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ONESIAM celebrates Lunar New Year with “ONESIAM Golden Prosperous Chinese New Year 2023”

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023

Starting the Year of Rabbit off with series of enticing shopper campaigns

ONESIAM, a synergy of global destinations in the heart of Bangkok – including Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery, kicks off the year of Golden Rabbit with series of enticing shopper campaigns. ONESIAM Golden Prosperous Chinese New Year 2023 campaign will run from 18 January to 19 February 2023, with the goal to boost public spending and stimulate in the economy. The campaign features series of events, as well as magnificent Chinese New Year decorations to welcome local shoppers and international visitors. Initiatives to welcome Chinese tourists is also in the works. The Lunar New Year celebration will be under health safety standard. 

Mrs Saruntorn Asaves, Head of Shopping Center Business Division, Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., said “The retail and shopping center industries are off to a fantastic start in the first quarter of 2023. Factors boosting the business include China loosening regulations, which have drawn Chinese visitors to Thailand since the beginning of this year, and increasing numbers of Chinese tourist are expected. Furthermore, the Chinese New Year, an important event that generate high spending, is in January this year, while February is Valentine’s Day festival; the consumer mood is likely to be more vibrant than in the past three years during the COVID scenario. The government’s Shop Dee Mee Kuen (shopping with refunds) initiative between January 1 and February 15 this year will also help boost spending and circulate in the economy. ONESIAM has in store a full-fledged marketing promotions activities and events, with a budget of more than 500 million baht for the first quarter of 2023.”

For this coming Chinese New Year, ONESIAM including Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery, has created a campaign ONESIAM Golden Prosperous Chinese New Year 2023 to welcome Thai shoppers, Thai people of Chinese descent, and tourists from around the world. It comprises a big Chinese New Year celebration to honor the Year of the Golden Rabbit, as well as attractive deals from participating brands to bring joy to everyone in the family. 

Several Chinese New Year deals await, for shopping or dining at ONESIAM including Siam Paragon, Siam Center, or Siam Discovery between 18 January to 19 February 2023. Under “Golden Prosperous Chinese New Year 2023,” simply shop to receive VIZ Coins and gifts worth more than 5 million baht. Shoppers at Siam Paragon may earn up to 500 VIZ Coins, Siam Discovery can earn up to 400 VIZ Coins, and Siam Center can earn up to 200 VIZ Coins. 

During the campaign, shoppers will also enjoy 16% cash back from participating credit cards, promotions from participating restaurants, special Lunar New Year menus, special-price dishes or complimentary menus. Specially on 20-22 January 2023, for “Lucky Day Lucky Deal Chinese New Year 2023” shoppers at Siam Paragon may earn up to 1,000 VIZ Coins and get a 1,000-baht gift voucher and shoppers at Siam Center and Siam Discovery can receive up to 500 VIZ Coins. Terms and conditions apply.

Mrs Thanaporn Tantiyanon, Head of Business Unit, of Siam Paragon Development Co., Ltd., said, “Chinese New Year has always been a grand celebration at Siam Paragon and this year is no exception.   We are hosting a series of celebrations under the theme of “The Grand Celebration of Golden Prosperity” including a spectacular Chinese dance performance called ‘Zhi Ci Qing Lu’ (Indigo Green Mountain), which tells a story of is one of the top ten Chinese painting masterpieces, ‘Qian Li Jiang Shan Tu’ (The View of Mountains and Thousand Miles River). This show emanates stunning elegance with its delicate dance poses as if dancers from the Song Dynasty has reemerged before the eyes. There is also a magnificent lion and dragon dance performance. Additional highlights include a gathering of Thailand’s and Chinese top celebrities and artists between 20-22 January 2023. Siam Paragon has also beautifully decorated with the Golden Rabbit installation artwork. The golden bunny denotes life and energy, and believed to bring success, wealth, happiness and joy.”

Siam Center The Ideaopolis will be packed with inspiring Chinese New Year celebration. Featured is graffiti street-style art decoration by famed artist Chanida Voraphitak of Cuscus the Cuckoos. Siam Center’s Idea Avenue will feature an instagrammable art decoration as well as activities that visitors can celebrate Chinese New Year in style. Siam Discovery The Exploratorium will indulge shoppers with the latest Spring/Summer 2023 collections from selected popular brands across the world.

All participating ONESIAM shopping malls have introduced a special promotion called “Shop Dee Mee Kuen, Shop Ploen Gern Kum” (Shopping with refunds: The more you shop, the more you save!) from today and February 15, 2023 for Thai customers who want to enjoy the benefits of the government’s Shop Dee Mee Kuen scheme. Simply present a full  tax invoice of 10,000 baht or more spending and get 800 VIZ Coins (Siam Paragon limits 800 prizes, Siam Center limits 400 prizes and Siam Discovery limits 400 prizes throughout the campaign). 1 VIZ Coin is worth 1 baht and can be used at participating shop in ONESIAM or through the ONESIAM SuperApp. For more information, please contact the redemption counters.

Celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Golden Rabbit, be a part to stimulate the economy and enjoy value for money promotion with the ONESIAM Golden Prosperous Chinese New Year 2023 campaign, between 18 January to 19 February 2023 at Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery. Call 02-610-8000 for additional details.

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Asia Pacific ahead of the curve in using data, AI, analytics in healthcare: Philips report

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Healthcare leaders throughout the Asia Pacific (Apac) region are looking to data and predictive technologies as the foundations of their future healthcare systems, the Philips Future Health Index (FHI) 2022 report revealed.

The report outlined data and staffing challenges for healthcare in Apac, as the region’s sector will lead the charge for data, AI, and predictive analytics.

The seventh FHI report, under the theme “Healthcare hits reset: Priorities shift as healthcare leaders navigate a changed world”, was prepared by Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology.

The findings of the report, which were released on Tuesday, look at how healthcare leaders are leveraging the power of data and digital technology to address the pandemic’s key challenges.

The report is based on proprietary research conducted in 15 countries, including Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, and Thailand, with nearly 3,000 respondents.

One finding in the report suggests that there are significant challenges in realising this goal.

Caroline Clarke, CEO and executive vice president of Philips Asean Pacific, said during the report’s release that after a tough two years, the FHI 2022 report showed Apac’s healthcare leaders were ahead of the curve when it came to championing the potential of data, AI, and predictive analytics technology.

“Ultimately, the value of data and technology is only as strong as the human experience it supports, and it’s vital that our approach to digital transformation is centred around people,” she explained. “To that end, breaking down data silos and supporting staff training and education is critical to ensuring that these ambitions, including improving staff retention, can be accomplished and the region’s desired health outcomes are achieved.”

According to the report, Apac’s healthcare leaders are global leaders in recognising the value of data to their organisations.

It reveals that 82% of leaders agree the value of data to their facility is worth the time and resources invested, putting them on par with the US and significantly ahead of the global and European averages of 65% and 60%, respectively.

Notably, Singapore’s healthcare system outperforms other global counterparts (65%) in terms of data value (91%), with Indonesia (82%) and Australia (75%) also placing a premium on it.

Meanwhile, confidence in data usage is high in Apac, with the majority of healthcare leaders reporting that they can extract actionable insights from available data (85%), have access to the necessary technology to use data (84%), and believe in the high level of data accuracy in their facilities (82%).

The Apac countries are also in agreement on the importance of investing in AI and predictive analytics over the next three years.

According to the findings, 55% of Apac healthcare leaders are already investing heavily in AI, and 82% believe it will become a top investment area within the next three years.

When it comes to how they intend to use AI, clinical decision support is the top investment priority (35%). In terms of priorities, using AI to predict outcomes (34%), and integrating diagnostics (33%), are close behind.

However, significant areas of improvement remain in realising the ambition of using data, AI and predictive analytics as key enablers of future healthcare systems, the report said.

While recognition of the value of data and its importance in clinical decision support is widespread in Apac, current knowledge and awareness of how to use data to inform decision-making is still lacking and widely disparate, the report stated.

Data silos are cited as a barrier to effective data use by 73% of Apac healthcare leaders, far exceeding the global average of 51%.

Other significant barriers include technical infrastructure limitations (23%), data privacy and security concerns (21%), data policy and regulations (21%), staff resistance to using upgraded or more advanced technologies (20%), a lack of clarity on legal liability (20%), and difficulties managing large amounts of data (20%).

Meanwhile, in Apac, workforce resistance, skill and knowledge gaps are cited as major barriers to data utilisation. According to the report, 74% of the region’s healthcare leaders are overwhelmed by the volume of data available today, which is significantly higher than the global average of 55%.

One-fifth of those polled believe that staff training and education are some of the best ways to help their facility do more with data.

Respondents also mentioned that collaborating with other ecosystem players could be one way to address some of these issues.

Another interesting finding from the report is that extending care delivery beyond existing facilities remains a priority for healthcare leaders in Apac today and in the future.

Realising this shift, 45% of Apac healthcare leaders and 49% of Asean healthcare leaders are currently investing heavily in telehealth. Remote patient monitoring solutions are also being considered as a viable option for expanding access to care beyond existing facilities.

At least 19% of Apac leaders and 21% of Asean leaders say investing in them is a top priority right now, and 26% say it will become even more important in the near future.

Royal Philips said it valued Thailand’s efforts to improve its healthcare system through advanced technology.

Thailand, according to Clarke, is yet another country that recognises the importance of artificial intelligence technology, which has been widely discussed since 2019.

AI development is being considered as part of national development strategies, and it has been implemented as part of Thailand’s medical system services, she said.

She praised the Thai Public Health Ministry’s proposed agenda, “The Future of Thailand towards Holistic Wellness Care and Advanced Health Promotion 2023-2027”, as part of the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan.

This strategy focuses on artificial intelligence, health prediction, and digital technology as essential elements for healthcare facilities and advanced health promotion. It aims to improve healthcare system capability and people’s access to care through accurate health technology.

In addition, the government has set the goal of converting hospitals and healthcare facilities into Smart Hospitals in order to reduce staff workload and improve patient experiences.

According to Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, by the fourth quarter of 2021, more than 45% of healthcare units in Thailand had already been converted into smart hospitals.

Although much progress has been made since then, the FHI report suggests that more conditions, particularly skilled labour training, must be created in Thailand and other Apac countries in order to achieve the goal.

Philips has conducted original research since 2016 to assist countries in determining their readiness to address global health challenges and build efficient and effective health systems, the company said.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023874

Bloomberg includes AOT in its list of 50 companies to watch

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023

Airports of Thailand (AOT) is among 50 companies investors have been advised to watch this year as its revenue may miss consensus expectations by about 15%.

A Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) report published on Sunday said that these 50 companies require a closer look as they could benefit or be affected by several factors, such as inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war or challenges in the tech supply chain.

“A rebound in the airport operator’s retail and duty-free sales could be undermined by shifts in the mix of visitors and spending patterns, causing revenue to miss consensus expectations by about 15%,” BI analyst Denise Wong said.

Wong also expects Southeast Asian tourists to spend less due to inflation, resulting in an impact on AOT’s revenue from retail.

“Retail concession revenue will likely lag passenger volume even when historically higher-spending Chinese visitors return to destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket,” Wong added.

According to data provided to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, AOT recorded a net loss of 11.09 billion baht in the 2022 fiscal year ending on September 30. However, AOT said that its earnings have taken an upward trend because flights and passengers are returning now that the country has fully reopened.

Related stories:

• Stop sending tour groups to Suvarnabhumi 10 hours before flights: AOT
• AOT expects 2 million passengers at six airports during the year-end holidays
• Recovering passenger traffic boosts AOT’s expectations of net profit in Q1

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023858

Thai AirAsia Takes “Most On-Time Airline in Asia Pacific” Honor for 2022

MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023

Thai AirAsia has reaffirmed its position as the leading carrier for on-time performance with the latest recognition for the best on-time performance. 

Recognized for its top-notch on-time service, the airline has been ranked as the Most On-Time Airline in Asia Pacific and further, as the Top 3 Low-Cost Airline for On-Time Performance in the World, after producing an on-time performance rate of 91.56 % based on data collected in 2022 by Cirium, a leading global aviation and travel data and analytics firm.

Santisuk Klongchaiya, Chief Executive Officer of Thai AirAsia said:”For Thai AirAsia, on-time performance is a mark of quality service that is difficult to imitate as it requires a strong foundation of management, an efficient team and a genuine determination to always be improving and delivering an on-time experience to customers. Thai AirAsia sees on-time performance as second only to its top priority of safety and even established an On-Time Performance Development and Management committee to keep it the most on-time airline, an attribute that has distinguished the carrier.

Chatupong Hongwiset, Head of Ramp and Ground Service Equipment and Chair of the On-Time Performance Development and Management Committee, explained that service quality sets AirAsia apart from other low-cost airlines. The carrier works diligently to serve passengers efficiently and with the utmost safety.

Being named Most On-Time Airline in Asia Pacific and a Top 3 Low-Cost Airline for On-Time Performance in the World by Cirium again is such an honour and will drive AirAsia to continue with its effort to constantly better its service to passengers.

“On-time performance has bolstered Thai AirAsia’s image and these recognitions are a mark of our success. This achievement will only drive us towards better performance and efficiency, ” Chatupong said.

Thai AirAsia has consistently been recognized for its on-time service, placing among the top 3 on-time airlines in the world in the low-cost carrier category in 2021 with an on-time performance rate of 97.47 %, as assessed by Cirium, placing among the top 3 on-time airlines in the world in 2019 as assessed by OAG Aviation Worldwide and ranking No. 1 for on-time performance in the world in 2013 according to Flighstats.

AirAsia’s world-class standards have also brought it the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline award for 13 consecutive years (2009-2022) as named by Skytrax, along with many other accolades.

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Thai ‘InsurTech’ firm plans IPO to expand business into Asean countries

MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023

A Thai tech firm, whose platform and AI technology have become a game changer for the insurance industry, is confident of winning approval to raise funding from the stock market through an initial public offering soon.

BlueVenture Group Plc (BVG) said on Monday that it has filed an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to issue an IPO of157.50 million shares in the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI).

The BVG management has expressed confidence that the SEC would soon approve its application and it would use the funds raised via the IPO for expanding its business into Asean nations.

Patcharaporn Sanburanurak, managing director of KGI Securities (Thailand) Plc, BVG’s financial adviser, said the SEC has started considering the IPO application of BVG.

The IPO would seek to sell 90 million shares of BVG and 67.50 million shares of its subsidiary company, Patcharaporn revealed.

She said BVG had stated in the application that it would use the funds raised from the IPO to further develop its AI technologies for car and health insurance platforms so that it could expand its business to other Asean nations.

BVG CEO Nawarat Wongthitirat said her company had initiated the use of AI and Big Data technologies to provide a platform and apps for car insurance companies and health insurance firms to manage and streamline services for their clients.

Nawarat said BVG’s platforms and apps have become an industry game-changer for insurance firms, allowing them to service their clients with much more efficiency and allowing them to save time and cost.

Nawarat said the EMCS platform of BVG is now used by 34 out of 39 car insurance companies that operate in Thailand as of last year.

The platform is used to manage 10.7 million out of 11 million non-compulsory car insurance policies, Nawarat added.

The platform is also used to manage about 1.5 insurance claims each year and there are over 3,700 BVG clients using the platform, including insurance firms, service centres, garages, towing firms, spare parts firms and car wreckage auction firms.

Nawarat said BVG’s subsidiary, BlueVenture TPA, has developed and provided a platform and app for health insurance firms.

The health insurance app and platform are now being used by over 500 state and private hospitals and clinics around the country to check the claim rights of some 8.8 insurers, Nawarat added.

With the platforms and apps and more technologies to be developed to cover all types of insurance, the company is upbeat that it will soon become a truly InsurTech firm, the CEO added.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023848

Kerry Express slashing operational costs to cope with economic challenges

MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Kerry Express (Thailand), an express delivery company, has launched an aggressive cost-cutting programme and is increasing investment in technology to improve operational efficiency.

Alex Ng, CEO of Kerry Express (Thailand), said at a press conference on Friday that its “Lean Programme” follows up on its aggressive pricing strategy in 2022, which put significant competitive pressure on its competitors.

However, as the global recession, high inflation, energy price volatility, and geopolitical tensions intensified, Kerry needed to improve operational efficiencies in many areas. Ng said it was required to create a better appetite for larger market share and scale when the economy shows signs of recovery.

“We decided to launch the Lean Programme in the first week of 2023 as a commitment to internal improvement and returning to be profitable,” he said.

Ng added that Kerry, as a good and responsible market leader, should always look inward to improve its cost efficiency, employee productivity, and creativity.

He explained that the programme would use four main strategies to cut costs from within.

The first step is an aggressive cost-cutting and waste-reduction exercise. Then there’s the management pay cut for top executives. Following that, all departments’ head counts would be frozen until further notice. Finally, non-performing sites and locations would be closed.

Aside from cutting internal costs, Kerry is committed to increasing capital investments in machinery, equipment, and systems that help to automate work processes in a variety of areas.

Ng revealed that the first shipment of new equipment would arrive in Bangkok in the first quarter and become operational in the second.

He claimed that the company had gained a lot of technological and industrial know-how from its sister companies, such as SF Holding in China and Kerry Logistics Network in Hong Kong.

“Such investments will bring Kerry’s running costs down immediately and take our operations to another level. SF Express and KLN are giving us a lot of inspiration, especially in technologies and industrial know-how. We will also slowdown the development of non-core businesses so our people could focus on the above initiatives with sharper attention,” Ng said.

The company is still finalising the details of its investment.

While acknowledging that the plans are challenging, he said Kerry believes they are the right steps to help the company achieve a breakthrough in profit recovery and propel Kerry to a new level of success in a short period of time.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023800

BGI Group to co-develop “International Innovation Center for Life Science” with Thai government

SATURDAY, JANUARY 07, 2023

Wang Jian, Chairman & Co-founder of BGI Group, announces his recent visit to Thailand to speak to General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Thailand, and discuss medical genomics and the development of life sciences with the public sector and other organizations.

Wang Jian expressed the hope to seek cooperation between government organizations and partners in Thailand to establish the “International Innovation Center for Life Science” in Thailand in the future, positioning Thailand as a regional hub for medical genomics, and a center for treating thalassemia, and actively preparing to provide relevant services available to the Thai public. 

Additionally, Wang Jian met with Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, and Sathit Pitutecha, Deputy Minister of Public Health to discuss the expansion of cooperation with the public health system and further development of life sciences in Thailand.

“We truly believe that the creation of the “International Innovation Center for Life Science” will be finally achieved, because Thailand has many internationally recognized medical teams and a high level of medical advancement and standards,” he said. “Additionally, Thailand has national policies that support development in the field of genomics. As a result, we are confident that both parties will expand their collaboration in a variety of ways, such as expertise, education, and personnel training and exchange with the assistance of related organizations.” 

“As the old saying goes, ‘Teaching people how to fish is more effective than giving a fish to them.’ This cooperation will enable the younger generations to keep pace with the development of cutting-edge technologies and enable the world’s leading modern technologies to serve Thailand and benefit the Thai public,” he added.

Wang Jian stated that BGI and Chalermchai Sri-on, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, has discussed further cooperation around development, innovation and research. BGI has achieved success cases in many areas of China, and developed the rice technology to grow rice that can be sowed once and harvested multiple times over three to five years. This perennial rice features the reduction of the cost on seeds, fertilizer and water. Energy consumption such as labor force and other resource requirements will be reduced, resulting in a decrease in carbon emissions and global warming. Both parties will further make discussion in terms of this study.

“Over the past twenty years, I have held onto the ideal and the belief that Omics for all and related technologies will benefit mankind. BGI has its own unique strategic thinking in scientific development, technological innovation and industrial development. Additionally, we actively encourage innovation in talent and technology, and reduce industrial costs by way of large-scale development, thus reducing the incidence of diseases, and making everyone enjoy a healthy life. BGI plans to cooperate with government organizations and partners in Thailand to conduct preventive screening for genetic diseases and realize the prevention and control of cancer with genetic technology. Besides, we offer assistance in having control over infectious diseases around the world, and achieving the purpose of benefiting mankind in an in-depth way,” he said.

BGI, headquartered in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China, established in 1999, is committed to taking part in the Human Genome Project. It has over 10,000 employees in 100 countries and regions worldwide. It has published more than 4,000 research papers, more than 400 of which appear in leading scientific journals, such as Nature, Science, Cell, and New England Journal of Medicine. Moreover, it obtained more than 1,700 patents. BGI Genomics, a subsidiary of BGI, has been listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. MGI Tech Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of BGI, has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2022. According to 2022 Nature Index, BGI ranks eighth globally and first among life science industrial institutions in the Asia-Pacific region.

To combat the pandemic that has raged around the world in recent years, BGI performs pathogen genome sequencing and has successfully developed a diagnostic kit for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has been recognized internationally and approved for its use worldwide. In addition, BGI sequenced and successfully developed a diagnostic kit for both SARS virus and avian influenza in 2000 and 2004, respectively.

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Digital pharmacy platform ARINCARE unveils plan for IPO to list on SET by 2026

THURSDAY, JANUARY 05, 2023

Nongluck Ajanapanya

ARINCARE, a Thai startup that provides digital platforms to pharmacists and drug stores, has unveiled expansion strategies to meet the growing demand in Thailand. The startup aims to launch an initial public offering (IPO) and list on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) by 2026.

The move to list on the SET follows the the company’s successful US$4-million Series B funding round with two new investors — Chularat Hospital Group (CHG), and PTG Energy Pcl, an energy provider and service station.

ARINCARE provides a pharmacy management platform for drugstores, medicine express for business-to-business supply chain service and telepharmacy service.

Teera Kanokkanjanarat, CEO and co-founder of ARINCARE, told a press conference on Thursday that with CHG coming on board as the lead investor in this round of funding, and PTG as a follow-on investor, the company would be able to nurture and enhance the Thai health tech ecosystem in accordance with the company’s road map.

He said the fund would be divided into three parts. The first component will be used to enhance supply chain infrastructure, the second part for technology development, and the last part for the preparation of its internal management so that ARINCARE can go public in the next three years.

ARINCARE would continue to expand its markets in a key cooperation with Chularat Hospital Group (CHG) in 2023, Teera said, adding this collaboration is focused on building a connected healthcare ecosystem between hospitals and local healthcare organisations. 

They would be connecting Arincare’s network of over 3,000 drugstores and pharmacists with CHG’s medical team.

“This will build healthcare capabilities into the community with nationwide coverage,” Teera explained.

At the same time, the partnership with PTG’s MaxCard, a network with the greatest access to Thai consumers, will strengthen operation of local pharmacies by adding healthcare services to Thai consumers through the MaxCard privilege. 

Meanwhile, ARINCARE remains on track to list on the SET and launch an IPO in 2026, he said.

Teera Kanokkanjanarat

Teera said he strongly believes that with this model, ARINCARE could better penetrate its target groups, resulting in over 100% growth and enabling pharmacies and drugstores to deliver the greatest benefit to consumers.

Teera pointed out that the combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and Thailand becoming an ageing society had led to many consumers paying more attention to their own and their families’ health. This trend has resulted in a promising growth of the healthcare market as well as rapidly rising demand for pharmacies and drugstores.

Along with this, he pointed out that government public health systems are insufficient to meet current demand, whereas private health services, such as clinics and hospitals, are concentrated in large cities or communities and charge high service fees.

“Community pharmacies and pharmacists are a gateway for people to better access health services, especially when connected to a healthcare ecosystem, on a platform dedicated to addressing inequalities, so that all Thai people have equal access to public health service systems through the medium of technology,” he said.

Thailand currently has approximately 20,000 pharmacy outlets around the country, 80% of them are small and medium enterprises and only 20% are franchisees or large operators, Teera said.

In 2022, the market was worth 40 billion baht, growing on average by 7% annually. This expansion is expected to continue at a rate of 13-17% per year, reaching 190 billion baht in 2025.

Dr Kumpol Plussind, CHG’s chief executive officer, said that bringing technology to the ARINCARE platform, specifically its e-prescription system, would yield opportunities to combine both in-patient and out-patient treatments in a seamless upgraded service for good quality of life.

“This reduces the number of prescriptions that are missed, forged, or reused. This also allows for easy monitoring of patients’ medical treatment, medical adherence, and easy access to patient medication records without additional fees,” he noted.

Pitak Ratchakitprakarn

Meanwhile, Pitak Ratchakitprakarn, president and CEO of PTG, was pleased with their joint investment in ARINCARE. He said the move would assist PTG in improving its service stations to meet a variety of people’s needs, such as convenience stores and pharmacies. This would also expand PTG’s business opportunities, he said.

“It is part of PTG’s objective to increase the proportion of non-oil businesses to 60-70% by 2026, in line with the global trend to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. We are transitioning from the oil business to eight non-oil business sectors, including food and beverages, digital platforms, wellness and healthcare,” he stated.

Teera was confident that the major collaboration with CHG and PTG would come out with new lines of business, underlining ARINCARE’s mission of “Make Healthcare Affordable”.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023761

Leasing and renewable energy firms launch JV to promote solar rooftops

THURSDAY, JANUARY 05, 2023

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Saksiam Leasing (SAK), a Thailand personal loan provider, has formed a joint venture with TC Renewable Energy to form with the goal of entering the solar rooftop system installation business and providing financing to Thai households nationwide.

The joint venture, Saksiam TC Energy Co Ltd, will have a registered capital of 50 million baht, with SAK and TC Renewable Energy Co Ltd holding 35% and 65%, respectively. This joint venture is scheduled to launch in January 2023.

Siwaphong Boonsalee, SAK’s managing director, said at a press conference on Thursday that the joint venture is a significant step in expanding the service of providing loans for the installation of solar rooftop systems at residential properties, and supporting the public’s access to solar power as a clean and widely available source of energy.

He said the decision was made after SAK saw the potential for growth of the solar rooftop installation business in the future because of the government’s policy to promote the use of clean energy in the business and household sectors.

Furthermore, as the system has already proved effective in lowering electricity bills, the demand for solar rooftop from households is increasing.

According to TTB Analytics, the solar rooftop market in Thailand is expected to grow at 22% per year, reaching 6.7 billion baht by 2025.

However, Siwaphong pointed out that one of the biggest challenges for installing solar rooftop panels right now is a lack of funds.

“The cost of installation is approximately 200 thousand baht, which is quite high. So, after partnering with TC Renewable Energy, SAK will provide an eight-year soft loan with a low interest rate for households, particularly upcountry, to have their own solar rooftop,” he said.

He explained that each household could repay the loan with money saved from their electricity bills.

In an era when utility prices, particularly for electricity, are rising, SAK is confident that loans for the installation of home solar rooftop systems will help reduce costs for the public, thereby strengthening household economies, he added.

SAK will be in charge of marketing and providing solar rooftop loan services to interested parties through more than 1,029 branches across the country by the first quarter of 2023. Saksiam Leasing’s loan portfolio promotes diversity and responsiveness to public needs.

Phurit Laocharoen, chief operating officer of TC Renewable Energy, noted that the company has more than 10 years experience in solar rooftop design and installation. This partnership is a significant step for the company in transferring that knowledge from the business sector to the residential sector.

He explained that currently there are two types of solar rooftop systems available, but the more popular option is the On Grid system, which must be connected to a local Electricity Authority’s power grid.

If the solar panels generate more electricity than is needed during the day, the meter owner may sell the excess to the government. The current purchase price is 2.20 baht per unit.

“On average, the installation of solar panels helps customers save electricity costs by at least 70% per billing cycle, or around 2,000 – 7,000 baht per monthly electricity bill,” said Phurit. “A single solar panel can last 30 years. So, using a solar rooftop will be beneficial in the long run.”

In addition, the company will provide maintenance and performance monitoring services for the duration of the system’s service life. Engineers will evaluate the system’s performance to ensure that solar energy generation is efficient and cost-effective in the long run, he added.

The goal of the collaboration between SAK and TC Renewable Energy is to instal solar rooftops covering at least 100,000 households within the next three years. Besides, this joint venture will be able to generate approximately 500 megawatts of electricity from solar power, with a revenue of around 1 billion baht.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40023751

All Inspire Development sparks concern with default on interest payment for bonds

THURSDAY, JANUARY 05, 2023

A major property developer has informed the Stock Exchange of Thailand that it has defaulted on 10.65 million baht in interest payments on a tranche of bonds, raising concerns about its ability to repay debentures of 1.2 billion baht due this year.

All Inspire Development Plc (ALL) reported that it defaulted on the fifth interest payment of 10.65 million baht for its ALL244A bonds, saying it lacked liquidity.

The 709.90 million baht worth of bonds were issued on October 1, 2021 with a due date in April 2024.

Somjin Sornpaisarn, managing director of the Thai Bond Market Association, said the property company had informed the bond association that a cash crunch caused it to default on the payment.

Somjin said representatives of ALL244A bond holders had yet to schedule a meeting to decide what to do about the default. The amount of the default is far lower than the minimum set by legislation – 400 million baht – for bond holders to take legal action against issuers.

According to the bond association, All Inspire Development raised 2.334 billion baht in seven tranches of bonds, with 1.205 billion baht worth of bonds being due this year.

The company issued bonds worth 80.7 million baht in October last year.

Amonthep Chawla, head of research at CIMB Thai Bank, said the default by the property developer would not affect the overall bond market because the problem was specific to one company.

Amorthep said All Inspire Development suffered from a liquidity crunch because it failed to raise more funds by issuing new shares.

Kitpon Praipaisarnkit, vice president of brokerage firm UOB Kay Hian, said the default was quite worrying because it demonstrated that the company’s cash shortage was severe.

Kitpon said companies can issue new shares or use funds from savings and operations to pay interest on bonds. As a result, it is concerning that All Inspire Development cannot pay interest on its bonds, he said.

The company may not be able to honour its 1.2 billion baht worth of bonds due this year, he said.

According to the bond association, All Inspire Development had raised 2.334 billion baht in seven tranches of bonds, with 1.205 billion baht worth of bonds being due this year.

The company issued bonds worth 80.7 million baht in October last year.

Amonthep Chawla, head of research at CIMB Thai Bank, said the default by the property developer would not affect the overall bond market because the problem was specific to one company.

Amorthep said All Inspire Development suffered from a liquidity crunch because it failed to raise more funds by issuing new shares.

Kitpon Praipaisarnkit, vice president of brokerage firm UOB Kay Hian, said the default was quite worrying because it demonstrated that the company’s cash shortage was severe.

Kitpon said companies can issue new shares or use funds from savings and operations to pay interest on bonds. As a result, it is concerning that All Inspire Development cannot pay interest on its bonds, he said.

The company may not be able to honour its 1.2 billion baht worth of bonds due this year, he said.