The company marked the launch with its first APJ Distributor Summit in Singapore bringing together all of its distributors in the region for the first time.

The programme was designed in consultation with its distributors at a forum last year, and introduced earlier this year in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Reinforcing Pure’s commitment to working with its partners, the new programme adds a strategic layer of support and enablement for distributors to drive growth, add scale and extend Pure’s reach into new markets and sectors to better serve customers.

Created in consultation with existing distributors, the new programme includes critical elements necessary for distributors to build autonomous “Pure Certified” practices, and industry-leading business development incentives supplemented with ongoing programme investments, marketing support, and access to Pure’s systems, tools and processes.

The new programme is already gaining traction with Pure introducing three new distributors at its Singapore Summit. The new distributors are SB C&S Corp, a division of Softbank Group Corp in Japan, Bestcom in Taiwan and PT Exclusive Networks in Indonesia.

“There are a number of factors for Pure’s success and these include our disruptive all-flash innovations, our commitment to customer success and the best partner programmes in the industry,” said Scott Goree, the director of global distribution for Pure Storage.

“To continue to grow and scale, we need to have the right distribution partners, in the right markets, with the right skills, drive and commitment, to maximise the exciting opportunities ahead. This programme ensures we will retain and attract the partners who recognise the value of closer alignment with Pure and share our commitment to hyper growth and market share gains.”

SET Senior Executive Vice President Manpong Senanarong said that AIMCG would list and start trading in the Property & Construction industry, Property Fund & REITs sector.

AIMCG will invest in the leasehold rights of land and building of initial assets of three projects, namely 1) UD Town project, Udon Thani province for a period of approximately 21 years; 2) The 72 Courtyard, Bangkok, for a period of approximately 13 years; 3) Porto Chino project, Samut Sakhon Province, for a period of 30 years. AIMCG projects have unique advantages in quality and distinctive characteristics, and will be managed by experienced property managers with an understanding of the market, namely Udon Plaza Co Ltd, Chetchot Co Ltd, and D-Land Property Co Ltd respectively.

AIMCG offered 288 million units at Bt10 each, for a total of Bt2.88 billion to the general public between June 25 and 28. AIM Real Estate Management is its REIT Manager; SCB Asset Management is its trustee; Bank of Ayudhya and Discover Management are its joint financial advisers while Krungsri Securities is its underwriter.

AIMCG Chief Executive Officer Amorn Chulaluksananukul said AIMCG’s initial assets are of high quality with unique locations. He described the UD Town project as the biggest lifestyle mall in northeastern Thailand and one of the most popular landmarks of the province among both local residents and tourists from neighboring countries. The 72 Courtyard is a lifestyle mall located on Sukhumvit 55 (Thonglor) and in high demand among high-end consumers while The Porto Chino is the first and biggest lifestyle mall in Samut Sakhon province with multiple restaurants and shops serving local residents from large communities nearby.

AIMCG’s dividend policy is to pay no less than 90 per cent of the adjusted net profit of its financial year. Major unit holders after its IPO are Allianz Ayudhya (15.63 per cent), Udon Plaza (5.03 per cent), and Muang Thai Insurance (2.78 per cent).

The results were propped by a decline in provision expense by 84.8 per cent year on year, according to its filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Thursday.

In the second quarter, the net profit attributed to owners of the company totalled Bt1.798 billion, up 5.2 per cent year on year, mainly driven by lower provision expense.

Group chief executive Suthas Ruangmanamongkol has said that it would continue to drive growth in all of its businesses in the second half of the year by offering products that meet customer demands.

The company is confident of high revenue and aims to make itself Thailand’s number one coin-operated laundry machine brand.

Pawarit Potivorakun, vice president of Kang Yong Up Young Co Ltd, said the company is collaborating with a leading self-service laundry business from Japan and Taiwan to introduce the Maru Laundry brand in Thailand. He said it was the first franchise-operated futuristic laundry machine made for the new era.

“Thailand’s market has great potential for growth. We are very excited because the consumers here like to experience new products and lifestyle. The coin laundry will help them save time,” he said.

Maru Laundry was set up in Thailand in 2019. It is an original new brand in the market but “it combines the strength from our Japan and Taiwan experience. We expect to open 10 shops in 2019, and 50 shops next year,” Pawarit said.

“In the next three years, we plan to open at least 200 shops in Thailand. We would like to focus on the Thailand market and provide Thai consumers and investors with best quality consulting service and warranty service.” Kang Yong Up Young has set itself the goal of making Maru Laundry Thailand’s number one laundry machine brand within two years, said Pawarit.

“Maru Laundry’s automatic laundry machine offers a full service of washing and drying within one hour, which is highly efficient and suitable for our target group,” said Pawarit.

“We are pleased to join hands with Kang Yong by bringing Japan’s number one coin-operated laundry machine brand, Aqua, to Thailand,” said Bruce Wu, CEO of Up Young Cornerstone Corporation in Taiwan. “This is considered a strong point to raise confidence among investors and consumers, as it is enhanced by high quality and durability. In addition, our 40 years of experience in coin-operated laundry service in Taiwan and Japan will provide perfect solutions to the investors and consumers,” he added.

“Maru Laundry will put Aqua, Japan’s number one coin-operated laundry machine brand, in service to provide our customers with the best-ever laundry experience. It has a washing-drying automatic programme, which can be completed within one hour. The highlight is a friendly voice-over system to assist all users, an easy-to-use controlling panel and a pre-wash hygienic system that preserves fabric and keeps your laundry in good condition. Maru Laundry is the first brand to install a complete gas security system. With a convenient Internet of Things service, franchise owner can also install a remote monitoring system from the headquarters,” Pawarit said.

“The Maru Laundry business model will create high revenue for investors with an initial investment of Bt3 million and return on investment of over Bt800,000 per year, with a payback period of merely 3.78 years and 20-30 per cent expense from overall income.”

The Commerce Ministry’s Department of Business Development said that the current market value of franchise business is as high as Bt2.8 billion and tends to continuously expand with an average of 20.3 per cent per year.

The company’s board of director has also approved the study of a coal-fired power plant in Myanmar to enhance its long-term business propects in the country.

Sasavat Sirisan, Chief Executive Officer of Sahakol Equipment Plc said: ” SQ will sign a MoU (Memorandum or Understanding) with Myanmar’s Golden Lake Co Ltd (GL) to establish a joint venture company. SQ will hold the majority stake of 70 per cent with GL taking the remaining 30 per cent. The JV company will undertake the Mai Khot coal mine concession at Mong Hsat township in Shan State in the eastern region of Myanmar. Covering a large area of 13,000,000 square kilometres, it is estimated to have coal reserves of up to 110 millions tonne of high-quality sub-bituminous and lignite. This amount is more than needed for powering large power plants and sales to companies which are currently buying imported coal from Indonesia. Furthermore, coal from Mai Khot Mine will have strong cost advantage because of much lower logistics and transportation expenses. The company expects a revenue of Bt27 billion within 28 years from this project with Bt22 billion in sales and B5 billion from the first phase of the coal mining operations. Thus, the company will increase its backlog from Bt30.31 billion to Bt35 billion.

In addition, the company is studying the construction of a coal-fired power plant close to the coal mine and is preparing to apply for a licence for the project from the Myanmar government. The economy in the area has high growth potential with high trade volume and industrial investment. However, there is no power plant in the area to support large-scale business expansion.

The company has returned to growth, recording a first-quarter net profit of Bt92 million from a net loss of Bt39 millions in same period last year.

Construction of the 250-room Avani Yangon Hotel and 221-key Oaks Yangon has already started and is set to be completed by 2024. The two properties will be less than 9 kilometres from Yangon International Airport, and will occupy two buildings joined by a retail centre underground and a landscaped urban park above.

“We are very excited to be partnering with Kajima to launch our brands in Myanmar,” Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels, said. “The new hotels will attract a diverse range of travellers and meet the increasing demand for short- and long-term accommodation.”

As part of the campaign, Fido Dido is going to make appearances on out-of-home media as well as on popular digital media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram and will also be presented on a limited number of 7UP packs.

The return of Fido Dido is a nostalgic reminiscence for consumers who know him from their younger years and also provides an opportunity to introduce this character to young-gen consumers. His effortless confidence and limitless ability to chill no matter the time or place endeared him to consumers in the ’90’s and he is also a symbol reminding consumers living in ‘The Age of Now’ to relax, unplug, and enjoy the moment.

“7UP is a brand that always bolsters the notion of constant engagement between our brand and each consumer, particularly at the behavioral level. In today’s increasingly connected world, we share the same belief as Fido Dido that modern-day consumers should pause in their daily routines and sit back to relax. Today, we are combining the unique qualities of 7UP and Fido Dido in our new ‘Feels Good to be You’ global campaign that is going to simultaneously reiterate our brand identities and mark the 90th anniversary of 7UP,” explained Tuangporn Siriwatwitoon, Marketing Manager – Non Cola, PepsiCo Services Asia Co., Ltd.

7UP with Fido Dido on the labels is available in two formats: 245 ml can for Bt12 baht and 345 ml PET bottle for Bt10 baht. They are available in limited quantity at all retail channels Thailand-wide from today.

This partnership reaffirms Grab’s commitment to boost tourism economy in Thailand, create better income-earning opportunities for all Thais, and improve the quality of life of people living in provinces by giving them equal access to safe, convenient and affordable transportation.

Grab’s JustGrab service officially launches on Sunday (July 14) at the Trang Marathon 2019. Tourists visiting Trang and participating in the marathon can easily use the Grab mobile app to connect to the nearest taxi or ride-hailing option and get to their desired destination.

Paiboon Omak, Deputy Governor of Trang province, commented, “We have set a goal to be ‘a city of good life and sustainability’ in line with the 20-year National Strategy. With the diversity in our places of interest, ranging from natural attractions to unique cultural travel experiences, tourism has long been our strength. Getting to our province is also very convenient as we offer all means of transport from planes, buses to trains. Trang is therefore a popular tourist destination for both locals and foreigners, especially tourists from Scandinavian countries. We have placed great importance in improving the transportation ecosystem as we expect to welcome more than 1.6 million tourists to Trang this year. Grab’s ride-hailing service will help us to offer more convenient and seamless transportation to those tourists. This will also move us closer to our goal of driving tourism growth and create income opportunities to improve the livelihoods of people living in Trang.”

Tarin Thaniyavarn, Country Head of Grab Thailand, added, “Grab is committed to boosting Thailand’s tourism economy and we are very excited to be in Trang. We have been working closely with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to help drive tourism growth in many provinces and cities outside of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, such as Buriram’s MotorGP and now, Trang Marathon. Today, 1 in 3 of Grab users in Thailand are tourists, who count on Grab’s ride-hailing services to get them from one place of interest to another. We will continue to collaborate with provincial authorities and play our part in complementing the public transportation ecosystem in these provinces, so as to increase the attractiveness of these provinces as tourist destinations. In addition, we are also helping to improve the quality of life of Thais living in these provinces by giving them access to safe, convenient and affordable transportation options, and creating better income-earning opportunities and livelihoods for people who can now choose to come on board our platform to become driver-partners.”

With the addition of Trang, Grab is now operating in 20 cities across 18 provinces. Grab, together with Trang Governor’s Office, the Federation of Thai Industries, Trang Chapter, the Tourism Authority of Thailand at Trang Province and, Trang Chamber of Commerce will ensure the successful organization of the Trang Marathon 2019, which is expected to attract over 20,000 visitors. All proceeds from the marathon will be donated to 10 public hospitals in Trang.

VGI Global Media Plc, a major Thai online to offline (O2O) solutions provider across advertising, payment and logistics platforms has hooked up with iClick Interactive Asia Group Ltd, (“iClick”) an independent online marketing and enterprise data solutions provider in China.

As Thailand continues to be a major destination draw for Chinese tourists, local companies are aiming to deepen their engagement with the visitors. V-Click aims to leverage their digital strengths and the extensive local networks of iClick and VGI to aid companies through targeted and customised strategies that consider the unprecedented cross-border retail opportunities.

The suite of technology-driven digital marketing and media solutions will include intelligence, social and mobile tools based on iClick’s 780 million consumer profiles to provide clients with a comprehensive insight into the Chinese market.

V-Click will also continue to launch various products and applications that extend the joint data and technological capabilities of iClick and VGI.

Said Yan Lee, the V-Click CEO, “For Southeast Asian brands looking to capture the attention and wallets of the Chinese consumer market, advanced marketing technology has become essential in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of Chinese consumer behaviour, ways to effectively reach them and how to turn marketing efforts into real business value. I certainly look forward to leading and being part of V-Click’s growth story in Southeast Asia.”

To celebrate V-Click’s launch, VGI and iClick co-hosted an industry event in Bangkok that provided insights on digital marketing in China, as well as best practices along with the Chinese travellers’ perception of Thai brands. With the theme “Connect to Digital China Conference 2019”, the event attracted over 300 marketers from Thailand. Leading Chinese internet players and marketing experts including Tencent, Ctrip, RED and DianPing shared their insights on China’s outbound tourism market and the purchasing behaviour of Chinese outbound travellers.

V-Click CEO Lee will spearhead the strategic development of the joint venture in Thailand. Lee has more than 10 years’ experience in marketing technology solutions and possesses a deep understanding of the Chinese consumer market, an has served as the chief product officer at iClick since 2016.

Commenting on his new role, Lee said, “Backed by VGI and iClick, the region’s two leading marketing solutions players, the joint venture is uniquely positioned to help Southeast Asia’s consumer brands, marketing companies and influencers to penetrate the Chinese tourism market and also capture the potential benefits in other sectors such as retail, consumer goods, healthcare and entertainment.”

Nelson Leung, CEO of VGI, said, “Through our joint venture partnership with iClick Interactive, V-Click is now launched and bringing together the world-class tech giants from China to Bangkok to share with us how brands in Thailand can unlock the Bt580 billion Chinese tourist market. This milestone proves that VGI is no longer just an out-of-home company; we are now an O2O solution company that connects multiple offline and online platforms. Today, VGI has a new business unit the VGI Digital Lab, which specialises in digital online solutions.”

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports in Thailand, in 2018 there were 10.5 million visitors from China, with a total expenditure of Bt580 billion.

Krith Chokpipatpol, managing director of Boonthavorn Lifestyle Furniture, noted that JYSK and Boonthavorn were both determined to ensure customers could be confident that the products they were buying were of top quality and had thus signed a franchise agreement.

“The first ever JYSK store opened in the town called Aarhus, Denmark in 1979. It offers a range of down-to-earth furniture designs with Scandinavian style, which can be adapted to meet customers’ personal tastes,” Komson Borpitpitak, general manager of JYSK Thailand, explained.

“We have continuously earned more interest from the customers, especially in the decorative category. Particularly popular is out bedding line, which uses the innovative Memory Foam and headlines the Scandinavian Sleeping and Living concept that JYSK created. Back in Europe, JYSK bedding is one of the best-selling products and contributes to between 30 and 40 per cent of sales. Customers in Thailand have responded very well to the introduction of Scandinavian style furniture at great prices. We also offer free deliver on purchases of more than Bt5,000 within Bangkok and the vicinity. Our Cosmo Bazaar store is spread over 500 square metres and fully stocked with all nine product categories. We plan to open our 7th branch in Chonburi and 8th branch at Sam Yan Mitr Town soon. This year we are looking to open 10 stores and increase that to 30 stores over the next three years.”