The investment will be allocated to marketing and new product development, while scaling up production capacity for both personal-care and household products with a new factory complex and warehouse.

Suthidej Thakolsri, president and chief executive officer of Neo Corporate Co, said it aimed this year to enhance domestic-market growth and enlarge its international market by 30 per cent.

Within Thailand, the company will strive to increase market share in the existing segments and launch new products as well as creating new segments.

It will also strive to penetrate new international markets while creating more demand in existing markets including Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam. It is also active in Middle East markets such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Iraq as well as such Asian countries as the Philippines, Brunei, Maldives and Pakistan.

Its Fineline, D-nee and BeNice brands are popular abroad.

The company was renamed from Bio Consumer after a shareholding restructuring.

“Of the Bt2.5-billion investment, the company plans to invest Bt300 million in a research and development centre, while the new plants will enable the company to increase its production capacity significantly because of surging demand for consumer goods,” Suthidej said.

“Our target is to enlarge sales volume to between Bt8 billion and Bt10 billion within three to five years, growing by 15-20 per cent annually.

“In 2016, we plan to launch new product lines in new and existing segments to cover personal care and household products.

“We are confident that demand for consumer goods will increase even though there was some deceleration in the past year. But our strength lies in our reputation that we have built over the years – we are committed to providing consumers a better life.

“Our research and development play a critical role in the innovation process. It’s essentially an investment in future capabilities, which is transformed into new products, processes and services.

“Each year we conduct more than 100 researches, including market research and consumer insight, as well as continuously developing materials, packaging, and production technology by joining with global partnerships to ensure high-quality products that respond to consumer demands in various aspects.”

Last year, Neo Corporate posted sales revenue of Bt5.1 billion, consisting 40 per cent of personal-care products and 60 per cent household products.

“Last year we built a new warehouse and added a distribution channel by engaging a trade partner to help distribute our products aside from modern and traditional trade, which are overseen by our company,” Suthidej said.

He said the company expected 54 per cent of sales to be contributed from modern trade, 38 per cent from traditional trade and 8 per cent from export markets.

“Currently our distribution coverage is more than 60 per cent of the country,” he added.

“Expanding to international markets and entering the AEC [Asean Economic Community] era have broadened our perspective for business-growing opportunities. Geography no longer stands in the way; however, it also no longer serves to protect local market share.

“In order to reach the full potential the AEC and other markets offer, business-growth strategies need to be built around a global vision where quality, pricing, service, distribution etc must be globally competitive.

“We must keep up the pace or even go beyond the consumer trends and their lifestyles as well as be ready to custom-tailor to meet local requirements and market conditions.

“These key success factors have led Neo Corporate to be one of the top 10 leading manufacturers and distributors in Thailand, which are mostly multinational companies,” he said.

Average occupancy for hotels in Thailand last year was 73.4 per cent, an increase of 13.6 percentage points over 2014 thanks to arrivals soaring to nearly 30 million, driven by the China market.

December alone was a particularly strong month as occupancy levels reached 77.4 per cent, the highest since 1995.

Jesper Palmqvist, Asia-Pacific area director for hotel-data analyst STR Global, said the number of arrivals to Thailand was expected to surpass 30 million this year, again driven by China despite the “new normal” of its economy.

Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks, said Thailand clearly enjoyed the most vibrant tourism industry in the region. It is attracting investment and is positioned as the tourism hub of the Asean Economic Community.

InterContinental Hotel Group yesterday unveiled the expansion plans of its Hotel Indigo brand in Phuket, after its Bangkok launch last year, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Clarence Tan, IHG senior vice president for development in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, said the group would open the 180-room Hotel Indigo Phuket Patong in 2018 with its partner Kebsup Group Co. The brand will continue to expand across Southeast Asia this year with the opening of Hotel Indigo Katong in Singapore and Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak.

Meanwhile Gaw Capital Partners, which handles more than US$10 billion (Bt360 billion) in hospitality and real-estate assets under management across the world, also has interests in Thailand.

These include Dusit Thani and Pullman G hotels in Bangkok and Pattaya and the upcoming Park Hyatt Phuket under the Pioneer Global Group.

Gaw Capital Partners also re-cently renovated the iconic The Strand Hotel Yangon in Myanmar, which it has owned for many years. It was built by the Sarkies Brothers, also famous for Singapore’s Raffles Hotel.

“As a destination for hotel investment, Thailand remains one of our preferred choices because it is one of the most attractive travel destinations in the region,” said Kenneth Gaw, president and managing principal of Gaw Capital Partners. “Operating costs are relatively low and there is an abundance of opportunities.”

Warunee Kitjaroenpoonsin, Big C director for corporate affairs, said that the investment would result in the construction of six hypermarkets, three Big C Markets and 75 Mini Big Cs by the end of this year.

The company also plans to construct three Pure pharmacy stores this year while seven existing hypermarkets, including at Lop Buri province and the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan, will be renovated.

Currently, the company has 125 large-format stores – Big C Supercenter, Extra and Jumbo, 55 Big C Markets, 391 Mini Big Cs and 163 Pure pharmacies.

For last year, the company expects retail sales to reach Bt119.6 billion, a decline of 1.8 per cent over the same period in 2014, with the same-store sales evaluation forecast to drop 3 per cent drop year on year.

Rental income for last year is expected to reach Bt9.8 billion, an increase of 4.3 per cent on the previous year.

The leading retailer plans to support farmers, particularly members of royal projects, by increasing the volume of fresh vegetables and fruits to 100,000 tonnes this year, a 20 per cent increase on last year’s level.

Warunee said Big C Supercenter would voluntarily offer areas at its hypermarkets and Market stores for use as farmers’ markets on weekends.

Warunee said that with the support of the Interior Ministry, which would communicate with each local administrative office, local traders and farmers would use the markets to sell products at up to 30 booths at each store.

The project is set to be launch next month or in March.

“It’s good to have two digital terrestrial TV stations – One entertainment channel for the mass audience and GMM 25 for younger generation viewers.

“We are also on the right track in doing business. But we want more partners to create a number of shows to support our society,” chairman Paiboon Damrongchaitham said yesterday.

It is the social responsibility of the two TV outlets to produce quality TV programmes, he said.

The key areas are involved with the promotion of startup businesses, travel, healthcare, education and Thai cuisine.

In light of the emergence of the startup business in the country, the music and entertainment giant has joined with the country’s leading green tea producer Ichitan Group to launch “Suea Tid Peak-Flying Tiger”, a 13-part series that will start airing next month on One.

This reality show will offer opportunities for local startups to pitch their business plan to judges. If their presentation is screened, they can negotiate with the show’s venture capitalists to win a prize of Bt13 million, which comes from a private fund of Paiboon and Tan Co.

Paiboon and Tan was set up by Paiboon and Tan Passakornnatee, president and chief executive officer of Ichitan Group, as a non-profit organisation. It will also cooperate with Jud Tang Ton Company to support the winner.

Established by Paiboon on behalf of the Damrungchaitham Foundation, Jud Tang Tong is also seeking opportunities to co-invest with social enterprises including the winner of this game show.

The company has also earmarked Bt13 billion for TV production and related operations for this show while welcoming main sponsors Ichitan, Bank of Ayudhya, Advanced Info Service and Singha Corp.

“Having all those key components, ‘Suea Tid Peak’ differs from existing business TV shows. We also hope that it can be continued into the second season,” Tan said.

Paiboon said he was quite happy with the financial results of both One and GMM 25 after almost two years of operation.

“We are witnessing strong growth doubling annually. We still believe in the potential in digital TV for long-term growth,” he said.

As part of the tournament, the Thai company also held the “Kick and Share by SCG” activity to teach basic soccer skills to Vietnamese youngsters to promote the love of sports and uplift the quality of life for youth across the region.

Dhep Vongvanich, country executive director for Vietnam at SCG Vietnam, said the company as the title sponsor of Muangthong United for more than four years, had partnered with the soccer club to host special friendlies as part of the 2016 Asean tour in Cambodia and Vietnam.

This was the club’s first international roadshow in the region,

and SCG said it reinforced its and the club’s commitment towards becoming a leading organisation and a leading soccer club in Asean.

“SCG hopes that this international friendly match will strengthen the relationships between the people of the two countries, introduce SCG Muangthong United to the Vietnamese fans as well as fans in other Asean countries, and ultimately uplift the standards of Thai football to be on par with international levels,” he said.

With the goal of becoming a business leader inAsean by operating its businesses in conjunction with promoting sustainable growth and progress for the communities in which it operates, SCG says it strives to build the capabilities and potential of youngsters in the region.

The “Kick and Share by SCG” activity aims to help shape the soccer skills for youth through learning from United’s coaches and players, as well as volunteers who are SCG employees in each country.

“The Kick and Share by SCG activity has been continuously held in Thailand since 2012,” Dhep said. “This year, we are expanding this initiative to Cambodia and Vietnam as part of the SCG Muangthong United Asean Tour 2016 campaign.”

In Vietnam, 167 kids aged between 10-15 years practised alongside the coaches and the players from United.

“We hope that the activity will inspire the children of Vietnam to spend their free time engaging in a useful activity and develop their |skills in order to become star football players and role models to the younger generations in the future,” Dhep said. In addition to these activities, SCG has implemented several other initiatives to promote education in Vietnam under the “SCG Sharing the Dream” project.

Currently, SCG gives more than 5,000 scholarships every year to children in Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand under the initiative.

The hospital plans to invest more than Bt800 million in the expansion of its children’s hospital at its medical complex on Srinakarin Road. To complete its construction in 2018, the new three-floor building will be for outpatient department (OPD) and with 100 beds for admission patients. The expansion will strengthen Samitivej’s positioning as a medical hub for children in the region.

Established in June 1979, Samitivej Hospital is currently one of Thailand and Southeast Asia’s leading hospitals within Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS)’s network, with its medical service quality certified by domestic standards, as well as international standards by the JCI in the United States. Samitivej Hospital Group operates five hospitals: Samitivej Sukhumvit, Samitivej Srinakarin, Samitivej Sriracha, Samitivej Thonburi and Samitivej Chonburi.

Dr Chairat Panthuraamporn, managing director and CEO of Samitivej Plc, said that the hospital would create its supply side step by step to cater to a huge demand for medical service from the implementation of the AEC. The market size will increase significantly from only 60 million Thais to more than 600 million within Asean.

“We forged a joint venture with Parami Hospital in Myanmar, setting up Samitivej International Clinic at its medical complex in Yangon two years ago. We will also open our stand-alone medical clinic in Myanmar in April this year at a cost of Bt50 million to serve both expatriates and local people. About 80 per cent of the clinic will be owned by Samitivej, while another 10 per cent will be owned by Parami, and 10 per cent by local investors in Myanmar. The clinic will be able to serve about 100 patients a day,” said Chairat.

After the first year of collaboration between Samitivej and Doernbecher Children’s Hospitals, advances in paediatric care bring a new level of excellence to Thailand and the Asia Pacific Region.

“BDMS began its partnership with Oregon Health & Science University [OHSU] in the United States in 2014. Under this partnership, Samitivej Children’s Hospital has had the opportunity to collaborate with OHSU’s Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, a leading US paediatric hospital, with the aim of developing Samitivej Children’s Hospital as a centre for excellence in paediatric care in Thailand and the Asia-Pacific region.

“As a result of the partnership between Samitivej and Doernbecher Children’s Hospitals this past year, great improvements have been made. The collaboration between management, doctors and nurses has enhanced our medical excellence and made our staff even more proficient in treating children with rare diseases and other critical conditions. We also have become the hub of medical evacuation and repatriation services for hospitals, both inside and outside of Thailand. We are able to help lighten the load on public hospitals, increasing the chances that more children with complex diseases can be helped.

“The collaboration of these two leading children’s hospitals to continue to develop international standard paediatric services is in direct response to the Thai government’s policy to develop Thailand into a global medical hub, and align with the country’s entry into the Asean Economic Community.”

Dr Mark Richardson, dean of OHSU’s School of Medicine, spoke of how staff from Doernbecher’s Children’s Hospital are impressed with Samitivej’s dedication, enthusiasm to share knowledge and desire to care for patients. Together, both hospitals have learned that respect and trust between professional staff and patients is the key to success.

“Doernbecher Children’s Hospital specialises in paediatric care, resulting in the hospital being honoured with the highest rating for quality and safety in children’s health care in 2014 from the University HealthSystem Consortium of Hospitals.

“The work we have been doing lays the foundation for further improvement. The multidisciplinary approach model that is in place will certainly make Samitivej Children’s Hospital the leading hospital for paediatric care in Thailand and the Asia-Pacific region.

“We are all working towards the same goal – to provide every child the best quality of life.”

The two digital TV stations under Nation Multimedia Group are also focusing on providing quality programmes, particularly news and current affairs.

The Nation TV news channel continues to offer news, talk shows and entertainment news around the clock under the concept of “variety news show”. NMG’s Now 26 variety channel will offer its flagship programmes – “Chua Mong Tee 26” (The 26th Hour), “Money Wise” and “NOW Society”.

In collaboration with the Kom Chad Luek daily newspaper, Now 26 will air a half-hour entertainment show called “Kom Chad Luek Did Daow” at 3.30pm on Sundays.

After logging only Bt110 million in revenue last year, 50 per cent below its projection, DN Broadcast is aiming for Bt400 million in revenue this year from its New TV news station.

It has also earmarked about Bt800 million for TV production and content. This year’s highlights to take New TV into the top 10 are news, documentaries and foreign series.

GMM Grammy has set aside Bt2 billion for its One and GMM 25 channels.

Takornkiet Viravan, chief executive officer of GMM One Digital TV, said One would use about Bt1.5 billion for new programmes lined up this year.

More than 10 dramas and situation comedies will be created and aired in prime-time slots, targeting Bangkok and other urban areas.

One is aiming for Bt1.8 billion in revenue this year, mainly from commercials, product tie-ins and on-ground events.

GMM 25, led by CEO Saithip Montrikul na Ayudhaya, has also prepared Bt600 million for entertainment dramas including the hit “Club Friday The Series”, and fun premieres at 8pm for youngsters. The station targets doubling revenue to Bt800 million this year.

The top players are putting their efforts mainly into TV dramas, |variety and sports to expand |their audience base and boost ad revenue.

Workpoint TV has gathered at least Bt600 million for dramas, series, and game and variety |shows, while RS has Bt2 billion |ready for content investment. |Mono 29 will cough up Bt800 million to acquire the rights to foreign movies and series and to make local dramas.

Faced with the aggressive onslaught of digital TV players, the analog majors are taking significant action after analog advertising continued to drop last year while digital advertising leaped to 26.7 per cent in 2015 from 11.7 per cent per cent in 2014.

Market leader Channel 7 HD has rolled out 360-degree marketing and communications campaigns to retain its target viewers by highlighting four key strengths – hot soaps, live sports, variety shows and news insight shows.

Channel 3 HD continues to emphasise prime-time dramas and big-format shows to keep its viewers in urban areas tuned in.

Other European investors who also plan to end investments in the country include the Bank of Nova Scotia, Canada’s third-largest lender by assets, which wants to offload its stake in Thailand’s sixth largest bank Thanachart Bank after eight years.

SCB chief executive Arthid Nanthawithaya said those investors would gradually sell non-core businesses, presenting opportunities for others. This was likely to spur consolidation activities this year.

The Central Group and the consumer arm of the TCC Group, Berli Jucker, appear to be interested in buying Casino Group’s stake in Big C.

A source in investment |banking noted that apart from Central Group and Berli Jucker, Charoen Pokphand Group, |Thai energy giant PTT and Japanese retailer AEON were also interested in joining the bid.

Arthid confirmed this deal was being eyed by Thai and foreign conglomerates.

“We have to make sure that this hypermarket can add |value to the existing businesses of our client and if the bidding price is more than what we |discussed with the customer, |we will inform them that they should not buy,” he said, without disclosing the client’s |name.

“SCB will be involved in |this deal only for the fee |income from acting as the financial adviser – not as a lender,” he said. “Chinese banks are keen on giving loans to our customer if they win the auction.”

A syndicated loan is suitable for supporting the winning bidder because the auction price was high, he added.

Pimolpa Suntichok, first executive vice president of |SCB, said that the auction |price was near Bt100 billion, which was out of reach of |most Thai tycoons. Pimolpa said it was a similar situation |to when a Casino affiliate bought Carrefour in |Thailand.

Arthid said that hyper-|markets had been hit by the digital revolution, and the |challenge for the buyer of Casino’s stake was whether |to operate Big C based on the same model, or leverage the retailer using its existing businesses.

Recently, US retail giant Walmart announced it was closing over 200 stores this year as part of the company’s “sharpened focus on portfolio management”.