TikTok’s mission is to capture and present the world’s creativity, knowledge and precious life moments, Surayot said.

In the less than two years since its late-2017 launch, TikTok has managed to land on the chart as the most downloaded application on both Play Store and App Store worldwide, said Surayot.

“TikTok is a rising-star social platform for brands to communicate with their target audiences in a variety and number of executions, such as by reaching the target audience and creating engagement,” said Surayot.

“TikTok in addition has created a huge success in conducting talk-of-the-town partnership campaigns with brands, such as Big Mountain Music Festival, S2O Songkran Festival, and SOS Children’s Village Thailand for Send A Heart CSR campaign.”

TikTok is now available in over 150 markets and in 75 languages with a robust localisation strategy to encourage users to create and interact with content relevant to local cultures and trends.

The proceeds from the debentures issuance will be spent for working capital and for refinancing senior debt.

Phongsthorn Thavisin, the president and chief executive officer for PTT Exploration and Production Plc said the debentures, due in 2022, have a tenure of three years, bear a fixed interest rate of 2.26 per cent per annum and are fully guaranteed by PTTEP.

“These are the first bonds PTTEP has offered to the Thai market in over five years. The transaction success is highlighted by initial investor demand of over three times,” said Phongsthorn. “Moreover, the issuance, year-to-date, is also the largest order book for a single-tranche non-retail corporate issuance in the Thai bond market for 2019, and represents strong investor confidence in PTTEP. Proceeds from the bond issuance will be spent on working capital as well as for refinancing senior debt obligations,” said Phongsthorn.

Registered on the Thai Bond Market Association, the bonds are rated “AAA/Stable” by TRIS Rating. HSBC and Siam Commercial Bank acted as joint book runners and lead managers.

“Thirty pairs of hands touch even the simplest piece of jewellery we make,” said Nils Helander, the SVP manufacturing and managing director at Pandora A/S in Thailand. “We want to ensure handmade craftsmanship in every important step of the manufacturing journey.”

Visit one of Pandora’s manufacturing buildings at the Gemopolis Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Suvarnabhumi airport and one can see how the production set-up enables Pandora’s Thailand team of 13,000 employees to add value in the most productive way.

At the heart of the manufacturing process is what Helander, 50, refers to as “flexible work cells,” where teams of 20 employees, work side by side in a well-orchestrated rhythm. Each team is guided by a team pacemaker, who overseas rapid consistent manufacturing. Individual work stations are designed to support the kind of intense concentration and delicate handiwork needed to ensure stones are properly set with no room for error.

“With the assistance of technology and feedback on performance, pacemakers are able to identify opportunities to improve efficiency or reduce errors and continuously improve output,” said Helander.

This enables Pandora to minimise material wastage to an industry best of just 3 per cent of output, compared to an industry average of around 11 per cent.

Much of Pandora’s manufacturing savvy has been advanced by Helander himself, who joined Pandora in 2016 after an extensive career in manufacturing and supply chains with consumer product giants, including Nestle and most recently Unilever in China.

“Working with consumer products companies, I have been able to apply some principles in manufacturing from fast-moving businesses, where margins are often razor thin and productivity is the name of the game. The challenge is to tailor what we know without losing the essence of craftsmanship. To do this, we start with people and organise processes around them.”

The results speak for themselves. Over the past two years, Pandora has reduced average lead times – when a customer places an order to when the order is delivered, from eight weeks down to two weeks.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the flexible work cell is its ability to quickly changeover production lines. Each work cell is equipped with the capability and team skill-set to manufacture any product.

“We can changeover production lines with no slack time. Our workers are trained to be multi-skilled.

This allows us to be even more flexible and productive, whether we are producing bracelets, rings or necklaces,” said Helander.

Over time, the flexible work cell concept has enabled Pandora to scale up and become one of the dominant players in the mid-tier jewellery business. “Last year, we set 1.7 billion stones by hand,” according to Helander.

Pandora’s manufacturing philosophy also offers consumers more value for money.

“Although our brand may not be perceived as ultra-high end such as Tiffany or Cartier, we aim to provide our consumers great value. For example, our competitors might put Bt4,000 worth of gold in a piece of jewellery and sell it for Bt150,000, whereas we would sell a similar piece of jewellery for a fraction of that price.”

What guides much of Pandora’s decision-making when it comes to designing and pricing products is a commitment by its founders Per and Winnie Enevoldsen to produce jewellery that people can afford in a responsible way. Call it the democratisation of jewellery, said Helander. Moreover, Pandora uses 100 per cent recycled gold and silver that can be traced back to its sources.

As far as the future of Pandora is concerned, it is all about continuous improvement in the manufacturing process with an eye to innovation, while continuing to be a responsible corporate citizen.

“We are always looking for ways of making distinct, high quality jewellery that is lighter, stronger and more beautiful,” Helander said. “If we can do this and continue creating distinct designs and value for money, we can provide our consumers with an enriching experience they can feel proud of.”

LARRY CHAO is managing director of Chao Group Limited, a manufacturing consultancy based in Bangkok and New York since 1995 [www.chaogroup.com]

“We are now actively cooperating with 27 authorised dealers in Myanmar, and will cooperate with an additional 34 dealers in the near future,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Nation on Wednesday. “By 2024, we will be cooperating with at least 84 authorised dealers. This means we aim to expand our distribution network by more than three times than the existing portfolio.”

The firm mainly aims to improve the sales of power tillers and diesel engines under the brand KubotaPem. Chalermchai is confident that the firm will enjoy stronger growth in Myanmar.

“This market is really important to us. We place special attention on Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, as they are all agriculture-based countries. We see a bright potential in these countries,” he said.

Chalermchai said the firm would focus on the mass market rather than supplying its machinery to enterprises. Though the firm is yet to be involved in any of the government projects in Myanmar, he foresees room for cooperation when the opportunity comes.

“Our aim is to ensure the best quality in all the machinery we import to this market. We foresee a higher demand for power tillers and diesel engines here. We are here to fulfil the needs of this market,” he said.

The company has been in Myanmar since 2011, and has expanded its distribution network throughout the nation in cooperation with local dealers who know the market well. Having manufactured diesel engines and power tillers for nearly four decades, the firm recently developed the ZT engine Pro model by adding a turning signal to enhance safety when customers use the engine as transport.

Chalermchai said the firm aims to achieve at least 50 per cent of the market in Myanmar over the next 12 months. It expects to triple the growth in sales of its power tillers as well as sell at least 10,000 diesel engines in Myanmar within a year. The revenue is expected to increase further, as the firm projects to sell 50,000 to 80,000 diesel engines over the next five years.

“In terms of our sales revenue in Myanmar, we have been growing at between 15 and 20 per cent on a monthly basis since the past few years,” Chalermchai said.

The firm has more than 6,000 customers in Myanmar that are using Kubota machinery on their farms. In order to ensure the effective use of the machinery, the firm has been carrying out awareness-raising activities on the ground every month.

“Our aim is to facilitate farmers for mutual benefits. We systematically train our dealers and customers on how to effectively use our products,” he said.

“The majority of Myanmar farmers know a lot about the strengths of our machinery. We specialise in agricultural machinery with the aim for the customers to have efficient products to use in farming and other applications.”

He said farmers can reduce the number of workers as well as other costs to a large extent by utilising the machinery.

“What makes our diesel engine different from the others in the market is that our life span is longer. It can be used for up to 10 years. We can guarantee our diesel engine is more durable and saves more fuel to help farmers save more money in the long term,” he said.

Chalermchai said the firm wants to play a role in bringing “smart farming” products to Myanmar, particularly in the production of rice, corn and sugarcane.

The company aspires to become the number one manufacturer and distributor of air conditioners with plans to deepen its reach in the Southeast Asian market.

Takeshi Konishi, president of Daikin Chemical South East Asia Co Ltd, said the company has always been trusted by customers as a global standard refrigerant manufacturer. It has policy to expand the market and established Daikin Chemical South East Asia in Thailand. To carry on its high standard, the firm is constantly evolving with new technology and innovation to produce merchandise and efficient, environmental-friendly refrigerant, while at the same time offers high quality products that cater to the consumers’ need with environmental friendliness at the core.

This year, we are ready to present a special refrigerant that reduces greenhouse gas effect, which is packed in a refillable cylinder that can be considered as environmentally friendly, and the establishment of refrigerant station especially for production in response to customer demands and to reduce impact on the environment. At present, we are aiming to increase market share in Thailand and ready to expand our presence in Southeast Asia , a market with potential and demand for air conditioners that are constantly growing, “said Konishi

Not only air conditioner and residential products, the firm is looking to expand to the automotive market, protective coating for petrochemical industry and construction, water and oil proof for fabric and paper for food container, as well as electronic boards where the firm has strategised market penetration plans for each product and target group.

As for refrigerant, Daikin Chemical has imported and supplied a variety of refrigerants such as R32 R410 R407C R404A and other refrigerants for air conditioning, including refrigerant R407H for refrigerator.

Daikin Chemical also sees the importance of environmental-friendly containers. It has introduced cylinders to control fluorocarbon emission, which helps reduce the evaporation of the remaining gas to the atmosphere for safety and environment-friendly reason.

For refilling and logistics, we place our trust in Thai Special Gas (TSG), a manufacturer and distributor of industrial gas with more than 20 years of experience in the gas business and international recognition. This is the first collaboration between the two companies. For controlling system, TSG is using computerised control with First In First Out (FIFO) filling system.

Daikin Chemical has constantly developed quality products with emphasis on Solution Business that uses new technology to cater to various needs of the customers and environmental friendliness. We hope this collaboration will satisfy our diverse target groups including those in the residential and industrial segments, both in Thailand and beyond.

Models and configurations of air conditioners are vital factors in the refrigerant market. In Thailand, 70 per cent of air conditioners use R410A refrigerant, and the rest uses R32 with the trend for R410A to be replaced by the more environmental-friendlier R32.

Even though R32 is not yet widely distributed in the market, it sees increasing demand as Daikin’s R32 has low GWP as a result of reduction in HFC use. It can be said that Daikin Chemical’s refrigerants are environmental-friendly and refillable, which reduces the emission of the remaining gas to the atmosphere.

AIA has been ranked the Asia-Pacific’s top insurance brand by Campaign Asia-Pacific, which calls itself the authoritative voice of the media, marketing and advertising community in the Asia-Pacific.

The award was received for recruiting David Beckham as AIA’s global brand ambassador to launch its new brand promise, “Healthier, Longer, Better Lives”. Moreover, this brand ranking emphasised the AIA promise to deliver protection to customers, as well as continuously support their well-being through various health and wellness programmes across the Asia-Pacific.

Alger Fung, chief executive officer of AIA Thailand said, “AIA is proud to be recognised as Asia-Pacific’s number one insurance brand, which emphasises the leading role in Asia’s insurance market. As AIA Thailand is one of the AIA major markets, we aim to operate our business for Thai people and society by offering various products and services to meet customers’ needs in [each person’s] lifespan. We also develop our products, innovations and new services for our customers to create wealth and financial security for all of our customers.”

BMW delivers hybrid vehicles for Asean chiefs

BMW Thailand recently delivered BMW 530e Highline and BMW 740Le xDrive M Sport plug-in hybrid vehicles to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the exclusive transportation of the Asean leaders and ministers attending the 34th Asean Summit, which is being held June 20-23 in Bangkok.

The plug-in hybrid BMW 530e Highline offers low fuel consumption and is one of the lowest CO2-emission vehicles in its segment at 41g/km, while the 740Le xDrive M Sport emits CO2 just 49g/km, highlighting BMW’s attempt to establish a solid foundation for the sustainable future of electric mobility in Thailand, said a company release on Wednesday.

The 34th Asean Summit will see the participation of the bloc’s leaders, foreign ministers, along with the Asean secretary-general, and senior officials from all 10 member countries. As the Asean chair for 2019, it is an important opportunity for Thailand to showcase its visions and take part in laying a strong foundation to propel the region towards growth throughout the year on the theme of “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability”.

This aims to promote sustainability in all its dimensions, strengthen partnerships amongst the countries and help them move forward as one, said the company release.

Siam Makro marks 30th anniversary

On the occasion of its 30th anniversary , Siam Makro Public Company Limited has launched a new loyalty campaign “Buy More, Get More” with its popular e-Stamp and Luck Draws to encourage higher spending and sales growth. The campaign, with a Bt30-million budget, targets consumers of the 4.0 era through the use of Big Data analysis.

Siriporn Dechsingha, Chief Marketing Officer of Siam Makro Public Company Limited, the largest wholesale membership distributor in Thailand, said the company aims to establish itself as “Makro 4.0 Enhancing People’s Lives” under the new concept of “The Creative Companionship towards Sustainability”. “Through Big Data analysis of over three million registered customers, Makro wishes to celebrate this special occasion and also express our gratitude to customers by launching the new digital campaign “30 Years 30 Million”, from 19 June to 28 August 2019, at Makro stores nationwide.

“With a budget of Bt30 million, Makro launches e-Stamp (worth Bt20 million) and Lucky Draw (worth Bt10 million) programmes as a way to pay back to its customers. And to best serve all the customers, from entrepreneurs to shop owners and HoReCa professionals, the company used its Big Data Analytics to dissect their needs and behaviours as to effectively accommodate to their demands.”

Lin sugar maker hosts cake design contest

Thai Rungruang Sugar Group, manufacturer and owner of ‘Lin’ sugar, recently hosted a competition “Lin Thailand Sweet Creation 2019” in conjunction with the launch of new products for cake design.

At the event, the company launched two products – modelling paste and natural caster sugar – aimed at promoting the Thai cake designers and sugar artists. The winners of Lin Thailand Sweet Creation competition for this year will join the Cake International 2019 competition in Birmingham, England. The winner for Best in Show at this year Lin Thailand Sweet Creation 2019 is Dechokul Singampai, a cake designer from Thailand. His work piece is “Pure Power”.

This is the largest sugar sculpture competition in Thailand , held for the 4th times in Thailand, with more than 50 work pieces from competitors from both Asia and Europe. There were more than 20,000 visitors at the event, held between June 8 and 10, at Eden Zone on the first floor of CentralWorld shopping complex.