Grab chief executive and co-founder Anthony Tan said in a press release that Grab would integrate Uber’s ridesharing and food-delivery business in the region into its existing multi-modal transportation and fintech platform.

With the combined business, Grab aims to be the region’s No 1 online-to-offline mobile platform and a major player in food delivery.

Tan said Grab provides safe and affordable transport, food and package delivery, mobile payments and financial services.

These will be extended as it takes over Uber’s operations and assets in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

As part of the acquisition, Uber will take a 27.5-per-cent stake in Grab and Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi will join Grab’s board.

Swedish Ambassador Staffan Herrstrom this week opened the first Fitness24Seven gym in Thailand, at the Summer Hill Project in Bangkok’s Phra Khanong district.

Chief executive Christian Ask and country manager Natalia Folbrycht were at his side.

The Sweden-based gym chain allows members to design their own workout routines and access the facility 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With their membership card they can access all Fitness24Seven gyms worldwide.

There is a variety of gym equipment, group training classes and a Women Gym area, all for Bt1,299 per month.

ETDA chief voted to lead the way to 4.0

Executive directors of 39 public organisations have voted for Surangkana Wayuparb, executive director of the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, to chair directors’ meetings for two years.

The meetings are held to help public organisations cope with the disruption of digital technologies and ready for the Public Organization 4.0 plan.

Nivea maker expands production facility

Beiersdorf, owner of skincare products including Nivea and Eucerin, has begun a €47.4-million (Bt1.8-billion) expansion of its factory in Bangkok’s Bangplee district.

More than 700 people work at the office and production centre where Nivea and Eucerin are manufactured for the Thai market and for export to 43 other countries.

“This reflects Beiersdorf’s commitment to doubling production performance in order to support demand in the region,” said Markus Daburger of Beiersdorf Thailand.

“We appreciate the ongoing support of the government and local agencies in our expansion project, which not only sees the production line expand, but also our Beiersdorf family, as up to 200 new jobs will be created in the coming years. We are proud to say that the operation in Thailand is now the company’s second-biggest hub after Germany.”

‘Cardio’ ready for launch

JD Pools is ready to launch “Cardio Pool” a new swimming pool innovation in response to new consumer lifestyle that comes with water exercise instruction manuals.

The expectation is to drive total sales this year to Bt900 million, a 12 per cent growth from last year.

Thanusak Phuangdet, chairman and managing director of JD Pools Group, said the industry caters to a niche market of high income consumers who want a private pool at home. Nowadays, the pools are cheaper and the market is bigger and there are new segments to satisfy various needs of consumers , including hotel, resort , tourism as well as those who love water sports and consumers who want a swimming pool for social values.

Panitta Srikeaw, the owner and managing director of Pranee Food 2015 Co Ltd, is looking ahead to a boost in business after the production plant is awarded certificates for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) this year.

“Currently, our products are already exported by our suppliers who place orders with us for our krayasat, but it goes out under their own brands to countries in Asean and Europe,” Panitta said at interview with The Nation.

“Now, we plan to export by ourselves and for that, we need to get GMP and HACCP certification. We aim to get the licences for them this year. Then we will export our products under our brand, Pranee Krayasat, to the European and Asean markets this year.”

Krayasat is a Thai traditional snack that is produced from rice, coconut, sugar and sesame, and is best known for being served during the Buddhist Lent period. Nowadays, though, Thais are happy to eat the snack throughout the year and it is regarded as a souvenir product from the country’s Northeast.

Panitta said the business idea was inspired by her mother Pranee’s practice of preparing the dish for sale as part of celebrations for Buddhist Lent. It quickly became popular with the local people and tourists who visit the province. As a result, her mother decided to keep cooking throughout the year and that led to sales reaching an average of Bt1 million to Bt2 million a month.

Then Panitta joined her mother in the business after she graduated from secondary school.

Panitta decided to develop more versions of the dish, expanding from the original recipe to encompass 10 flavours and working on building up the brand as Pranee Krayasat,

Panitta devoted attention to matters such as packaging and this led to sales growth in the double digits, for an average of Bt23 million a year.

Buoyed by that success in the domestic market, Panitta said that she decided to establish Pranee Food 2015 Co Ltd in 2015 with registered capital of Bt1 million under an ultimate goal of exporting under the house brand. The initial exposure to overseas markets came from supplying its customers with krayasat for sale under their own brands to markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe and Asean.

“If we can sell our products under our brand that will help us to increase our sales value and improve the sustainability of our business,” Panitta said. “As a result, we invested Bt3.7 million last year to upgrade our manufacturing plant and repackaging facilities, while also applying to get GMP and HACCP certification for exports under our own brand.

“Our focus is on Asean countries such as Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos. We also expect to export to Europe, too, by developing our products to become a snack that is easy for foreigners to eat.”

With last year’s investment, Panitta said she is confident that the business will enjoy double-digit growth in 2019, following the start of exports to Asean and European markets.

Retired Brazilian footballer Roberto Carlos has been named as global brand ambassador of Malaysia-based carrier AirAsia.

“No one embodies the dare to dream spirit like Roberto Carlos,” said AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes.

“From playing on the streets of Garca and deciding to be a professional footballer at 12 to the amazing free kick against France and winning the World Cup, he has shown that when he wants something, he will see it through to the end,” Fernandes said yesterday.

“We couldn’t be more proud to have such a fighter in our roster of world champion brand ambassadors.”

He was also part of the team that won the 2002 World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan.

At club level, playing for Real Madrid, Carlos won four Spanish La Liga titles as well as the UEFA Champions League three times, in 1998, 2000 and 2002.

“In Brazil, we say, ‘because we suffer so much, we value football’. This shows you can succeed no matter where you come from, as long as you believe and work hard,” said Carlos.

“I am thrilled to represent a brand like AirAsia, which prides itself in making dreams come true.”

The announcement was made at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral with AirAsia Malaysia chief executive Riad Asmat and AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail in attendance. – The Star

Why have so many retail spaces or property projects in Thailand adopted the mixed-use concept?

The competitive environment is changing and new-retail is on the rise, meaning that in many cases the traditional retail formats and stores are undergoing and about to change even more in the future. All of this is forcing developers to rethink assumptions about the industry, and the necessity of incorporating nontraditional elements such as housing, entertainment, and healthcare into retail spaces is one way to stay relevant for the consumers of tomorrow.

What is in it for the customer: Culture and lifestyle play significant roles in shaping a commercial development. As a result of urban density and the size of housing, we see more friends and families eating meals in a restaurant than at home. And because of the climate and in some cases poor air quality, indoor sporting facilities, kids entertainment and kids’ education venues, are very popular. Urbanisation also leads to an emergence of new communities and consumer groups looking for products and services that are not only original but able to answer their needs more effectively. Time is simply becoming more and more limited, so people simply want to shop and socialize close to the places where they work, go to school and live.

What is in it for the developer: There is a potential higher return on the investments when considering mixed-use projects; if the opportunity is optimized and the developer can be effective in responding to more needs than their single-use counterparts. A mixed use concept can also be less risky, have a greater variety of revenue sources, and can help average out the land costs by integrating a mix of components with different types of returns.

What is the trend and growth of mixed-use projects in Thailand and Southeast Asia? What are the supportive factors and opportunities?

The growth in mixed-use projects will raise competition within the property market as they can better meet the needs of consumers. Large-scale mixed-use projects that are currently close to completion will increase retail commercial and office space by 550 thousand square meters and 660 thousand square meters by 2025, as well as increase the supply of high end hotels and condominiums.

What are the key ingredients for a successful mixed-use development project, the live-work-play environment concept?

A more productive use of space, mixed-use developments bring about land use synergies. Combining multiple uses within a single development allow developers to share common resources within the overall development, lowering development costs and maximising the use of land

Prominent design and synergistic integrated components are part of success factors of large-scale mixed-use projects as this will differentiate the project and enable it to become a new landmark for the market area, city, country or even the entire region.

Developers in Thailand will likely seek business partnerships to develop large, more complex, and more valuable mixed-use projects. As the modern urban population demand greater convenience in their daily lives. Amid a limited supply of good potential property, large-scale mixed-use project developments will become increasingly popular.

Population projections: Mass Transportation to help generate traffic in the projects. Where American site selection strategies are often based on adjacency to highways or other main roads, in Asia proximity to foot traffic and transportation hubs are the leading drivers of where shopping centers and mixed use developments are built.

In your view, what are the challenges facing mixed-use project developers both in Thailand and the region?

As for all projects, there are challenges for the mixed-use concept, such as financial management, finding large and suitable development sites, and striking the right balance between residential, commercial, and other types of components.

In addition, each component within the development must complement the other and work well together, both short term and long term. Retailers benefit from a steady flow of foot traffic drawn from residential occupiers, hotel guests and office tenants. Residents gain from the convenience of having retail, leisure and Food & Beverage right on the door step. For office tenants, the diverse mix of offerings within mixed-use developments undoubtedly raises the appeal of office space to their staff. The presence of hotels and residential units within the same development provides an added benefit for office workers and visiting guests. All these also reflect mixed-use development’s ability to serve increasingly demanding consumers in an urban lifestyle.

What are their strategies set to overcome such challenges?

Significant efforts needs to be put into the market research and understanding of the targeted consumers, clients and customer demographics. The ability to analyse the current market situation, and also predict the behaviour and needs of people in the future, is crucial for a successful project.

Simple yet innovative design and solutions to stimulate maximum flow between functions.

Effective project management is also extremely important to secure the anticipated returns and ensure the different components live up to the expectations in the investment requests and feed off each other to create synergies and desired benefits.

Please give an update on the Megacity mixed-use project.

We continue to invest into this destination but also actively looking for investment partners and developers that share our ambition and also see the opportunities presented here. We have land available for both freehold and leasehold and also open for discussions about joint projects.

The Megacity first extension phase ‘Mega FoodWalk extension’, 10,000 sqm, and a 7-storey-carpark building, opened in December 2017. With this extension, we have strengthened our total food offer by providing more than 160 restaurants to our customers.

The first “Marvel Experience” in Southeast Asia, offering customers an interactive entertainment park, opens in May 2018.

The international preparatory school “Didyasarin” affiliated with American School of Bangkok, opening their doors in August 2018

A new 10,000 sqm extension, focusing on kids’ education and fun activities will open in 2019, aiming to further strengthen Megabangna’s focus on a family friendly offer.

A large green space called “Mega Park” where our customers can spend their quality time with families and friends for recreation and leisure in a green environment will open in 2018.

In addition, the centre has improved road infrastructure and extended its surrounding Ring Road, with its aim to cater for the increasing car traffic demand of its future development projects.

May I have the details of your plan to develop mixed-use projects in Thailand?

Our focus is on transferring Megabangna into Megacity, this is our biggest task in terms of our projects in Thailand at the moment. We are open to more projects but we have no new announcements to be made at this point. We are also busy building large IKEA stores, shopping centres and meeting places in Malaysia, Philippines and investigating other potential new markets in Southeast Asia.

What is the plan for more IKEA stores in Thailand, including the latest one at Central Westgate?

We see great potential in Thailand to provide home furnishing solutions that help people live a better life at home. The IKEA Bangna store opened 7 years ago and we just celebrated the grand opening of our second store in March, IKEA Bangyai, connected to the Central Westgate shopping centre in a western suburb of Bangkok. There is still a lot of people in Thailand that does not have easy access to purchase IKEA products and we are looking to continue to expand to provide more people with the opportunity to purchase well designed furniture from Sweden at an attractive price.

Construction will begin in April and the plant will come online in early 2019.

Jan Vleugels, chief operating officer international of Alliance Laundry Systems, said that before deciding to set up in Thailand the company did research on eight countries in Asia. The company was won over by the country’s “strong infrastructure, excellent geography, skilled workforce as well as an extensive supplier base”, due to the government’s initiative to develop the Eastern Economic Corridor.

“Choosing Thailand was a strategic decision, as sales to Asia Pacific have been the fastest growing in the world,” Vleugels said. “We see tremendous growth opportunities in many verticals in this region, such as hospitality, healthcare and institutions.

“This decision to add manufacturing capabilities in Thailand further strengthens Alliance’s commitment to our customers and distribution partners in Asia. Once online, the facility will dramatically shorten lead times for customers in this market.”

The company, based in Wisconsin in the United States, has a portfolio of five brands – Speed Queen, UniMac, Huebsch, Primus and IPSO – as well as a sustainable solution for cleaning delicate fabrics such as silk, wool, leather called SoftWash.

The new Thailand manufacturing plant “will focus on building Alliance’s advanced-technology clothes washing machines and tumble dryers”, Vleugels said. This will be the company’s fourth manufacturing location, after those in the US, the Czech Republic and China.

“In the first phase the plant is expected to produce up to 32,000 units per year. The plant, which will begin construction in April will be completed in January 2019. Once completed, the plant will be the main supplier for all countries in APAC,” Vleugels said.

“Then from January to April 2019 will be the training and trial production period,” he said, adding that the firm is in the recruiting process and plans to take on 350 employees from Thailand in the initial stages.

Vleugels said that the plant would then start its official production in April 2019 for washing machines; it is expected to take four months to reach its full capacity for that line. After that the plant will begin another line of production for tumble dryers, which is expected to take four months as well in order to reach its full capacity. Thus, it would take an estimated eight months from April 2019 for the first phase of the plant to reach its full capacity.

“Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing market for our products. Hence the increase in the hospitality, healthcare and other related industrial sector will translate to a direct growth in the need for quality commercial laundry machines and dryers,” Vleugels said. “Also, we expect to see a growth in the number of laundromats as there is a tremendous growth potential in Thailand and APAC for this type of business.

“In the next three years if everything goes according to plan, we plan to invest a similar amount (around Bt1.5 billion) on the second phase of the manufacturing plant.”

The centre, in Bangpoo, has also been designated as the “first centre of excellence for meat in Asia”, the company said.

Its opening is part of a larger series of upgrades to Kerry’s Bangpoo facility that is designed to increase Kerry’s local innovation pipeline as well as its research and application capabilities. Started in 2002, the facility employs about 200 people.

The facility, covering more than 8,500 square metres and equipped with the latest technologies, will be used by Kerry to work with local customers on all stages of their product development – from ideation to application and manufacturing – for a range of categories including meat, snacks, bakery, dairy and beverages.

The dedicated meat centre, including what the company calls best-in-class taste and functional technologies, will allow Kerry to co-develop signature meat profiles based on different protein types and help its customers to keep pace with the technically challenging and fast-changing meat markets in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region. With in-house application, sensory and culinary meat experts, the centre is well positioned to develop commercially viable and innovative products at unrivalled speed to the market, the company said.

John Savage, president and chief executive of Kerry APMEA, said that Kerry started as a private dairy company in southwest Ireland before becoming a dairy co-operative in 1974. The company is now regarded as a global leader in taste and nutrition solutions for the food and beverage industry, with customers around the world. The company posted 6.4 billion euros (Bt246.4 billion) in global sales last year and employs about 24,000 people.

“Thailand is an interesting market both for the local market and the very strong export market, including to Europe, Japan and other parts of the world,” he said. “The country has a strong food service market place, which will grow to Bt1 trillion by 2020, and a modern retail network with more than 13,000 convenience stores throughout the country.”

Savage said that another upgrade to Kerry’s regional development and application centre provides new facilities for food and beverage brands to develop authentic, savoury tastes and flavours. Drawing on Kerry’s expertise and market-leading position in cooking methods such as smoke and grill, the fully equipped application lab includes the latest Clean Smoke technology, for food and beverage brands to experiment with using smoke condensate to add a signature taste and smoke profile to meat, vegetables, dessert and even beverages, he said.

The additional down packing and blending lines not only double the centre’s production capacity but also provide food service customers with greater flexibility and efficiency in how their food products are packed.

“The latest centre of excellence for the region is what we believe will lead to an acceleration of innovation and speed to market for our customers. [Yesterday], it is a significant milestone for our Thai business as we take another step in our continued growth in APMEA regions (Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa),” said Savage.

He added that the APMEA region is considered by Kerry as comprising its strategic markets, due to the strong population growth.

“The world’s population is projected to increase by 2.4 billion between 2015 and 2050 according to the United Nations, and 90 per cent of the growth will be from the APMEA region,” he said.

“With the regional development and application centre, Kerry will be able to bring our manufacturing expertise and world-class manufacturing for the future. The company will allocate strong investment for research and development into the centre.

“Thailand is a priority market and an important regional hub for many of our customers in South East Asia and beyond, so we’re delighted to be launching these new, world-class multi-application facilities in Bangpoo.”

He added that the centre will serve local and international food and beverage manufacturers in Thailand, whose products have been exported to many markets around the world.

Savage said that the market dynamics are changing very quickly. Today, consumers are looking for more variety of products, improved nutrition and are excited by new food experiences.

“Consumer food and beverage tastes are changing rapidly due to the region’s growing urban middle class and this is creating huge opportunities for the food and beverage sector,” he said. “We’re excited to combine our 15 years of heritage in Thailand with the very latest technologies and innovation to help our customers stay ahead of the curve and grow their market share now and into the future.”

Home to application labs, interactive customer suites and industry-leading research and sensory facilities, the centre also includes customer engagement kitchens and beverage bars where Kerry’s in-house chefs, mixologists and baristas will develop new menu concepts alongside customers. Food scientists and technologists will also work alongside dedicated teams of sensory scientists to develop products that surpass consumers’ expectation when launched, Savage said.

As one of the largest food manufacturers in the world, he said Kerry is also committed to achieving the highest standards of sustainable best practice. As part of this commitment, the centre employs automated pouch-filling technology to reduce energy consumption and improve operational efficiency.

Savage said that Kerry operates in 18 different markets in APMEA. The company achieved US$1 billion sales in the region last year and has 4,000 employees across the region.

“About 15 per cent of our global sales is currently contributed by the APMEA region. We also expect a double-digit growth every year from the APMEA region over the next five years.” he said.

Takorn added that the NBTC would propose the results of the one-time hearing on the auction rules for both spectra to the agency’s board for consideration on April 11, and would ask the board to consider whether to proceed with auctioning the spectra.

If things go as planned, the licences might be granted to the bid winners even before the expiration of the 1800MHz and 900MHz concession of Total Access Communication (DTAC).

DTAC’s concession expires in mid-September.

The NBTC consulted the Council of State a few months ago on whether it had the authority to auction the two spectra, given that it was now operating in an acting capacity.

Last month, its board resolved to put the brakes on the NBTC’s move to auction 1800MHz and 900MHz licences, pending the Council of State’s reply on the issue.

The watchdog had been expected to open the bidding for the two spectra this coming May.

The six-year term of the existing commissioners ended on October 7 last year, but the new NBTC law allows them to continue in the same capacity until they are replaced.

As part of this strategy, the brand owner has launched Equal Gold as a highlight product for the first half of 2018.

Equal is poised to extend its market leadership in Thailand for the eighth consecutive year, with a target to increase its market share to 55 per cent this year.

Mario Pascale, Merisant vice president & managing director for APAC, said: “Sweeteners and sugar substitutes have emerged as a healthier alternative to sugar for this group of consumers, resulting in continuing growth of the market in Thailand and across Southeast Asia. In Thailand, sales in the modern trade channel alone totaled Bt108 million in 2017.”

Made from sucralose, Equal Gold is a zero-calorie sweetener with a great-tasting sweetness just like sugar, he said.

It is being launched in an innovative zip-lock bag, which makes Equal the only brand in the market to offer a zero-calorie sweetener in such a bag as a lifestyle choice for consumers.

“The Thai market for sweeteners was valued at Bt108 million baht in 2017 [modern trade channel only], for a year-on-year increase of 2 per cent. With its growth projection of 4 per cent to Bt112 million in 2018, Equal is eyeing a 4-percentage-point greater share of the market in 2018 by increasing its share from 51 per cent to 55 per cent,” Pascale said.

“Based on this target, we hope to extend Equal’s lead as the No-1 brand of sweeteners in Thailand for the eighth year running, in line with its vision to be consumers’ favourite brand of sweetener,” he added.