The company said on Tuesday “concrete results” would be concluded in the second half of the year.

It said it was confident that sales in the industrial estates would meet targets set at the beginning of the year.

The company is also in talks over built-to-suit contracts for a warehouse and a distribution centre with two large customers, the area totalling 170,000 square metres.

The company’s operating profit from April to June was Bt688 million on revenue of Bt8.8 billion.

The full operation achieved by the 133MW cogeneration plant, operated by subsidiary Amata B Grimm Power (Rayong) 3 Ltd, known as ABPR 3, in the quarter following the February 1 commercial startup, was a key revenue driver.

Additional income resulting from the inauguration on June 1 of a similar facility operated by another subsidiary, Amata B Grimm Power (Rayong) 4 Ltd, or ABPR4 which is also in Amata City Industrial Estate in Rayong was another important contributor to the higher income, said Preeyanart Soontornwata, president of B Grimm Power.

However, the company declared a net profit of Bt215 million for the quarter due to an unrealised loss of foreign exchange resulting from the weakened baht.

Preeyanart stressed that such a loss was unrealised in the accounting system nor it affected the company’s cashflow in the second quarter.

The firsthalf results raised B Grimm’s net operating profit by 37.3 per cent over the same period last year to Bt1.2 billion.

As a result, the company declared a dividend of 15 satang per share for the JanuaryJune operation, payable on September 7 to those who appear on the record date of August 24.

Preeyanart said the dividend payment took into account B Grimm’s operating performance of Bt1.2 billion.

Meanwhile, the company informed the Stock Exchange of Thailand that the company’s board agreed to acquire an 80 per cent stake in the 257MW solar power project in Vietnam which is carried in association with Truong Thanh Viet Nam Group Joint Stock Company (TTVN).

The B GrimmTTVN group is concluding a 20year accord to sell electricity from the project to the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) at 9.35 US cent per kWh starting next year.

The company is on course to raise its combined capacity this year by over 25 per cent to 2,091 MW from 1,646 MW last year through commissioning new power plants and acquisitions.

The second half of this year will see the company bring on line a 133MW cogeneration plant operated by subsidiary Amata B Grimm Power (Rayong) 5 Ltd; seven solar power facilities with combined capacity of 31 MW; and a 15MW hydropower project in Laos.

In addition to the increase in a stake from 49 per cent to 100 per cent in BGYSP, which is the 60MW solar power plant in Thailand, in July and the acquisition of 55 per cent stake in the 420MW solar power plant in Vietnam, B Grimm will soon announce additional investment in a couple of alternative energy projects overseas as part of its growth strategy.

The Vietnamese solar project is the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia and is scheduled to come on line in the middle of next year.

The joint promotion, which marks the first newly formed alliance between the two service giants, aims to provide Marriott’s customers with a world-class hospitality experience. The discount programme via the Grab application is on offer from August 1 to October 31, 2018.

Bob Fabiano, general manager of Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, says: “We are absolutely delighted to form an alliance with Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing app. The alliance is a special phenomenon involving two business giants in the hospitality and public transport sectors coming together in support of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s strategy to develop all types of tourism and to lift the quality and standards of travel for the convenience of tourists and their access to the highest benefits. As a world-class hotel and hospitality industry leader Marriott takes a firm stance on, and has a commitment to, creating the most impressive hotel experience through the range of facilities and other conveniences provided to guests. These conveniences can be found in our guestrooms, reception rooms, seminar and convention halls. Thanks to the size of the hotel and its service potential, the hotel is well prepared and well equipped to satisfy the needs of different types of customers. The hotel has more than 1,388 rooms and over 37 meeting areas on top of its extensive experience in organizing various large-scale national events. Marriott is confident that the hotel will win trust from both business and leisure travelers who are expected to use our services more in line with Thailand’s outlook for sustained tourism growth, especially in the MICE sector.”

Vee Charununsiri, head of business development of Grab (Thailand) Co Ltd, said this cooperation marks the beginning of our ever-expanding strong alliance with a world-class brand like Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park.

“We’re looking to expand nationally by forging alliances with hotels in Marriott International in the future. Grab is confident that our platform will be able to satisfy the needs of customers who are using the services of Marriott hotels. This joint effort has allowed Grab to provide businessmen and tourists, both Thai and foreign, visiting Thailand with our services, especially our highly convenient and safe transport service and various benefits from Grab and Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park.” he said.

This is why we see companies recruiting data scientists who can manage and turn the raw data into useful information that can help accelerate the business.

The second reason is that technology has advanced significantly and the traditional ways of data processing, such as visual basic for applications (VBA) and excel macros, no longer suffice. This is particularly so in a digital world that is looking to technologies like AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT (Internet of Things) to predict consumer behaviour, equipment malfunctions and more. To ensure that they stay ahead of new technology trends and market movements, companies are turning to this group of specialists to help them manage the data.

The demand for data scientists is growing substantially, but the number of highly skilled talent is very limited. It has been estimated that there are only approximately 250 full-fledged data scientists in Thailand.

Data scientists need to be proficient in the two main programming languages used in the data world, R and Python, and related platforms such as Hadoop. But at the same time, they are not just programming or number experts. They go beyond theory to generate insights that can help solve real-life business problems. To do this, they need to be knowledgeable about the business and industry to ensure the insights are relevant for business units such as HR, finance and logistics.

We see companies facing challenges in identifying candidates who have the right skills and experience a data scientist needs, as what is written on a resume may not truly reflect a job applicant’s skill level. Assessments can help companies filter out candidates who do not have the necessary skills, streamlining the recruitment process. Robert Walters uses an online assessment tool and we have found it particularly useful in providing detailed reporting, analysis and accurate test results, which is why we’ve included it in our recruitment solutions to help companies make more informed decisions about their placements.

Given the shortage of data scientists in Thailand, we see companies expanding their sourcing channels, to hire from abroad, or work with recruitment consultancy firms to tap into a larger pool of available talent.

We also see more companies providing training for their data analysts, equipping them with the skills and knowledge required to become data scientists. One reason for this is because their data analysts already have a strong understanding of the field, the company data, and what is required to generate meaningful information for the business. Additionally, since local cultural understanding is required to manipulate and interpret data in a meaningful manner, local talent would, in the long-term, have a better grasp of the information. Finally, local talent is often looking for opportunities to grow, which means that training is a worthwhile investment.

Contributed by Julian Meissner, IT manager for Robert Walters Thailand.

The focus of TMB Bank’s digital banking platform, ME by TMB, will this year offer a complete digital banking experience that allows customers to save and manage their money easily through digital channels, said Benjarong Suwankiri, head of ME by TMB/ product and service strategies.

“Local customers are now more ready to move towards a full digital banking experience to save, transact, invest, and be protected against future uncertainties. Within this year, ME will gradually roll out new financial products, promising high investment returns for our customers and a full  digital experience, catering to the financial needs of the younger generation,” he added.

Creating a 100% digital experience means boosting transparency, flexibility,  security, and providing more benefits to the customers, he said.

Benjarong added that ME wants to inspire and assist the new generation to save and manage their money themselves through a 100% digital experience.

“We hope to grow the number of new customers who are ready to use digital technology to meet their  financial needs and want to stay free from a bank branch and  its operation hours. To achieve that, ME’s products and services must be simple, easy to use and practical,  focusing on making customers’ digital lifestyle easier,” he said.

He said unlike other digital banking services in the industry, ME products and services are specially developed for  digital process and operations. The bank didn’t simply transfer branch operations into online application and then let customers finish their transactions at branches. They must be 100% digital, while offering  convenience and be  able to serve transactions anywhere anytime without the presence of  the customer at the bank.

When TMB launched the ME platform six years ago, the bank found that both customers and regulations were not yet ready for a complete financial digital experience.

“We spend those years in educating the market of how a 100% digital banking was possible, and that it should be the future for the banking industry. Today, as evident from the wide use of Promptpay and the government’s National EPayment scheme, it is clear that the market is now more open to the concept,” he said.

PromptPay is an industry-wide banking service for money transfer, using only mobile phone number or ID number of the recipient. The service was launched in Thailand early last year.

He said the continued push towards a cashless society, with QR code payments and lowering of the digital banking transaction fees among banks, will lead to wider adoption of the mobile payment channel.

Looking at the global  trend of digital banking, Benjarong said: “we see stronger trend towards digital banking. In some markets, the government leads the initiatives, as in Thailand, creating an ecosystem that both banks, fintechs (financial services through technology), and techfins (technology companies that provide financial services) can coexist and compete for the benefits of customers,”

“In some countries, such as the Philippines and in a few African nations, we also see the potentials of  digital banking in helping expand the access into unbanked or untapped markets. We are only now scratching the surface of the potentials of what a wholly-digital bank can offer,” he added.

He said that while digital banking is new, and Thailand is in its early stage, the banks must be careful not let the new technology mislead them from the real needs of customers.

“Technology must be used to help address customer experience and services that otherwise would not have been possible. Hence technology is for customers’ sake, not for technology sake. We demonstrated this through our value proposition to give higher interest rate back to customers because digital technology means that ME doesn’t have to carry large operating expenses of its physical network,”

“When we focus on delivering such values through digital channels to customers, digital banking will then start becoming a norm for more than just transactions,” he added.

“Of course, digital banking is new in Thailand, hence there are uncertain elements to resolve before all regulations can be relaxed. However, given we are only at an early stage of digital banking, we can learn from the experiences of other advanced economies to enhance  our view of risks and controls.”

Chiang Rai’s deputy governor Samrit Sawamipak said the market would help local farmers become more competitive and maintain the prices of locally grown fruit and vegetables.

Samrit also believes Chiang Rai will become known regionally as a centre of organic produce.

The construction of the market on a 160rai piece of land at Mae Korn intersection will cost about Bt2 billion. Those interested in reserving space in the market can do so on September 29.

Jianghai Market Plc executive director Wisarn Techateerawat said Chiang Rai farmers produce good quality products, but the price of their produce is relatively low. Also Chiang Rai locals do not have access to healthy and safe food products.

“Besides Chiang Rai’s location – adjacent to Myanmar and Laos, as well as a link to China – has the potential for a wholesale market. We have invited Sri Muang, a local market operator, to join the project,” Wisarn added.

Apart from organic products, Talat Lan Muang will also stock locally made goods in the hope of attracting tourists.

Napintorn Srisanpang, president of the Ratchaburi Central Vegetable and Fruit Market, said there is over 2million rai (320,000 hectares) of farmland in Chiang Rai, and given its proximity to Laos and Myanmar, the province could very well become a wholesale export centre for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Up to 10,000 tonnes of vegetables and fruit will be delivered and distributed via the centre daily.

Supaluck encourages a sense of camaraderie among the people who keep the retail business humming – from shop-floor workers to the executive suites.

Staff retention at the operator of a network of shopping centres, including among the top-level executives, is high and Supaluck is determined to ensure that long tenure remains the norm among those on the company payroll After all, she describes the employees as the company’s greatest assets.

She recalls that back in 1981, when The Mall Group opened its first shopping mall, in the Rajdamri district of Bangkok, it had only 400 employees. The workers from those early years were “like pioneers working alongside my family members”, she says.

“Currently, our company has around 13,000 staff, and more than 100 of them have been working with The Mall Group since that first day,” Supaluck says.

“So, the secret to our success in keeping all the top executives to stay with the company for a very long time is that we have a strong relationship between the ownership side and the employee side.

“This has produced a working culture like no other in the industry. This has resulted in the top executives and the staff working together with compassion, in a caring, loving and sharing environment.

“Here is a place where we always have goodwill and sincerity towards each other. We work together like we are in the same family, but are always professional in our work. Importantly, I love to see how my staff have grown successfully together with us at the company.”

That comes back to Supaluck’s proud assertion that the employees are the company’s main assets.

“Our motto at work, and you may heard of this, is that ‘We’re family and we’re professional’. We work in a professional way but at the same time we also treat everyone like a member of the family. Of course, every staff member who works here means a lot to me,” says Supaluck.

“Our employees are the greatest asset that the company has and we help them to learn and grow in their career paths at The Mall Group. We are a true learning organisation for innovation in the retail business. Employee engagement is a key factor for ensuring business and customer satisfaction. We listen to the views of our employees and their opinions are counted.

“At The Mall Group, we have an HR Care Centre for listening and collecting the feedback from workers, so that we can improve our system to make it better. This, in turn, will create greater efficiencies at work. A happy working place makes for happy employees. And this will influence other quality candidates who may be interested in joining our TMG family.”

Supaluck says the main challenge facing the company today is the intense competition in the retail business.

“For me, I think that to be successful in business depends not only on how much money you have or whether you have the highest investment amount, but on how you develop your staff to be ready for this business challenges as well,” she says.

“Employee development is important for every organisation. When you develop your staff to be ready for this competition, you have invested in the most valuable source and this commitment will make your business grow in a sustainable way.”

Supaluck believes firmly in the importance of role models when it comes to staff development, and that’s why the company’s top executives provide such a valuable role in showing the way for others.

“Another challenge for our company concerns the gap between the new and old generations in the workplace,” she says.

“Since global business trends always move fast, we need good cooperation among the different generations. The younger generation is very good in the use of innovative technologies. However, the older generations have deep business knowledge and vast experiences. Without one another, we cannot accomplish our goals, so I think if we try to build up everyone to look to the same goals, then nothing is impossible for us.”

Supaluck says she often finds that insights from her personal interests and pastimes can inform and influence her strategies for the business.

“I love to plant trees. I always love to be one with nature because it makes me calm and that is when a good idea may pop up in my mind,” she says.

“If the seed is not strong, or if the tree wasn’t grown in a good condition, then it may fail. But if the seed is strong and you have taken good care of the emerging tree, you will see what you have planted comes to fruition, and it will grow beautifully. And this is how it is in my work. We are cultivating and developing our people to be good and strong, capable of being a quality person not only for our organisation but for the country as well.”

Supaluck describes as her ultimate ambition the creation of a prosperous retail business to support the country’s growth and, in turn, help it to become an important travel destination for people from all over the world. “Moreover, we encourage Thai people to work hard, which makes our country have a stronger economy,” she says. “Our success in business today comes from the cooperation among our people, our suppliers, our tenants, our partners and our alliance. To be successful in business, you cannot do it alone; every collaboration is very important to make this a sustainable success.”

Supaluck says that when it comes to enhancing the prospects for success in the retail business, the role of technology is vital.

“So, at The Mall Group, we have brought in new technology to facilitate and support our employees in their work,” she says. “Right now, we have a project called M Transformation, which will adjust and change all the working processes of The Mall Group.

“This system will help my employees have an easier life and I believe this change will create a better outcome so that we can focus more on other things that are also important. This includes the capability development of our staff members to catch up with the latest trend and make a balance between technology and humanity.”

Meanwhile, one special tree that Supaluck planted is growing just fine.

Alibaba Group has launched what it calls the age of “New Retail”, which the online giant says will replace today’s “e-commerce”.

New Retail will see the distinction between online and offline retail businesses soon disappear, the Chinese conglomerate said. The company is testing the new model at Hema, one of its New Retail brands, in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and other large Chinese cities.

At Hema, a premium-quality supermarket front with a wide range of home delivery services, consumers living within a 3-kilometre radius can get home delivery of fresh food items, fruit (including Thai durians), vegetables and other daily necessities within 30 minutes of placing an order.

The service is part of a so-called 3-in-1 retail experience that covers tech-driven online delivery, in-store purchases and in-store consumption.

Big data and cloud computing are among the key infrastructures supporting the use of artificial intelligence where both online and offline platforms converge through mobile and enterprise technology.

For example, consumers can visit the Hema intelligent supermarket when they wish, or may prefer to stay home on a rainy day and order anything, including fresh seafood like king crabs imported from Alaska, have them cooked in a preferred style and home-delivered.

The price of imported seafood in this instance is competitive largely because of Alibaba’s global reach for imported products, which are bought directly from suppliers without layers of middlemen.

At present, more than 50 Hema branches are operational in China where mobile payment is a key driver of the Chinese digital economy that has been expanding rapidly into foreign markets, such as Thailand.

Alipay, part of Alibaba Group’s Ant Financial, is helping to turn China into a cashless society as mobile phones and apps become the predominant payment platform.

In Thailand, Alipay’s merchant network now covers hundreds of thousands of locations across the country, especially in tourist areas, as a huge number of the nearly 10 million Chinese visitors to Thailand each year use such a payment platform.

In addition, Ant Financial and Thailand’s CP Group have jointly launched the TrueMoney Wallet to provide payment and other financial services using technology to promote a cashless society here.

For e-commerce customers, Lazada, also majority-owned by Alibaba Group, is currently the front-runner in the Thai market.

On a global scale, Alibaba is the world’s largest e-commerce retailer in terms of gross merchandise value with 552 million active consumers, as of March this year, mainly on its giant Taobao and Tmall platforms for Chinese consumers.

The group’s vision is to build an infrastructure where customers can meet, work and live, and where commercial and social interactions can take place.

The group’s eco-system encompasses retail commerce, consumer service, wholesale commerce, digital media and entertainment as well as new innovative initiatives supported by logistic, payment, financial and cloud computing services.

James Xu, deputy chief representative of Alibaba Group’s Thailand market, said the group had already signed four MoUs with the Thai government to implement a wide range of collaborative programmes.

The group’s eco-system will be used to help leverage the Thailand 4.0 initiative with a focus on the Eastern Economic Corridor.

In addition, Alibaba will help develop Thai small and medium enterprises (SMEs), farmers and financial services.

In the tourism sector, Fliggy, Alibaba’s online travel service platform, is working with Alipay and Thai tourism authorities to attract a new generation of Chinese tourists to Thailand and offer them a cashless travel experience.

Hidekazu Ito, CEO of Panasonic in Thailand, said Panasonic divided its operations into four groups of businesses which generated combined sales results of Bt2.5 trillion in 2017 with an appliance company, eco-solutions branch, connected solutions wing and an automotive and industrial systems firm.

Panasonic Thailand recorded the 2017 sales of Bt91 billion.

“The initiative will pave the way for Panasonic to become a top premium brand in the hearts of the consumers by 2020 as planned,” Ito said.