National Telecom reports 1.3-billion baht profit as revenue edges up
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2023
Thailand’s state-owned telecommunications company National Telecom Plc (NT) exceeded its own targets and reported a net profit of 1.3 billion baht for 2022, NT president Colonel Sanphachai Huvanandana said on Friday.
The company’s estimated revenue at the end of 2022 totalled 91.5 billion baht, compared to costs of 90.2 billion.
He said the company’s operating results last year were better than in 2021 – when it was established – and exceeded the targets in its business plan.
The NT president attributed the improved results to more revenue from its digital services, larger business alliance, reduced costs, and greater corporate efficiency.
NT was established and corporatised in 2021 following the merger of state-run telecom operators CAT Telecom and TOT Plc.
Sanphachai said on Friday that most of NT’s revenue – 50.8 billion baht or 55% – came from its mobile business, 19.9 billion (22%) from fixed line and broadband and satellite business, 9.4 billion (10%) from telecom infrastructure, and 3.9 billion (4%) from digital and IDC (internet data centre) and cloud-computing business.
He said the company’s main business involves mobile networking and broadband internet, which has high investment costs and tough competition in the market.
The president said that the company was working harder to further cut costs that stem from the repetition of the separate legacy telecom networks of its two predecessors. Also, NT was restructuring the organisation in a bid to reduce its work force, particularly those redundant following the merger.
The decision to retain the current name of True lays to rest earlier rumours that the merged entity will be named True D Plc.
The merger of Thailand’s second- and third–largest mobile network operators was first announced in November 2021.
The deal, which would make the combined entity the largest mobile network ahead of current market leader AIS and reduce the mobile service provider market to a duopoly, has been strongly opposed by academics and civil society groups as detrimental to the interests of consumers and the general public.
Telecom watchdog National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission acknowledged the merger in October last year but set certain conditions, which included True and DTAC retaining their brands without sharing their frequency for three years.
The boards of True and DTAC and their shareholders will meet on February 23 to vote on the new board of directors of the merged entity. The proposed list comprises 11 executives from both companies. They are: Suphachai Chearavanont (chairman of the board), Joergen Christian Arentz Rostrup, Kittipong Kittayarak, Kamonwan Wipulakorn; Kalin Sarasin, Pratana Mongkolkul, Adhiruth Thothaveesansuk, Tongqing Gao, Tone Ripel, Lars Erik Tellmann and Teerapon Tanomsakyut.
The companies have also nominated Manat Manavutiveth, the current co-president of True, as the chief executive officer of the new company, and Sharad Mehrotra, the current chief executive of DTAC, as his deputy. Meanwhile, DTAC’s Nakul Sehgal and True’s Yupa Leewongcharoen were nominated as co-chief financial officers.
A news source said on Friday that some DTAC employees were shocked and disappointed with the board’s decision to abandon the brand name, as the company had been making profits under its own brand for several years.
UOB’s 2022 Smart Business Transformation Programme helps over 250 SMEs
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2023
Digital adoption, sustainability practices and better people management were among the favourable outcomes for Thai SMEs who participated in UOB Thailand’s 2022 Smart Business Transformation Programme.
UOB and The FinLab, UOB’s innovation accelerator, assisted over 250 Thai small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to undergo digital transformation as part of the bank’s 2022 Smart Business Transformation Programme (SBTP).
SMEs achieved various positive outcomes through the programme, including improved business efficiency, lower operating costs, better organisational management, and improved readiness to integrate sustainability into their businesses.
These outcomes are consistent with the findings from UOB’s ASEAN SME Transformation Study 2022, which found that while 55 % of SMEs in the region are optimistic about their business recovery, 50 % of Thai SMEs remain concerned about the need to transform their business models, particularly in the areas of digitalisation, sustainability and customer engagement due to shifts in consumer preferences.
Sirinun Jiradilok, Head of Digital Engagement and FinTech Innovation, UOB Thailand, said, “The concept of sustainability has influenced the way SMEs think about their operations in addition to digitalisation. Two-thirds of Thai SMEs (65 %) surveyed indicated that sustainability is now an area of importance and concern to their businesses.”
“Since the launch of SBTP in 2019, we have helped around 900 SMEs in Thailand to innovate and transform digitally. We equipped SMEs with relevant digital skills and tools for them to stay relevant and competitive. They also learnt to integrate sustainability into their business strategy and were introduced to green finance alternatives for long-term success.”
During the three-month programme, Thai SMEs embraced digital solutions, business and sustainability practices under the supervision of UOB Thailand and its ecosystem of partners as they progress to make changes to their business models and adapt to new challenges.
The adopted solutions, particularly those related to data management, addressed various business challenges such as managing and analysing collected and internal data to better understand existing and new customers and improve digital marketing, and for optimising business processes and better cost management.
SMEs reported positive outcomes from the Smart Business Transformation Programme The SMEs participating in the 2022 SBTP reported higher productivity and customer engagement from business process optimisation, increased sales from using digital marketing tools, as well as lower operational and marketing costs. They also achieved a better understanding and willingness of the business owners and key decision-makers to embrace sustainability across their organisations.
Chonlawat Ruengpreechavech, Chief Executive Officer, of Clinton Intertrade, a wholesaler of electrical supply and water pumps, said “The 2022 SBTP has tremendously accelerated our digitalisation journey. We deployed SAP B1, one of the key software applications to manage and optimise collected data, which improved our documentation process while real-time data allowed incidents to be addressed immediately. In addition, one of the partners from the programme provided consultation on managing generational differences in the workplace, which I believe will eventually help boost our productivity and performance.”
Khunakorn Dhanasarnsombat, Managing Director of Thailand Knitting Factory Co. Ltd., the owner of the Double Goose brand, said, “We have participated in the SBTP for two years and have seen positive impacts since. Especially in the second year when we started implementing tech solutions like SAP B1, which has improved our cost management and business data collection. With the data gathered, we were able to produce more recyclable products from our production line, contributing to our green manufacturing journey. Additionally, we adopted business solutions such as UOB mCollect to ease our collection and reconciliation processes, freeing up more time for front-end staff/sales officers to provide customers better services.”
Pitiphat Mongkolariyanan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, KMP Partner, a construction consultant company, said, “We have learnt to adopt the concept of customer centricity in our application development process, and by doing this, our application was able to address our customers’ needs. Our user base has consequently increased from 20 users to 700 users. Also, thanks to the SBTP that connected us to Zaviago, a CRM solution that gathers data and optimises the targeting process of online media, this helped us reach our targeted customers at lower costs.”
Jakkadej Asavasopon, Chief Executive Officer, A Ramen said, “Business and customer data has always been our top priority. The programme helped us to successfully install a data management tool, providing us with the ability to analyse the customer data, allowing us to save costs and increase sales, all while providing better experiences to our customers. Moreover, the programme has led us to pursue zero waste in managing our food business, which aligns with our sustainability goal of becoming a Zero Waste entrepreneur by launching a central kitchen in 2023.”
Paulovatchara Yuvanasiri, Managing Director of RainForest Green Community, said, “Our goal is to build our community mall to be recognised as a ‘green community.’ We not only gained insights from the experts but were also introduced to UOB’s sustainable financing solutions like U-Solar where I see opportunities in adopting renewable energy for our community mall. The SBTP connected us to ecosystem partners, which I strongly believe will reduce energy consumption and expenditure once the installation is complete. On digitalisation, we have seen an improvement in cost management, corporate taxation, and operational process due to the adoption of PEAKaccount, the online accounting and cost management solution that mandates data management.”
The SBTP is open to SME business owners or decision makers who are keen to explore new ideas, adopt technology and invest in digital tools, and can commit their time throughout the three-month programme.
Samsung aims to be Thai market leader for all appliances in three years
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023
Nongluck Ajanapanya
South Korean corporate giant Samsung has set the ambitious goal of becoming the market leader for all types of electrical appliances in Thailand within three years.
Jennifer Song, president of Samsung Electronics Thailand, said on Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Press Conference 2023 that she intended to introduce more than 100 new models and products to Thailand this year with many more to come in the following years.
Samsung Thailand is already the market leader in television and one of the top five in air-conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines.
“All Samsung electronic product categories would be at the top of the Thai market in the next three years,” Song asserted.
She said Thailand’s economy would continue to recover with the help of the gains in the tourism industry.
Despite the flat economic situation last year, the company was able to maintain 5-6% growth, she said, adding as the Thai economy improves and people have more purchasing power, she expects sales of Samsung products to more than double from 2022.
“This year, we will continue to focus on the premium segment. However, we will also be interested in the mass market because we have a diverse range of products at an affordable price with Samsung’s quality,” Song said.
She explained that having its own manufacturing plant in Thailand allowed Samsung Electronics Thailand to save costs, enabling it to offer prices that most consumers can afford.
Jennifer Song
Meanwhile, the company aimed to also attract the premium market segment by continuing to develop and innovate its products with a deep understanding of consumer lifestyles, she said.
“Samsung has launched new technology and innovations every year,” Song points out.
Recently Samsung entered the business-to-business market. Song believes that this will help increase Samsung’s sales.
Song highlighted three key product strategies in order to be the market leader in Thailand: personalisation, connectivity, and sustainability.
“Samsung’s products will not be limited to home appliances. They will reflect your preferences, serve as your smart assistant, assist you in saving money, and protect the environment,” Song said.
Although demand for electrical appliances in Thailand is now low due to people prioritising tourism, Song is confident that demand will gradually increase, paving the way for Samsung to become number one.
(From Left) Aphiradee Phaholvech, Roengboon Klongkumnuankarn, Jennifer Song, Suwin Kooseeumnuay, and Paramee Thongcharoen
AirAsia Aviation Group named one of safest low-cost airlines for 2023
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023
AirAsia Aviation Group has once again come out on top after recently being named one of the top 20 safest low-cost airlines in the world for 2023.
AirAsia Malaysia (AK), AirAsia Thailand (FD) and AirAsia Philippines (Z2) as well as medium-haul affiliate airlines – AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) and Thai AirAsia X (XJ) received this significant recognition for their robust overall safety procedures and comprehensive Covid 19 mitigation plans through a recent announcement by the safety aviation experts at airlineratings.com – achieving the top 7/7 stars for both areas.
Bo Lingam, Group CEO of Airasia Aviation Group Limited said: “Safety is a key deciding factor for travellers and is also a key factor affecting any airline’s reputation. This is now more important than ever post-pandemic.
“We maintain a strict focus on upholding the highest standards of safety at all times and wish to thank the aviation experts at Airlineratings.com for their recognition of this. During the downtime in flying over the past two years, we also introduced numerous innovations and contactless procedures to make flying more seamless and hygienic. Travel is now bouncing back and all these measures help restore confidence in air travel and stimulate consumers to get back on board in the skies with us.”
Geoffrey Thomas, Editor in Chief and Founder of Airlineratings.com commended AirAsia Group for continuing to put safety and Covid mitigation measures at the forefront. The airlines which we have acknowledged have also continued to pass the major International Air Transport Association (IATA) safety audit – IOSA, which covers more than 1,060 parameters and is the global benchmark for maintaining the highest safety standards.
“We look forward to seeing AirAsia continue to soar to new heights in the future now that air travel is back in a big way.”
Bangchak to acquire ExxonMobil’s 66% stake in Esso Thailand
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023
Bangchak Corporation (BCP) said on Thursday that it had signed a deal to acquire the entire stake of ExxonMobil Asia Holdings (ExxonMobil) in Esso Thailand (ETL), marking a new chapter in greater energy security and energy affordability for the country.
In its letter to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, BCP said the company had entered into an agreement with ExxonMobil for the acquisition of 2,283,750,000 ordinary shares of ETL, accounting for 65.99% of total ETL shares, on Wednesday.
“The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of this year,” BCP said, adding that the company would subsequently launch a tender offer for the remaining ETL shares once the transaction with ExxonMobil was completed.
BCP Group chief executive officer and president, Chaiwat Kovavisarach, said the investment is “a step towards greater energy security, balancing our long-term strategy with energy affordability and sustainability”.
“I believe this transformational transaction marks the beginning of a new chapter for BCP and for Thailand,” he said.
Chaiwat Kovavisarach
The transaction, which entails a 174 thousand of barrels per day (KBD) complex refinery, a network of distribution terminals, and over 700 service stations, will provide BCP with important catalysts for further growth and margin improvement.
“With a combined nameplate capacity of 294 KBD and a network of 2,100 service stations, the company would not only benefit from a complementary refining portfolio providing fuel supply security and optionality but would also be able to offer more comprehensive customer service through the enlarged footprint of service stations nationwide,” he said.
He added that exchange of knowledge and technology would enhance employees’ skills and capabilities, which would enable the company to deliver the best customer experiences and prepare for a move towards energy transition.
Amazon Web launching more cloud services in Thailand
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
Nongluck Ajanapanya
Amazon Web Service says it is launching more cloud services in Thailand this year, with the goal of signing up more large and small business clients to maintain, what it calls, its leadership position in the cloud market.
Vatsun Thirapatarapong, its country manager for Thailand, told a press conference on Wednesday that the company’s 15-year plan includes strengthening its provision of cloud service in Thailand.
AWS announced a US$ 5 billion investment in the fourth quarter of last year, which included cloud data centres in Thailand.
“As we look forward … we believe the cloud will play an even larger role in assisting ASEAN and Thai organisations in meeting their business objectives, and we are committed to assisting our customers in effectively leveraging AWS cloud to reduce their IT costs,” Vatsun said.
Spending on public cloud services in Thailand is expected to increase 31.8% this year, exceeding the global growth rate of 20.7% predicted for 2004, according to research company Gartner.
End-user spending on public cloud services in Thailand is expected to reach 54.4 billion baht this year, up over 25$ from 41.3 billion baht in 2022.
Over the next five years, governments, private companies and people are forecast to produce more than twice as much data as has been produced since the beginning of the digital age, industry boosters say.
Vatsun said that new innovation technologies can be divided into three categories: data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning , and data governance and security.
“Our customers all have one thing in common: data is at the heart of their applications, processes, and business decisions. Working with data, on the other hand, is difficult. It necessitates a comprehensive set of tools that account for the scale and variety of this data, as well as the numerous purposes for which you intend to use it,” he said.
Meanwhile, companies require governance so that teams can explore and innovate while ensuring data safety and security. Companies must also be able to visualise data in a way that allows for quick and easy discovery and sharing of insights, he added.
Some of the company’s new products are: Amazon Aurora, Redshift, SageMaker and Amazon Security Lake.
Amazon Web Service’s new cloud products are facing intense competition from Huawei, Microsoft, Tencent and others, but Vatsun expressed confidence that AWS would remain a leader in the global cloud market.
Trendsetting Thai company adds CBD line of lotions
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
Nongluck Ajanapanya
Thai-owned British Dispensary Group is launching a line of skin-care products using cannabidiol, or CBD, marking the first time the more than 130-year-old company will use a hemp extract in its products, it announced on Wednesday.
Group president Anurut Vongvanij told media that the new product line, named “HerbaCeutic”, will start with four lotions using CBD produced by Salus Biocutical (Thailand), a subsidiary of one of Canada’s largest cannabis companies, MPX International.
Anurut said the collaboration with Salus would guarantee Canadian expertise as well as large-scale production of hemp extract. The new products use medical grade, high quality CBD that meets standards in Canada as well as Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration, Anurut said.
Products using CBD extract have exponential growth prospects, Anurat said.
Kasikorn Research Center valued the hemp market in Thailand last year at about 7.2 billion baht. The Thai hemp market will be worth about 40 billion baht by 2023, with the market in Asean as a whole worth 250 billion baht, according to US forecasts.
Anurut said personal care products with CBD as an ingredient are among the five most popular CBD products. Adding CBD products to its lineup is a milestone for the company, he said.
Anurut Vongvanij“Since its inception in 1892, the British Dispensary Group has expanded its product line from prickly heat cooling powder to body spray, shower gel, facial foam, cooling hygiene wipes, and supplements. It is now time to have a brand new product to attract new customers. It is the first time in 130 years that we have new CBD products,” he said.
The main target of the company’s Snake Brand HerbaCeutic’s is working-class people aged 25 to 45, Anurat said, adding that they face more stress and pressure than people in other age groups. CBD will help them relieve that stress, he said.
The company expects sales of its CBD product line to reach 200 million baht this year, and total sales of other products to reach 1.5 billion baht.
“We will first focus on the domestic market, but we intend to launch these CBD products in Vietnam this year,” Anurut said.
Thai owner of Miss Universe brand to raise 3 billion baht through rights issue
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
JKN Global Group Plc (JKN), the Thai owner of Miss Universe Organisation (MUO), is seeking to raise 3 billon baht through a rights issue after its CEO sold four big lots of shares worth nearly 310 million.
JKN said its board of directors had agreed at its meeting on January 5 to launch a rights issue of 1,019.79 billion shares in the ratio of 1:1.
The new shares are being offered at 3 baht a share, which is lower than the traded price .
Following the announcement, JKN’s shares were traded at between 3.40-3.50 baht per share.
Stock market gurus were puzzled by the decision to go for a rights issue, as it came after JKN’s chief executive, Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, unloaded her shares four times within a week in November.
Experts said it was unusual for a CEO or owner of a listed firm to sell their stake before issuing new shares to current shareholders.
JKN acquired MUO on October 25 for 800 million baht. JKN said it believed the brand would generate growth of at least 40% and prove to be an engine in its drive to become a big player in the global content commerce industry.
The decision to buy MUO sent JKN’s share price soaring from 3.80 baht to 5.60 baht on October 27.
But a month later, Jakkaphong sold four big lots of her shares via Krungthai XSpring Securiites. Her sales, according to her filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, were:
November 23, 2022: 17,516,400 shares at the average price of 4.74 baht per share, totalling 83.17 million baht
November 24: 18,292,500 shares at an average price of 4.54 baht per share, totalling 83.04 million
November 25: 20,191,100 shares at an average price of 4.26 baht per share, totalling 86.01 million baht
November 28: 14,000,000 shares at an average price of 4.10 baht per share, totalling 57.40 million baht.
Jakkaphong revealed that she would be lending the proceeds from the sale of her first and second lots of shares to JKN without charging interest. JKN would use the amount to invest in the MU Water business and for organising the Miss Universe pageant.
Line Stickers introduces a training course for professional content creators
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
Line Stickers has introduced “Line Creators Course”, an online training course in the form of a six-episode video to help new-generation content creators produce high-quality content in the era of creative economy.
Line Creators Course will teach viewers how to make Line Stickers from beginner to advanced level. Learners will also explore sales and marketing techniques, as well as tips to start a career as a content creator with ease from famous creators and experts in related fields.
The six-episode video is divided into two parts:
The first part (episodes 1-3) will teach novice creators about basic knowledge of content creation, drawing techniques, character design, as well as income and tax management for content creators.
The second part (episodes 4-6) will feature the story of creators in the Line Creators Club, who will share their knowledge and experience in character building, marketing, and advanced techniques in designing Line Stickers, e.g. animated stickers and stickers with sound.
Issree Damrongpitakkul, Director of Consumer Business at LINE Thailand, said Line Creators Course is the first-ever training course on how to create, sell, and market Line Stickers efficiently from basic to advanced levels.
“We hope that the course would greatly benefit new creators as well as existing creators who wish to improve the quality of their works,” she said. “Line is committed to maximising the creative potential of Thai creators to compete at the international level.”
Line Creators Course will be broadcast one episode per week, starting from January 11 at Line Thailand’s Youtube channel https://lin.ee/gN68ArL/sknj/pr
Jennifer Song
(From Left) Aphiradee Phaholvech, Roengboon Klongkumnuankarn, Jennifer Song, Suwin Kooseeumnuay, and Paramee Thongcharoen
Chaiwat Kovavisarach
Anurut Vongvanij“Since its inception in 1892, the British Dispensary Group has expanded its product line from prickly heat cooling powder to body spray, shower gel, facial foam, cooling hygiene wipes, and supplements. It is now time to have a brand new product to attract new customers. It is the first time in 130 years that we have new CBD products,” he said.
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