Siriraj Hospital wins award for smart 5G hospital project #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Siriraj Hospital wins award for smart 5G hospital project (nationthailand.com)

Siriraj Hospital wins award for smart 5G hospital project

Dec 04. 2020Prof. Dr. Prasit Watanapa (left), Dean of Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, receives the CommunicAsia Award from Sanchai Noombunnam, Deputy Managing Director of Informa Markets Thailand.Prof. Dr. Prasit Watanapa (left), Dean of Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, receives the CommunicAsia Award from Sanchai Noombunnam, Deputy Managing Director of Informa Markets Thailand. 

By THE NATION

Prof. Dr. Prasit Watanapa, Dean of Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, on December 2 received the CommunicAsia Awards 2020 in the “Most Innovative 5G Trial in APAC” category from Sanchai Noombunnam, Deputy Managing Director of Informa Markets Thailand, during the “5G Powered Smart Hospital Enabled with Cloud and AI” MoU signing ceremony between the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital and Huawei Thailand.

The distinguished award celebrates the hospital’s achievement in integrating Huawei’s 5G+Cloud+AI COVID-19 diagnosis solution into the hospital’s operations to enhance the efficiency of coronavirus diagnosis and treatment throughout the pandemic. The solution significantly helped the medical staff shorten the wait time of COVID-19 results, while providing a high-speed connection with low latency during remote operations, thanks to the fifth-generation network. The cloud-based system also improved patients’ data collection and resource allocation. Huawei’s tailor-made solutions have proven effective in reducing the workload of medical personnel and helping the country better control the pandemic. 

The award celebrates a fruitful partnership between Siriraj Hospital and Huawei Thailand, under the “Building a Secure, Reliable and Smart 5G Hospital in Thailand” project, that resulted in a revolutionary COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment solution leveraging on the power of 5G, Cloud and AI technology.

The award also recognizes the success of the “5G unmanned medicine delivery vehicle” pilot project, developed by Huawei in collaboration with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital.  The 5G driverless vehicle aims to reduce personnel contact, minimize infection risks, and improve drug delivery efficiency in the new medical era. 

“I am deeply honored to receive this award on behalf of the hospital. At Siriraj, we always look for ways to improve efficiency of medical services and operations,” said Prof. Dr. Prasit Watanapa during his acceptance speech. “I would like to thank Huawei for its continuous support in helping us realize our vision for a 5G smart hospital. We will continue to jointly explore new opportunities in the 5G healthcare field. Together we will bring reliable and efficient medical services to the Thai people,” he added. 

“This is a proud moment for the Hospital, and we are delighted to have contributed to this honor,” said Huawei Thailand CEO Abel Deng. “It is Huawei’s mission to accompany Thailand as it develops a strong, connected healthcare ecosystem through 5G and other advanced technologies and solutions,” he concluded.

Supernap brings Global Web Service cloud applications to Thailand #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Supernap brings Global Web Service cloud applications to Thailand (nationthailand.com)

Supernap brings Global Web Service cloud applications to Thailand

Dec 03. 2020

By The Nation

Data centre service provider Supernap (Thailand) and Hybrid Cloud provider eASPNet (Taiwan) have signed a deal to offer the Global Web Service (GWS) in Thailand.

GWS is a global cloud computing platform that provides services to help businesses grow rapidly and achieve their goals.

The partnership aims to cater to the cloud application needs of corporate clients in Thailand and the Asean region.

Cloud computing market revenue in Asean is forecast to reach US$30.32 billion (Bt915.6 billion) by 2025.

GSB, Social Enterprise ink pact to assist SMEs, start-ups #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

GSB, Social Enterprise ink pact to assist SMEs, start-ups (nationthailand.com)

GSB, Social Enterprise ink pact to assist SMEs, start-ups

Dec 03. 2020

By THE NATION

The Government Savings Bank (GSB) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Social Enterprise Thailand Association (SE) under a campaign to promote small and medium enterprises and start-up companies.

“The GSB will work with SE in designing business training courses for social entrepreneurs as well as providing financial schemes that suit the needs of social SMEs and start-ups in the current economic situation,” GSB president Withai Ratanakorn said.

“For example, we have Bt10-million loans for businesses which wish to expand, renovate or fix equipment at a flat interest rate of 2.99 per cent in the first two years. After that the interest will be at a minimum overdraft rate, or currently 5.9 per cent annually,” he said.

“Those applying for long-term loans under a maximum 10-year repayment plan will be offered a grace period in the first year, 2.99 per cent interest in years 2-3, and then a minimum loan rate [MLR], currently 6.15 per cent annually, until year 10,” Withai said.

“For loans under Bt3 million, borrowers can use the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation as a personal guarantor, while loans more than Bt3 million will require an asset as collateral,” he said.

“So far, applicants in social enterprises have signed up for loans of more than Bt17 million with GSB,” Withai added.

SE president ML Dispanadda Diskul said the MoU is part of the association’s mission, which aims to establish cooperation between its members and partner organisations in promoting Sustainable Development Goals among social enterprises in the country.

“One of the challenges that social enterprises are facing is the lack of funding. Now, the cooperation with GSB will help them progress sustainably in their respective fields,” he said.

“Under this campaign, SE will organise seminars and training courses by experts in social enterprises for its members and GSB’s clients, as well as exhibition fairs to promote products and services of social enterprises,” he added.

BECIS-Symbior secures Bt1.26-billion loan under UOB green project finance scheme #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

BECIS-Symbior secures Bt1.26-billion loan under UOB green project finance scheme (nationthailand.com)

BECIS-Symbior secures Bt1.26-billion loan under UOB green project finance scheme

Dec 03. 2020

By The NationAsian solar power developer BECIS-Symbior has secured a Bt1.26-billion green project loan from UOB Thailand to finance its on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, the firms said in a press release on Wednesday.

BECIS-Symbior and UOB Thailand execs sign loan documents at BECIS-Symbior’s office in Bangkok.

BECIS-Symbior and UOB Thailand execs sign loan documents at BECIS-Symbior’s office in Bangkok.

The deal, which will fund a total of up to 75 megawatts-peak in installed capacity, is the largest portfolio financing in Thailand’s commercial and industrial solar sector to-date, the press statement said.

BECIS-Symbior’s PV projects, when at peak production, will help reduce up to 41,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year, the statement said.

“In addition to supporting the shift to solar power, UOB’s green project finance loan will also enable BECIS-Symbior to expand their ongoing efforts in promoting the adoption of clean energy solutions and providing more affordable and energy-as-a-service solutions for commercial and industrial clients,” it said.

“The collaboration with BECIS-Symbior marks a significant step in sustainable financing for UOB Thailand under its U-Solar programme, Asia’s first integrated solar power platform across UOB’s key Southeast Asian markets. The U-Solar programme is part of the UOB Smart City Sustainable Finance Framework, which guides the bank’s financing efforts to support development of smart and sustainable cities across the region,” the statement said.

“BECIS-Symbior’s mission is to support our customers on their journey to reduce their environmental footprint and to achieve their sustainability goals while reducing operating costs,” BECIS-Symbior CEO Florian Bennhold said.

“The efficient and unique portfolio financing structure provided by UOB Thailand, combined with BECIS-Symbior’s singular expertise in delivering and operating solar PV power plants, enables us to provide the most competitive rates for renewable power to commercial and industrial customers in Thailand. This further cements BECIS-Symbior’s leadership in Thailand as a provider of clean energy-as-a-service solutions,” he added.

“BECIS-Symbior’s green project finance loan from UOB Thailand represents a significant milestone in the development of our business in the country,” BECIS chief executive Kunal Mehta said.

“Partnering with UOB Thailand on this journey not only demonstrates the strength of our business but also reinforces our continued focus on providing a high-quality service and value addition for our customers,” he added.

“Through the UOB U-Solar Programme in Thailand, we have been actively engaging industry leaders who are at the forefront of helping the country transition to a low-carbon future,” said Andy Cheah, managing director, country head of Wholesale Banking, UOB Thailand. “This is part of our commitment to forging a sustainable future with our partners and clients. Tapping our deep knowledge of the solar power industry and financial expertise in structuring portfolio financing, we are pleased to provide BECIS-Symbior with the largest green project finance loan in Thailand’s commercial and industrial solar sector. We will continue to support the company’s ambition and look forward to working with more like-minded companies to drive the greater use of clean energy.”

The UOB Thailand loan to BECIS-Symbior has received the Best Green Loan Award in Thailand, Sustainable Finance, at The Asset Triple A Country Awards 2020, the statement added.

ICC celebrates year-end with big discounts on leading brands #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

ICC celebrates year-end with big discounts on leading brands (nationthailand.com)

ICC celebrates year-end with big discounts on leading brands

ShoppingDec 03. 2020

By The Nation

ICC International is ready to satisfy fashionistas and shoppers nationwide with a big, year-ending sale at the 21st ICC Fair.

On offer will be various men’s and women’s clothing and fragrances from leading brands such as Becky Russell, Elle, Elle Bag, Elle Homme, iiMK, Itokin, Minna, Guy Laroche, Lacoste, Wacoal, BSC, Arrow, DAKS. Prices start at Bt200 and discounts run as high as 70 per cent.

The 21st ICC Fair will be held in the parking area, zone A and zone B of ICC International, Soi Sathupradit 58, Yannawa, Bangkok, on Friday (December 4) from midday to 8 pm and on Saturday and Sunday (December 5-6) from 8am-8pm.

IHG to launch 3rd Crowne Plaza hotel in Bangkok #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

IHG to launch 3rd Crowne Plaza hotel in Bangkok (nationthailand.com)

IHG to launch 3rd Crowne Plaza hotel in Bangkok

Dec 03. 2020

By The Nation

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a landmark franchise agreement with Siamese Asset to expand its Crowne Plaza brand in Bangkok.

The new Crowne Plaza Bangkok Rama 9 hotel will open in 2025, close to the capital’s new central business district.

The announcement marks the first time IHG has completed a franchise agreement in Thailand, as they expand their relationship with long-term partner Kew Green, a franchisee of more than 40 hotels in the UK.

Kew Green has undertaken a joint venture with real estate developer Siamese Asset to bring the landmark deal to fruition.

“This project is the first of its type for IHG in Thailand and made possible by working with Siamese and Kew Green, who bring together the expertise of one of our long-term partners, Kew Green, and local real estate experts, Siamese Asset,” said Serena Lim, vice president of development for IHG, Southeast Asia and South Korea.

This signing demonstrates the continued growth of the Crowne Plaza brand in Thailand, having announced the signing of Crowne Plaza Bangkok Grand Sukhumvit last month, expanding the brand’s footprint to three hotels in the capital. IHG said it is continuing to seek further expansion for the brand across the country as the upscale segment continues to grow.

Kajonsit Singsansern, CEO of Siamese Asset, added that to ensure smooth progress, Kew Green will be setting up local infrastructure in Bangkok, which will be supported by its UK operation who are familiar with working with IHG’s systems and brand standards.

Crowne Plaza Bangkok Rama 9 will be positioned in a mixed-use development – Siamese Rama 9 – which features high-end apartments, office space and a mall. It is located 25 kilometres from Suvarnabhumi Airport and 22km from Don Mueang Airport.

Nestle plans to invest $3.6 billion in climate change fight #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Nestle plans to invest $3.6 billion in climate change fight (nationthailand.com)

Nestle plans to invest $3.6 billion in climate change fight

CorporateDec 04. 2020A bird's nest logo sits on display at the Nestle headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2019. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Stefan WermuthA bird’s nest logo sits on display at the Nestle headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2019. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Stefan Wermuth 

By Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Corinne Gretler, Todd Gillespie

Nestle SA, the world’s largest food company, said it will invest $3.6 billion (3.2 billion Swiss francs) over the next five years in an effort to fight climate change.

The company will plant 200 million trees during the next decade and help farmers and suppliers shift toward regenerative agriculture, the KitKat maker said Thursday. Nespresso, Perrier and San Pellegrino will become carbon-neutral by 2022, with the rest of its bottled water portfolio doing so by 2025.

The food industry is stepping up attempts to burnish its reputation amid criticism for environmental damage and packaging waste. Nestle is already spending as much as 2 billion francs in an attempt to promote more food-safe recycled plastics. PepsiCo Inc. pledged Wednesday to only use recycled plastic in its namesake brand’s bottles in nine European markets by 2022. And Danone, which bottles Evian, has announced a $2.4 billion (2 billion-euro) sustainability investment over the next three years.

“Business leaders can no longer afford to be skeptical and interminably patient,” Nestle Chief Executive Officer Mark Schneider said in an op-ed in Fortune magazine. “We should not expect comprehensive public policy and unanimity to do the job for us.”

Schneider compared the situation to what executives in the car industry faced in the 1970s and 1980s, choosing to invest billions of dollars to make smaller, more fuel-efficient cars that were less profitable.

Nestle aims for all of the electricity at its 800 factories to come from renewable sources within the next five years, and will expand its offering of plant-based food and beverages.

The company will start linking executive board members’ remuneration to climate targets from next year as well as the CEO bonus package, Schneider told journalists.

When Nestle set a target last year to reach zero net greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, Schneider said climate change was one of the greatest risks to the business. The company also aims to reach net-zero in its supply chain, known as Scope 3.

Nestle will offset emissions it can’t reduce at source, using third-party certified and traceable carbon credits, said Magdi Batato, head of operations.

The company said the measures it’s taking will help reduce emissions by a fifth in the next five years, and cut them in half by 2030.

Nok Airlines expects brighter outlook next year #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Nok Airlines expects brighter outlook next year (nationthailand.com)

Nok Airlines expects brighter outlook next year

CorporateDec 04. 2020

By The Nation

Nok Airlines expects to enter positive performance next year, as the government will likely ease the 14-day mandatory quarantine measure to curb Covid-19 infections, the airline’s chief executive officer Wutthiphum Jurangkool said.

The easing of quarantine will result in more travel, which will boost the airline’s load factor to between 85 and 90 per cent from its current 60 per cent.

He said he expects the Central Bankruptcy Court to publish an announcement in the Royal Gazette mid this month allowing the airline’s local and foreign creditors to register for debt repayment.

The CEO said he is confident the airline will succeed in its business rehabilitation and exit the rehab programme in the next three to five years.

The airline is working on cutting costs and boosting revenue to keep afloat. It is studying the possibility of flying from Don Mueang to Roi Et and Nakhon Phanom.

Five reasons to worry about faster U.S. inflation #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Five reasons to worry about faster U.S. inflation (nationthailand.com)

Five reasons to worry about faster U.S. inflation

Biz insightsDec 03. 2020U.S. one-hundred dollar, ten-dollar, five-dollar and one-dollar bills. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Paul Yeung.
Photo by: Paul Yeung — BloombergU.S. one-hundred dollar, ten-dollar, five-dollar and one-dollar bills. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Paul Yeung. Photo by: Paul Yeung — Bloomberg 

By Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg Opinion · Bill Dudley · OPINION, OP-ED 

A lot of people believe that inflation in the U.S. is dead or, if not dead, in a state of suspended animation for the foreseeable future. They could be setting themselves up for an unpleasant surprise.

In official projections and market prices, it’s hard to see any concern about the possibility of excessive inflation. According to the Federal Reserve’s September Summary of Economic Projections, inflation won’t get back to the Fed’s 2% objective until 2023. The yields on different types of Treasury securities suggest that investors expect annual inflation to average 1.9% over the next decade – or an even lower 1.6% by the Fed’s preferred measure.

No doubt, inflation has been very low for a long time, despite extreme monetary stimulus. But is it right to believe so strongly that the trend will persist? I see a number of reasons inflation might come back much more quickly than the consensus suggests.

First, the onset of the pandemic in March and April drove prices down sharply – by half a percent, according to the Fed’s preferred measure (the price index for personal consumption expenditures, excluding food and energy). This has depressed year-over-year readings of inflation. But after April 2021, the lower readings will become the new basis for comparison, and year-over-year measures of inflation will jump.

Second, the development of effective vaccines will allow people to return to their normal spending patterns by the second half of 2021. The leisure and hospitality industry – including restaurants, hotels and airlines – will probably regain pricing power as demand recovers. Sharp price increases might even be needed to balance demand with the available supply, which the pandemic has undoubtedly diminished. These are unlikely to be offset by price decreases in areas that probably will see less demand, such as online streaming (Netflix) and videoconferencing (Zoom).

Third, the lingering effects of the pandemic will make it difficult for companies to meet increased demand by simply producing more with the same people and capital. When the crisis period ends, capital will not be allocated to its most productive uses: Many expansion projects and investments have been suspended and new demand patterns will likely emerge post-pandemic. Also, many workers will have left the hardest-hit sectors, making it difficult for businesses to find the labor needed to expand. Some businesses, such as restaurants, will simply have disappeared, reducing the capacity available to meet resurgent demand. 

Fourth, the Fed has revised its long-term monetary policy in a way that allows for more inflation. Previously, the central bank aimed to hit its 2% target regardless of how far or how long inflation had strayed from that objective in the past. Now the Fed wants inflation to average 2%, which means it will have to exceed 2% for a significant time to offset the chronic downside misses that have accumulated over the past decade.

Specifically, Fed officials have said that they won’t raise short-term interest rates until employment is at its maximum sustainable level, and inflation has reached 2% and is expected to go moderately higher for some time. This means they’re unlikely to respond to any inflation uptick until they expect it to be both persistent and sizable.

Fifth, the government is much more likely than it used to be to support the economy with added spending. Fiscal orthodoxy has shifted: Instead of worrying about rising federal debt burdens, economists now see much greater scope for aggressive action to offset significant shortfalls in demand. As a result, the government probably won’t want to remove fiscal stimulus as quickly as it did after the 2008 financial crisis (a move that led to a disappointingly slow recovery). That said, the Joe Biden administration might not be able to do what it wants if Republicans retain control of the U.S. Senate.

All told, inflation might be a greater danger precisely because it’s no longer perceived as such. Policy makers want to push it higher. Most households and businesses are not concerned about the risks. Once the pandemic abates, those risks will no longer be entirely on the downside. And given how completely financial markets have come to expect low inflation and interest rates, and how much support those expectations are providing to bond and stock prices, an upside surprise could prove nasty.

– – – 

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Dudley is a senior research scholar at Princeton University’s Center for Economic Policy Studies. He served as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 2009 to 2018, and as vice chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee.

Covid-19 will trigger more downgrades, S&P global credit outlook for 2021 shows #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Covid-19 will trigger more downgrades, S&P global credit outlook for 2021 shows (nationthailand.com)

Covid-19 will trigger more downgrades, S&P global credit outlook for 2021 shows

EconDec 04. 2020

By The Nation

The Covid-19 pandemic will continue putting a heavy strain on global credit conditions next year, despite positive news on a vaccine, S&P Global Ratings said in its “Global Credit Outlook 2021: Back on Track?” report.

“Even if a vaccine becomes widely available by mid-year, which we assume in our baseline, the containment of the pandemic will be very uneven worldwide,” said Alexandra Dimitrijevic, global head of research at S&P Global Ratings.

“Until then, the main risk for the first half of 2021 is that further waves of Covid-19, requiring renewed containment measures, may harm a fragile economic recovery and lead to further credit deterioration, particularly in sectors most exposed to social distancing and travel restrictions.”

S&P Global Ratings’ key forecasts for 2021 include:

• With economic momentum fading as Covid cases surge again, we are forecasting a weaker start to 2021, although our 2022-2023 GDP forecast is broadly unchanged. We expect full-year global GDP growth at 5 per cent, down 30 basis points from our previous forecasts.

• For China – first into the crisis and first out – we see GDP expanding by 7 per cent next year as acute downside risks ease and some upside emerges.

• The US and Europe are mired in a second wave of Covid-19, but extensive vaccine purchases lined up by their governments support prospects of a turnaround in the second quarter. We forecast 4.2 per cent GDP growth in the US and 4.8 per cent for the eurozone in 2021. For emerging markets, financial pressures may hamper the pace of recovery.

• After peaking at 265 per cent of global GDP at the end of 2020, global leverage is likely to ease only slightly in 2021, and mostly as a result of a rebound in global GDP.

• With vaccine availability and a rebound in the global economy, the focus in the second half of 2021 will likely turn to the gradual unwinding of extraordinary fiscal support, revealing the extent of credit losses for banks.

• Governments, meanwhile, face the difficult task of balancing the near-term risks of premature austerity with a medium-term need to put debt on a declining path.

• Our rated corporates and governments have a 36 per cent negative bias, pointing to more downgrade potential in 2021. However, our base-case economic and credit assumptions do not suggest a large second wave of changes akin to that necessary in the post-March adjustment to the Covid shock. Instead, changes will reflect the widening outlook gaps between and within sectors and regions. Those hit hard by Covid-19 – such as leisure, transportation and retail – will only recover by 2022 or later; those least affected should be back on track next year.

• Defaults will continue to rise. Even though we expect central banks to preserve very low funding costs through 2021, higher leverage and a large share of vulnerable corporates are likely to induce further defaults, resulting in the 12-month speculative-grade default rate rising to around 9 per cent in the US and 8 per cent in Europe by September 2021, versus 6.3 per cent and 4.3 per cent in September 2020.