A press release on Friday said that under the MoU, Grab Thailand and NIDA will work together to exchange and enhance knowledge sharing as well as academic studies covering a wide range of topics including society, economy, transportation, tourism – which align with national policy and plans for the development of digitality that will benefit all aspects of the nation.

The cooperation also aims to cultivate integrated learning methods in tandem with the digitised world.

The signing ceremony took place during NIDA’s 2019 national conference titled “Thailand Transformation for Sustainable Growth”, which also marked the Institute’s 53rd anniversary.

Professor Dr. Kamphol Panyagometh, NIDA president, said: “This is another important milestone for NIDA as it enhances knowledge sharing with Grab Thailand, a leading technology company that is unparalleled in terms of data, innovations and state-of-the-art management systems.

“The collaboration will drive knowledge sharing to its maximum capacity whether in class, research or in workshops. By unlocking the full potential of technology, we can also improve our human resources in response to the demands of the digital era and drive the economy, society and the country forward to further development and sustainable competitiveness on the global stage.”

Tarin Thaniyavarn, Country Head of Grab Thailand, said: “Together, through the exchange of learning, data insights, innovations and first-hand experience from our executives, we will support the technological advancement of Thailand.

“Grab is SEA’s leading super app and technology company which is well-positioned to provide support to NIDA both in terms of education and academic research. Most importantly, this cooperation also supports the government’s policy to promote the use of technology for national development in areas related to society, the economy, transportation and tourism.”

The company said in a press release on Friday that in 2018, Huawei invested CNY101.5 billion (14.1 per cent) of its sales revenue) in R&D, ranking fifth globally in The 2018 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard.

Over the last 10 years, Huawei’s R&D expenditure has reached more than CNY480 billion.

According to official data released by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Huawei filed 5,405 patent applications to this organisation in 2018, ranking first among all companies globally.

At the release of its annual report, Guo Ping, Huawei’s Rotating Chairman, said: “Information communications technology is rapidly working its way into every industry. This has triggered a digital, intelligent transformation – the driving force behind our digital economy.

“Through heavy, consistent investment in 5G innovation, alongside large-scale commercial deployment, Huawei is committed to building the world’s best network connections.

“Throughout this process, Huawei will continue to strictly comply with all relevant standards to build secure, trustworthy, and high-quality products. As we work towards this goal, we have been explicitly clear: Cyber security and user privacy protection are at the absolute top of our agenda. We are confident that the companies that choose to work with Huawei will be the most competitive in the 5G era. And countries that choose to work with Huawei will gain an advantage for the next wave of growth in the digital economy.

“The easiest way to bring down a fortress is to attack it from within. And the easiest way to reinforce it is from outside. Moving forward, we will do everything we can to shake off outside distractions, improve management, and make progress towards our strategic goals.

“We will continue to strengthen operational compliance, ensure business continuity and sustainability, and cultivate an open ecosystem where all players collaborate and prosper together. In addition, we will continue our organisational transformation to inspire greater passion and vitality across the organisation.”

These menus include Mango Sago Panna Cotta and Marian Plum Panna Cotta, available both domestic and international routes only on April 13-17.

Nednapang Teeravas, chief customer service officer of THAI Smile Airways revealed that THAI Smile

is committed to delivering excellence services beyond customer’s expectations as always, in order to

emphasize as a full service airline with outstanding service, whether it be our in-flight meals and beverages,

seat selection and free baggage allowance.

“In addition, we will provide in-flight meals and beverages to all passengers for free on all flights. What is known as our identity, which passengers will receive in various festivals is a special menu that will be tailored from partner more than 10 occasions throughout the year.”

“For Songkran Festival this year,THAI Smile would like to say a Happy Thai New Year with freshsweet dessert

menus that THAI Smile has partnered with Audrey Café to craft a Panna Cotta menu, a unique Italian dessert,

which is creamy, soft, sweet and tender mixed with Thai summer fruits like Nam Dok Mai Mango and Marian

Plum that are popular among Thais and foreigners.

Two special menus include Mango Sago Panna Cotta and Marian Plum Panna Cotta. If any passengers plan to travel during this Songkran Festival, please try to taste the menu that we intend to give to all passengers throughout this special occasion,” Nednapang said.

Janista Charoonsmith, chief executive officer, Audrey Group Inc. said “Audrey Café is pleased to be

selected to create a special menu by bringing seasonal fruits of Thailand, both mangoes and Marian Plum

as the main raw material.

Audrey Café offers a famous and popular menu in the shop that is Panna Cotta, which is tailored and crafted to create a new menu that has sweet taste with 2 special menus: Mango Sago Panna Cotta and Marian Plum Panna Cotta These 2 menus are ready to cool off all passengers on board THAI Smile. Audrey Café would like all passengers to enjoy the special menus throughout the Songkran festival,” according to the press release.

It expects to carry 3 million passengers this year, up from around 2 million last year.

The carrier will boost the number of its aircraft to 14 this year, up from 9 last year.

Thai AirAsia X has affirmed its extensive coverage of Japan by adding a four-times a week direct service from Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport to Fukuoka, the gateway of Kyushu.

Nadda said Japan is a strategic market for Thai AirAsia X and has been performing well. Even with flights across all regions of the country, Thai AirAsia X has continued to seek out new routes to offer new experiences to Thai travellers and attract more Japanese visitors to the Kingdom.

Thai AirAsia X has been flying to Japan for almost five years, beginning with Tokyo and Osaka. The carrier then added Sapporo and Nagoya last year and now Fukuoka as its fifth route. Nadda said the new route is in line with the rising number of Thai travellers to Japan.

“We still see much growth potential in the Japanese market and are hopeful that Fukuoka will further bolster tourism and the economies of both Thailand and Japan,” Nadda said.

Thai AirAsia X recognises the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka prefecture as a high-potential destination as it is the largest city on the island of Kyushu in southern Japan and a hub of culture, cuisine and natural tourism destinations.

Thai AirAsia X flies to nine cities in four countries (including to Fukuoka) with direct flights from Bangkok (Don Mueang airport) to Seoul in South Korea; Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Nagoya and Fukuoka in Japan; Shanghai and Tianjin in China; and Brisbane in Australia.

With its latest route addition, Thai AirAsia X is offering members of its loyalty programme AirAsia BIG the opportunity to book flights from Bangkok (Don Mueang)-Fukuoka, available four times a week, at a promotional one-way price from Bt2,990, including taxes and fees. Members must book by April 14, for travel from July 3 to October 26.

Nadda said that this year the carrier would also focus on opening more routes to secondary provinces in Japan and China.