Its aim is to restructure its activities to cover all of its retail business both in Thailand and overseas, such as in Vietnam and Italy, CRC said on Tuesday.

CRC will next seek permission from the Securities and Exchange Commission to hold an initial public offering of the shares later this year.

CRC shareholders will meet on August 29 to consider the new business structure.

“The group plans to consolidate all of our retail business both domestic and overseas under the CRC,” it said.

CRC reported total revenue Bt206.07 billion at the end of 2018 and Bt53.62 billion for the first quarter of this year.

Robinson Plc informed the SET on Tuesday that CRC, its parent company, was tendering shares at Bt66.50, the price derived from a combination of CRC market price, trading multiples and discounted cash flow.

If the company pays dividends before payment of the conditional exchange offer, the offered price will be reduced proportionately, it said.

The offer period extends not less than 25 business days and not more than 45.

Robinson will have an extra-general shareholders meeting on September 5.

On Tuesday morning, shares in Robinson Plc closed at Bt63.75, up Bt3.50 (5.81 per cent) from Friday, with the trade value standing at Bt1.28 billion.

The British Ambassador to Thailand, Brian Davidson and executive director and Bangkok Bank executive vice president Thaweelap Rittapirom last week signed the MOU. It will provide Bangkok Bank Visa Infinite cardholders access to special services and privileges when applying for a UK visa.

Cardholders need only their passports, their Bangkok Bank Visa Infinite credit card and to pay an extra fee of Bt4,000 to access the VIP lounge, and to apply for the visa at the VFS UK Application Centre without a reservation or the need to present any documents.

The MOU-signing ceremony, held recently at the British Embassy in Bangkok, was also joined by ML Radeethep Devakula, a representative of the Thai-UK Business Leadership Council (TUBLC). He is also the deputy vice president of the office of corporate communications at Thai Beverage Public Co Ltd.

Ambassador Davidson, said: “I was delighted to be able to sign this ground-breaking MoU. It is an exciting new initiative – first of its kind – both for the British Embassy and UKVI. And one which deepens the relationship with one of this embassy’s closest strategic partners, Bangkok Bank, pointing the way to further stimulating business between the UK and Thailand.”

Bangkok Bank’s Thaweelap said the Bank aimed to enable their cardholders to conveniently apply for a visa with their passport and Bangkok Bank Visa Infinite credit card without having to provide evidence of their financial status or other documents.

The special privileges are reserved for Thai nationals holding either a main or supplementary Bangkok Bank Visa Infinite card, including spouses and children under 18 years who submit their visa application on the same day as the cardholder. The privileges apply to applications for multiple-entry (6 months, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years) tourist and business visas at VFS UK’s Bangkok and Chiang Mai offices by paying an additional Bt4,000 to access the special service.

The benefits “emphasises the Bank’s commitment to continuously providing its customers with special privileges and exclusive experiences,” said Thaweelap.

Bangkok Bank Visa Infinite is an exclusive credit card for customers holding combined assets, such as deposits and investments, of more than Bt10 million with the bank. A menu of exclusive privileges from the bank and its partners are available to those cardholders.

The deal was made by its wholly-owned subsidiary, RATCH-Australia Corporation Pty Ltd (RAC), which signed the subscription, sale and purchase agreement on July 26.

RAC has purchased 70 per cent of common shares in Yandin WF Holding Pty Ltd from Renewable Energy Investment Fund Pty Ltd (“REIF”), a subsidiary of Alinta Energy Pty Ltd (“Alinta”) and 70 per cent of investment units in Yandin WF Holding Unit Trust from Renewable Energy Investment Fund Unit Trust. The transaction is valued at 53.31 million Australian dollars, equivalent to approximately Bt1.172 billion.

The project, located 150 kilometers north of Perth in Western Australia, is under construction and expected to commence commercial operation in September 2020. It has also secured a 15-year power purchase agreement with Alinta Sales Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Alinta Energy.

Kijja Sripatthangkura, the RATCH Group CEO, said the achievement reflects the company’s growth strategy to increase its high-quality generation assets in existing markets, particularly in Australia, where RAC has a strong presence.

The 214MW Yandin project will be the biggest wind farm in Western Australia and benefits from an excellent wind resource. This investment expands RAC’s portfolio in Western Australia, which also includes the gas-fired Kemerton and BP Kwinana power stations.

“The investment increases RAC’s equity generation capacity to 1,250.15MW, and the project is the third large-scale wind farm after the 226.8MW Collector project under construction in New South Wales and [the] operating 180.45MW Mount Emerald [facility] in Queensland. It brings RATCH’s total equity generation capacity to 7,677MW. Importantly, the investment also allows partnership and collaboration between RATCH Group and Alinta to collectively enhance socio-economic value to all relevant stakeholders in future,” Kijja said.

The Yandin Wind Farm project will comprise 51 turbines of 4.2MW funded by the syndicated facility agreement for approximately 364 million Australian dollars (Bt8.008 billion). The wind farm will be connected to a 330-kV electricity network via a new 10-kilometre transmission line and terminal station that will be built, owned and run by state-owned network operator Western Power.

Chananyarak previously worked at leading logistics company DHL, where she was both CEO of DHL Express International (Thailand) and managing director of DHL Express International’s Indochina region.

Her primary objectives in her new role are to develop MC so it firmly becomes a part of Thailand’s 4.0 S-Curve industry and competes more effectively amid heavy competition in the retail industry. She will also be responsible for driving this homegrown company to the global stage.

The Board of Directors of MC Group, which specialises in clothing and lifestyle products, appointed Chananyarak as the company’s CEO instead of Sunee Seripanu, who is its vice chairman.

“In addition to her extensive leadership experience in managing an international logistics company such as DHL, Chananyarak has professionally led and managed global companies including Oracle and Motorola for more than 30 years,” the company said. “From her own experience as a career professional managing global firms and being at the forefront of creating change in every company she has led to grow both in terms of profit and revenue, she has always satisfied her customers, employees, and shareholders,” the company said.

“I am absolutely delighted to be a part of the management team and staff of MC Group who are ready to dedicate themselves to their work to create and bring about a new turning point for the company so we can grow and become a part of the new S-Curve industry,” Chananyarak said.

She is well aware of MC’s strengths, “particularly its quality, modernity in the fashion industry, the ability to create customer experiences, its comprehensive operations and product range, and its strong customer base”.

These factors have enabled the company to corner up to 40 per cent of market share, the company said. With the support of dedicated employees, she is confident that MC Group will be able to experience a new era of sustained steady growth even though the company faces increasingly heavy competition in the retail industry, the firm added.

MC is now going to focus on becoming a part of the new S-Curve sector by innovating in its core business to create fresh customer experiences that will respond and better meet consumers’ lifestyles. “These changes will be vital in driving sales and delivering solid profit while elevating the company’s performance to global standards,” the company said.

After a stopover at Seoul’s Incheon Airport, the aircraft heads to Yangon (Myanmar), the first location of the demonstration flight. The aircraft will then visit Hanoi (Vietnam), Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) before heading north to Nagoya (Japan).

The A220 is the most modern aircraft in the 100-150 seat market. It delivers unbeatable efficiency and passenger comfort in its category, with 20 per cent lower fuel consumption than previous generation aircraft, according to the company.

The A220 being used for the demonstration tour is a test aircraft fitted with a typical single-class passenger cabin.

During the flight, customers and media will be offered a close-up view of the aircraft’s outstanding characteristics, comfort and performance that benefit both operators and passengers alike, the company said.

The acquisition comprises five production sites in four countries, namely Italy, Brazil, China and Bulgaria – the latter a new market for IVL – with a combined capacity of around 30,000 tonnes/annum.

Europe imports more than 275 KT of yarns annually and Sinterama will be able to grow and strengthen its position as a local supplier. The company currently employs 889 people.

The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter 2019, subject to regulatory approvals.

Sinterama holds leading positions in highly specialised applications in Europe, with an excellent reputation and proven technology. The company is vertically integrated from chips to yarns and offers a vast range of coloured polyester yarns for automotive, furnishing, apparel and technical applications.

Since its inception in 1968, Sinterama has offered the most innovative solutions and invested in cutting-edge product research. Its substantial accumulated knowledge will provide IVL comprehensive and innovative solutions for automotive and home applications to better serve customers and meet customers’ needs in the future.

Sinterama has a strong production base, providing an excellent platform to integrate IVL’s existing specialities business. The highly complementary portfolio, customer base and geographical footprint of the two companies will open up new market opportunities and enhance value for customers by further enabling them to leverage IVL’s existing manufacturing capabilities and supply chain.

Aloke Lohia, Group chief executive of Indorama Ventures said: “This acquisition marks an important milestone in our strategic alliance with Sinterama, which has been a partner in Trevira since 2011 and is the industry partner of choice for high-value filament yarns. While we have achieved significant growth in this space over the past years, we believe Sinterama will be the catalyst for us to consolidate and advance our position in this highly demanding and exclusive market.

Paolo Piana, chairman of Sinterama, added: “It’s a great opportunity for Sinterama to become part of such a strong group like Indorama Ventures, global leader in the polyester business. The partnership seals 20 years of collaboration and will lead to the establishment of a global player leader in high added value polyester yarns and applications.”

Indorama Ventures, listed in Thailand, is one of the world’s leading petrochemicals producers. It has approximately 19,000 employees worldwide and consolidated revenue of US$10.7 billion (Bt329.8 billion) in 2018.

By combining personalised advice, the latest technology and outstanding research, Connect by Globlex will allow Thailand-based investors to take control of their investment portfolios and maximise their returns.

For a securities broker offering traditional brokerage and trading services, the integration of Connect by Globlex will add premier digital wealth management to Globlex’s suite of product offerings, enabling it to deepen relationships with its existing customers and to reach a broader client base cost-effectively. Through Connect, Globlex will be able to offer rigorously constructed, goals-based investment portfolios to suit investment objectives and risk appetites, diversified across 12 global asset classes.

“The decision to partner with Crossbridge was based on their superior ability to bring a seamless digital wealth management experience, the strength of their technology and their investment expertise. There is huge growth potential in the wealth management space in Thailand, with customers increasingly looking for the next-generation digital solution to manage their wealth efficiently, and Connect by Globlex will create a truly differentiated offering from our competitors,” said Thanapisal Koohapremkit, chief executive of Globlex Securities.

“We are thrilled by this new partnership as we begin to roll out the Connect platform beyond Singapore. We look forward to working together with Globlex to help them better serve their clients and to further shape the digital wealth management industry in Thailand,” added Charlie O’Flaherty, partner and head of Digital Strategy and Distribution, at Crossbridge Capital.

The decision to partner with Globlex follows the success of Connect by Crossbridge, Singapore’s first robo-adviser that launched in late 2016. Connect by Crossbridge was developed in collaboration with top-tier industry providers to bring customised, actively managed, investment portfolios to accredited investors.

Crossbridge Capital recently announced significant updates to its Connect by Crossbridge digital platform, which further enriched the premium customer experience for accredited investors like synchronisation to Singapore’s MyInfo, enhanced User Experience and 100-per-cent in-house technology development.

The move was part of the company’s efforts to better serve customers with local knowledge and build a stronger presence in the region.

The centre is centrally located in downtown Bangkok in the 208 Wireless Road Building.

The centre will help PDI build deeper relationships and expand its capabilities to better serve customers in the Asia Pacific, its senior vice president for global ERP solutions, Drew Mize, has said.

He said that Bangkok is a great hub for PDI to recruit talent to support its business expansion in the region.

The centre is expected to reach above 30 employees by September, up from the current 24, and then scale to 50. Its goal is to create a world-class workplace for employees that inspires innovation, fosters collaboration and helps employees, customers and the community prosper.

Though its global headquarters are in Atlanta, United States, PDI has been in Thailand for 19 years.

Drew Mize, left, and Wong Sin Hin

Wong Sin Hin, the PDI vice president for sales and its managing director for Asia Pacific, added that there was another factor in its choice of Bangkok for its regional Centre of Excellence – PDI is impressed by the government’s strong support for the industrial sector and particularly the digital transformation under the Industry 4.0 initiative.

PDI cited a recent report by Nielsen, a global data analytics company, that found the convenience retail industry in Asia Pacific had expanded by 10 per cent in 2018, with the number of convenience stores reaching 73,000.

Thailand’s convenience retail sector represents a 58.3-per-cent share of its overall trade in 2018, with 29 per cent of consumers saying they visit a convenience store between two to three times a week.

Mize said that PDI software solutions could help customers grow their top-line revenue, optimise operations and unify their business across the entire value chain.

Currently PDI has over 1,500 customers worldwide.

Mize said PDI is investing heavily in Asia Pacific, which continues to grow, and that the company’s solutions are in a good position to help customers capitalise on the regional economic growth and thrive in today’s digital economy.