s approximately 7,500 employees fretting about their future.
He has said he did not buy Twitter to make more money but “to try to help humanity, whom I love”.
“Musk terminated Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde,” Reuters said, citing people familiar with the matter.
“He had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the social media platform.”
Twitter, Musk and the executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The US$44-billion acquisition is the culmination of a remarkable saga, full of twists and turns, that sowed doubt over whether Musk would complete the deal.
It began on April 4, when Musk disclosed a 9.2 per cent stake in the company, making him its largest shareholder. He then agreed to join Twitter’s board, only to baulk at the last minute and offer to buy the company instead for $54.20 per share.
Over the course of just one weekend in April, Musk and Twitter reached a deal at the price he suggested.
However, Musk had second thoughts in the following weeks, complaining publicly that he believed Twitter’s spam accounts were significantly higher than the company’s estimate of less than 5 per cent of its monetizable daily active users.
The acrimony resulted in Musk giving notice to Twitter on July 8 that he was terminating their deal on grounds that Twitter misled him about the bots and did not cooperate with him.
Four days later, Twitter sued Musk in Delaware, where the company is incorporated, to force him to complete the deal. Twitter accused Musk of buyer’s remorse, arguing he wanted to get out of the deal because he thought he overpaid.
However, Musk on October 4 performed another U-turn and offered to complete the deal as promised. The Delaware judge gave him an October 28 deadline to close the transaction and avoid trial.
Amid interest from foreign investors, KBank ‘to invite bids’ for its asset management business
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022
Kasikornbank (KBank) will invite bids for its asset management business after seeing interest among foreign investors, according to a Bloomberg report on Thursday, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Among investors who have reportedly expressed interest in bidding for Kasikorn Asset Management (KAsset) are French asset management company Amundi, American investment company TPG and Luxembourg-based private equity and investment advisory firm CVC Capital Partners.
It is expected that the bidding agreement would cover acquisition, share purchase or even business partnership.
KBank had earlier expressed its intention to sell its asset management business and that the bank was seeking business opportunities to benefit customers and shareholders.
“If the transaction [sale of KAsset] is made, the bank will reveal information in line with the Stock Exchange of Thailand’s regulations,” the bank said.
Bloomberg had reported that Thailand’s large financial institutions, SCBX and KBank, also have planned to sell their asset management business.
China’s durian market threatens to become less juicy for Thai exporters
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022
Thailand’s durian exporters should start making adjustments as fierce competition is bound to reduce their market share in China from 2025.
Krungthai Compass research centre warned on Friday that successful durian cultivation in China and competitors’ expansion will make Thailand’s market share drop from 95.9 per cent in 2021 to 90.4 per cent in 2025 and 88.1 per cent in 2030.
“Even though competitors’ market share is still lower than Thailand, it is likely to start surging,” the research house said.
The report pointed out that Malaysia’s market share has been expanding since 2016, as its Musang King variety is becoming increasingly popular. It said Chinese consumers are starting to develop a taste for this variety even though it is four times more expensive than Thai durian.
It added that China opening its durian market to Vietnam will also create a dent in Thailand’s market share.
“Competition will become intense when it comes to pricing,” Krungthai Compass warned.
However, it said China’s success in cultivating durian should not have a short-term impact on Thailand’s export because the harvests are not big enough.
It expects China to harvest 150 to 250 tonnes of the Musang King and Black Thorn varieties this month, accounting for only 0.3 per cent of Thailand’s durian export.
However, the report said, China’s productivity is expected to rise by up to 20 per cent annually between 2024 and 2030.
Krungthai Compass concluded its report by advising exporters to follow the D-U-R-I-A-N principles to boost their competitiveness. The principle is:
Develop: Apply smart agriculture, innovative packaging and product development to meet demand.
Unique: Promote and build awareness of Thai durian’s unique taste via online and offline channels.
Research: Research and develop new durian varieties that are of high quality and resistant to disease.
Improve: Improve the fruit to become a high-value product and promote sales through e-commerce platforms.
Assurance: Boost confidence among consumers throughout the durian supply chain.
New market: Expand exports to other potential markets such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the US, to avoid reliance on China alone.
Thailand on path to economic recovery as unemployment figures fall
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022
The Thai economy is showing signs of improvement with the gross domestic product rising 2.4 per cent year on year in the first half of 2022.
The latest National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) report explained that the country’s GDP contracted heavily by -6.2 per cent in 2020 due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures.
However, things began to improve in the second half of 2021, when most of the population was fully vaccinated and the global economy began picking up. This resulted in Thailand’s GDP expanding by 1.5 per cent in 2021, and the unemployment rate also dropping to 1.6 per cent in the last quarter of the year, compared to 1.9 per cent in the same period of 2020.
“The economy in the first half of 2022 maintained this improvement and saw an expansion of 2.3 per cent in the first quarter and 2.5 per cent in the second quarter, or an average of 2.4 per cent,” government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Friday citing NESDC’s report.
“The rate of unemployment at the end of the second quarter came in at 1.4 per cent, the lowest since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, signifying a recovery in the labour market.”
Anucha said government stimulus measures, like the “Let’s Go Halves” co-payment scheme and “We Travel Together” tourism scheme, have helped stimulate the economy.
The government also issued two loan decrees for 1.5 trillion baht to cover Covid-19 vaccines and treatment as well as to compensate those affected by the lockdown measures. This, Anucha said, has helped people get back on their feet faster and contributed to economic recovery.
Thailand to get 2.3m foreign arrivals per month until March: Official Airlines Guide
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022
Thailand can expect an average of 2.3 million foreign arrivals per month until March next year, according to the winter flight schedule posted by the Official Airlines Guide (OAG).
The OAG estimates Thailand will see 573,538 international visitors per week over the winter schedule (October 2022-March 2023).
It forecasts that most international passengers landing in Thailand this winter will be from Southeast Asia (211,744 passengers per week), followed by Northeast Asia (175,588 per week), South Asia (66,877 per week), Europe (56,354 per week), and the Middle East (44,990 per week).
OAG’s passenger estimate for the winter season is 74.2 per cent higher than figures for summer, which saw a weekly average of 329,288 arrivals, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said on Thursday.
TAT also expects more visitors from distant markets to land in Thailand thanks to new routes, notably Air Austral’s Reunion Island-Bangkok service, which expects to carry around 280 passengers per flight twice a week.
Reunion Island is a French territory in the Indian Ocean with over 800,000 people comprising mainly high-worth seniors and families, said Yuthasak.
Meanwhile, Oman Air will increase its Paris-Muscat-Bangkok service to five flights per week from December 20. Air France will increase flights on its Paris-Bangkok route to five per week from November and then to seven per week from January.
Yuthasak said TAT is in talks with Air Belgium to open a Brussels-Bangkok route next summer. Thai Airways International scrapped its direct service from Belgium to Thailand last month.
Meanwhile, Airports of Thailand (AOT) estimates that traffic at its six international airports will return to 74 per cent of pre-Covid levels in fiscal year 2023 (October 2022-September 2023), with about 665,000 flights. An estimated 96 million passengers will use its Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Chiang Rai airports, or 68 per cent of the pre-Covid tally.
Santisuk Klongchaiya, chief executive officer at Thai AirAsia, said the carrier expects domestic flights this year to return to near pre-covid levels. The airline has witnessed increased bookings from international passengers in Asean countries, India, Japan and Bangladesh after travel restrictions were lifted and it opened routes to Fukuoka and Dhaka.
Thai AirAsia hopes to secure its highest turnover in three years by the end of 2022, said the CEO.
Book Expo Thailand 2022 attracts 1.3 million attendants and generates THB347 million
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022
The Book Expo Thailand 2022 concluded with 1.3 million attendants who spent 347 million baht during the 12-day event, said the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT) on Thursday.
This year’s expo, held under the concept of ‘Booktopia: Utopia for book lovers’ from October 12-23, returned to its original site, Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre for the first time since the centre went under renovation in mid 2019.
PUBAT president Thipsuda Sinchawarnwat said a total of 1,355,893 book lovers have visited the event throughout 12 days, with a high volume of visitors seen on the weekend of October 22-23, during King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day.
Total sales of books during the event were recorded at 347,331,734 baht, increasing 74 per cent from the previous book fair held in March this year. “This shows that the reading trend is bouncing back and people still prefer buying physical books,” said Thipsuda.
Best-selling genres this year are novels, literatures, cartoons, and young adult books, respectively.
Apart from booths selling Thai and international books, the fair also featured various activities including the Booktopia exhibition, Reader Road, Envelope Letters of the Wall, Book Blind Date, and Book Playlist.
Thipsuda said the most popular activity this year, despite being available for only a few days, is the “Human Book” in the Live-Brary zone by PUBAT and publishing partners.
PUBAT will host the next book fair on March 30-April 9 next year at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, and will use suggestions it received for this year’s expo to further improve the next event.
Discover professional audiovisual and integrated experience technology solutions that are transforming and equipping businesses for the tech-hungry post-pandemic world.
October 14, 2022, Bangkok – InfoComm Southeast Asia which debuted in 2019 was a huge success. Now, after the Covid-resultant pause, the Show is back – as an in-person show, with access to new pre-show planning and engagement tools that will enhance the visitor experience. InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 will take place from 2 to 4 November at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC).
InfoComm Southeast Asia is the region’s premier Professional AudioVisual (Pro-AV) and Transformative Technology tradeshow, featuring trailblazing international and local solution providers. Powerful solutions on show and insightful learning sessions cater to a spectrum of industries, including the government sectors of transportation, public security and defense, education, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and others.
The Show specially caters to AV industry players as well as embedded technology decision-makers and business end-users. For these stakeholders who are serious about transforming their organization and growing their business in and beyond the post-pandemic landscape, this is a show not to be missed.
“After the 2-year hiatus due to the global pandemic, InfoComm Southeast Asia is happy to once again bring together Pro-AV technology providers and business users; technology experts, industry leaders and open minds ready to learn,” said Richard Tan, Executive Director of InfoCommAsia. “Much has changed in terms of available tech-enhanced solutions and marketplace needs and trends. So, besides the opportunity for all stakeholders to reconnect face-to-face, InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 is going to be an exciting space for visitors and delegates as they get up close and personal with exhibitors and experts – the drivers of tomorrow’s technology and solutions. The Show is the place to seek out the most advanced Pro-AV ideas to-date, to create and deliver an exceptional customer experience in an increasingly hybrid world.”
THE EXHIBITION
Transformative Solutions for All Industries
The world has just begun to emerge from a painful yet revitalizing lesson. It has learnt the urgency of technology adoption and the importance of constant upgrading along with technological evolution, to be future-ready and disruption-proof. Increased technology implementation and integration lead to greater reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) to mitigate the consequent increase in security risks. This reality is already fast unfolding, driven by Pro-AV technologies, making InfoComm Southeast Asia an important show for AV and IT professionals and business decision-makers.
InfoComm Southeast Asia is where entrepreneurs, business leaders and technical professionals will discover the latest Pro-AV solutions that are transforming every industry. More than 130 exhibiting companies from over 20 participating countries will gather under one roof to showcase their innovations for the post-pandemic marketplace. These include brands like Epson, Lenovo, Microsoft, Panasonic, Philips, and more. Visitors can expect to see:
• Large screen, projection mapping, AR/VR solutions for live events, museums, education and simulation training • Security, flood and surveillance monitoring systems for network operations centers • Control and automation solutions for smart city management • Room automation and centralized systems for smart homes and offices • Collaborative conferencing systems for in-person and hybrid meetings • Smart classrooms • Digital signage and display solutions for advertising and information • Virtual and hybrid learning solutions … and more
DISCOVER SOLUTIONS WITH vBOOTH
Pre-Show Engagement for Better Show Experience
To enhance show experience for visitors, InfoComm Southeast Asia has introduced facilitative tools on the Show website. These tools will allow solution-seekers to identify exhibitors that have those solutions, and connect with them.
• An intuitive business matching system instantaneously presents visitors with a list of exhibitors, based on their industry and the solutions they seek. • vBooth gives every exhibitor a dedicated page online, where visitors can explore the exhibitor’s solutions via multimedia presentations. Information will include the exhibitor’s range of solutions as well as products and solutions being presented at the Show. • Business card drop facility lets visitors leave their details for callback by exhibitors, and appointment scheduler allows visitors to pre-arrange meet-ups with exhibitors at the Show.
All these will help visitors organize their visit way before the Show begins. Fully-utilised, visitors can look forward to a productive time at InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022.
THE SUMMIT
Insights into Developments and Trends for Informed Business Decisions
Concurrent to an exciting show floor is the InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 Summit line-up. Multiple conference tracks cater to different industries and learner profiles. Delegates can look forward to more than 30 free-to-attend learning sessions in the form of keynotes, panel discussion and case studies.
Tracks for Vertical Market Solution-seekers and AV Professionals • The two-day NIXT Summit focuses on end-to-end emerging tech solutions for businesses. Sessions delve into the successes and challenges of digital transformation practices in industries and enterprises.
Tracks for AV Professionals and Technology Decision-makers • AVIXA Seminars help AV professionals stay in touch with technical updates, industry practices and trends across various industries and application scenarios. • Asia AV Leaders Connect (By invite-only) gathers the AV industry’s C-suite and directorate leaders across Asia for the exchange of intelligence; discussions on geopolitical and economic concerns as well as emerging technology trends and disruptions; and identification of growth opportunities. • AV Managers Day sessions are designed for mid-level AV managers and use real-life case studies to delve into AV project challenges and how to overcome them.
There is also the AV Technical Tour which offers an opportunity to see Pro-AV solutions in situ. The “Smart Traffic Systems – Expressway Traffic Management Centre and Control Rooms” tour will take delegates into the very heart of command and control scenarios, where condition monitoring, situational management, emergency response, etc are critical. Visitors can learn how advanced technologies and control systems enable the Expressway Authority of Thailand to effectively and efficiently provide the best experience for expressway users.
For the full Summit line-up and latest updates, please visit the official Show website at www.infocomm-sea.com.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Admission to Exhibition and Summit is Free
InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 will be at BITEC from November 2-4 (Days 1 and 2: 10am – 6pm; Day 3: 10am – 4pm local time). Visitors can register to visit the Show at www.infocomm-sea.com. Admission is free.
Human resources is often considered to be the people who look after documents, holidays, and benefits. But human resources is more than that, especially for DTGO.
At DTGO, human resources follows the concept of “Do Good, Do Great, Do It with Happiness”. Ms. Kannikar Sethi, Executive Vice President, explains the group’s culture, which recently won the HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2022 (Thailand Edition) award from HR Asia magazine.
Q: How does DTGO develop its people under the concept of “Do Good, Do Great, Do It with Happiness”?
A: At DTGO, human resource management is called “Corporate Culture Development”, we believe that culture is the key to developing human potential. Building a corporate culture is therefore our main task. We don’t have employees but “organization members” because membership means participation in a society with duties and roles.
This is about “People Branding” or creating a society of smart and good-hearted people according to the DTGO “Core Values”. We look to develop talented and ethical people who enjoy giving. Before our members can apply our core values in the world, they must have coherent principles and values to succeed.
Our organization’s name reflects its values in 4 letters: D, T, G, O.
D is for “Dynamic”, which means to honor your words and your time. Keeping your word is to honor yourself and others so that you receive trust and support in everything you do. Our time in life is precious and limited. Once it’s gone, we cannot regain even a second. We must throw ourselves into what we aim to do. If we follow both principles, we’ll be dynamic and successful. T is for “Teamwork”. We must work as a team, always ready to help one another, respectful of others and grateful for their differences, which lets everyone reach their potential to bring success to the team. G is for “Goodwill”, which involves “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds”, the basis of humanity in every society. O is for “Open-Minded”, to listen and think positively. Open-mindedness and positive thinking are the key to happiness. Generosity helps us listen carefully and opens a boundless sea of knowledge.
Apart from the “Core Values” that help enhance our corporate culture, we have 21 “Good People” life principles and the 14 precepts of our “Moral Code”, which guide our members in how to think, speak, and treat each other, aiming to create community full of love and unity to benefit people at large.
In the part of “Do Great”, we support limitless learning for our members, under a “University Model” for them to select and manage their personalized training. We have career choices for members to choose a path aligned with their interests and abilities. They can plan their roadmap through an “Individual Development Plan”, setting challenges and creating constant diverse career opportunities.
Finally, we believe everyone performs well when they are happy. We take care of our members in all aspects, including their physical, emotional, economic, and social well-being. An appropriate workplace helps ensure good quality of life, and happiness, leaving members free from stress and ready to work and live a meaningful life each day.
DTGO doesn’t prioritize profit. We create a culture where members think of contributing to society first, under the philosophy of Senior Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont: “All our undertakings, to which we devote our intellect, our strength, and our time, must benefit the people at large, the society we live in, our organization, and all other stakeholders.”
Q: Which key factor led DTGO to become one of the best organizations to work for in Asia?
The HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2022 (Thailand Edition) award from HR Asia Magazine comes from building the strong corporate culture I’ve described.
DTGO has a “Mother Tree” concept. We see DTGO as a forest. Big trees pass on nutrients, information, and alerts to other plants to keep the forest in balance.
DTGO’s organigram therefore has top management at its base not its top. They are like the roots that help their subordinates – the trunk, leaves, and branches – to grow and bear fruit. What matters most is a nurturing leader with a giving mindset who can inspire subordinates to grow happily, bloom and bear fruit, creating a strong ecosystem. We believe in roles rather than positions, so we use forest roles. The Chairman, for example, is Taproot Captain and the CEO is Root Captain, moving along the tree to the tips of the leaves. Our understanding of our roles lets us work across functional lines to be flexible, not sticking to the original format.
Q: How did DTGO develop into a learning organization?
A: We believe that everyone who joins us is talented. But we want to help people gain new skills. We have a wide variety of businesses, not just real estate but also finance, investment, entertainment. Everyone who works with us, regardless of their expertise, will eventually gain new skills.
For our people to learn new skills we also need a learning strategy that meets different needs and levels of expertise. We have compulsory courses for core values. Other skills are in the “Individual Development Plan”, which always assesses core competencies. We also encourage members to study outside the organization.
Q: Can you explain DTGO’s work anywhere policy, predating COVID?
A: In a few months it’ll be 2023. We’re going through a pandemic that has changed the whole world of work. People are now used to working together without having to sit in the same place.
But this is not unusual for us. The company’s “Work Anywhere” policy was piloted before the COVID-19 pandemic because we understand the world must change. The new generation has different needs from the old generation. We looked into it and found there was no need to come and sit and work at the office for effective working.
With our mission to be a global organization, flexible remote working lets us work across the world with foreign partners. This policy is therefore a key element to achieve that goal.
Next year, DTGO will focus even more on diversity and inclusion. This is another challenge in the world of work as everything changes fast. The group now has many generations as well as members working in branches around the world.
It’s crucial to create an organizational culture that values diversity and participation. The ultimate answer is giving everyone equal opportunities, regardless of age or gender, under the vision of an organization that nurtures everyone’s happiness, goodness, and talent.
SootinClaimon.Com 