It also unveiled its first brand ambassadors for the local market.

MamyPoko said it had launched the market’s “first super premium organic diaper products targeting millennial parents”. The company said it was confident the new products would help strengthen its marketing dominance with Bt350 million in sales in the super premium organic segment this year.

Unicharm (Thailand) Co Ltd, the maker of MamyPoko, launched MamyPoko Super Premium Organic and MamyPoko Pants Super Premium Organic, created with the “organic speed wave” technology making use of an absorption pad with organic cotton. These two new products are expected to appeal to millennial parents.

Tadashi Nakai, managing director of Unicharm (Thailand), said the company was committed to developing better options for consumers to ensure they got the best diapers in the market.

Last year, Unicharm launched its breathable pant diapers with soft air net allowing for a 360-degree stuffiness release. The company said its “MamyPoko Super Premium Organic” 7-star products with “organic cotton” are the first-ever baby disposable diapers with organic ingredients in the local market.

“Based on consumer demand, we worked closely with our research and development team in creating these two organic diaper products made for children from newborns to grown kids,” Nakai said.

Unicharm (Thailand) also unveiled its first local brand ambassadors. They chose the millennial family of “Margie” Rasri Balenciaga Chirathivat and husband “Pok” Patsarakorn Chirathiwat, who have twin babies, to represent the brand.

The two 7-star organic diaper innovations are available at leading department stores, modern trade channels and via online.

The Excise Department announced on Monday (September 9) that taxes on sugary drinks will double from October 1, with beverages containing 10 to 14 grams of sugar being taxed at Bt1 per 100 millilitres instead of Bt0.5 per 100ml, adding that this tax will not be passed on to consumers despite the higher cost of production. Taxes on sugary drinks will also be doubled every two years. For instance, from October 1, 2021, beverages containing 10g to 14g of sugar will be taxed Bt3 per 100ml before rising to Bt5 in 2023. This progressive increase in tax rate is expected to force manufacturers to cut down on the amount of sugar in their beverages.

Manufacturers and consumers today, Nongnuch said, are well aware of the health issues related to sugar after the government imposed taxes on sugary beverages in 2017. It is good that the behaviour of entrepreneurs and consumers have clearly changed, she added.

“I don’t see the tax hike in October having a similar impact on producers as the first collection in 2017. At that time, the market was severely impacted, mainly due to the increase of excise tax with sugar tax being part of it,” she said.

“The rises due are relatively low and will not affect our product prices,” said Nongnuch.

“More importantly, the government had announced that the tax rate would increase every two years, giving producers of sugary beverages enough time for adjustment,” she added.

Nongnuch said growth of the ready-to-drink green tea market was expected to be flat this year.

“Innovation will be one of our strategies to draw new customers. We will also focus on export, which still have growth potential,” she said.

The firm has built a strong presence in four markets in the region since January 2019.

In Thailand, Acclime acquired Interactive Associates, while in Indonesia and Vietnam it bought strategic interests in Magna Praxis and Domicile Corporate Services, respectively. In Hong Kong, Acclime acquired three businesses, namely BPO Global, Macaw Corporate Services and Edtoma Corporate Services.

The company has more than 150 employees serving the needs of both listed and privately owned corporate clients.

“In a market characterised by increasing sophistication and complexity, Acclime’s vision is to reinvent the corporate services sector with innovative solutions that are seamlessly delivered to the highest global standards,” the firm said.

Two of the industry’s most experienced executives, Martin Crawford and Debby Davidson, have joined forces to establish Acclime, backed by a consortium of investors, the statement said.

“We see a clear opportunity to become the leader in the ever-evolving corporate governance regime in emerging Asia,” Acclime co-founder and CEO Crawford said. “With our in-country expertise and the use of leading technology applications, Acclime is well positioned to be the one-stop service provider for those clients operating in and throughout the region who demand the highest international standards.”

Crawford noted that companies are facing increasing regulatory and disclosure obligations, requiring in-country expert support. Moreover, through foreign direct investment and cross-border trade, Asia is increasing its connectivity both regionally and globally. This creates a need for higher and more consistent corporate governance standards.

The management team of Acclime intends to build a substantial presence in each key Asian market.

“We are actively seeking opportunities to expand our footprint in other emerging markets in the region,” Acclime co-founder and COO Davidson remarked. “Acclime’s ambition is to build a comprehensive corporate services network across Asia to help clients navigate these markets seamlessly.”

The name Acclime combines the company’s two core propositions: assisting clients to “acclimatise” to new markets in Asia, and to “climb” to the apex of their corporate development, the firm added.

The company will this week showcase its dairy ingredients as a match for the growing trend at the Food Ingredients Asia (Fi Asia) trade show at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre.

Globally, 61 per cent of consumers enjoy snacking between meals , while 26 per cent of Thai consumers eat snacks as a dinner replacement, and 45 per cent are paying more attention to the nutritional value in the snacks they eat, the research found. As a result, the snacking segment in Thailand is expected to grow by almost 15 per cent over the next four years, reaching a value above $3.5 billion, according to a Tuesday release from the company.

NZMP’s general manager for South & East Asia, Hamish Gowans, said, “The ‘snackification’ trend has evolved to become a stand-alone consumption occasion as people replace traditional meal times with regular snacking, and demand for more nutritious options drives growth.

“Previously snacking was driven by convenience. However, today’s consumers are also seeking food and beverage options with natural ingredients, minimal additives, and a clearly stated origin, [and which] sustain them for longer and support their dietary and exercise goals,” said Gowans.

As the population across Asia ages, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of healthy and active lifestyles with consumers increasingly conscious of their food choices and exercising more.

“NZMP’s dairy ingredients have a key role to play in delivering nutritious snacking options for people at all life stages with our well-established health credentials and broad range of ingredients that provide flexibility to meet the varied needs of consumers. Whether it’s proteins, yoghurts or beverages, dairy is one of the highest quality ingredients for consumers and manufacturers alike,” Gowans added.

Prathet Tankuranun, dtac’s chief technology officer, said: “ the live 5G trial is critical to better understand real-world 5G use cases. Lots of collaboration are needed  to develop a robust ecosystem in support of 5G and test beds are necessary to move forward”.

dtac’s internal 5G trial operates on the 28 GHz millimetre wave frequency band, granted by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) for testing purposes. 5G offers ultra-low latencies and data transfer speeds. The technical team installed the 28 GHz cell site for 5G at  Never Stop Cafe,  the new hangout spot for employees.

The 5G testbed’s download speeds were clocked in at over 1.8 Gigabits per second (Gbps), with participants experiencing this super high-speed internet through 5G wi-fi, allowing them to connect via any wi-fi-enabled smartphone or connected device.

Furthermore, dtac and Ericsson will jointly demonstrate 5G use cases in an exhibition at dtac House. The event will also highlight the important role of unmanned drones in smart cities as well as augmented reality (AR) technology and remotely-operated farming vehicles.

InnoSpace (Thailand), a state-backed venture capital firm, on Monday (September 9) mobilised initial funding worth Bt515 million for local start-ups.

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who chaired the signing ceremony, said Thailand requires many start-ups to drive the economy, and cannot just rely on a few hundred large companies. In the new digital era, countries like South Korea, Japan and Israel have successfully created many start-ups, which apply cutting-edge technology to their businesses.

Thai start-ups in comparison have faced many limitations, which is why the government should create a conducive environment by creating an Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project to support the new S-curve industries, he said.

Meanwhile, Tevin Vongvanich, chair of InnoSpace (Thailand)’s advisory committee, said the capital fund could be used to support start-ups until they reach unicorn status or are worth US$1 billion (Bt30.62 billion). Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia already have several start-ups with unicorn status.

InnoSpace has secured 13 partners comprising banks and companies that have agreed to provide seed money, including Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Siam Commercial bank, state-owned Krungthai Bank, the state-owned Small and Medium-Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand, PTT, Thai Beverage, CP Group, True Corporation, Sahapat Group, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, Thai Union Group and Bangkok Airways.

Another seven potential partners are planning to invest, he said.

The application links up with the database of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) to provide details of medical benefits under the Universal Health Coverage (known as Gold Card), the Social Security Scheme and the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme.

The CBH PLUS also allows patients access to their personal health records as well as a real-time queuing system that cuts down on time spent waiting to see a doctor or for picking up medication. Patients can also make payments through the application.

The partners expect CBH PLUS to soon be connected to other hospitals in Chon Buri province.

Dr Suthep Petchmark, inspector-general at the Public Health Ministry, said the ministry wants all 959 hospitals under its jurisdiction to continuously improve their management systems and make efforts towards becoming “smart” hospitals in order to offer better services.

By incorporating technology, hospitals can establish a standardised database system, boost efficiency and elevate services, so the general public can be provided with convenient, speedy and safe treatments, he said.

Apart from helping patients check their health benefits, CBH PLUS also allows them to make appointments as well as receive updates on their schedules.

Asst Professor Dr Sawan Khwanjaipanich, director of Chonburi Hospital, said that since its inception in 1919, Chonburi Hospital has become the largest medical centre in the East of the country with over 850 beds and more than 4,000 outpatients per day on average and is determined to become a full-fledged “smart hospital”.

This marks the first time in Thailand a financial institution has appointed a counterpart as its  banking agent. A fee waiver is offered for the services from today ( September 9) until  November 30, 2019.

Phonganant Thanattrai, Krungsri’s  head of Retail Banking and Distribution Group, said “Our banking agent strategy is based on a customer-centric approach. Krungsri stands ready to collaborate with other financial institutions, leveraging a larger, stronger network in certain areas for greater customer access.

During the preliminary stage, the services are available at BAAC’s 50 branches nationwide, where Krungsri customers can just ask bank staff to execute the transactions on their behalf.

“Krungsri’s appointment of  BAAC as its banking agent marks the first time in Thailand that a financial institution has appointed  another  as its agent to offer deposit and withdrawal services. Previously,  Krungsri had entered into collaboration agreements with  the Thailand Post, Boonterm, Counter Service at 7-Eleven, and PT Max Mart at PT service stations. The bank has seen growth in transactions via its banking agents in tandem with customers’ need for convenience”.

At participating BAAC branches, a Krungsri customer can deposit cash up to Bt30,000 per transaction but not exceeding a total of Bt100,000 a day while withdrawals with Krungsri ATM and debit cards are limited  between a minimum of Bt100 to a maximum of Bt5,000 per transaction and not more than Bt20,000 a day from an single account.

Balance inquiry of Krungsri ATM and debit cards is also available at the BAAC branches.

Marnix Zwart, Chief Commercial Officer of GoBear (GoBear.com/th), revealed that “the number of personal loan applications in Thailand tends to increase robustly and continuously. In the first half of 2019, the number of applications increased by 10 per cent from the previous year. In addition, there were more than 300,000 users looking for information on GoBear website and over 35,000 loan applicants. However, only approximately 2 per cent of the applications were approved. GoBear sees a sharp increase in financial needs especially during the month before the start of  a new academic semester, which usually leads to a 2 per cent increase in  loan requests during that period”.

Based on its study, GoBear is determined to fill the gap by developing a platform for personal loans to connect users directly to personal loan information from leading financial institutions.

GoBear is a website that helps users review their choices for financial products easily. This service is easy to use, free-of-charge and presents products neutrally.

With the rise of financial technology (fintech) in Asia, such services are becoming more popular in many countries, including Thailand. Today, Thai consumers can better understand, and have more access to financial products with a simpler, smarter and faster service platform at http://www.gobear.com/th/personal-loan.

Investors in the 5G Revolution portfolio will get access to 45 of the world’s biggest companies developing 5G infrastructure and technology. The portfolio includes real estate companies American Tower Corporation who are leasing space in order to build antennas and wireless equipment; network companies like Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Verizon; semiconductor makers include Micron Technology and Broadcom; and infrastructure companies such as Ericsson, Intel and Qualcomm. Asia-based companies in the portfolio include ZTE Corporation, China Unicom (Hong Kong), China Mobile, China Telecommunications Corporation and Lenovo Group.

“Many countries are on the verge of 5G and by the early 2020s, the incredible download speeds it offers will start to roll out. This technology offers a big leap forward for communications and most forecasts point to an explosion of investment in the industry, said eToro co-founder and CEO Yoni Assia.

“That said, it’s not a straightforward sector to invest in. Each country’s approach to 5G will be different and there are several regulatory, legal and planning hurdles to a successful rollout. With this portfolio we’ve tried to simplify things for Asian investors, identifying the biggest and most exciting companies that will lead the 5G rollout. We’ve selected companies in this sector that have the potential to offer a strong investment case for years to come.”

This new portfolio joins eToro’s expanding list of thematic portfolios, available to investors on the platform. They include portfolios providing exposure to big tech, cryptoassets, renewable energy, gaming companies, banks, genome engineering and the cannabis industry. The most recent to launch, in July, was eToro’s drones portfolio.

“CopyPortfolios are designed to make thematic investing accessible to all. If you’ve got a particular passion or area of expertise, we want to provide a simple way to invest in it. To date, we’ve strong demand for our portfolio launches and hope this one will be no different,” Assia added.

The transition to 5G is expected to offer speeds up to 100 times faster than current 4G technology. As well as improving existing applications for mobile data like video streaming, data sharing and smart home technology, 5G is forecast to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles, smart cities and virtual reality. In 2017, the 5G technology market size was just $34 billion, but this is expected to grow to more than $3,400 billion by 2026.