Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC), the operator of Skytrain, on Wednesday opted out of the new bidding for a 30-kilometre section of the Orange Line railway project, alleging that the bidding terms were designed to help a particular bidder.
BTSC chief executive Surapong Laoha-Unya said the operator decided not to participate in the bidding after it studied the new request for proposal (RFP) and found that its conditions were different from the first bidding.
Surapong said he suspected that the new RFP was aimed at benefiting a particular bidder.
He added that the BTSC has filed a lawsuit with the Central Administrative Court against the new RFP terms and it has also filed a complaint with the Department of Special Investigation, calling for an investigation into the new RFP.
Surapong alleged that the new RFP was aimed at preventing BTSC from winning the bid while allegedly helping a particular consortium to win the project.
He alleged that such a practice would violate the BE 2542 (1999) Act against bidding collusion.
At 10.25am, Prakin Arunotong, vice president of Italian-Thai Development (ITD), represented a consortium of ITD and Incheon Transit Corporation from South Korea to submit an envelope.
Building the 35.9-kilometre section from Bang Khunnon in the west to Minburi in the east is estimated to require a budget of 145 billion baht. But it has been bogged down by legal disputes since the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) started selling the bidding envelopes from July 10 to 24, 2020.
On August 21, 2020, the MRTA changed the bid criteria. The initial bidding terms considered those who promised the highest financial return. The amended version would take into account two factors — the technical aspects of the project and the financial returns.
On September 17, the BTSC filed a lawsuit with the Administrative Court, alleging that the change in bidding criteria was unlawful.
On February 3, 2021, the MRTA cancelled the first bid, prompting the BTSC to file another lawsuit with the Administrative Court against the decision.
On February 9, the Central Administrative Court ruled that the changing of bid criteria was unlawful.
On July 7, the Administrative Court ruled that the cancellation of the first bid was also unlawful.
However, the two court rulings did not touch the on-going new bids being invited by the MRTA. Observers believe that the new bid also would later be nullified by the court.
Porsche has sustained strong delivery figures in the first half of 2022, despite a number of challenges. Overall, the sports car manufacturer delivered 145,860 vehicles to customers around the world between January and June, a decline of 5 per cent over the previous year.
“We and our dealers have successfully navigated a first half-year shaped by external factors and uncertainties,” says Detlev von Platen, Board Member for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG.
“In addition to the difficulties posed by the resurgence of the COVID pandemic in China and other markets, ongoing supply-chain and logistics-related challenges have accompanied us. At the same time, the desirability of our brand and the popularity of our products remain strong. We expect the second half-year to be dynamic. As in previous years, we are optimistic about the future and determined to go full steam ahead with the remaining months of the year,” adds von Platen.
Growth in Germany and Europe
The worldwide market situations of the first half-year were varied and the delivery figures for the different regions and markets are therefore heterogeneous.
In Europe, the number of vehicle deliveries rose to 43,087. That’s a year-on-year increase of 7 per cent over what was already a strong period. The same applies to the home market of Germany. 13,785 deliveries in the first six months of 2022 represent a 5 per cent gain year on year.
In China, Porsche was able to deliver 40,681 vehicles to customers in spite of months-long lockdowns in some cities. The decline in deliveries over the first half-year amounted to a 16 per cent drop compared to the previous year. In view of the overall decline in the premium/luxury segment in China (down 23 per cent from January until May), the sports car manufacturer posted an impressive result in its largest single market still.
Overall, 62,245 vehicles were delivered to Porsche customers in the Asia-Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East. The Porsche Asia Pacific¹ region registered a steady 10 per cent increase in deliveries in the first half-year.
In the US, Porsche delivered 32,529 vehicles to customers despite being confronted with delivery and transit difficulties. This figure comes against the backdrop of the strongest-ever half-year in the same period last year.
Cayenne remains the most popular Porsche
Demand remains particularly high for SUV models. A total of 41,947 customers took delivery of a Cayenne.
In second place was the Macan, with 38,039 deliveries. The sports car icon, the 911, was delivered to 21,616 customers worldwide.
The Taycan was handed to 18,877 customers – despite production limitations due to supply-chain bottlenecks, which particularly impacted the all-electric Porsche.
The Panamera was delivered 15,604 times, while 9,777 examples of the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman models went out to customers.
“We are heading into the third quarter full of energy and optimism and, in addition to deliveries, we continue to focus on unique brand experiences for our customers,” adds von Platen.
Bangkok (July 27, 2022) – Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya PCL and its business units) and Grab Thailand jointly reveal the success of their strategic alliance which aligns with the strategy of enhancing the ecosystem and partnership. With the collaboration of Krungsri and Grab, they have provided more than hundreds of thousands of Thai people with the opportunity for financial inclusion.
In their latest collaboration, they officially launch ‘Grab First Personal Loan’, a new financial product catering to the financial needs of Grab users which is easy to apply via mobile app, quick to approve, and offer instant cash with a maximum credit line of 100,000 Baht.
Krungsri and Grab have exclusively formed a long-term strategic alliance since 2020 and have continuously synergized in the development of financial products and services as well as launching a series of promotional campaigns to fulfill the financial needs of all related parties across Grab’s ecosystem.
Mr. Phonganant Thanattrai, Krungsri Head of Retail and Consumer Banking, said “The collaboration between Krungsri and Grab has been very successful in various dimensions including the creation of opportunity for greater financial inclusion and proper technology adoption on financial product development. The lending products under the partnership between Krungsri and Grab has generated over 3 billion Baht of total loans, enabling access to financial products for more than 100,000 merchants and driver partners. The success leads to the extension of collaboration in designing new financial products that better meet the financial needs of Grab users. This time, we leverage the expertise in digital financial products of Krungsri Consumer to develop ‘Grab First Personal Loan’ to cater specifically to Grab users.”
Ms. Nayanee Peaugkham, Chairwoman, Krungsri Consumer, said “Krungsri Consumer as a leader in credit card and personal loan business is pleased to join forces with Grab in launching ‘Grab First Personal Loan’, a cash loan offered by Krungsri First Choice which is outstanding for being easy to apply via digital channels. Any Grab users who are invited to apply for the loan via Grab app can submit the application through UCHOOSE app. The loan is available with a maximum credit line of 100,000 Baht and a maximum instalment payment period of 12 months. Applicants will get the approval within 30 minutes and receive loan transfer without being charged with the 3% cash advance fee within one day after approval. Moreover, customers can check their loan balance, payment amount and payment due date by themselves through UCHOOSE app around the clock free of charge. This collaboration offers an important opportunity for Krungsri Consumer to expand the financial services and loan extension to cover a wider range of customer segments and to further grow our business. We have targeted 300 million Baht of loans within one year after launching the service.”
Mr. Worachat Luxkanalode, Executive Director of Grab Thailand and Country Head of Grab Financial Group (Thailand) said “Promotion of financial Inclusion among Thai people is one of the key business objectives of Grab Financial Group in accordance with the mission of GrabForGood. Over the past three years, Grab has teamed up with Krungsri to move forward with product development and offer a comprehensive range of products to cater the needs of low-income earners who are underbanked such as personal loan and instant cash loan for GrabFood merchant partners and personal loan for driver partners. These partners are in need of revolving funds for managing their business liquidity and day-to-day expenses. Significant increase in loan growth has been witnessed over the years. For this year, in the quest for greater financial inclusion and the extension of our loan portfolio to cover Grab users who are likely to encounter various economic challenges currently, we collaborate to introduce ‘Grab First Personal Loan’ which is developed by synergizing the expertise in data analytics of Grab and the lending experience of Krungsri to serve the financial needs of a broader range of Grab users.
Mr. Vee Charununsiri, Head of Lending Department at Grab Financial Group Thailand, added “Grab First Personal Loan is designed and developed by leveraging new technology, the alternative data derived from the transactions of users on the platform, and machine learning algorithms used for financial behavior analysis, in order to establish a more accurate loan underwriting and approval process and better satisfy user preferences. The loan offers up to 100,000 Baht credit limit at an interest rate of not exceeding 25% p.a. and a maximum instalment payment period of 12 months. Grab users can apply for ‘Grab First Personal Loan’ on Grab app under the menu of ‘Payment’ through which the system will link to UCHOOSE app for the loan applicants to specify the borrowing amount and the instalment payment plan as desired.”
Users of Grab services who are offered to apply for ‘Grab First Personal Loan’ can click the ‘Payment’ menu on Grab App under the category of ‘Financial Services’ and go through the entire loan application process via UCHOOSE app, including identity authentication, sending of supporting documents such as copy of Citizen ID Card, payslip, etc., as well as checking of the approval status within 30 minutes. Money will be transferred to the borrowers within one day after the loan is approved. (Terms and conditions will be as specified.)
Investree sees continual growth in crowdfunding and expects to reach one billion THB target in crowdfunding note issuance at yearend. To support and continue this growth, Investree is in the process of raising Serie A funding round to strengthen its platform as an alternative source of fund for Thai SME as well as to be an investment option for investors during this erratic bear market.
“The number of SMEs we helped to raise fund via crowdfunding note issuance grew 28 times between June 2022 and June 2021. We have raised approximately THB 500 million for SMEs since we received the Crowdfunding License from the SEC., while our monthly issuance grew 10 times YoY quarterly. We are currently on-track to achieve our issuance target for this year” said Natsuda Bhukkanasut, Investree Thailand CEO and Co-Founder.
“We see better than expected result from the investor growth, which further confirmed their trust and confidence in our platform as well as investment return, which currently yields 11.5% per annum.
“As 1H2022 market share, Investree’s contribution stood at 20% of the total THB 1.5 billion crowdfunding note volume and 40% of the total SMEs who use crowdfunding platform to raise fund.
Despite the market share, our strategy, which focuses on SME market penetration, tells us that we still have a long way ahead of us. According to its research published in 2017, the International Finance Corporation estimated that Thailand’s SME financial gap stood at THB 1.5 trillion. The current crowdfunding volume is relatively insignificant when compared to the estimated gap and tells us that there is more that we can do. Let us not forget that SMEs contributed to more than 70% of Thailand total workforce (as of 2021) and approximately 35% of Thailand’s GDP (as of May 2022).”
Worakorn Sirijinda, Investree Thailand’s COO and Co-Founder added “Our continual growth and potential addressable market reassures us that there are still many SMEs that are waiting to be supported. Our Serie A fundraising effort will enable us to improve our platform, making it a “Go-To Platform” for SMEs that need funding and Investors who seek investments that give financial as well as social impact return. We also have plans to expand our service area, for better SME coverage, and grow our ecosystem to ensure future sustainability.”
Natsuda concluded that “Investree wants to grow organically and exponentially, which is why we want our platform and ecosystem too operate efficiently and sustainably. Think of crowdfunding, think of investree.co.th.”
Vault Mark Co Ltd, a digital agency providing one-stop online marketing services, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities to promote career opportunities for members of the foundation.
Kwanmanat Thammasatta, managing director of Vault Mark, said that under this MoU, people with disabilities from the Redemptorist Foundation will be invited to work with the company as customer service officers via an online channel.
“Candidates who can use computer and telephone fluently can work for Vault Mark from anywhere via video conferencing system, providing services to our customers and business partners, such as Cisco, Schneider, Bosch and Fujitsu,” she said. “The company will coordinate with the foundation to report work performance, address problems, as well as provide necessary training to people with disabilities who wish to work with us.”
Kwanmanat added that the objective of the project is to ensure that people with disabilities receive equal career opportunities as normal persons as well as to help them overcome their obstacles with the use of modern technology.
Founded in 1984 by Father Reymond Brennen, the Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities has helped promote career training and opportunities for over 10,000 people with disabilities.
The Administrative Court has revoked an arbitrators’ verdict ordering Advanced Info Services (AIS) to pay additional benefits to National Telecom (NT) under an agreement attached to the mobile service contract.
According to an AIS letter to the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Tuesday, the move came after NT filed a case with the Thailand Arbitration Centre in 2015, demanding that AIS pay 62.77 billion baht in additional benefits for deduction in prepaid mobile service revenue and roaming.
NT also claimed the agreement was not binding between contract parties, causing the telecom to gain lower benefits than those specified in the contract.
On January 29, 2020, the arbitrators ruled that AIS should pay 31.07 billion baht and interest from additional benefits. A peeved AIS approached the Administrative Court on April 22, 2020, asking it to revoke the arbitrators’ ruling.
“On July 26, 2022, the Administrative Court revoked the arbitrators’ ruling, stating the agreement attached to the mobile service contract is still binding between the contract parties,” AIS noted.
NT can file an appeal with the Administrative Court within 30 days, AIS added.
Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd., in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), and Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO: public organization), held a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony for a new environmental project called ‘Solar for Lives’.
In partnership with Thailand’s Public Health Ministry, EGAT, and TGO, Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) has invested 60 million baht to provide solar panel systems, including yearly maintenance, to generate electricity for 40 community hospitals countrywide by 2032.
The solar panels can generate electricity up to a 25-year period. The project will help reduce the hospitals’ carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions more than 17,300 tons over the next ten years. Furthermore, it will reduce the electricity expenses up to 400,000 baht per year for each hospital.
At the MoU signing ceremony, Mr. Eiichi Koito, President & CEO of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) remarked: “As a part of Thai society, we want to see the better lives of Thai people. ‘Solar for Lives’ project has been initiated as our CSR direction ‘To contribute and grow with Thai society’ in three areas: Education, environment, and health. The project will provide Thais better health through supported hospitals while creating a better environment towards carbon neutral direction.”
“Our company has a clear direction and consistent actions towards a carbon-neutral society,” he added. “We installed solar panels at our production facility’s rooftop in Laem Chabang, Chonburi, reducing C02 emissions by more than 6,100 tons per year. Our Outlander PHEV is the most environmentally friendly vehicle, according to the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In addition, we also support carbon emission reduction through 60 Years 60 Rai reforestation project.”
Community hospitals to receive solar panels have been selected based on the recommendations by the Public Health Ministry, their power requirements, and physical structure. Nam Phong Hospital in Khon Kaen province will be the first hospital to be equipped with solar panels.
Dr Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, Public Health Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary, said: “Hospitals use a huge amount of energy for 24/7 operations. With stable electricity from solar panels, community hospitals can increase the efficiency of medical services and minimize the gap in healthcare access for people in surrounding communities. This project can support the Ministry’s missions by creating sustainable energy for hospitals, in line with the government’s strategic direction towards a carbon-neutral society.”
Under the ‘Solar for Lives’ project, Mitsubishi Motors Thailand has recently donated the first solar system to Namphong Hospital in Khon Kaen, while the second solar system went to Phaya Mengrai Hospital in Chiang Rai province.
Besides the solar systems, Mitsubishi Motors Thailand has also lent one unit of Mitsubishi flagship electric car, Outlander PHEVs, to each hospital to be used for their medical services. This environmentally friendly vehicle can provide a maximum 1,500 watts of power for electrical appliances for outdoor activities. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV does not only provide a reliable source of electricity in an emergency or blackout, but it can also be an alternative option for medical personnel who travel to nearby communities in a 20-kilometre range to provide medical treatments, as the vehicle has an electric-only range of up to 55 kilometres in addition to a hybrid range of over 500 kilometres.
Mitsubishi Motors Thailand commits to its environmental goal of supporting Thailand in becoming carbon neutral. There are a number of green programmes in place to reduce carbon emissions throughout all of the manufacturing operations, including Reforestation, Solar for Lives project, and the production of the electric car – Outlander PHEV that made its debut in Thailand in 2020. The company also installed a rooftop solar system at its Laem Chabang factory in Chonburi, the largest manufacturing centre outside of Japan, which can reduce carbon emissions about 6,100 tons per year.
Toyota Khon Kaen (TKK Group) has joined hands with Plus Property in implementing the state-of-the-art security and building engineering system “LIV-24” at 13 Toyota’s service centres in the Northeastern region.
This is an important step for the private sector in adapting modern technology to improve business operations and moving Khon Kaen closer to becoming a full-scale smart city under the government’s ‘Khon Kaen Model’ project.
Kamolpong Sanguantrakul, chief executive officer of Toyota Khon Kaen Ltd, (TKK Group) said “This year Toyota Khon Kaen celebrates its 65th anniversary in serving customers in Khon Kaen, Loei, and Buri Ram. We have 13 service centres in three provinces, aiming to provide one-stop service for automobiles and other transport-related matters. We also offer career development opportunities for technicians so that they can further their training at the international level.”
“Toyota Khon Kaen has been adapting to changes and improving our systems over the years, especially the ‘back system’ which is the heart of our business operation. We seek to implement modern technology that helps improve our efficiency as well as set up standardized administration systems with key performance indicators. This is the reason why we choose the technology and expertise from the LIV-24 team to strengthen our business,” he said.
Kamolpong added that as Toyota Khon Kaen prioritizes customer experience, the company aims to ensure that one-stop service at all branches is of the same standard. “To achieve this, we need a central information centre to collect and analyze customer data and use it to develop marketing strategies as well as products and services that serve customer needs. This centre will also help in system planning to prepare for future business expansion,” he said.
“The LIV-24 team has provided us with specialized expertise in security technology and helped strengthen our basic infrastructure with building engineering system to make Toyota Khon Kaen service centres the best service centres in the Northeastern region. This improvement aligns with the government’s Khon Kaen Model project, which aims to improve the province’s infrastructure in a bid to develop Khon Kaen into a smart city. As a private sector, we are proud to be a part that contributes to the development of the Khon Kaen city through the improvement of the organization, personnel, and environment,” added Kamolpong.
Niramol Direkmahamongkol, senior director at Plus Property Co Ltd’s LIV-24 Living Technology Division, provider of LIV-24 smart security system, said “LIV-24 is a 360-degree, real-time 24-hour security system trusted by Toyota Khon Kaen to be implemented in 13 service centres. Our team has surveyed and analyzed the centres and set up a standardized security platform to prevent possible risks. We have utilized the latest technology in security and IoT (Internet of Things) to maximize the efficiency of service centres’ operations. Our system has helped minimize personnel administration issues as well as reduce the cost of equipment maintenance with 24-hour monitoring and alarming capability.”
Niramol added that the specialized team has been deployed to survey the buildings in all aspects related to security and engineering, and each branch will be graded by a security scoring system to determine a suitable improvement plan. “The technology we use will help reduce human errors and improve the overall performance of security guards. The Guard Tour technology has been implemented in areas that need frequent patrolling and inspection. If security guards fail to visit these areas, the system will immediately alert the Command Centre, after which the LIV-24 team will coordinate with the site supervisor to fix the issue promptly,” she added.
“As for the building engineering aspect, LIV-24 team has installed CCTV analytic and access control systems in the controlled areas or to safeguard valuable items, such as in the storage room to ensure an efficient inventory control and minimize unauthorized part checkout,” she said. “We have also installed the License Plate Reader (LPR) system to scan vehicles entering and leaving the service centres, whereas the CCTV 360 system will take photos of the customer’s vehicle from all angles to compare the conditions before and after service to ensure the highest security. In the showroom, there will be CCTV fisheye cameras that monitor all corners, while sending data to the central information centre for analysis.”
“With the help of IoT technology, LIV-24 system can monitor the building in real-time and can detect any malfunctions immediately, including errors in lighting, air-conditioning, elevator, water pump, air pump, and fire alarm systems. This will help maximize operational efficiency and reduce the risk of equipment malfunctions. It also helps in the planning for building maintenance, fire evacuation drill, and fire extinguisher inspection at suitable intervals. The system can also evaluate risks from external factors to the building structure such as natural disasters, accidents, sound pollution, and dust that could affect the environment in the surrounding communities,” said Niramol.
“With our expertise in the security field, combined with state-of-the-art smart technology, the LIV-24 smart security system can efficiently help TKK Group minimize risks and build confidence among customers who visit the 13 service centers of Toyota Khon Kaen,” she added.
Thais are the top adopters of preventive health habits since Covid-19 emerged, according to results of a regional survey revealed on Tuesday.
Thais are the top adopters of preventive health habits since Covid-19 emerged, according to results of a regional survey revealed on Tuesday.
Conducted by Philips on 4,000 respondents in Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand, the survey found the pandemic appears to have changed health habits of Thais more than those of their Asian peers.
Thais topped the region for post-pandemic uptake of preventive health habits with 51 per cent of respondents prioritising health over work, said Viroj Vithayaveroj, chairman and managing director of Philips (Thailand). The average uptake in other Asian countries surveyed was just 40 per cent.
The survey found that 62 per cent of Thais now read up more on health, compared to 45 per cent in other countries. Meanwhile, the number of Thais who use health devices for personal monitoring has risen by 43 per cent, compared to 30 per cent elsewhere, said Viroj.
The pandemic seems to have encouraged greater prioritisation of preventive health in Thailand than other countries in the region, he commented.
In further good news for Philips’ electrical appliance business, 70 per cent of respondents across the region said they would and use personal health technology and devices to track their general health in the next three years.
When choosing a device, 53 per cent cited the ability to customise it to individual health goals as a key factor, alongside data accuracy (70 per cent), low cost (65 per cent), health tracking parameters (60 per cent), and durability (48 per cent).
Viroj said the regional personal care appliance market grew 3 per cent in 2021. Oral healthcare products recorded the highest growth of 5 per cent.
The company is now integrating business strategies with strong product portfolios to help our Personal Health business grow. Several new products with enhanced functionality will be introduced later this year.
In 2021, Philips generated 17.2 billion euros in global sales and employed about 79,000 people in more than 100 countries.
Thailand’s wellness industry expects to see a boost in the food supplement and exercising segments, but not so much in health foods, an industry expert said.
Asst Prof Dr Patana Teng-amnuay recently said that he expected the wellness industry to gain more customers in the food supplement and exercising segments, as more people are becoming health conscious and are willing to spend time and money to take care of themselves.
“Furthermore, these supplementary products are widely available in modern markets. Meanwhile, exercising businesses will also see more audiences as people are eager to get in shape,” said Patana, who is the dean of College of Integrative Medicine (CIM) at Dhurakij Pundit University (DPU).
“However, the health food sector will see a relatively lower response due to the general belief of people in society that healthy foods do not taste good,” he added.
Patana added that he believed the wellness industry in Thailand still has potential to grow in the future, especially with the government’s policy to make Thailand a destination and hub for wellness and medical tourism.
DPU, as Thailand’s leading knowledge centre in wellness and anti-ageing medicine, is hosting Asean’s largest wellness academic forum “H.E.A.T. Anti-ageing Congress 2022” from August 18-20 at The Athenee Hotel, Bangkok.
The three-day annual international congress will be the sixth time in the series and features the latest industry news and first-hand knowledge on the reversal of chronic diseases and anti-ageing delivered by international medical experts.
This year’s congress will also be a reunion of over 30 speakers from the fields of anti-ageing and aesthetic medicine. More than 600 participants interested in the wellness industry, including to trending fields like wellness management and wellness tourism, are expected to attend the event.
Oiga Vita will speak on “Vitality Project, 3×3 System of Natural Healing”, Dr Narinthorn Surasinthon on “Trend in Medical Wellness Equipment”, and Dr Brian Kunakom on “When Fitness Meets Cancer Survivors”.
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