Banthoon Lamsam, Kasikornbank board chairman, said that KBank was selected for inclusion in two internationally recognised indices, the DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Markets, since 2016.

Banthoon said this reflects the vision of the KBank towards creating a “bank of sustainability”.

KBank was selected out of more than 2,500 listed companies globally as leaders in sustainability, based on the assessment of their outstanding performance in sustainable development.

Banthoon said more than 200 leading banks worldwide participated in 2018’s assessment, with only 10 per cent achieving the highest scores being selected.

“KBank is one of the 28 leading banks that has been included in the DJSI World Index and one of 100 banks that has been included in DJSI Emerging Markets Index,” he said.

In line with its global expansion plans, Bangkok will be one of the next markets in Asia for ClassPass, following its successful Singapore launch in August that saw exceeding demand and user sign-ups.

Starting from now, fitness enthusiasts can now stay ahead of the curve by registering their interest online at http://www.classpass.com/try/bangkok and enjoy free classes in the first month – exclusively available for a limited time only. Be prepared for a diversity of fitness experiences at exclusive studios across Thailand, including Muay Thai, strength training, yoga, Pilates, cycling, barre and more.

“We’re seeing a resurgence in the Thai fitness landscape. According to a recent Deloitte report, the APAC fitness market is now worth a record high of US$16.8 billion. Thailand’s relatively low market penetration rate of below 1 percent shows that there are plenty of opportunities for growth here,” said Fritz Lanman, ClassPass CEO in the press statement.

“People are more health-conscious than ever and are more willing to invest in fitness. ClassPass sees the opportunity to fulfil consumers’ needs for the flexibility and convenience that we enable. With a ClassPass membership, customers can choose from a variety of exercises according to their preferences and schedules. This motivates them to work out more and offers greater flexibility than signing up with one particular fitness studio. The diversity of classes in different locations as well as major cities around the world allows customers to keep up their fitness routines even when travelling or commuting,” added Fritz.

Since its inception in 2013, ClassPass has rapidly-grown worldwide and continues to gain momentum, nearly doubling in size annually and raising US$255M in funding to date. With a growing roster of over 12,000 studio, gym and wellness partners, ClassPass has made over 55 million reservations globally, constantly innovating and pushing the future of fitness through new features that enable flexibility and convenience.

This special combination has been created by an executive Chinese chef “Andy Leong” from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Bangkok, the festive culinary offer onboard is valid on domestic and international THAI Smile flights, 20-24 September 2018. For more information, visit http://www.thaismileair.com.

Fly with the number one airline in Thailand, the Best Airline in Asia and the best economy class in Asia recognised by TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards 2018. Remarks: This offer is not valid on the following flights: WE343/344 (Bangkok – Jaipur), WE333/334 (Bangkok – Lucknow), WE335/336 (Bangkok – Mumbai), WE426 (Penang – Bangkok) and WE420 (Kuala Lumpur – Bangkok).

The company will also spend approximately Bt4 billion in the development of its first premium mall in the eastern part of Bangkok in partnership with US-based Simon Property Group. The 150-rai (24-hectare) mall will be located close to Suvarnabhumi Airport and should be opened by the end of next year.

Outlets for premium brands will cover around 30,000 square metres of retail space, while in the second and third phases – construction of which will begin two years later – retail space will expand by another 7,000sqm and 5,000sqm respectively.

Meanwhile, Chollachat said property developers from other countries, namely China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar, have approached Siam Piwat seeking possible partnership for the development of shopping malls.

“Once our big shopping mall project, Iconsiam, opens officially in November, then we will reconsider potential overseas projects based on appropriate criteria, such as partner profile, project location, concept and market situation,” Chollachat said.

He said that compared to other neighbouring countries, Vietnam showed the highest potential because it has a mature retail sector along with a rising middle class and increasing number of business corporations.

Overseas expansion is part of the company’s expansion roadmap, and Siam Piwat’s strategy is to focus on collaboration with leading international partners to strengthen its business and reinforce its vision as “the icon of innovative lifestyle” in Thailand’s retail and real-estate industry.

“Over the past four years, we [Siam Piwat] have been operating in accordance with the roadmap laid out to drive long-term growth. We continue studying the feasibility of premium real-estate projects in prime locations. We focus on new businesses including world-class entertainment, arts and culture, and different retail formats that can create added value and benefit our partners’ businesses, surrounding communities and the country. For both domestic and overseas projects, we are seeking joint ventures with global partners who can bring expertise, help revolutionise our offerings and diversify our portfolio, which now consists of fashion, cosmetics, food and beverage, as well as auditoriums,” Chollachat said. “However, we have no definite timeline for overseas expansion. It depends on opportunities and projects being offered by potential partners.”

Uchenna Akujuo, director for international development and finance of Simon Property Group, said its success in the development of premium outlets relied in its strong relationship with top brands in the world.

He said Simon Property Group posted US$5.5 billion (Bt179.5 billion) in total revenue last year. International portfolio accounts for about 10 per cent of its net earnings.

Its outstanding loans topped Bt100 billion in the first half of this year, he said. The company plans to aggressively market K-Auto Finance (Refinance) in order to meet its target of Bt90 billion loans by the year-end, he added.

With regard to the outlook for 2019, KResearch estimated that domestic car sales would approach an equilibrium level at around 940,000-970,000 units. Eco-cars and various models of multipurpose vehicles are expected to enjoy good growth next year. Overall the growth rate of the auto hire purchase business is expected to decelerate to 4.5-6.5 per cent, Sasawat said.

The move is part of its plan to triple the number of akyra hotels and resorts from the current four to 12 by 2022.

Agreements for new akyra properties are currently at different stages of readiness in the Malaysian Highlands, Hoi An in Vietnam and Bangkok’s Rattanakosin Island, while other projects are being considered in markets like Bali, Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, as the Thai boutique brand spreads its wings across Southeast Asia.

The group’s managing director and founder, Anchalika Kijkanakorn, said yesterday that the first international akyra property would be the one in Hoi An. Construction of this hotel is expected to be finished within the next two years.

She added that the group would not own but operate these planned akyra properties in the targeted foreign destinations.

The group currently operates four akyra hotels and resorts in Thailand: akyra Manor Chiang Mai, akyra Beach Club Phuket, akyra Thonglor Bangkok, and the most recent addition to the collection, akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok.

Akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok, which had a soft launch in May 2018, is the first new hotel in Asia to launch without any use of plastic in its rooms and food and beverage outlets.

Anchalika added that all new akyra hotels and resorts would retain the brand’s core philosophies, including sustainability, community interaction and environmental awareness.

The entire Akaryn Hotel Group, which also includes the Aleenta luxury resort brand, has pledged to eliminate single-use plastic by the second quarter of next year.

Both akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok and akyra Manor Chiang Mai are already single-use plastic free.

“Our passionate belief in social and environmental responsibility is now shared by many modern travellers. All across Southeast Asia, young and young-at-heart guests are seeking smart, stylish and sustainable places to stay. Every new akyra hotel or resort will allow guests to make meaningful connections with their destination, whilst leaving the smallest possible footprint on the planet,” Anchalika added.

Akaryn Hotel Group, which specialises in the management of small luxury resorts, owns and manages Aleenta Phuket-Phang-nga, Aleenta Hua Hin-Pranburi, and the akyra Beach Club Phuket.

“We will take time one month to revise the plan. Then we will propose the new plan to the transport minister and NESDB for consideration,” he said.

In the transportation sector, 104 companies were invited and 64 companies submitted questionnaires in 2018.

The BTS Group is now listed at No 1 in the DJSI Emerging Market (Transportation Sector). The three other members are: AOT, DP World (United Arab Emirates) and Grupo Aero (from Mexico).

Chaolert Leelartwattanakul, sales boss at Lucky Flame Co Ltd, said the manufacturer and distributor of gas cookers and kitchen appliances, was finding a booming market for range hoods, gas ovens, gas rice cookers, gas lighters or water heaters.

The second showroom, with more than 122 square metres, is bigger than the first branch in Central Bang Na, Chaolert said.