Across the region, over 11 million orders was recorded on November 11, around 4.5 times that of 2017. Total visits hit over 42 million as shoppers snapped up unbeatable deals across all categories. At its highest, over 58,000 items were sold in a single minute, according to its press statement.

Terence Pang, chief operating officer of Shopee, said, “As our biggest 11.11 shopping event to date, this year’s Shopee 11.11 Big Sale was extremely well-received by users, and again surpassed all past achievements in record time. The year-on-year growth of our 11.11 performance proves that this will continue to be an integral part of the year-end shopping season for shoppers in the region. We would like to thank our loyal users for their support in making this year’s event our most successful one yet.”

The statement revealed this year’s Shopee 11.11 Big Sale in Thailand featured an upsized package of non-stop promotions at up to 90% off; the launch of the brand new in-app game, Shopee Quiz; and exclusive deals from Shopee’s brand and strategic partners.

On 11 November, top participating brands and sellers enjoyed up to 1,909 times their average daily orders and an average of more than 800% increase in traffic. Health & Beauty, Home & Living and Mobile & Gadgets emerged as the top three categories.

Top products on that day included Vaseline Lip Therapy, Opple LED Bulb 3W and Babylove Power Pants.

Mobile continues to drive online shopping forward; In line with the growth of mobile-commerce in the region, Shopee’s mobile-first strategy continued to be a key success factor for this year’s Shopee 11.11 Big Sale in Thailand, with over 95 per cent of orders made in-app.

In-app games continue to grow in popularity; Shopee’s iconic in-app game, Shopee Shake, continued to engage users throughout Shopee 11.11 Big Sale. Shopee Shake was played around 2.5 million times in Thailand throughout the entire campaign.

The brand interactive live quiz game, Shopee Quiz, which debuted on Shopee 11.11 Big Sale, was also a huge hit. The game saw around 1.2 million participants within a single day on 11 November.

Campaign ambassador, Kunpimook “Bambam” Bhuwakul, was highly popular among Thais; In line with Shopee 11.11 Big Sale, Kunpimook was announced as Shopee’s newest campaign ambassador.

On November 10, Shopee hosted a Shopee x Bambam Fanmeet, to celebrate the official launch of JYP Entertainment Official Shop on Shopee and to celebrate the peak of Shopee 11.11 Big Sale. The event was extremely well received and the hashtag became a top trend on Twitter with over 200,000 tweets within a short period.

GARMIN Pay is a contactless payment feature available on supported GARMIN smartwatches which enables fitness enthusiasts to make contactless payments and pay by simply tapping their device at a contactless terminal at 12 million merchant locations globally.

According to its press statement, the partnership between GARMIN, SCB, KTC and Mastercard expands the range of contactless payments options available to Mastercard cardholders, which now includes contactless cards, smartphones, watches and other wearables.

The adoption of payments using connected devices has increased rapidly in recent years, globally and regionally. Mastercard’s 2017 Mobile Shopping Survey found that emerging markets, including Thailand, are leading the region’s growth in mobile shopping, with 65 per cent of Thai respondents saying they have made purchases using their connected mobile devices.

The statement said the rapid adoption of new payments technology combined with the Thai government’s policy to develop digital payments is continuing to drive the growth of mobile and contactless payments in Thailand. Mastercard’s expanding partnerships with leading manufacturers, distributers and local issuers are ensuring the next-generation of innovative, connected digital devices are secure, widely accessible and simple to use.

All contactless payments supported by GARMIN devices are powered by Mastercard’s industry-leading Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES), which includes advanced biometric and gesture-based authentication features to protect transactions.

Krairop Luang U-Thai, general manager of GIS, the authorized distributor of GARMIN products in Thailand said, “The GARMIN Pay service is the latest feature for GARMIN smartwatch users. Customers can tie their Mastercard credit cards issued by KTC and SCB with a supported GARMIN smartwatch and create a GARMIN Pay Wallet through the GARMIN Connect application, along with a passcode.

To make a purchase, all customers need to do is simply place their smartwatch on a Mastercard Contactless acceptance terminal.

GARMIN Pay uses Mastercard Digital Enablement Service to secure users’ information. The tokenized data is saved in an isolated safety chip in the device, protecting sensitive data from malware and viruses. GARMIN Pay is now available in the U.S. and 21 other countries around the world.”

Srihanath Lamsam, executive vice president, Payments Product Development and Solutions Division, SCB, said, “As a leader in digital-lifestyle banking, SCB pays unprecedented attention to the development of innovation, technology, and services to offer new financial and customer experiences. Working hand in hand with our partners we aim to build strong digital platforms to support the development of a cashless society in Thailand.

The partnership with GARMIN and Mastercard will create a brand new health-lifestyle experience for health enthusiasts. Siam Commercial Bank believes that this collaboration will be a crucial part for our push to be the most admired bank, and in addition, revolutionize financial experiences for the better, fulfilling our customers’ needs.”

Pittaya Vorapanyasakul, executive vice president – Credit Card Business, “KTC” or Krungthai Card Public Company Limited, states, “KTC joins hands with “GARMIN” to introduce its latest contactless payment through GARMIN smartwatches for KTC Mastercard credit card members.

“GARMIN Pay allows for convenient and safe transaction that meets the lifestyles of health conscious, modern and tech-savvy customers. In this occasion, KTC launches promotions for members to use GARMIN Pay, offering 5% cashback for members who make over five transactions using KTC Mastercard credit cards through GARMIN Pay per card per month, with an overall spending not exceeding Bt. 5,000/card/month, from November 15, 2018 to December 31, 2018.”

Meanwhile Aileen Chew, head of market development, Thailand and Myanmar, Mastercard, said, “Mastercard is pleased to partner with GARMIN and our issuing partners SCB and KTC to expand our range of contactless payments for Mastercard cardholders. The speed, convenience and security that contactless payments offer, including wearables in the GARMIN range, are transforming everyday commerce, benefiting merchants and consumers, and helping to move Thailand towards a more efficient and inclusive cashless society.”

GARMIN Pay is available on vivoactive 3 series, forerunner 645 series, fenix 5 plus series.

Located in Tien Giang province, the mall has been developed by retail leader Central Group Vietnam, and offers a range of items from food and consumer goods to apparel, accessories, fashion and lifestyle items and electrical home appliances and is also home to innovative playground and entertainment services.

GO! My Tho is spread over 18,742 square metres on three floors and has free parking for up to 1,500 motorbikes and 150 cars. The high-ceilinged lobby, which connects to the exterior in a way that maximizes natural light, is decorated with special patterns in the shape of the boats, the icons of Mekong delta river network.

The mall is designed with an “Eat – Shop – Play” layout allowing customers to access food and beverages, shopping and entertainment on each floor. Services include a food court, coffee and tea shops, restaurants, fresh and grocery shopping, and lifestyle stores from trusted brands.

Philippe Broianigo, CEO of Central Group Vietnam, stated: “Tien Giang has been selected as the first GO! My Tho because we believe in the potential of the town, We are proud to introduce the new Vietnamese brand GO!, which is run by Vietnamese for Vietnamese . My Tho is a milestone achievement in our commitment to Vietnam’s prosperity and to enhancing the quality of life of the people.

“Over the two-week trial period, we saw thousands of customers coming to eat, shop and play, with the food court proving particularly population. That tells us that the GO! My Tho model has been well received and has the support of local residents.”

Le Van Nghia, vice chairman of Tien Giang Province People’s Committee, added: “We very much appreciate the investment of Central Group Vietnam in Tien Giang province, which is contributing to the economic development of the province, especially in the sectors of trading and services. My Tho Trading and Services Mall will play a major role in the development of commerce, services and tourism, enhancing the efficiency of trading activities while firmly placing My Tho City on the map as a tier-1 urban city. This mall has contributed to the stability and social-economic development of My Tho city in particular and Tien Giang province in general.”

In the period between the start of construction and its opening, My Tho has provided employment to more than 1,000 local people and related business partners. The mall is slated to become a preferred destination, attracting more than 200,000 customers a month from Tien Giang and its surroundings.

Ripple’s blockchain-based solution has been deployed to enhance Speedsend, CIMB’s proprietary remittance product. This will expand CIMB’s SpeedSend network and open new payment corridors to improve consumer access to cross-border remittances, both inbound to Asean and outbound to other countries. The solution is now live on Speedsend, enabling remittances via corridors such as Australia (in partnership with Instarem, also a member of RippleNet), USA, UK and Hong Kong.

“We are delighted to be part of RippleNet and look forward to a fruitful partnership with Ripple by leveraging each other’s strengths and capabilities. This innovative blockchain solution will revolutionise international cross-border remittances, and is a testament to CIMB’s ongoing efforts to enhance its digital banking through providing speedy and cost-efficient solutions,” said Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz, CEO, CIMB Group.”

As part of the overall partnership, CIMB intends to extend the solution to other use cases across the Group. There is a growing demand for cross border payment solutions, with the World Bank projecting that remittances to Southeast Asia will grow to US$120 billion by the end of 2018.

“We’re seeing banks and financial institutions from across the world lean into blockchain solutions because it enables a more transparent, quicker and lower cost payments experience,” said Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple chef executive.

“CIMB’s network already spans 15 countries, nearly 800 branches and offers Speedsend – one of the best solutions in the ASEAN region. Now, by integrating Ripple’s blockchain technology, they will enable their customers to send vital funds to family, friends and loved ones more efficiently. With its focus on innovation, CIMB will continue to be a dominant force in the region for years to come.”

“We have resorts all over Thailand, but Krabi is one of our favourite destinations,” said Centara chef executive Thirayuth Chirathivat. “Krabi is well known for its stunning seascapes, world-class diving, national parks and eco-tours. We are pleased to have reached a greater level of trust from the owner to manage a second property in Krabi for them after Centara Anda Dhevi Resort & Spa. Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi will establish itself as one of Krabi’s premier destinations tailored to match everybody’s desires.”

Centara signed an agreement to manage the property with its owner, Dr Pornsak Thantapakul, CEO and Managing Director of Anda Beach Resort.

“We’re thrilled about the plans for the resort,” said Dr. Pornsak. “We trust Centara to design and operate the hotel and offer guests the combination of a modern tropical resort and the fun family experience –plus one of the most beautiful sunset views in Thailand.”

Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi will be the first chain hotel in the area with direct access to Ao Nang beach. The resort’s 180 rooms will range in size from 39 to 81sqm in eight configurations, including 20 family-friendly residences with bunk beds. Most ground floor rooms will have direct pool access. Centara is planning a modern design, with F&B outlets that can be used for breakfast and special event buffets, or independent themes and menus. The resort will also feature a spa and beach club.

Krabi is a popular holiday destination with travellers to southern Thailand. The province, located between Phang Nga and Trang, features stunning scenery both inland and at sea. With more than 150 islands off its 150km-long coast line, a jungle-covered interior, towering limestone cliffs, caves, waterfalls and exotic wildlife, Krabi offers visitors a wide array of leisure activities for the whole family.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the company said that starting on Thursday, customers of Kasikornbank, Krungthai Card and Siam Commercial Bank can add their Visa credit or debit card to their Garmin smartwatches, while Bangkok Bank is in line to launch by first quarter 2019.

The company said that the feature offers a new cashless experience, where purchases can be made seamlessly at growing contactless-accepted merchant locations. The emergence of payment innovation and technology mark yet another milestone helping to transform Thailand into a less-cash society.

Suripong Tantiyanon, Visa country manager for Thailand said: “Visa is pleased to support the launch of Garmin Pay, bringing Visa contactless payments to Garmin smartwatches in Thailand. Visa believes payments wearables are the future of fast, simple and secure payments, for people who lead an active lifestyle.

“According to Visa’s “sweaty money” survey[1], 57 per cent of people who bring cash or a payment card along on their workouts are stashing it somewhere uncomfortable and inconvenient. Garmin Pay will be a welcome solution for anyone looking for an effortless way to pay while on the go.

“This launch is another milestone in Visa’s commitment to continue providing payment innovations and experiences across a wide range of form factors to consumers in Thailand.”

Krairop Luang U-Thai, General Manager of GIS, the authorised distributor of Garmin products in Thailand said: “Garmin Pay is the latest feature on the Garmin smartwatch. Select the credit card you want to connect to the watch and create the Garmin Pay Wallet by filling in the card information on the Garmin Connect application along with your passcode.

“All customers then have to do is place their wrist near a card reader that supports contactless payments to purchase goods and services. Garmin Pay uses tokenisation offered by the global payment networks to secure users’ information. The tokenised data is saved in an isolated safety chip which is in device, so to keep sensitive data from malware or virus. In addition to Thailand, Garmin Pay is also currently available in 22 countries around the world.”

True Group’s financial performance continued to improve in the third quarter of 2018 as service revenue reached a record high of Bt26.3 billion. The growth of 7.3 per cent YoY or 10.3 per cent YoY excluded contribution from the fixed-line phone concession, driven mainly by both cellular and broadband growth, while cost controls remained intact, the company said.

Excluding impact from sales of assets to the Digital Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (DIF), EBITDA grew 13.9 per cent from the previous year to Bt10.2 billion with margin increasing to 38.4 per cent in 3Q18 compared to 36.5 per cent in 3Q17. Consolidated net profit was Bt385 million, significantly improving from a loss of Bt691 million in the same period last year.

Co-president Vichaow Rakphongphairoj said: “True Group continued to deliver core earnings improvement and profit in 3Q18. This solid performance was driven by accelerating service revenues thanks to our successful customer-driven strategy and tremendous efforts on enhancing network and service levels while cost and productivity measures continued to improve.

“TrueMove H was a strong Q3 performer as it continued its stellar growth momentum with double-digit service revenue growth YoY while revenue market share surged to 28.9 per cent, the highest quarterly market share gain since 2Q17. At the same time, TrueOnline’s expanded FTTH footprint and 1Gbps offerings continued to drive strong double-digit YoY growth of broadband revenue and subscribers.

“Given our strengths on network, convergence, versatile content and digital offerings as well as engaging privilege campaigns highlighting benefits of being True’s loyal customers, we are confident to carry on the upward profitability trend.”

Co-President Dr Kittinut Tikawan said: “This is clearly a positive quarter with record revenue and core profit growth, pinpointing a significant step forward for True Group’s performance. Our mobile business is now fully competitive in the under-penetrated areas of Thailand where there is a plenty of room to attract additional subscribers thanks to our concentrated efforts to improve network density in these areas during the first half of the year.

“Meanwhile, the FTTH network upgrade and 1Gbps offerings have received excellent market response further strengthening TrueOnline’s broadband leadership. The regionalised marketing campaigns with dedicated teams and packages that match demands of each target group have proven successful and this quarter is just the beginning of our progression.

“We believe the accelerating momentum should sustain in upcoming quarters as more and more consumers experience and recognize our exceptional services while added benefits such as TrueID and True Points from our privilege programs will push customer engagement higher.”

TrueMove H outstripped the mobile industry in the third quarter of 2018 with service revenue growth of 10.1 per cent YoY and 2.7 per cent QoQ to Bt18.9 billion contrasting with the YoY and QoQ drop for both of its major competitors.

This was the 26th consecutive quarter in which TrueMove H’s revenue grew faster than the market, and as a result, TrueMove H’s value market share jumped to 28.9 per cent in 3Q18, the highest quarterly market share gain in six quarters, the company said.

The major network upgrade and localised marketing campaigns particularly in Northeast as well as synergy among True Group and business partners contributed to TrueMove H’s continued above-industry growth. It posted 678k net adds during the quarter and grew subscriber base to 28.8 million.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the company said that Principal Healthcare, with subsidiaries of seven hospitals in six provinces (Princ Suvarnabhumi Hospital, Princ Paknampo 1 and 2 Hospital, Princ Uthai Thani Hospital, Pitsanuvej Hospital, Pitsanuvej Uttaradit Hospital and Sahavej Hospital), is the first company in Thailand’s healthcare industry to use cloud technology for HCM as part of its digital transformation strategy.

Dr. Satit Viddayakorn, chairman of the board of Principal Healthcare, said: “We are embarking on a digital transformation journey that will empower our people and processes, as we plan to increase the number of hospitals under our network from seven to 20 by 2023. Since partnering Workday, we have seen significant improvements in our employee engagement and management processes, with increased transparency and collaboration between different functions of the business.”

Jasie Fon, managing director, Workday Southeast Asia, said: “Competition for talent in the healthcare industry is increasing and greater employee mobility has made human resource management more complex.

“Workday’s HCM solutions enable Principal Healthcare to unlock greater employee insights to help make more informed decisions, while optimising human resources and talent management operations.”

Workday opened its Thailand office earlier this year as part of a global growth strategy to build a stronger presence in Asia, bringing human capital management, financial management and analytical capabilities to new markets, the company said.

The signing of the agreement – reflecting the company’s pursuit of investment opportunities in Asia – is scheduled to take place this month, involving investment of Bt26.2 billion, EGCO said. The agreement is expected to close in January.

EGCO said in a filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday that the stake purchase would be made through its wholly owned subsidiary Gen Plus B.V. The investment was approved by its board on October 19 and will be subject to relevant closing conditions under the transaction documents.

Paju ES owns and operates the Paju Power Plant, a combined cycle gas-fired power facility in Gyeonggi province. The plant has a production capacity of more than 1,800 MW and uses imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel.

Paju ES is owned and was developed by SK E&S Co Ltd (SK E&S), the first private power company to directly import LNG from overseas markets to South Korea, including LNG from producers in Australia, Indonesia and the United |States, among other countries worldwide.

The Paju ES power plant began operation in February 2017 and supplies electricity to Korea Electric Power Corporation, the sole off-taker of wholesale power generation in South Korea, through Korea Power Exchange, the market operator of the South Korean cost-based pool power market.

“South Korea has a robust power market with strong prospects for steady growth in power demand. The country is focused on promoting the use of clean LNG fuel as well as renewables to meet this demand. This investment represents a unique and important opportunity for EGCO,” Jakgrich Pibulpairoj, EGCO group president, said.

“We see a number of business synergies between SK E&S’s gas to power business and prospective development opportunities in Thailand and other core markets in Asia where gas to power projects have become an important means of providing reliable, clean power.

“Moreover, SK E&S is recognised as an LNG to power specialist with business interests throughout the entire LNG value chain. The partnership that will begin with our co-investment in Paju ES will provide an excellent platform for promoting this type of business together in Thailand and elsewhere in the region.

Beyond gas to power opportunities, we will also explore renewables as an area for potential future collaboration in Korea and elsewhere in Asia.”

EGCO Group’s operating result for the first nine months of 2018 showed the net profit of Bt21.754 billion, an increase of 117 per cent when compared to the same period last year, due to the divestment of three assets in the first quarter. If considering the third quarter of 2018, the company recorded Bt3.947 billion net profit, or 12 per cent higher than the previous year, mainly from exchange rate appreciation.

As of October 31, EGCO Group runs 26 operating power plants with total equity contracted capacity of 4,260 MW in five countries across the Asia Pacific region – Thailand, Laos, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia. It has three projects under construction with total equity contracted capacity of 544 MW.