But its net profit in the first half of this year recorded Bt2.49 billion, a drop of 29.9 per cent from its net profit of Bt3.07 billion in the same period of last year, when its management cost rose, he said.

Nonetheless, the company has a load factor of 88 per cent, on par with the same period last year, with 10.95 million passengers served, up 15 per cent and with a fleet of 59 aircraft.

Chief executive officer Santisuk Klongchaiya said that in the second quarter, AAV achieved total revenues of Bt9.3 billion and a net loss of Bt 306 million while TAA saw a total revenue of Bt9.3 billion and a net loss of Bt567.5 million.

The losses have been attributed to heightened fuel costs, which rose 37 per cent from last year. However, operational statistics were still in a satisfactory range with the load factor at 85 per cent on 5.31 million passengers served, up 13 per cent year-on-year.

TAA did not acquire any new aircraft this quarter, keeping its fleet at 59 aircraft but still increasing flight frequency on four routes departing from Bangkok Don Mueang and one from Chiang Mai.

“Higher fuel costs have been a challenge with fuel being a major operating cost for any airline. We still believe we will adapt and see satisfactory results in the latter half of the year.

“We have been able to maintain our leading domestic market share at 33 per cent and continue to seek new opportunities for both our domestic and international networks.

“During the first half of the year, we introduced seven routes from Bangkok Don Mueang to Ranong, Johor Bahru, Chengdu and Chumphon; from Phuket to Macau and Kunming; as well as from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani, in order to maintain our strategic advantage moving forward,” Santisuk said.

In the latter half of 2018, Santisuk said he expected TAA will be able to compensate for higher fuel prices and continue towards growth targets.

TAA is now looking for opportunities out of Bangkok and is to station more aircraft in Chiang Mai in preparation for added direct international flights such as those recently introduced to Yangon, Taipei and Hanoi.

TAA is also pushing a policy of sustainable development, which it sees as essential to longevity and the benefits of its stakeholders.

CentralPlaza Rama III will offer urban living that prioritises quality and a unique lifestyle for the neighbourhood considered a “hip” district and will become the most comprehensive food destination in the area.

Following a Bt1.2-billion investment, Central Rama III is holding a “Triple Happiness Event” from August 9 to 31 under the concept of “A Fallen Garden”, decorated with beautiful blooming flowers, with the highlights being a flower sculpture, a three-storey-high waterfall curtain decorated with 44,000 red carnations and flower installations designed by well-known artist Somnuek “Khru Parn” Klangnok.

Preecha said CPN is committed to operating its business following the vision of the “Centre of Life”, ensuring that its shopping centres become the new centres of community and lifestyle.

“The Rama III area is one of the high-potential areas that we have pioneered and we established CentralPlaza Rama III as a symbol of economic prosperity and lifestyle of the local people 20 years ago,” he said.

“In this renovation, we are also implementing ‘Destination Concepts’ in the design of each part of the shopping centre to create an experience that connects with each customer’s personal lifestyle. Our main concept was to renovate this shopping centre as a ‘Centre of Hip Lifestyle Quality’ that’s able to meet the lifestyle demands of the people in the Rama III area.

“This is a residential area that has people with a high income and expats. It also has high growth in real estate development projects, such as condominiums, townhouses and home offices. Our target customers cover families, teenagers and the new generation of working people, and we expect to boost customer traffic by 30 per cent.”

The aim is to honour the exquisite Thai craft and promote the fine art internationally. The collection is now available for purchase at Starbucks.

“Starbucks is delighted to play a role in promoting Thai craftsmanship through our Benjarong collection,” said managing director Nednapa Srisamai. “The mugs are available in different designs for customers to choose and collect. One of the designs is ‘Ayutthaya’, with a beautiful pattern that remains popular today. It’s mostly composed of a flower or lotus pattern then blended with the delicate Thai pattern.”

Benjarong porcelain was first produced in China late in the 20th century of the Buddhist calendar, a period that aligns with Thailand’s Ayutthaya Kingdom.

In the past, the use of Benjarong porcelain was limited to the nobility. The name Benjarong is derived from the Pali word “benja” meaning “five” and the Sanskrit word “rong” or “colour”. Combined, the words mean five colours, namely red, yellow, green, blue and white. On occasion, deep purple, a brownish hue and pure gold are also used.

The painting process of Benjarong requires an artisan with experience and finesse since the painting of each line and the colouring steps are done by hand.

The patterns have evolved and grown as the cultural beliefs and values have shifted from the Ayutthaya Kingdom to the present day and are also inspired by nature.

The company no longer relies on traditional channels, but rather focuses on communication and meeting the needs of its consumers, using new models that offer a competitive edge over others, he said.

Its performance has witnessed growth in both revenue and profits. In Q2 of 2018, it earned Bt955 million, representing 12 per cent growth from the same period last year.

Its H1 income is Bt2 billion, a 20 per cent increase from the previous year.

Net profit in Q2 was Bt172 million, a 230 per cent increase, while its half-year net profits are at Bt274 million, 177 per cent growth.

The company is confident that its total 2018 performance will reach an all-time high, proving the success of its new business model, which seamlessly fuses its commercial and media sides, Darm said.

Its Multi-platform Commerce (MPC) is making great earnings. In the 2nd quarter of this year, it generated Bt504 million, a 68 per cent increase from the same period last year, thanks to the selection of high-quality products, great value for money and excellent service.

The Health and Beauty and Home and Lifestyle products such as appliances, household items, clothes and accessories have been doing well since the launch in April.

RS also enjoys growth from its media platforms such as Channel 8, which has strong content and leading ratings in the country.

For the MPC business in the second half of 2018, it has joined forces with strategic partners to strengthen the business and achieve success faster to generate profits and income sustainably.

There will be new SKUs in the skincare, hair care and supplementary food categories, as well as Home and Lifestyle products, marketing services and insurance and others.

More products and services have been added to increase its business opportunities. The management of its database, which has over one million customers in total, as well as its strong Call Centre team, which has more staff and higher success in closing deals, also attract new partners.

Many businesses are now interested in selling their products on RS’ telesales channel.

Channel 8, meanwhile, has introduced new content in all genres, such as Indian series, Thai dramas, news and boxing programmes, to reaffirm its concept of “In-Depth Content, Intense Flavours”.

The timing is just right as advertising starts to flourish once again.

The new content plan attracts viewers nationwide, resulting in sky-high ratings. Magnetic contents in Q3 are two new Indian series “Ganesh” and “Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon”.

“Ganesh” is a multimillion-baht fantasy-action series with amazing CG and has the highest ratings in India. “Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon” is a romantic drama that has won the hearts of Indian viewers and received 13 awards, including Best Actor for Barun Sobti and Best Actress for Sanaya Irani.

Additionally, RS has been invited by securities companies to meet investors both in Thailand and overseas. Recently it attended Thailand Focus to meet Thai corporate investors and investors from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

From Q3 onward, the company will travel to share its success story of changing from retail to MPC. It is confident that the roadshow will be as well-received by investors as always.

After the roadshow, there will be more long-term corporate investors, adding stability to its share price. This guarantees the company’s credibility.

“On August 8, we asked the board of directors to approve an interim dividend from H1 of Bt0.25 per share, a total of Bt242 million. This signifies our liquidity and financial strength, as we are able to pay an interim dividend to our shareholders,” said Darm.

The Zenith Iden lens is designed for those with complicated and high-prescription spectacles while the Bluloc lens helps reduce harmful light. Both products are seen as key drivers for the company to expand its domestic market in the future.

Torn Pracharktam, managing director of TOG, recently announced second quarter revenue from sales and services of Bt441.39 million, a decrease of 7.39 per cent compared to the same period last year. Net profit is Bt28.15 million, with 4.97-per-cent margin, a decrease of 0.11 per cent. The reduction in net profit can be attributed to the sale of value-added lenses and service.

TOG plans to aggressively expand its domestic market from the current total revenue proportion of about 5 per cent.

The new customer base in the United States continues to grow in line with plans for the first phase. The company is also seeing a continuing increase in orders from Europe, Australia & New Zealand after revising its strategy to boost sales.

Senders will also be advised of the exact service fees and recipients will receive the full amount of the transferred funds up to 1.5 million Baht/transaction. This service is intended to facilitate growing cross-border transactions in the digital era.