Thailand Authority of Tourism (TAT) signs an MOU with PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (PTTOR) and joins forces to announce a new campaign called “Double Joy at second-tier provinces with PTT Blue Card”.

The campaign aims to encourage Thai people to explore the culture and nature at second-tier provinces by giving a special points redemption programme for PTT Blue Card members to get special discounts for accommodation, fuel, and food. The campaign also announces Pattie Ungsumalynn as the presenter for the programme.

Yuthasak Supasorn, governor for Tourism Authority of Thailand, said: “TAT has been promoting tourism in second-tier provinces in Thailand. To further generate revenue and distribute income in local communities. In 2018, there were over 83.66 +4.89 per cent visitors at second-tier provinces, grossing over Bt230,998 million +9.35 per cent. This campaign is planned to become the prime drive for tourism business at those areas by offering special travelling experiences such as exclusive local adventures or cultural immersion programmes to bring back nostalgic sentiments to Thai people.”

 The world’s first nationwide 5G networks went live in South Korea earlier this year, and it is anticipated that 24 Asia Pacific markets will have launched 5G by 2025. It is forecast that the next generation of mobile technology will contribute almost US$900 billion to the region’s economy over the next 15 years.

Granryd said China is testing 5G across all major cities and provinces, including Shanghai, ahead of commercial launches next year. It is forecast that 28 per cent of China’s mobile connections will be running on 5G networks by 2025, accounting for about a third of all 5G connections globally by that time.

“5G will of course bring faster, richer and more immersive entertainment, that will be critical to driving revenue growth across the industry,” said Granryd.

“Although 4G still has plenty of headroom for growth across Asia, operators in the region are now investing billions in building-out advanced 5G networks that are facilitating an array of new services for consumers, transforming industry and manufacturing, and driving economic growth.

“As 5G becomes a reality, we call on governments and regulators in the region to actively shape a favourable business environment that encourages investment in advanced networks and allows operators to extend next-generation digital services to all Asia’s citizens.”

A report, “The Mobile Economy, Asia Pacific 2019” by GSMA Intelligence, forecasts that mobile operators will invest US$574 billion (capital expenditure) on new networks between 2018 and 2025, with US$370 billion to be spent on 5G networks. China alone is forecast to invest US$184 billion on 5G by 2025.

Meanwhile, 4G became the most dominant mobile technology in Asia in 2018 (52 per cent of connections), and will grow to account for more than two-thirds of regional connections by 2025. Around 18 per cent of connections will be running on 5G networks by this point.

Granryd said more than four in five mobile connections in Asia will be on smartphones by 2025, up from 61 per cent in 2018.

There were 2.8 billion unique mobile subscribers in Asia at the end of 2018, equivalent to 67 per cent of the region’s population. The number of subscribers is forecast to increase to 3.1 billion by 2025 (72 per cent of the population), though the growth rate is slowing as many key markets approach saturation.

Almost all new subscribers to be added in the region between 2018 to 2025 will come from six countries: India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

Last year, mobile technologies and services in Asia Pacific generated US$1.6 trillion of economic value, equivalent to 5.3 per cent of regional GDP. This contribution is forecast to surpass US$1.9 trillion by 2023.

Julian Gorman, head of Asia Pacific at GSMA said that in 2025 around 1.4 billion people around the world will be connected or subscribed with 5G connections and around 50 per cent of the total subscribers will be in China.

For Thailand, 5G will create high potential growth in the country and add to the digital economy in industries such as healthcare, education, smart agricultural and manufacturing. The 5G network will able to improve efficiency of business and a create 5G ecosystem for the country as a whole.

Yang Chaobin, Huawei 5G product line president, said that 5G is on the fast track for commercial use. Huawei has launched commercial 5G networks in a couple of countries, including South Korea, the UK, and Switzerland. Huawei’s commercial 5G networks offer speeds 10 times faster than those of 4G networks, causing user traffic to increase exponentially.

Huawei has invested US$4 billion in 5G over the past decade, and has developed leading 5G capabilities in every aspect, from chipsets and products to networking.

Kumamon was designed to always have a smiley face to welcome and give happiness to visitors on behalf of Kumamoto prefecture. His red cheek represents Kumamoto because this prefecture used to be called “land of fire” as it has the active volcano, Mount Aso.

Boonkiet Chokwatana, chairman of ICC International, importer and distributor of more than 200 leading brands, decided to sign the contract as Master Licensee of Kumamon character rights in Thailand; under nurture of Viritpol Chaithavornsathien, Vice President, ICC Internaltional PLC, to monitor usage of Kumamon character, both when being used on products and media; with Takahiro Noda, President of ADK Emotions Inc, Licensor of Kumamon character rights globally.

Shiro Sadoshima, Japanese ambassador to Thailand; Ikuo Kabashima, governor of Kumamoto Prefecture and Boonsithi Chokwatana, chairman of Saha, attended the Bitec event.

“Organik by Babi Mild” is the first Thai brand to be certified by the international COSMOS standard guaranteeing it to be authentically organic and 100-per-cent chemical free throughout the manufacturing process, starting from ingredient selection to the environmentally friendly packaging.

The “Organik” brand features a range of products including head & body baby bath, balm, powder, oil, lotion, and all-in-one solution cream (Anti-Rash). They are available at Central department stores nationwide and through online channels.

Sompong Srakaew, director of LPN, said that the two organisations together aim to promote a fair and equitable life for workers through training on human rights, Thai labour law, along with health and occupational safety to ensure their access to labour rights and social welfare. This year, migrant workers were encouraged to exchange their views on work and life and to voice their expectations and proposed solutions to their problems, said Sompong.

“In the second year, the collaboration emphasises the sharing of information on workers’ and their families’ quality of life, so that CPF knows precisely how to deal with labour issues. This will facilitate CPF’s labour management and the recruitment process will be reviewed to ensure compliance with Thai law and international standards,” he added.

In addition to training workers at all CPF plants, the Labour Voices Hotline by LPN will enable workers of all nationalities can express their opinion and make recommendations, file complaints or seek help. The foundation has also initiated a review on the selection and recruitment process from the countries of origin to ensure the transparency and traceability of CPF’s migrant worker recruitment process. In the meantime, CPF will be able to handle issues that put pressure on workers and force them to carry excessive debts.

Parisothat Punnabhum, CP Foods’ senior executive vice president for human resources, said training and information exchange sessions had so far been held at three plants.

This year, 20 training classes are planned for workers at all plants, along with a review of the process of recruiting migrant workers. As more than 1,000 workers gaining knowledge and access to labour rights, CPF will obtain sufficient information for the improvement of their quality of life to ensure their happiness and work stability. The programme is intended to also narrow social gaps and promote mutual growth in support of the company’s goal of sustainable social and economic development.

The aim is to expand Heroleads digital performance solutions business for both medium and large enterprises to Indonesia and replicate the success it has enjoyed in Thailand. The new Heroleads Indonesia and Heroleads Thailand now make up Heroleads Asia — a company set to become a leader in performance marketing in the region.

Heroleads connects businesses across Thailand with their customers by offering industry-specific digital solutions. The company specialises in developing Ad-Tech software solutions to help marketers manage digital activities across different platforms more efficiently. The product offering to the client base includes performance-based digital advertisements, data analytics & tracking solutions, lead management and platform-based influencer marketing.

Bdigital, founded in 2014, employs 30 digital experts and provides services in lead generation and social media marketing to a variety of clients. In the last two years bDigital has achieved strong growth throughout Indonesia serving clients in seven cities and plans to accelerate growth as part of Heroleads Asia.

“This acquisition is the first step in our plan to expand across the Southeast Asian region. Indonesia is the largest internet market in Asean with more than 150 million active social media users. We believe that by helping local businesses — from medium companies to large enterprises — to grow online, Heroleads will be able to contribute to Indonesia’s economic growth”, said Carlo Herold, founder and chief executive of Heroleads.

“Heroleads Thailand has proprietary marketing technology as well as an outstanding team and experience to help us position ourselves as the leading performance marketing company in Indonesia. This combined effort opens up a lot of opportunities to strategically increase our market share not only in Indonesia but also in Southeast Asia”, said Rama Dhonanto, managing director of Heroleads Indonesia.

A number of policy reforms announced in Indonesia since 2016 have contributed to the growing interest from Thai investors in various information and communications technology (ICT) domains. The Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) is continuously seeking to accelerate the growth of Indonesia’s highly promising digital economy by encouraging more investors to put money into the sector.

Thailand aspires to be an ASEAN regional centre of the digital economy, as established in the Thailand 4.0 strategy in alignment with the Thailand 12th Social and Economic Development Plan (2017–2021). ICT aims to be the foundation of the country’s development, which will drive the Thai economy into the rankings of high-income countries.

The plant is Myanmar’s first renewable energy and solar power project, and viewed by many as a mark of pride for the nation. The opening event attracted representatives from leading financial institutions, investors, distinguished guests from China, Japan and Myanmar and media from Thailand.

Minbu Solar Power Plant was designed to be efficient and conforms to international standards. The first phase of the project will result in a power generation capacity of 50 MWDC, with a final target of 220MWDC upon completion and will cover 2,115 rai (836 hectares) leased from the government and a private Myanmar company. Electricity from the plant will be sold to the Myanmar’s Electric Power Generation Enterprise (EPGE) under the Ministry of Electricity and Energy to satisfy up to 350,000,000 kWh of power demand per year, equivalent to power usage by 200,000 households. The project’s success will push Myanmar forward and serve as both a new paradigm and a point of pride for the nation, according to a release yesterday.

According to Aung Thiha, CEO of Green Earth Power (Thailand) Co Ltd and GEP (Myanmar) Co Ltd or GEP, the project had received the government’s full support. As many of Myanmar’s people are still in need of power, this solar power plant is sure to better the lives of many, said the CEO.

“The success of this endeavor will also guarantee that GEP will be able to continue to undertake development projects into the future. As a citizen of Myanmar myself and as a pioneer of clean energy in the country, I am immensely grateful for all the support this project has received from investors, financial institutions and our partners in Thailand and other countries,” said Aung Thiha.