Tata Consultancy Services, the leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing firm today announced that the Reminbi currency trading platform for the Chinese inter-bank market, an initiative of China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), a subsidiary of People’s Bank of China (PBoC) has successfully gone live nationwide. The New Generation CNY Trading System (NGCNYTS) is a forward-looking trading system, which aims to incorporate the future vision of the Chinese Interbank market and relevant international best practices. It is designed to meet the fast growing requirements of the Chinese financial market with efficient risk management and real time monitoring systems. It supports multiple trading methods, including special features for market makers.
NGCNYTS is a next generation system providing unified platform across Debt, Money and Derivative Markets. NGCNYTS gained national importance, as it is the primary trading platform for all financial institutions such as Commercial Banks, Pension, Trust & Mutual Fund, Securities firms and Insurance companies in China.
Speaking on the successful implementation of this landmark project, Girija Pande, Executive Vice President and Head, TCS Asia Pacific, said, “We are extremely pleased to successfully deliver the CFETS project built based on our experience in other global markets and in close cooperation with CFETS who have experience in Chinese domestic market. It also provides flexibility to connect with third party front ends and other external interfaces. Deploying in ten markets at a time is a unique challenge which TCS could complete successfully.”
“The project is among the most prestigious venture of TCS in the APAC region, involving a highly dedicated multi-cultural team of over 130 associates spanning a period of more than 2 years. The team will be maintaining the system going forward and enhancing the system for additional markets,” he further added.
TCS’ trading solution at CFETS is scalable and can handle rapid growth in volumes with ease. Due to its scalable and configurable architecture, it also simplifies the addition of multiple financial products thus reducing the overall time to market.
Besides CFETS, TCS has successfully delivered the mission critical trading systems for the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, India, National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, India and Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL). TCS is also the chosen strategic partner involved in maintaining the trading applications at Deutsche Boerse AG, Germany.
TCS pioneered the entry of Indian IT industry in China in 2002 and remains at the forefront of that thrust with 1100 consultants in China and four Global delivery Centres (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin& Hangzhou). In 2005, TCS was invited by Chinese Government to form a Joint Venture to create a large scale global sourcing base in China. TCS China is serving over 30 Global and domestic clients like Eaton, Motorola, Cummins, China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), Guangdong Provincial Rural Credit Cooperative Union (GDRCC), China Trust Bank, Hua Xia Bank.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Last Exclusive Nine West Brand Sale of the YEAR! Savings Up to 90% During December 17-26, 2009
GRI Thailand Company, an importer of international leading fashion brands offers ‘The Last Exclusive Nine West Brand Sale of the YEAR!’, giving a good look for less with savings up to 90% off regular price on variety fashion brands by GRI Thailand at Event Hall on 1st floor of Amarin Plaza during December 17-26, 2009.
Shopping for less payment on fashion style both clothing and accessories from variety brands includes Nine West Ready to Wear, EQ: IQ, Karen Millen, AK Anne Klein, Joan & David, Nine West, Francesco Biasia, Sole Alliance, Kathy Van Zeeland, Steve Madden and Enzo Angiolini.
Shopping for less payment on fashion style both clothing and accessories from variety brands includes Nine West Ready to Wear, EQ: IQ, Karen Millen, AK Anne Klein, Joan & David, Nine West, Francesco Biasia, Sole Alliance, Kathy Van Zeeland, Steve Madden and Enzo Angiolini.
‘Roses of the North’ Charity Exhibition
Flowers can make everyone feel happy…. H.E.Privy Councillor Palakorn Suwanrath and Thanpuying Dhasaniya Suwanrath recently presided over at ‘Roses of the North’ charity oil painting exhibition inspired by Bhubing Palace organized by L’Occitane and Baan Saen Doi Resort in Chiang Mai. The art of mercy rose oil painting exhibition was held at Peninsula Plaza and part of sales went to support schools and hospitals where are needed in Chiang Mai. Many kind hearted celebrities attended the event including Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan, Mr.Harald Link, Arunee Bhirombhakdi, Atchara Tejapaibul, M.L.Sirichalerm Svasti, M.L.Thongmakut and Jarujit Thongyai, Yuwadee and Nidsinee Chirathivat, Dararatana and Toey Mahadumrongkul, Chadapah Snidvongs, Captain Deuntemduang Na Chiengmai, Pimpawan Limpichart, Joy Sopitpongstorn, Panitnuj Bunnag, Piranuj T.Suwan, Sodsoi Chomthavat, Mayura Savetsila, Wanchana Sawasdee and more.
The exhibition showcased of over 70 oil painting of roses flowers by artist and art lecturer Narin Phothisombat. Narin Phothisombat is a talented artist with an art degree from Chiang Mai Technology Rajchamonkol. His painting was inspired by roses from Phra Tamnak Bhubing Rajanives (Bhubing Palace). His painting reflected his pride and passions towards the beauty of nature for roses including Queen Sirikit, Eliza, Rouge Meilland, Queen Elizabeth and Royal Air Force.
In addition there was the charity auction on 2 oil painting pieces. The first one was the painting of Queen Elizabeth which won by Harald Link, CEO of B.Grimm for 120,000 Baht and the other piece on Queen Sirikit won by Arunee Bhirombhakdi for 75,000 Baht.
The exhibition showcased of over 70 oil painting of roses flowers by artist and art lecturer Narin Phothisombat. Narin Phothisombat is a talented artist with an art degree from Chiang Mai Technology Rajchamonkol. His painting was inspired by roses from Phra Tamnak Bhubing Rajanives (Bhubing Palace). His painting reflected his pride and passions towards the beauty of nature for roses including Queen Sirikit, Eliza, Rouge Meilland, Queen Elizabeth and Royal Air Force.
In addition there was the charity auction on 2 oil painting pieces. The first one was the painting of Queen Elizabeth which won by Harald Link, CEO of B.Grimm for 120,000 Baht and the other piece on Queen Sirikit won by Arunee Bhirombhakdi for 75,000 Baht.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Join to travel and experience the ‘Journey of Faith’ with THAI ValuePlus Card
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited launches ‘THAI ValuePlus Card’, a prepaid airfare card to a more affordable journey of faith to cultural travel and pilgrimages to Buddhist landmarks across Asia. The THAI ValuePlus Card offers the traveling to many faith destinations across Asia includes the Republic of China – Hong Kong, Taiwan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Korea, Japan as well as the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment in India and Nepal. The launching event is held at Fashion Gallery, Siam Paragon.
Ms.Ratanawalee Loharjun, THAI’s Director of Brand Management and Commercial Communications Department said ‘the world is now chaotic where more and more people are seeking peace and finding out how to lessen the tense. In view of peak period for faith journey, THAI is proud to be the national carrier of Thailand for passenger satisfaction and trust to variety faith routes. In addition, throughout our business alliances and supports, the passengers will earn an extra convenience to various faith destinations.’
Mr.Krittaphon Chantalitanon, THAI’s Director Area Thailand, Indo-China & The Union of Myanmar said ‘in order to serve traveling demands of the faith market, THAI increases the non-stop flights to Varanasi and Bodhgaya in India to seven flights/ per week, effective since October 25, 2009. In addition, the increasing frequencies to other routes in winter schedule have also been added.’
Today, THAI introduces THAI ValuePlus Card, the more affordable way to reach to wisdom and peace. Passengers can fly to the spiritual journey in nine countries across Asia includes the Republic of China – Hong Kong, Taiwan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Korea, Japan to the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment in India and Nepal. The THAI ValuePlus Card is priced from 9,000 Baht (inclusive of airport tax and charges). The card is available in a package of 2 cards.
Economy class
Bangkok-Colombo, Taipei, Yangon, Hong Kong at 9,000 Baht net / per card
Bangkok- Jakarta, Shanghai, Denpasar at 12,900 Baht net / per card
Bangkok- Seoul, Tokyo, Busan, Osaka at 15,900 Baht net / per card
Bangkok- Gaya, Kathmandu, Delhi, Varanasi at 20,000 Baht net / per card
In addition, there is a bonus coupon of 1,500 Royal Orchid Plus Miles per pack for route Bangkok- Colombo/ Taipei/ Yangon/ Hong Kong/ Jakarta/ Shanghai/ Denpasar. There is a bonus coupon of 2,000 Royal Orchid Plus Miles per pack for route Bangkok – Seoul/ Tokyo/ Busan/ Osaka. For the route to Gaya/ Kathmandu/ Delhi/ Varanasi, passengers are qualified to earn miles in offering distance as Royal Orchid Plus members. For more information, please contact at Tel 0-2356-1111 or visit website www.thaiairways.com / www.thaiairways.co.th.
The launching event also invites guest celebrities to share their experience on the faith journey including Ajarn Paothong Thongchua, a guru on fine arts and archaeological consultant; Ms.Siriluck Maithai, Executive Director of Emporium Shopping Complex, Ms.Saithip Montrikul Na Ayudhaya, Managing Director of A-Time Traveller and Ms. Arunosha Bhanupan, Producer of Broadcast Thai Television.
Ajarn Paothong Thongchua, a guru on fine arts and archaeological consultant said ‘faith is untouchable. Having faith in yourself is a ticket to success. In life something we do either succeed or fail; however, if there is a faith in yourself, it will push you forward and start to try again until the goal is reached.’
Ms.Siriluck Maithai, Executive Director of Emporium Shopping Complex said ‘faith is more than belief, it is the powerful strength. Faith means trusting in something external. It is considered to imply that there is a being or power which create life practicing and shape our destiny. If we understand the Buddha Dharma, faith becomes more intense. It will motivate us to ground our lives in true morality. It is not merely an appreciation of the ideal but a desire to move towards it.’
Ms.Arunosha Bhanupan, Producer of Broadcast Thai Television said ‘strong faith will purify mind and lead to happiness life. People are of varying natures and types, have different demands and passions. Buddhist faith develops through the cultivation of wisdom and deeper understanding of a life that is born with nothing.’
Travel with THAI Value Plus Card to the journey of faith. For more information, visit website www.thaiairways.com / www.thaiairways.co.th.
Ms.Ratanawalee Loharjun, THAI’s Director of Brand Management and Commercial Communications Department said ‘the world is now chaotic where more and more people are seeking peace and finding out how to lessen the tense. In view of peak period for faith journey, THAI is proud to be the national carrier of Thailand for passenger satisfaction and trust to variety faith routes. In addition, throughout our business alliances and supports, the passengers will earn an extra convenience to various faith destinations.’
Mr.Krittaphon Chantalitanon, THAI’s Director Area Thailand, Indo-China & The Union of Myanmar said ‘in order to serve traveling demands of the faith market, THAI increases the non-stop flights to Varanasi and Bodhgaya in India to seven flights/ per week, effective since October 25, 2009. In addition, the increasing frequencies to other routes in winter schedule have also been added.’
Today, THAI introduces THAI ValuePlus Card, the more affordable way to reach to wisdom and peace. Passengers can fly to the spiritual journey in nine countries across Asia includes the Republic of China – Hong Kong, Taiwan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Korea, Japan to the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment in India and Nepal. The THAI ValuePlus Card is priced from 9,000 Baht (inclusive of airport tax and charges). The card is available in a package of 2 cards.
Economy class
Bangkok-Colombo, Taipei, Yangon, Hong Kong at 9,000 Baht net / per card
Bangkok- Jakarta, Shanghai, Denpasar at 12,900 Baht net / per card
Bangkok- Seoul, Tokyo, Busan, Osaka at 15,900 Baht net / per card
Bangkok- Gaya, Kathmandu, Delhi, Varanasi at 20,000 Baht net / per card
In addition, there is a bonus coupon of 1,500 Royal Orchid Plus Miles per pack for route Bangkok- Colombo/ Taipei/ Yangon/ Hong Kong/ Jakarta/ Shanghai/ Denpasar. There is a bonus coupon of 2,000 Royal Orchid Plus Miles per pack for route Bangkok – Seoul/ Tokyo/ Busan/ Osaka. For the route to Gaya/ Kathmandu/ Delhi/ Varanasi, passengers are qualified to earn miles in offering distance as Royal Orchid Plus members. For more information, please contact at Tel 0-2356-1111 or visit website www.thaiairways.com / www.thaiairways.co.th.
The launching event also invites guest celebrities to share their experience on the faith journey including Ajarn Paothong Thongchua, a guru on fine arts and archaeological consultant; Ms.Siriluck Maithai, Executive Director of Emporium Shopping Complex, Ms.Saithip Montrikul Na Ayudhaya, Managing Director of A-Time Traveller and Ms. Arunosha Bhanupan, Producer of Broadcast Thai Television.
Ajarn Paothong Thongchua, a guru on fine arts and archaeological consultant said ‘faith is untouchable. Having faith in yourself is a ticket to success. In life something we do either succeed or fail; however, if there is a faith in yourself, it will push you forward and start to try again until the goal is reached.’
Ms.Siriluck Maithai, Executive Director of Emporium Shopping Complex said ‘faith is more than belief, it is the powerful strength. Faith means trusting in something external. It is considered to imply that there is a being or power which create life practicing and shape our destiny. If we understand the Buddha Dharma, faith becomes more intense. It will motivate us to ground our lives in true morality. It is not merely an appreciation of the ideal but a desire to move towards it.’
Ms.Arunosha Bhanupan, Producer of Broadcast Thai Television said ‘strong faith will purify mind and lead to happiness life. People are of varying natures and types, have different demands and passions. Buddhist faith develops through the cultivation of wisdom and deeper understanding of a life that is born with nothing.’
Travel with THAI Value Plus Card to the journey of faith. For more information, visit website www.thaiairways.com / www.thaiairways.co.th.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Northrop Grumman unloads government consulting unit
Northrop Grumman agreed on Sunday to sell its TASC government consulting unit to the private equity firms Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and General Atlantic for $1.65 billion in cash, in another sign that private equity firms are back to their core business of deal-making.
The sale follows last year's deal by the Carlyle Group for Booz Allen Hamilton's government consulting business.
Northrop began talking about selling TASC, which provides technology con-sulting services, several months ago to satisfy stricter requirements on conflicts of interest facing military contractors,according to a person briefed on the matter. These companies cannot provide consulting services to the government while also trying to sell it products.
Northrop's options included arranging an initial public offering of the unit,selling it to a strategic buyer or striking a deal with private equity firms.
Of those, the last option emerged as the most attractive, allowing TASC to reap additional investment for expansion and for holding onto its management team, led by Wood Parker, the business'general manager and prospective chief executive.
"This transaction is in the best interest of Northrop Grumman's customers, employees and shareholders," Ronald D.Sugar, Northrop's chairman and chief executive, said in a statement."It reflects Northrop Grumman's desire to align quickly with the government's new organisational conflict of interest standards,while preserving TASC's unique organisational culture and its status as the advisory services employer of choice."
Based in Chantilly, Virginia, TASC has about 5,000 employees. Northrop said the unit expected to earn about $1.6 billion in revenue this year.
Northrop said it expected to reap about $1.1 billion of net cash proceeds through the sale. It will use that money to buy back stock.
The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.
Several other big private equity firms have announced leveraged buyouts over the last month, including the Blackstone Group's purchase of Anheuser-Busch InBev's theme parks and TPG and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board's acquisition of IMS Health.
With the improvement of the credit markets over the last year, private equity firms have been able to put their billions of dollars in capital to use. Their investors,who had previously been reluctant to provide the money for new takeovers,are now pressing for more deal-making to see better returns on their capital.
However, even the largest leveraged buyout this year, the $4 billion takeover of IMS, was dwarfed by the sweeping takeovers of TXU and Equity Office Properties in 2007. That is partially because private equity firms can borrow less debt for their deals.
KKR and General Atlantic will receive financing from Barclays Capital,Deutsche Bank and RBC Capital Markets and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board.
Sunday's deal demonstrated some of KKR's efforts to expand its business and become less reliant on outside banks for help. Its KKR Capital Markets unit will arrange a sale of bonds supporting the transaction, having already lined up Highbridge Mezzanine Partners, a unit of Highbridge Capital Management, as the lead investor.
The sale follows last year's deal by the Carlyle Group for Booz Allen Hamilton's government consulting business.
Northrop began talking about selling TASC, which provides technology con-sulting services, several months ago to satisfy stricter requirements on conflicts of interest facing military contractors,according to a person briefed on the matter. These companies cannot provide consulting services to the government while also trying to sell it products.
Northrop's options included arranging an initial public offering of the unit,selling it to a strategic buyer or striking a deal with private equity firms.
Of those, the last option emerged as the most attractive, allowing TASC to reap additional investment for expansion and for holding onto its management team, led by Wood Parker, the business'general manager and prospective chief executive.
"This transaction is in the best interest of Northrop Grumman's customers, employees and shareholders," Ronald D.Sugar, Northrop's chairman and chief executive, said in a statement."It reflects Northrop Grumman's desire to align quickly with the government's new organisational conflict of interest standards,while preserving TASC's unique organisational culture and its status as the advisory services employer of choice."
Based in Chantilly, Virginia, TASC has about 5,000 employees. Northrop said the unit expected to earn about $1.6 billion in revenue this year.
Northrop said it expected to reap about $1.1 billion of net cash proceeds through the sale. It will use that money to buy back stock.
The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.
Several other big private equity firms have announced leveraged buyouts over the last month, including the Blackstone Group's purchase of Anheuser-Busch InBev's theme parks and TPG and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board's acquisition of IMS Health.
With the improvement of the credit markets over the last year, private equity firms have been able to put their billions of dollars in capital to use. Their investors,who had previously been reluctant to provide the money for new takeovers,are now pressing for more deal-making to see better returns on their capital.
However, even the largest leveraged buyout this year, the $4 billion takeover of IMS, was dwarfed by the sweeping takeovers of TXU and Equity Office Properties in 2007. That is partially because private equity firms can borrow less debt for their deals.
KKR and General Atlantic will receive financing from Barclays Capital,Deutsche Bank and RBC Capital Markets and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board.
Sunday's deal demonstrated some of KKR's efforts to expand its business and become less reliant on outside banks for help. Its KKR Capital Markets unit will arrange a sale of bonds supporting the transaction, having already lined up Highbridge Mezzanine Partners, a unit of Highbridge Capital Management, as the lead investor.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
INDEX CREATIVE IN WORLD EXPO TOUR VENTURE
Event-organiser Index Creative Village has joined hands with Total Reservation and travel agency Starbridge to be the ticket sales agent and organiser of World Expo Tour, aiming at generating revenue of more than Bt100 million next year.
This is part of the company's Spider Web Strategy, targeted at extending its event-organiser business to other areas.
Index co-chief executive officer Kreingkrai Kanjanapokin yesterday said it had set up joint ventures with Total Reservation, the ticket-sales firm under Impact Exhibition Management, and with Starbridge. The investment proportion of each JV is 50:50.
Index won the bidding to create the Thai Pavilion at the World Expositin Shanghai China 2010, or World Expo, the world's biggest exhibition featuring the latest architecture, arts and technology of each participating country.
The expo will be held from May 1 to October 31 next year. The Thai Pavilion is being constructed onsite in shanghai at a cost of Bt600 million.
"This World Expo is the biggest one in term of investment size and countries taking part, as well as the closest venue to date for Thai people wishing to experience the world phenomenon. I, as one of the World Expo gurus who have a passion for the event, think this is a good time to organise a tour and sell tickets for Thai people and open the opportunity for them to experience the expo," Kreingkrai said.
The Chinese government and attending countries are investing a combined Bt1 trillion to build facilities for the expo and create pavilions, he added.
He said Total Reservation had been authorised as the sales agent for the World Expo in Thailand. It plans to start selling tickets next month. Index and Total Reservation expect to sell Bt25 million worth of tickets for the event.
Meanwhile, Starbridge - the other partner in the venture - will organise the Fast Track World Expo Shanghai Tour during the exhibition. Index and Starbridge hope to generate revenue of Bt80 million from this activity.
Kreingkrai said Index aimed firstly to target corporate clients and others interested in experiencing the latest architecture from several countries.
"This is not the first time Index has entered the tour business. We used to organise small group tours with people to the World Expo many times in the past. But this is the first time that we have joined hands with tour-agency and ticket-agency experts. This is a project in our Spider Web Strategy, aiming at extending our operations to other businesses. We expect to have more projects under this strategy next year," he said.
The World Expo 2010 covers 3,300 rai in Shanghai, equivalent to 489 football fields. Exhibitors from 166 countries will be taking part, creating 230 pavilions.
The Chinese government expects 70 million people to attend, generating Bt70 billion from ticket sales.
This is part of the company's Spider Web Strategy, targeted at extending its event-organiser business to other areas.
Index co-chief executive officer Kreingkrai Kanjanapokin yesterday said it had set up joint ventures with Total Reservation, the ticket-sales firm under Impact Exhibition Management, and with Starbridge. The investment proportion of each JV is 50:50.
Index won the bidding to create the Thai Pavilion at the World Expositin Shanghai China 2010, or World Expo, the world's biggest exhibition featuring the latest architecture, arts and technology of each participating country.
The expo will be held from May 1 to October 31 next year. The Thai Pavilion is being constructed onsite in shanghai at a cost of Bt600 million.
"This World Expo is the biggest one in term of investment size and countries taking part, as well as the closest venue to date for Thai people wishing to experience the world phenomenon. I, as one of the World Expo gurus who have a passion for the event, think this is a good time to organise a tour and sell tickets for Thai people and open the opportunity for them to experience the expo," Kreingkrai said.
The Chinese government and attending countries are investing a combined Bt1 trillion to build facilities for the expo and create pavilions, he added.
He said Total Reservation had been authorised as the sales agent for the World Expo in Thailand. It plans to start selling tickets next month. Index and Total Reservation expect to sell Bt25 million worth of tickets for the event.
Meanwhile, Starbridge - the other partner in the venture - will organise the Fast Track World Expo Shanghai Tour during the exhibition. Index and Starbridge hope to generate revenue of Bt80 million from this activity.
Kreingkrai said Index aimed firstly to target corporate clients and others interested in experiencing the latest architecture from several countries.
"This is not the first time Index has entered the tour business. We used to organise small group tours with people to the World Expo many times in the past. But this is the first time that we have joined hands with tour-agency and ticket-agency experts. This is a project in our Spider Web Strategy, aiming at extending our operations to other businesses. We expect to have more projects under this strategy next year," he said.
The World Expo 2010 covers 3,300 rai in Shanghai, equivalent to 489 football fields. Exhibitors from 166 countries will be taking part, creating 230 pavilions.
The Chinese government expects 70 million people to attend, generating Bt70 billion from ticket sales.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
THE ORIENT EXPRESS TO ULTRA-LUXURY
In December, Christie's will auction off "the Vivid Pink," a bubble-gumcoloured five-carat diamond with an estimated value of US$5 million to $7 million (about 167 million baht to 234 million baht). But instead of scheduling the sale for New York or Geneva,the city chosen was Hong Kong.
Asia's role in the market for super highend luxury goods is mushrooming, reflecting an underlying shift in consumer spending power that has been creeping along for years,but which received a boost from the global economic crisis.
Christie's and its rival Sotheby's say that in the last few years Hong Kong has emerged as a top location for sales of expensive jewelry,gems and fine wines. Asians have also become major buyers of ultra-luxury goods at their auctions in London, New York and Geneva.
Christie's clear 101-carat Shizuka diamond,for instance, sold in Hong Kong for $6.2 million in May 2008. That sale, and the one coming on Dec 1 of its big pink diamond,"are both great examples showing how important this market has become at the very top end", said Vickie Sek, head of jewelry at Christie's Asia.
In another telling example, Rolls-Royce,which did not even have dealerships in Asia until 2003, immediately received 20 orders for its new $250,000 Ghost when it presented the car in Hong Kong last month - despite taxes that double the price.
More broadly, household spending in developing Asian nations is expected to increase as continued growth, rising populations and improving government health and retirement safety nets reduce the need for families to save.
At the same time, many of the world's economies are struggling to return to growth after the financial crisis. Russia and the Middle East are taking a hit from lower oil prices.And consumers in the world's traditional spending powerhouse, the United States, are weighed down by debt and expected to be much more cautious about opening their wallets for quite some time.
"The United States is in the early stages of a multi-year retrenchment," Stephen Roach,chairman of Morgan Stanley's Asia operations,said in a speech last week in Hong Kong.
The result is a gradual rebalancing in spending power toward emerging nations in Asia - and China, in particular.
Japan, mired in a long economic slump, is a big exception in the region. Recently Yohji Yamamoto, the Japanese clothing designer, filed for bankruptcy protection, and Gianni Versace, the Italian fashion brand, announced it would close its Japanese stores.
But China, the world's most populous nation, has already become the biggest global car market, having overtaken the United States earlier this year. And Credit Suisse forecast last month that China's share of global consumption would overtake that of the United States by 2020.
China's population of "high net worth individuals", those worth $1 million or more,surpassed that of Britain for the first time last year, according to an annual study published by Capgemini and Merrill Lynch in June.
North America, Japan and Germany together still accounted for 54% of the global total, but the authors of the report also predicted that the Asia-Pacific region would surpass North America by 2013. Last month, a list compiled by Hurun Report, a research and publishing company based in Shanghai, found that the number of known billionaires in China had grown to 130 from 101 in 2008.
To be sure, the shift in consumption and wealth is slow, and much will depend on how quickly Asian governments manage to improve social safety networks, stimulating domestic spending. Still, Asia has already seen a large rise in the number of individuals who can splash out in the auction halls of Christie's and Sotheby's.
Buyers at Sotheby's autumn sales in Hong Kong this month spent $7.9 million for fine wines - well above the $6.1 million estimate and above the $6.4 million raised at the Hong Kong spring sale. A painting by the Chinese master Sanyu comfortably beat estimates,
going for $4.7 million to a Chinese buyer
bidding by telephone.
And Sotheby's jewelry auction last Wednesday raised more than $32.6 million, up from just less than $20 million a year earlier. A 28.88-carat round brilliant-cut diamond fetched $4.7 million.
And a "fancy intense blue diamond" went for $5.6 million, just short of the record percarat price for a diamond of that type, drawing applause from those in the hall.
Though some prices remained below their pre-crisis peaks, the results bode well for sales at Christie's in December.
In the mid-1990s, Sotheby's jewelry auctions in Hong Kong raised only about 5% of its total in the jewelry category, said Terry Chu, deputy head of the jewelry department at Sotheby's in Asia.
In 2004, its Hong Kong jewelry auction raised $47 million, surpassing the Geneva auction for the first time. Since then, the Hong Kong auctions have represented about one-third of the total each year.
In December 2008, when the credit squeeze set off by the collapse of Lehman Brothers was at its most severe, Christie's raised $33.5 million at its jewelry sale in Hong Kong,more than at any of the other jewelry auctions it held elsewhere that season.
Asia's role in the market for super highend luxury goods is mushrooming, reflecting an underlying shift in consumer spending power that has been creeping along for years,but which received a boost from the global economic crisis.
Christie's and its rival Sotheby's say that in the last few years Hong Kong has emerged as a top location for sales of expensive jewelry,gems and fine wines. Asians have also become major buyers of ultra-luxury goods at their auctions in London, New York and Geneva.
Christie's clear 101-carat Shizuka diamond,for instance, sold in Hong Kong for $6.2 million in May 2008. That sale, and the one coming on Dec 1 of its big pink diamond,"are both great examples showing how important this market has become at the very top end", said Vickie Sek, head of jewelry at Christie's Asia.
In another telling example, Rolls-Royce,which did not even have dealerships in Asia until 2003, immediately received 20 orders for its new $250,000 Ghost when it presented the car in Hong Kong last month - despite taxes that double the price.
More broadly, household spending in developing Asian nations is expected to increase as continued growth, rising populations and improving government health and retirement safety nets reduce the need for families to save.
At the same time, many of the world's economies are struggling to return to growth after the financial crisis. Russia and the Middle East are taking a hit from lower oil prices.And consumers in the world's traditional spending powerhouse, the United States, are weighed down by debt and expected to be much more cautious about opening their wallets for quite some time.
"The United States is in the early stages of a multi-year retrenchment," Stephen Roach,chairman of Morgan Stanley's Asia operations,said in a speech last week in Hong Kong.
The result is a gradual rebalancing in spending power toward emerging nations in Asia - and China, in particular.
Japan, mired in a long economic slump, is a big exception in the region. Recently Yohji Yamamoto, the Japanese clothing designer, filed for bankruptcy protection, and Gianni Versace, the Italian fashion brand, announced it would close its Japanese stores.
But China, the world's most populous nation, has already become the biggest global car market, having overtaken the United States earlier this year. And Credit Suisse forecast last month that China's share of global consumption would overtake that of the United States by 2020.
China's population of "high net worth individuals", those worth $1 million or more,surpassed that of Britain for the first time last year, according to an annual study published by Capgemini and Merrill Lynch in June.
North America, Japan and Germany together still accounted for 54% of the global total, but the authors of the report also predicted that the Asia-Pacific region would surpass North America by 2013. Last month, a list compiled by Hurun Report, a research and publishing company based in Shanghai, found that the number of known billionaires in China had grown to 130 from 101 in 2008.
To be sure, the shift in consumption and wealth is slow, and much will depend on how quickly Asian governments manage to improve social safety networks, stimulating domestic spending. Still, Asia has already seen a large rise in the number of individuals who can splash out in the auction halls of Christie's and Sotheby's.
Buyers at Sotheby's autumn sales in Hong Kong this month spent $7.9 million for fine wines - well above the $6.1 million estimate and above the $6.4 million raised at the Hong Kong spring sale. A painting by the Chinese master Sanyu comfortably beat estimates,
going for $4.7 million to a Chinese buyer
bidding by telephone.
And Sotheby's jewelry auction last Wednesday raised more than $32.6 million, up from just less than $20 million a year earlier. A 28.88-carat round brilliant-cut diamond fetched $4.7 million.
And a "fancy intense blue diamond" went for $5.6 million, just short of the record percarat price for a diamond of that type, drawing applause from those in the hall.
Though some prices remained below their pre-crisis peaks, the results bode well for sales at Christie's in December.
In the mid-1990s, Sotheby's jewelry auctions in Hong Kong raised only about 5% of its total in the jewelry category, said Terry Chu, deputy head of the jewelry department at Sotheby's in Asia.
In 2004, its Hong Kong jewelry auction raised $47 million, surpassing the Geneva auction for the first time. Since then, the Hong Kong auctions have represented about one-third of the total each year.
In December 2008, when the credit squeeze set off by the collapse of Lehman Brothers was at its most severe, Christie's raised $33.5 million at its jewelry sale in Hong Kong,more than at any of the other jewelry auctions it held elsewhere that season.
THE DESIGN CONSULTANT
FACT BOX Anon Pairot,30, is the founder of Anon Pairot Design Studio (www.anonpairot.com)and a design consultant.His upcoming exhibits will be on display at Bangkok Design Festival 2009 (Oct 12-18, Bangkok Art and Culture Center)and at Bangkok International Gift Fair and Bangkok International Houseware Fair 2009(BIG+BIH)(Oct 13-18, Impact Challenger).
HOW ESSENTIAL IS DESIGN CONSULTANCY?A designer is like a hairdresser. When a client needs us to help with a design solution, we need to get our hands on the work. I believe, these days, with a changing business structure, suppliers no longer simply supply materials - the
first thing is to educate people. People can produce OTOP products, but again, do they know how to run a business, how to export their merchandise, how to fill in customs forms? Before we force something upon the people, we need to educate them as well.GTo see an extended interview with Anon visit gurubangkok.com.y're supplying something with a design. What I do is, primarily to design, and secondly to research and to come up with solutions. Each case is different it's like a hairdresser working with different conditions of hair. So that's our work, to find the best solution for them.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF BUSINESS AND ART?Yes it is. I believe the work for an architect or a designer is an integration of different fields. The one who can cook best makes the best dish. It's not just about designing - it involves news, current updates, culture.Art-wise, we love to work because it allows us to think positively. We are, at the same time, hopeful for everyone involved - from the entrepreneur to the supplier, to the worker - that we can come up with the best design solution.
WHY IS THAILAND'S DESIGN INDUSTRY NOT THRIVING AS MUCH AS IN SOME OTHER COUNTRIES?I started designing and entering competitions in my college days. I'd say, I'm lucky to have learned from the experiences, from the experts at the Department of Export Promotion. If I didn't know what business is, what national structure is, I wouldn't have understood the difference between our products and those of other countries. The worth is just different, and that reflects a lot of factors from the business per se,the culture, the lifestyle, the history of each country. So if we say we
can make a bag exactly like Louis Vuitton,why doesn't it sell equally as well? That's because there are many differences.History can't change; a business profile can't change. People don't just buy an object. Again, it goes back to education.
SO WILL "CREATIVE ECONOMY" WORK?We have to go back to "who knows what 'creative economy' is?" It's like eating instant noodles. But do you know why we need to have instant noodles? What's the purpose of them when we have cheap street food everywhere? So the first thing is to educate people. People can produce OTOP products, but again, do they know how to run a business, how to export their merchandise, how to fill in customs forms? Before we force something upon the people, we need to educate them as well.
HOW ESSENTIAL IS DESIGN CONSULTANCY?A designer is like a hairdresser. When a client needs us to help with a design solution, we need to get our hands on the work. I believe, these days, with a changing business structure, suppliers no longer simply supply materials - the
first thing is to educate people. People can produce OTOP products, but again, do they know how to run a business, how to export their merchandise, how to fill in customs forms? Before we force something upon the people, we need to educate them as well.GTo see an extended interview with Anon visit gurubangkok.com.y're supplying something with a design. What I do is, primarily to design, and secondly to research and to come up with solutions. Each case is different it's like a hairdresser working with different conditions of hair. So that's our work, to find the best solution for them.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF BUSINESS AND ART?Yes it is. I believe the work for an architect or a designer is an integration of different fields. The one who can cook best makes the best dish. It's not just about designing - it involves news, current updates, culture.Art-wise, we love to work because it allows us to think positively. We are, at the same time, hopeful for everyone involved - from the entrepreneur to the supplier, to the worker - that we can come up with the best design solution.
WHY IS THAILAND'S DESIGN INDUSTRY NOT THRIVING AS MUCH AS IN SOME OTHER COUNTRIES?I started designing and entering competitions in my college days. I'd say, I'm lucky to have learned from the experiences, from the experts at the Department of Export Promotion. If I didn't know what business is, what national structure is, I wouldn't have understood the difference between our products and those of other countries. The worth is just different, and that reflects a lot of factors from the business per se,the culture, the lifestyle, the history of each country. So if we say we
can make a bag exactly like Louis Vuitton,why doesn't it sell equally as well? That's because there are many differences.History can't change; a business profile can't change. People don't just buy an object. Again, it goes back to education.
SO WILL "CREATIVE ECONOMY" WORK?We have to go back to "who knows what 'creative economy' is?" It's like eating instant noodles. But do you know why we need to have instant noodles? What's the purpose of them when we have cheap street food everywhere? So the first thing is to educate people. People can produce OTOP products, but again, do they know how to run a business, how to export their merchandise, how to fill in customs forms? Before we force something upon the people, we need to educate them as well.
BRIDAL BANQUETS BY THE BEACH
For decades, Thailand has been one of the most popular destinations for honeymooners around the wourld. Thanks to the country's geographical location and convenient access points that make it easily accessible from the US, Europe and Asia, the kingdom is blessed with a diversity of destinations that can be enjoyed at anytime of theyear. Throw in its cultural aspects and a few fun quirks and it's easy to see why Thailand has also becom a popular place for lovers to exchange vows. Growing alongside that popularity is the prufessinal wedding service offered by boyh independent studios and luxurious hotel chains. Among many famous locations, one new option for the soon-to-be-married is Pattava.
Taking advanage of its vicinity to Bangkok and the mushrooming of luxurious four and five star hotels, Pattaya is now offering mid-range but quality wedding receptons for both local and foreign lovers.
Those who want a cultural setting can choose to go up North for a Lanna style reception, or head Northeast to enjoy a nuptial experience on elephant back, Ocean lovers can tie the knot underwater in Trang and follow up with a romantic, candle-lit party on the beach to celebrate the union.
But the vast majority of couples simply want the "perfect" reception, shich includes a decent meal and drinks, exquisite wedding cake, nice set up with romantic music anc, most importantly, convenience for their gurests.
Phuket, Krabi and Samui have long been big wedding markets, as they all have stunning ocean cackdrops, easy access by plane and professional event organisers from many five-star beachside hotels, They mainly cater to high-end clients looking for an exclusive event.
In Pattaya, couples will find both mid-range to super high-end and everything in between. Prices range from Bt15,000 to Bt 100,000 and cover both traditional Thai and Western style potions.
Pattaya has worked hard to drop its "Sin City" tag and today is recognised as a family resort, It's busy expanding its territory int he wedding market thanks to expanding its territory in the wedding market thanks to its growth and strength in hospitality business. With its four to five-star hotel chains booming, ti attracts not only the higher-end vacationers and MICE groups but also wedding cuples who want convenient, quality reception in reasonable prices.
Amari Orchid Resort & Tower in Pattay has been a pioneer in wedding business. For the third consecutive year, the hotel organised its Wedding Fair last weekend at Central Festival Pattaya Beach. The hotel offers a special wdding package and has now introduced a range of professionsl services from wedding planners, aestheitc spas. wdding dress designers and jewellers. The hotel also has additional packages for honeymoon and spa pampering after the wdding.
"What we've been trying to do is tio fill the demand in Pattaya's wdding market." David cumming, General Manager, said in an interview after the opening ceremeny on Sturday. "Of course people get masrried here, both the Thais and the foreigners that live here, but it's not professionally organised. We're running a hotel business, we have the facilties and we have the manpower, we can cater to that."
For teh first year, the fair claimed 26 weddings at the hotel and the figure went up to 45 last year. Amari hopes to double that number during the upcoming high season, While other hotel cahins in Pattaya slowly pick up on the wedding market, Amari ranks weedings as important as vacations and other functions.
"What we do is the ensure the couple that they'ss get what they pay for, and they'll get the best for their money. We set up the banquets, full scale, for them to see, And we guarantee that they will get exactly what they choose on their wedding day. We sell the promise, and we deliver it." Cumming confirmed.
Taking advanage of its vicinity to Bangkok and the mushrooming of luxurious four and five star hotels, Pattaya is now offering mid-range but quality wedding receptons for both local and foreign lovers.
Those who want a cultural setting can choose to go up North for a Lanna style reception, or head Northeast to enjoy a nuptial experience on elephant back, Ocean lovers can tie the knot underwater in Trang and follow up with a romantic, candle-lit party on the beach to celebrate the union.
But the vast majority of couples simply want the "perfect" reception, shich includes a decent meal and drinks, exquisite wedding cake, nice set up with romantic music anc, most importantly, convenience for their gurests.
Phuket, Krabi and Samui have long been big wedding markets, as they all have stunning ocean cackdrops, easy access by plane and professional event organisers from many five-star beachside hotels, They mainly cater to high-end clients looking for an exclusive event.
In Pattaya, couples will find both mid-range to super high-end and everything in between. Prices range from Bt15,000 to Bt 100,000 and cover both traditional Thai and Western style potions.
Pattaya has worked hard to drop its "Sin City" tag and today is recognised as a family resort, It's busy expanding its territory int he wedding market thanks to expanding its territory in the wedding market thanks to its growth and strength in hospitality business. With its four to five-star hotel chains booming, ti attracts not only the higher-end vacationers and MICE groups but also wedding cuples who want convenient, quality reception in reasonable prices.
Amari Orchid Resort & Tower in Pattay has been a pioneer in wedding business. For the third consecutive year, the hotel organised its Wedding Fair last weekend at Central Festival Pattaya Beach. The hotel offers a special wdding package and has now introduced a range of professionsl services from wedding planners, aestheitc spas. wdding dress designers and jewellers. The hotel also has additional packages for honeymoon and spa pampering after the wdding.
"What we've been trying to do is tio fill the demand in Pattaya's wdding market." David cumming, General Manager, said in an interview after the opening ceremeny on Sturday. "Of course people get masrried here, both the Thais and the foreigners that live here, but it's not professionally organised. We're running a hotel business, we have the facilties and we have the manpower, we can cater to that."
For teh first year, the fair claimed 26 weddings at the hotel and the figure went up to 45 last year. Amari hopes to double that number during the upcoming high season, While other hotel cahins in Pattaya slowly pick up on the wedding market, Amari ranks weedings as important as vacations and other functions.
"What we do is the ensure the couple that they'ss get what they pay for, and they'll get the best for their money. We set up the banquets, full scale, for them to see, And we guarantee that they will get exactly what they choose on their wedding day. We sell the promise, and we deliver it." Cumming confirmed.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Adecco boosts high-margin business with MPS deal
Adecco, the world's largest staffing company, is buying American rival MPS Group for $1.3 billion, boosting its high-margin and more recessionresilient professional staffing business.
Adecco also said it was launching a 900 million Swiss franc ($888 million)mandatory convertible bond to accommodate the cash deal, though one rating agency promptly put its investment grade credit rating on watch.
This deal, plus the recent acquisition of Britain's Spring Group, means close to 25% of group revenues will be generated in the more lucrative professional staffing arena, up from 17% in 2008.
"We are delighted to have MPS Group become part of the Adecco Group, in a move that will see Adecco taking the worldwide lead in professional staffing,"CEO Patrick De Maeseneire said in a statement, who later added that this was the last big acquisition on the cards.
Adecco also sounded a more upbeat tone on its trading environment, saying market conditions had improved during the third quarter. The group will post quarterly figures on Nov 5.
"This acquisition is fully in line with Adecco's strategy to strengthen its professional staffing business, which offers higher margins and more attractive growth opportunities," Helvea analyst Chris Burger said in a note.
The move marks a significant coup for De Maeseneire who took over the helm in June from Dieter Scheiff. Adecco failed last year in its bid to buy professional staffing group Michael Page, which many believed was the reason behind Scheiff's departure.
"After the unsuccessful try to take over Michael Page, MPS Group was chosen, which has a similar, or even slightly bigger, size in terms of sales,"Burger said, adding the deal put Adecco ahead of rival Robert Half in professional staffing.
Adecco would now focus on organic growth, De Maeseneire told Reuters."The big acquisitions are done now," he said."We now have a strong platform to grow organically."
MPS Group's board of directors has unanimously backed Adecco's offer of $13.80 per share, which represents a premium of 24% over the Florida-based company's last closing price.
Standard & Poor's said yesterday it had placed its BBB rating on Adecco on CreditWatch with negative implications as a result of the deal.
But chief financial officer Dominik de Daniel said he was confident Adecco would be able to keep its investment grade rating thanks to the convertible mandatory bond offering.
The MPS deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2010.
Adecco's news comes as Dutch group Randstad NV said Britain's NorthgateArinso was buying its human resources services unit Cian.
Adecco also said it was launching a 900 million Swiss franc ($888 million)mandatory convertible bond to accommodate the cash deal, though one rating agency promptly put its investment grade credit rating on watch.
This deal, plus the recent acquisition of Britain's Spring Group, means close to 25% of group revenues will be generated in the more lucrative professional staffing arena, up from 17% in 2008.
"We are delighted to have MPS Group become part of the Adecco Group, in a move that will see Adecco taking the worldwide lead in professional staffing,"CEO Patrick De Maeseneire said in a statement, who later added that this was the last big acquisition on the cards.
Adecco also sounded a more upbeat tone on its trading environment, saying market conditions had improved during the third quarter. The group will post quarterly figures on Nov 5.
"This acquisition is fully in line with Adecco's strategy to strengthen its professional staffing business, which offers higher margins and more attractive growth opportunities," Helvea analyst Chris Burger said in a note.
The move marks a significant coup for De Maeseneire who took over the helm in June from Dieter Scheiff. Adecco failed last year in its bid to buy professional staffing group Michael Page, which many believed was the reason behind Scheiff's departure.
"After the unsuccessful try to take over Michael Page, MPS Group was chosen, which has a similar, or even slightly bigger, size in terms of sales,"Burger said, adding the deal put Adecco ahead of rival Robert Half in professional staffing.
Adecco would now focus on organic growth, De Maeseneire told Reuters."The big acquisitions are done now," he said."We now have a strong platform to grow organically."
MPS Group's board of directors has unanimously backed Adecco's offer of $13.80 per share, which represents a premium of 24% over the Florida-based company's last closing price.
Standard & Poor's said yesterday it had placed its BBB rating on Adecco on CreditWatch with negative implications as a result of the deal.
But chief financial officer Dominik de Daniel said he was confident Adecco would be able to keep its investment grade rating thanks to the convertible mandatory bond offering.
The MPS deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2010.
Adecco's news comes as Dutch group Randstad NV said Britain's NorthgateArinso was buying its human resources services unit Cian.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
A BUSINESS GOING TO THE DOGS
Do you feel a special connection to animals and have always wished one day you could have a career working with them? Are you tired of a mundane job and are thinking about what you would truly enjoy doing? Or are you looking for a secondary business to work on at weekends in order to help increase your income. If so,then dog grooming could be the ideal choice for you.
"Being a professional dog groomer is such a rewarding career," Anupun Boonchoen,the owner of Dog2Home, a dog grooming school, said."I've always loved dog grooming because it can be a joyful experience for both the groomer and the pet," the dog lover added.
Anupun always dreamed of being a successful dog groomer. To achieve his goal he attended a pet grooming course taught by an American professional dog groomer. With the special grooming techniques learned from the class, combined with some self education,he decided to establish his own dog grooming school. His objective is to provide the training necessary to prepare students with the skills required to successfully enter to the pet grooming industry.
"About 10 years ago, it was hard to find a dog grooming school in Thailand. However,if one wants to be a professional dog groomer,I think it's very important to attend a school because they will be taught the correct way to groom dogs," Anupun said.
Being trained to be a professional dog groomer
Located in the Don Muang area, Anupun's dog grooming school offers several courses such as Colouring Dog Hair, Spas for Dogs,the Management of a Pet Shop and Specialised Dog Grooming, with Professional Dog Grooming being the most popular course among students. This is because the course provides fully integrated dog grooming.
"I studied a master's degree in education at Srinakharinwirot University so I was able to design and developed all the courses myself," Anupun said.
On the Professional Dog Grooming course,students are provided with hands-on education and training using the school's modern facilities. They also get comprehensive grounding in grooming dogs, pet hygiene and pet cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
To help students establish a business, special studies on appointment setting, customer record keeping, marketing, tools of the trade and sanitation, are also offered.
"Beginners are always welcome at our classes. We start with basic lessons such as how to handle scissors and clippers properly.When students are adept, we will move to more advanced procedures like proper scissor techniques," the groomer said.
The course runs for 30 days and totals 150 hours. The cost is 28,000 baht and there is a maximum of 10 students. A set of grooming tools is also provided for each student. All class fees include the use of tools and dog training. Applicants must be 15 years of age or have a parent's or guardian's permission.
"During the school break, many young students come to attend our class. They want to be skilled dog groomers and keep their dog well-groomed themselves as well as optimise their free time," Anupun said.
In classes, students learn to groom many breeds such as Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers,Pomeranians and Shih-Tzus. Each dog breed has its own grooming needs. The students will also be trained in many styles of grooming from standard to pom-poms or teddy bear.
"One of the most important qualifications is that students must truly love dogs. Dogs bark very often, play around and mess on the floor. Importantly, students have to deal with aggressive dogs and learn to control them," the teacher emphasised.The road ahead to success
In addition to building up their own business, getting trained in dog grooming and becoming a skilled dog groomer can open many occupational opportunities for students to work in pet supply shops, pet boarding kennels and grooming salons.
"The Thai pet-grooming industry is now thriving. There is a great demand for qualified professional dog groomers to work with veterinarians and animal hospitals and shelters.However, most of our student graduates prefer starting their own dog-grooming business and enjoy being their own boss. Some of them have gone to work as professional dog groomers abroad which generates better income than working in Thailand," Anupun said.m
BUILDING A CAREER
Nipaporn Noja, 28, is the owner of "The Dog Grooming and Spa", a shop located in HomePro, Rama II.Nipaporn worked as a customer relations manager at Toyota Nonthaburi for five years. Even though she liked her job,she found that something was missing. It was not fulfilling.
She is a pet lover and owns three dogs and five cats. So she wanted to have an occupation working with pets.
After a serious discussion with her boyfriend, Nipaporn decided to attend a professional dog grooming course. She graduated in September and then she and her boyfriend opened their own pet grooming and pet shop with an investment of one million baht.
"We chose to open the shop where we did because it's packed with people, particularly at weekends, and it's also near my house," Nipaporn said. Meeting customer satisfaction
Nipaporn has always realised that customers are the key to business success.So to attract them, she has tried different methods of getting customers' attention.
She distributes brochures in many places nearby in order to promote her new business. She also implements effective marketing strategies and offers special promotions to customers.
"For every 300 baht spent, customers will get a stamp. If they collect five stamps,they will get a free grooming for their dog," the owner said.
To impress her customers, she also sends them an SMS to thank them,."By doing this, I think customers will return because they like our services," Nipaporn said. A bright future
On weekdays, Nipapon offers grooming for three to four dogs and the number increases to nine to 10 at weekends. She charges customers 450 baht for each grooming.
Nipaporn and her boyfriend said that they don't know when will they get a return on their investment.
"But after just 15 days in business, we have 50 customers. With such a healthy start, we have good reason to expect a promising future," Nipaporn said.
Chareeya Junchuwanitkul, 22, is the owner of Pooterky, a shop located in Wat Dan Samrong Soi 2, Samut Prakan.
Chareeya has always had a love for animals, particularly dogs. She has three of them. In the past, she took her dogs to a grooming shop every week which meant she spent a lot of money on them. And she also learned that finding a good dog groomer is not easy.
After completing a bachelor's degree at Kasetsart University, Chareeya, applied for a dog grooming course because she thought it would not only save her money,she could also earn some money, too.
In May 2009, Chareeya went into partnership with a friend and took over a dog grooming business. Their shop is situated in a prime location close to several communities. They invested 200,000 baht each for tools of the trade and shop renovation.They also have to pay 20,000 baht in rent.They think that they can get a return on their investment within six months.
Chareeya charges customers 300-350 baht per grooming service and serves about 180 dogs per month."The standard price for grooming is 400 baht. But we offer a lower price because we want repeat customers," Chareeya said.
In order to provide convenience for her customers, Chareeya also offers a delivery service to the dog owners' homes for an extra 50 baht.Careful attention to every detail
Chareeya has learned from a former entrepreneur that offering high quality grooming will enable them to survive in this booming business. To this end, they pay close attention to every aspect of grooming, from bathing to brushing and from shaving to claw trimming in order to give dogs a healthy, glossy and well-groomed appearance.
"You know, keeping dogs groomed is not only important for their appearance but for their health as well. Moreover, regular grooming of your dog can help control parasites in addition to improving general appearance," she said.
What the future holds
In her opinion, Thailand's pet-related industries will enjoy strong growth. As a result, Chareeya will broaden her horizons by adding more services.
"We will introduce spa services for dogs in the future in order to meet the increasing demands of our customers," she said.
"Being a professional dog groomer is such a rewarding career," Anupun Boonchoen,the owner of Dog2Home, a dog grooming school, said."I've always loved dog grooming because it can be a joyful experience for both the groomer and the pet," the dog lover added.
Anupun always dreamed of being a successful dog groomer. To achieve his goal he attended a pet grooming course taught by an American professional dog groomer. With the special grooming techniques learned from the class, combined with some self education,he decided to establish his own dog grooming school. His objective is to provide the training necessary to prepare students with the skills required to successfully enter to the pet grooming industry.
"About 10 years ago, it was hard to find a dog grooming school in Thailand. However,if one wants to be a professional dog groomer,I think it's very important to attend a school because they will be taught the correct way to groom dogs," Anupun said.
Being trained to be a professional dog groomer
Located in the Don Muang area, Anupun's dog grooming school offers several courses such as Colouring Dog Hair, Spas for Dogs,the Management of a Pet Shop and Specialised Dog Grooming, with Professional Dog Grooming being the most popular course among students. This is because the course provides fully integrated dog grooming.
"I studied a master's degree in education at Srinakharinwirot University so I was able to design and developed all the courses myself," Anupun said.
On the Professional Dog Grooming course,students are provided with hands-on education and training using the school's modern facilities. They also get comprehensive grounding in grooming dogs, pet hygiene and pet cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
To help students establish a business, special studies on appointment setting, customer record keeping, marketing, tools of the trade and sanitation, are also offered.
"Beginners are always welcome at our classes. We start with basic lessons such as how to handle scissors and clippers properly.When students are adept, we will move to more advanced procedures like proper scissor techniques," the groomer said.
The course runs for 30 days and totals 150 hours. The cost is 28,000 baht and there is a maximum of 10 students. A set of grooming tools is also provided for each student. All class fees include the use of tools and dog training. Applicants must be 15 years of age or have a parent's or guardian's permission.
"During the school break, many young students come to attend our class. They want to be skilled dog groomers and keep their dog well-groomed themselves as well as optimise their free time," Anupun said.
In classes, students learn to groom many breeds such as Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers,Pomeranians and Shih-Tzus. Each dog breed has its own grooming needs. The students will also be trained in many styles of grooming from standard to pom-poms or teddy bear.
"One of the most important qualifications is that students must truly love dogs. Dogs bark very often, play around and mess on the floor. Importantly, students have to deal with aggressive dogs and learn to control them," the teacher emphasised.The road ahead to success
In addition to building up their own business, getting trained in dog grooming and becoming a skilled dog groomer can open many occupational opportunities for students to work in pet supply shops, pet boarding kennels and grooming salons.
"The Thai pet-grooming industry is now thriving. There is a great demand for qualified professional dog groomers to work with veterinarians and animal hospitals and shelters.However, most of our student graduates prefer starting their own dog-grooming business and enjoy being their own boss. Some of them have gone to work as professional dog groomers abroad which generates better income than working in Thailand," Anupun said.m
BUILDING A CAREER
Nipaporn Noja, 28, is the owner of "The Dog Grooming and Spa", a shop located in HomePro, Rama II.Nipaporn worked as a customer relations manager at Toyota Nonthaburi for five years. Even though she liked her job,she found that something was missing. It was not fulfilling.
She is a pet lover and owns three dogs and five cats. So she wanted to have an occupation working with pets.
After a serious discussion with her boyfriend, Nipaporn decided to attend a professional dog grooming course. She graduated in September and then she and her boyfriend opened their own pet grooming and pet shop with an investment of one million baht.
"We chose to open the shop where we did because it's packed with people, particularly at weekends, and it's also near my house," Nipaporn said. Meeting customer satisfaction
Nipaporn has always realised that customers are the key to business success.So to attract them, she has tried different methods of getting customers' attention.
She distributes brochures in many places nearby in order to promote her new business. She also implements effective marketing strategies and offers special promotions to customers.
"For every 300 baht spent, customers will get a stamp. If they collect five stamps,they will get a free grooming for their dog," the owner said.
To impress her customers, she also sends them an SMS to thank them,."By doing this, I think customers will return because they like our services," Nipaporn said. A bright future
On weekdays, Nipapon offers grooming for three to four dogs and the number increases to nine to 10 at weekends. She charges customers 450 baht for each grooming.
Nipaporn and her boyfriend said that they don't know when will they get a return on their investment.
"But after just 15 days in business, we have 50 customers. With such a healthy start, we have good reason to expect a promising future," Nipaporn said.
Chareeya Junchuwanitkul, 22, is the owner of Pooterky, a shop located in Wat Dan Samrong Soi 2, Samut Prakan.
Chareeya has always had a love for animals, particularly dogs. She has three of them. In the past, she took her dogs to a grooming shop every week which meant she spent a lot of money on them. And she also learned that finding a good dog groomer is not easy.
After completing a bachelor's degree at Kasetsart University, Chareeya, applied for a dog grooming course because she thought it would not only save her money,she could also earn some money, too.
In May 2009, Chareeya went into partnership with a friend and took over a dog grooming business. Their shop is situated in a prime location close to several communities. They invested 200,000 baht each for tools of the trade and shop renovation.They also have to pay 20,000 baht in rent.They think that they can get a return on their investment within six months.
Chareeya charges customers 300-350 baht per grooming service and serves about 180 dogs per month."The standard price for grooming is 400 baht. But we offer a lower price because we want repeat customers," Chareeya said.
In order to provide convenience for her customers, Chareeya also offers a delivery service to the dog owners' homes for an extra 50 baht.Careful attention to every detail
Chareeya has learned from a former entrepreneur that offering high quality grooming will enable them to survive in this booming business. To this end, they pay close attention to every aspect of grooming, from bathing to brushing and from shaving to claw trimming in order to give dogs a healthy, glossy and well-groomed appearance.
"You know, keeping dogs groomed is not only important for their appearance but for their health as well. Moreover, regular grooming of your dog can help control parasites in addition to improving general appearance," she said.
What the future holds
In her opinion, Thailand's pet-related industries will enjoy strong growth. As a result, Chareeya will broaden her horizons by adding more services.
"We will introduce spa services for dogs in the future in order to meet the increasing demands of our customers," she said.
Monday, September 28, 2009
BRIDAL BANQUETS BY THE BEACH
For decades, Thailand has been one of the most popular destinations for honeymooners around the wourld. Thanks to the country's geographical location and convenient access points that make it easily accessible from the US, Europe and Asia, the kingdom is blessed with a diversity of destinations that can be enjoyed at anytime of theyear. Throw in its cultural aspects and a few fun quirks and it's easy to see why Thailand has also becom a popular place for lovers to exchange vows. Growing alongside that popularity is the prufessinal wedding service offered by boyh independent studios and luxurious hotel chains. Among many famous locations, one new option for the soon-to-be-married is Pattava.
Taking advanage of its vicinity to Bangkok and the mushrooming of luxurious four and five star hotels, Pattaya is now offering mid-range but quality wedding receptons for both local and foreign lovers.
Those who want a cultural setting can choose to go up North for a Lanna style reception, or head Northeast to enjoy a nuptial experience on elephant back, Ocean lovers can tie the knot underwater in Trang and follow up with a romantic, candle-lit party on the beach to celebrate the union.
But the vast majority of couples simply want the "perfect" reception, shich includes a decent meal and drinks, exquisite wedding cake, nice set up with romantic music anc, most importantly, convenience for their gurests.
Phuket, Krabi and Samui have long been big wedding markets, as they all have stunning ocean cackdrops, easy access by plane and professional event organisers from many five-star beachside hotels, They mainly cater to high-end clients looking for an exclusive event.
In Pattaya, couples will find both mid-range to super high-end and everything in between. Prices range from Bt15,000 to Bt 100,000 and cover both traditional Thai and Western style potions.
Pattaya has worked hard to drop its "Sin City" tag and today is recognised as a family resort, It's busy expanding its territory int he wedding market thanks to expanding its territory in the wedding market thanks to its growth and strength in hospitality business. With its four to five-star hotel chains booming, ti attracts not only the higher-end vacationers and MICE groups but also wedding cuples who want convenient, quality reception in reasonable prices.
Amari Orchid Resort & Tower in Pattay has been a pioneer in wedding business. For the third consecutive year, the hotel organised its Wedding Fair last weekend at Central Festival Pattaya Beach. The hotel offers a special wdding package and has now introduced a range of professionsl services from wedding planners, aestheitc spas. wdding dress designers and jewellers. The hotel also has additional packages for honeymoon and spa pampering after the wdding.
"What we've been trying to do is tio fill the demand in Pattaya's wdding market." David cumming, General Manager, said in an interview after the opening ceremeny on Sturday. "Of course people get masrried here, both the Thais and the foreigners that live here, but it's not professionally organised. We're running a hotel business, we have the facilties and we have the manpower, we can cater to that."
For teh first year, the fair claimed 26 weddings at the hotel and the figure went up to 45 last year. Amari hopes to double that number during the upcoming high season, While other hotel cahins in Pattaya slowly pick up on the wedding market, Amari ranks weedings as important as vacations and other functions.
"What we do is the ensure the couple that they'ss get what they pay for, and they'll get the best for their money. We set up the banquets, full scale, for them to see, And we guarantee that they will get exactly what they choose on their wedding day. We sell the promise, and we deliver it." Cumming confirmed.
Taking advanage of its vicinity to Bangkok and the mushrooming of luxurious four and five star hotels, Pattaya is now offering mid-range but quality wedding receptons for both local and foreign lovers.
Those who want a cultural setting can choose to go up North for a Lanna style reception, or head Northeast to enjoy a nuptial experience on elephant back, Ocean lovers can tie the knot underwater in Trang and follow up with a romantic, candle-lit party on the beach to celebrate the union.
But the vast majority of couples simply want the "perfect" reception, shich includes a decent meal and drinks, exquisite wedding cake, nice set up with romantic music anc, most importantly, convenience for their gurests.
Phuket, Krabi and Samui have long been big wedding markets, as they all have stunning ocean cackdrops, easy access by plane and professional event organisers from many five-star beachside hotels, They mainly cater to high-end clients looking for an exclusive event.
In Pattaya, couples will find both mid-range to super high-end and everything in between. Prices range from Bt15,000 to Bt 100,000 and cover both traditional Thai and Western style potions.
Pattaya has worked hard to drop its "Sin City" tag and today is recognised as a family resort, It's busy expanding its territory int he wedding market thanks to expanding its territory in the wedding market thanks to its growth and strength in hospitality business. With its four to five-star hotel chains booming, ti attracts not only the higher-end vacationers and MICE groups but also wedding cuples who want convenient, quality reception in reasonable prices.
Amari Orchid Resort & Tower in Pattay has been a pioneer in wedding business. For the third consecutive year, the hotel organised its Wedding Fair last weekend at Central Festival Pattaya Beach. The hotel offers a special wdding package and has now introduced a range of professionsl services from wedding planners, aestheitc spas. wdding dress designers and jewellers. The hotel also has additional packages for honeymoon and spa pampering after the wdding.
"What we've been trying to do is tio fill the demand in Pattaya's wdding market." David cumming, General Manager, said in an interview after the opening ceremeny on Sturday. "Of course people get masrried here, both the Thais and the foreigners that live here, but it's not professionally organised. We're running a hotel business, we have the facilties and we have the manpower, we can cater to that."
For teh first year, the fair claimed 26 weddings at the hotel and the figure went up to 45 last year. Amari hopes to double that number during the upcoming high season, While other hotel cahins in Pattaya slowly pick up on the wedding market, Amari ranks weedings as important as vacations and other functions.
"What we do is the ensure the couple that they'ss get what they pay for, and they'll get the best for their money. We set up the banquets, full scale, for them to see, And we guarantee that they will get exactly what they choose on their wedding day. We sell the promise, and we deliver it." Cumming confirmed.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Jet ski operators ordered to buy insurance
Provincial authorities are forcing jet ski operators on the resort island to buy insurance policies for their vehicles as part of efforts to regulate the business.
Rear Adm Amornchote Sujirat, deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) on Phuket, said the number of rental jet skis on the island would be limited to 219.
The strict new measures were outlined at a meeting yesterday of a provincial panel set up to discuss regulating jet ski operations on Phuket. It was ordered to outline measures to prevent tourists being extorted by jet ski operators. Insurance firms, jet ski operators and tourism agencies attended the meeting.
The move followed the recent distribution of video recordings showing foreign tourists allegedly being ripped off over damage to jet skis on Phuket.The videos were broadcast by a cable TV channel in Britain and widely viewed on YouTube.
Rear Adm Amornchote said the authorities wanted all commercial jet skis on the island to be insured. Only one insurance firm would be chosen to insure the jet skis.
When the details were finalised, Phuket would become the first province to have all jet skis insured.
The committee had met three times to discuss steps to regulate jet ski rental operations in a bid to prevent extortion of foreigners over damage to the vehicles.
As part of the measures, zones will be set up on each beach. Each zone will be supervised by a person selected from among the jet ski operators.
A total of 219 jet skis are now available for rent on Surin, Bangtao, Kamala,Patong and Kata-Karon beaches.
A list of operators and their jet skis will be prepared. Any operator found to extort money from tourists will face tough legal action. Closed-circuit television cameras will be installed on the beaches to prevent possible extortion of tourists.
He said operators and jet ski staff would be required to undergo training on safety measures and safe areas for jet ski operations.
Operators who took advantage of tourists would be blacklisted and they would not have their operating permits renewed, he said.
Jet ski operators from other provinces would not be allowed to provide services in Phuket.
Rear Adm Amornchote said 10 insurance firms had shown interest in the plan.
They would be given 15 days to submit their conditions and premiums to the provincial authorities.
Anusorn Sareh, acting chairman of the jet ski operators club in Phuket, said if the annual insurance premium cost more than 10,000 baht per vehicle it would be rejected by the operators, as their businesses only operate profitably during the main tourism season of about six months only.
Rear Adm Amornchote Sujirat, deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) on Phuket, said the number of rental jet skis on the island would be limited to 219.
The strict new measures were outlined at a meeting yesterday of a provincial panel set up to discuss regulating jet ski operations on Phuket. It was ordered to outline measures to prevent tourists being extorted by jet ski operators. Insurance firms, jet ski operators and tourism agencies attended the meeting.
The move followed the recent distribution of video recordings showing foreign tourists allegedly being ripped off over damage to jet skis on Phuket.The videos were broadcast by a cable TV channel in Britain and widely viewed on YouTube.
Rear Adm Amornchote said the authorities wanted all commercial jet skis on the island to be insured. Only one insurance firm would be chosen to insure the jet skis.
When the details were finalised, Phuket would become the first province to have all jet skis insured.
The committee had met three times to discuss steps to regulate jet ski rental operations in a bid to prevent extortion of foreigners over damage to the vehicles.
As part of the measures, zones will be set up on each beach. Each zone will be supervised by a person selected from among the jet ski operators.
A total of 219 jet skis are now available for rent on Surin, Bangtao, Kamala,Patong and Kata-Karon beaches.
A list of operators and their jet skis will be prepared. Any operator found to extort money from tourists will face tough legal action. Closed-circuit television cameras will be installed on the beaches to prevent possible extortion of tourists.
He said operators and jet ski staff would be required to undergo training on safety measures and safe areas for jet ski operations.
Operators who took advantage of tourists would be blacklisted and they would not have their operating permits renewed, he said.
Jet ski operators from other provinces would not be allowed to provide services in Phuket.
Rear Adm Amornchote said 10 insurance firms had shown interest in the plan.
They would be given 15 days to submit their conditions and premiums to the provincial authorities.
Anusorn Sareh, acting chairman of the jet ski operators club in Phuket, said if the annual insurance premium cost more than 10,000 baht per vehicle it would be rejected by the operators, as their businesses only operate profitably during the main tourism season of about six months only.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
EASING THE PAIN
The loss of a spouse is a sorrowful turning point in anyone's life, but when Suppawan Duangsuwan's husband passed away two years ago,she found solace in art and has since created an unexpected business venture.
She spent three days and nights painting her husband's coffin as her final gift. Her artwork made an impression on many mourners at the funeral and some asked her to paint coffins for their loved ones too.
She opened the Sirimongkon coffinpainting shop in April 2008, where she also sells urns and artificial wood flowers. This later led to her becoming a funeral organiser.
"I understand the stress involved in hosting a funeral because I have been through it. Some people are unable to organise anything as they are very sad,"said Ms Suppawan.
"But I'm willing to be a funeral organiser for them as I have had some experience before. I think this business has large room to grow because the market has just a few players."
There are many coffin shops and each month they sell between 400 and 500 coffins at 5,000 to 7,000 baht, which shows that the market has a high value,she said.
A study in 2006 by Kasikorn Research Center found that the funeral business was worth about 35 billion baht per year, said Ms Suppawan.
A funeral in Bangkok typically costs three times that of one organised in the provinces.
One-stop funeral service organisers attract well-off customers, charging 120,000 to 400,000 baht per funeral,said the research centre.
Sirimongkon's most popular products are painted coffins and urns and artificial wood flowers. But she limits her orders because all products are hand-made and take time to produce.She spends at least three days to paint a coffin herself.
"I have at least two or three coffin orders per month. I plan to expand the business and I'm looking for skilled workers who love this job," she said.
Her coffins are priced from 35,000 to more than 100,000 baht. She plans to soon offer cheaper painted coffins priced at 15,000 to 25,000 baht to capture the middle-class market.
Sirimongkon organises at least two or three funerals a month, charging about 200,000 to 300,000 baht for a funeral lasting five to seven days.
In addition to marketing online at w.sirimongkon.com -and through word of mouth, Ms Suppawan plans promotional campaigns featuring booths at temples and hospitals.
"Many people, particularly the rich,have ordered coffins for themselves and even their loved ones. I am working on a customised coffin. One customer told me what coffin he would like. I think people no longer think that [plac-ing an order while still alive] will bring them bad luck," said Ms Suppawan.
"I love this job. It is artistic work.And I feel good that I can make other people happy with my work. I think it's a way of doing good for other people,while I can feed my family after losing my husband."
She spent three days and nights painting her husband's coffin as her final gift. Her artwork made an impression on many mourners at the funeral and some asked her to paint coffins for their loved ones too.
She opened the Sirimongkon coffinpainting shop in April 2008, where she also sells urns and artificial wood flowers. This later led to her becoming a funeral organiser.
"I understand the stress involved in hosting a funeral because I have been through it. Some people are unable to organise anything as they are very sad,"said Ms Suppawan.
"But I'm willing to be a funeral organiser for them as I have had some experience before. I think this business has large room to grow because the market has just a few players."
There are many coffin shops and each month they sell between 400 and 500 coffins at 5,000 to 7,000 baht, which shows that the market has a high value,she said.
A study in 2006 by Kasikorn Research Center found that the funeral business was worth about 35 billion baht per year, said Ms Suppawan.
A funeral in Bangkok typically costs three times that of one organised in the provinces.
One-stop funeral service organisers attract well-off customers, charging 120,000 to 400,000 baht per funeral,said the research centre.
Sirimongkon's most popular products are painted coffins and urns and artificial wood flowers. But she limits her orders because all products are hand-made and take time to produce.She spends at least three days to paint a coffin herself.
"I have at least two or three coffin orders per month. I plan to expand the business and I'm looking for skilled workers who love this job," she said.
Her coffins are priced from 35,000 to more than 100,000 baht. She plans to soon offer cheaper painted coffins priced at 15,000 to 25,000 baht to capture the middle-class market.
Sirimongkon organises at least two or three funerals a month, charging about 200,000 to 300,000 baht for a funeral lasting five to seven days.
In addition to marketing online at w.sirimongkon.com -and through word of mouth, Ms Suppawan plans promotional campaigns featuring booths at temples and hospitals.
"Many people, particularly the rich,have ordered coffins for themselves and even their loved ones. I am working on a customised coffin. One customer told me what coffin he would like. I think people no longer think that [plac-ing an order while still alive] will bring them bad luck," said Ms Suppawan.
"I love this job. It is artistic work.And I feel good that I can make other people happy with my work. I think it's a way of doing good for other people,while I can feed my family after losing my husband."
Sunday, September 20, 2009
PAKISTANI POLICE STAGE ARMS RAID ON US-CONTRACTED SECURITY COMPANY
Pakistani police raided a local security firm that helps protect the US embassy yesterday, seizing dozens of allegedly unlicenced weapons at a time when unusually intense media scrutiny of America's use of private contractors has deepened anti-US sentiment.
Two employees of the Inter-Risk company were arrested during the raids in Islamabad, police official Rana Akram said. Reporters were shown the disputed weapons -61 assault rifles and nine pistols. Mr Akram said police were seeking the firm's owner.
US embassy spokesman Rick Snelsire said the US contract with Inter-Risk took effect at the start of 2009. It is believed to be the first contract the firm has signed with the US, said Mr Snelsire.
"Our understanding is they obtained licences with whatever they brought into the country to meet the contractual needs," he said."We told the government that we had a contract with Inter-Risk,that Inter-Risk would be providing security at the embassy and our consulates."
Mr Akram said he had no idea about any US links to Inter-Risk, but the company was recently mentioned in local media reports that have been trying to establish the types of private security firms American diplomats use in Pakistan.
In particular, Pakistani reporters, antiUS bloggers and others have suggested the US is using the American firm formerly known as Blackwater - a claim that chills many Pakistanis because of the company's alleged involvement in killings of Iraqi civilians.
The US embassy denies it uses Blackwater - now known as Xe Services - in Pakistan.
Scandals involving US contractors have occurred elsewhere in the region.
In Washington on Friday, the Commission on Wartime Contracting heard testimony about another contractor ArmorGroup North America - involving alleged illegal and immoral conduct by its guards at the US embassy in Afghanistan.
The Iraqi government refused to grant Xe Services an operating licence earlier this year amid continued outrage over a 2007 lethal firefight involving some of its employees in Baghdad, although the State Department has temporarily extended a contract with an Xe subsidiary to protect US diplomats in Iraq.
Many of the reports in Pakistan have been fuelled by US plans to expand its embassy space and staff. Among the other rumours the US denies: that 1,000 US marines will land in the capital, and that Americans will set up a Guantanamostyle prison.
The US says it needs to add hundreds more staff to allow it to disburse billions of dollars in additional aid to Pakistan.
Legislation making its way through Congress will triple non-military aid to Pakistan - one version would provide $1.5 billion (50.5 billion baht) a year over five years in humanitarian and economic aid. The goal is to improve education and other areas, lessening the allure of extremism.
The US considers stability in Pakistan critical to helping the faltering war effort in neighbouring Afghanistan, and has pressed Pakistan to crack down on extremism on its soil.
Two employees of the Inter-Risk company were arrested during the raids in Islamabad, police official Rana Akram said. Reporters were shown the disputed weapons -61 assault rifles and nine pistols. Mr Akram said police were seeking the firm's owner.
US embassy spokesman Rick Snelsire said the US contract with Inter-Risk took effect at the start of 2009. It is believed to be the first contract the firm has signed with the US, said Mr Snelsire.
"Our understanding is they obtained licences with whatever they brought into the country to meet the contractual needs," he said."We told the government that we had a contract with Inter-Risk,that Inter-Risk would be providing security at the embassy and our consulates."
Mr Akram said he had no idea about any US links to Inter-Risk, but the company was recently mentioned in local media reports that have been trying to establish the types of private security firms American diplomats use in Pakistan.
In particular, Pakistani reporters, antiUS bloggers and others have suggested the US is using the American firm formerly known as Blackwater - a claim that chills many Pakistanis because of the company's alleged involvement in killings of Iraqi civilians.
The US embassy denies it uses Blackwater - now known as Xe Services - in Pakistan.
Scandals involving US contractors have occurred elsewhere in the region.
In Washington on Friday, the Commission on Wartime Contracting heard testimony about another contractor ArmorGroup North America - involving alleged illegal and immoral conduct by its guards at the US embassy in Afghanistan.
The Iraqi government refused to grant Xe Services an operating licence earlier this year amid continued outrage over a 2007 lethal firefight involving some of its employees in Baghdad, although the State Department has temporarily extended a contract with an Xe subsidiary to protect US diplomats in Iraq.
Many of the reports in Pakistan have been fuelled by US plans to expand its embassy space and staff. Among the other rumours the US denies: that 1,000 US marines will land in the capital, and that Americans will set up a Guantanamostyle prison.
The US says it needs to add hundreds more staff to allow it to disburse billions of dollars in additional aid to Pakistan.
Legislation making its way through Congress will triple non-military aid to Pakistan - one version would provide $1.5 billion (50.5 billion baht) a year over five years in humanitarian and economic aid. The goal is to improve education and other areas, lessening the allure of extremism.
The US considers stability in Pakistan critical to helping the faltering war effort in neighbouring Afghanistan, and has pressed Pakistan to crack down on extremism on its soil.
Efforts to regulate jet skis to be stepped up
Authorities are stepping up efforts to regulate jet ski operators following alleged scams involving extortion of foreigners over damage to jet skis on Phuket and other incidents.
Phuket officials, jet ski operators and representatives of insurance companies yesterday met to discuss measures to promote tourism in the resort island and to bring jet ski operations into the insurance system to prevent possible extortion of foreigners.
The move came after the recent distribution of video recordings featuring foreign tourists allegedly being ripped off over damage to jet skis on Phuket and other incidents.
Phuket deputy governor Samith Palwatwichai said a committee will be set up to look at the possibility of having all jet skis in the province insured.
Mr Samith said local authorities, insurers and jet ski operators will meet again on Wednesday to thrash out the details of insurance premiums for jet skis.
A total of 219 jet skis are available for rent on Surin, Bangtao, Kamala, Patong and Kata-Karon beaches.
Mr Samith said the provincial marine office had been asked to survey and register jet ski operators in the province.
The deputy governor said operators will be asked to stop overcharging and extorting tourists or demanding exorbitant compensation for minor damage to jet skis.
Suvimol sae Lim, director of the Phuket insurance commission office, said Phuket should serve as a trail-blazer in jet ski insurance as so far no insurers had ever provided coverage for jet ski operators in the country.
She said if jet ski insurance was introduced in the province, this would help sort out problems involving the extortion of foreigners over damage.
Tourists who rented jet skis would feel confident they would not be taken advantage of, Ms Suvimol said.
"If Phuket is successful, it will serve as an example for other provinces which has jet ski operators," she said.
Ms Suvimol said initially proposed insurance packages would cover damage to jet skis, insure against loss of income due to the damage to jet skis and provide coverage to tourists renting them.
So far only the Bangkok Insurance company has offered to provide cover for jet skis in Phuket, Ms Suvimol said.
Anusorn Sa-re, head of the Phuket association of jet ski operators, said he agreed with the proposal and said the insurance premium must be acceptable to operators. He said operators can only earn income between December and May. They could not make money during the remainder of the year as it is the monsoon season.
Recently, video clips have been distributed showing a female British tourist being arrested for marijuana possession at a full moon party on Koh Phangan and a British marine and a US marine being threatened to pay exorbitant compensation for damage to rented jet skis on Phuket in separate incidents.
Phuket officials, jet ski operators and representatives of insurance companies yesterday met to discuss measures to promote tourism in the resort island and to bring jet ski operations into the insurance system to prevent possible extortion of foreigners.
The move came after the recent distribution of video recordings featuring foreign tourists allegedly being ripped off over damage to jet skis on Phuket and other incidents.
Phuket deputy governor Samith Palwatwichai said a committee will be set up to look at the possibility of having all jet skis in the province insured.
Mr Samith said local authorities, insurers and jet ski operators will meet again on Wednesday to thrash out the details of insurance premiums for jet skis.
A total of 219 jet skis are available for rent on Surin, Bangtao, Kamala, Patong and Kata-Karon beaches.
Mr Samith said the provincial marine office had been asked to survey and register jet ski operators in the province.
The deputy governor said operators will be asked to stop overcharging and extorting tourists or demanding exorbitant compensation for minor damage to jet skis.
Suvimol sae Lim, director of the Phuket insurance commission office, said Phuket should serve as a trail-blazer in jet ski insurance as so far no insurers had ever provided coverage for jet ski operators in the country.
She said if jet ski insurance was introduced in the province, this would help sort out problems involving the extortion of foreigners over damage.
Tourists who rented jet skis would feel confident they would not be taken advantage of, Ms Suvimol said.
"If Phuket is successful, it will serve as an example for other provinces which has jet ski operators," she said.
Ms Suvimol said initially proposed insurance packages would cover damage to jet skis, insure against loss of income due to the damage to jet skis and provide coverage to tourists renting them.
So far only the Bangkok Insurance company has offered to provide cover for jet skis in Phuket, Ms Suvimol said.
Anusorn Sa-re, head of the Phuket association of jet ski operators, said he agreed with the proposal and said the insurance premium must be acceptable to operators. He said operators can only earn income between December and May. They could not make money during the remainder of the year as it is the monsoon season.
Recently, video clips have been distributed showing a female British tourist being arrested for marijuana possession at a full moon party on Koh Phangan and a British marine and a US marine being threatened to pay exorbitant compensation for damage to rented jet skis on Phuket in separate incidents.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
GREAT THINGS TO SEE AND DO: All about dreams
Anette Pollner is running a workshop titled "Introduction to Working with Dreams" on October 3 from 10am to 5pm (lunch included) at the NCS Counselling Centre in Saphan Kwai.
the workshop is open to everyone, with or without prior experience of either dream work or psychoterapy.
Dream theories can be very complex, but the workshop will introduce participants to a series of simple and very effective exercies that offer fresh perspectives and often-surprising insights into dreams.
Pollner, who tranied in London and the US, has extensive training and experience in post-Jungian approaches and uses methods from Gestalt and Transpersonal psychotherapies.
Participants will have the opportunity to explore a dream in a safe and creative environment, and learn a few basic tools for unterstanding their dreams.
The cost is Bt850 prior to September 26 and Bt950 after
For reservations, email Anette.P@ncs-counselling.com or newcomserv@ji-net.com or call (084) 942 1012 or (081) 692 2981.
the workshop is open to everyone, with or without prior experience of either dream work or psychoterapy.
Dream theories can be very complex, but the workshop will introduce participants to a series of simple and very effective exercies that offer fresh perspectives and often-surprising insights into dreams.
Pollner, who tranied in London and the US, has extensive training and experience in post-Jungian approaches and uses methods from Gestalt and Transpersonal psychotherapies.
Participants will have the opportunity to explore a dream in a safe and creative environment, and learn a few basic tools for unterstanding their dreams.
The cost is Bt850 prior to September 26 and Bt950 after
For reservations, email Anette.P@ncs-counselling.com or newcomserv@ji-net.com or call (084) 942 1012 or (081) 692 2981.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
CENTRAL BANK WORKING ON PLAN TO SET UP A BILL CONSOLIDATOR
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) plans to set up a single bill consolidator that would pool public utilities billings for consumers in a bid to reduce operational cost in the economy.
The electronic bill project would enable consumers to check their bills via the bill consolidator or other counter services instead of dealing with many bills from many operators via snail mails.
The consumer would be encouraged to use electronic oayment or they could use other traditional payment, according to their preference.
Toschanok Leelawankulsiri, BOT's division executive of Payment Systems Policy and Strategy Division, said the project would help save the snail mail cost for the business sector and save time for consumers.
"We should have the single bill consolidator but some companies said they have already invested in their own system," she said.
The bill consolidator would gather all of the bills issued. A consumer would be able to surf the Net to read the bill consolidator.
Counter services like post office's Pay-at-post or 7-Elecen's counter service could provide the bill consoldator service, so consumers could check and pay their bills.
"The consumers might get an sms from a bill collector about how much they have to pay on various accounts," said Toschanok.
The central bank, commercial banks and related companies, however, will have to work hard on the project.
For example, the bill consolidator shoudl adopt online or offline system as it would deal with the partners.
Many countries, such as the United States, Britain, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan, have the bill consolifators. Some countries have a single consolidator while others have a few.
Meanwhile, the BOT wants to encourage credit-card holders to use cards issued by local commercial banks to help reduce transaction cost and promote shops to take the credit cards.
The credit-card transactions incurred by international card issuers currently need the overseas clearing system, resulting in the high operation cost. As a result, shops have to pay merchandise rate of 2-3 per cent for the card-issuers unnecessarily.
Tischanok said the country could establish an internal clearing system via any agency, such as National ITMX, in a bid to reduce the cost.
The electronic bill project would enable consumers to check their bills via the bill consolidator or other counter services instead of dealing with many bills from many operators via snail mails.
The consumer would be encouraged to use electronic oayment or they could use other traditional payment, according to their preference.
Toschanok Leelawankulsiri, BOT's division executive of Payment Systems Policy and Strategy Division, said the project would help save the snail mail cost for the business sector and save time for consumers.
"We should have the single bill consolidator but some companies said they have already invested in their own system," she said.
The bill consolidator would gather all of the bills issued. A consumer would be able to surf the Net to read the bill consolidator.
Counter services like post office's Pay-at-post or 7-Elecen's counter service could provide the bill consoldator service, so consumers could check and pay their bills.
"The consumers might get an sms from a bill collector about how much they have to pay on various accounts," said Toschanok.
The central bank, commercial banks and related companies, however, will have to work hard on the project.
For example, the bill consolidator shoudl adopt online or offline system as it would deal with the partners.
Many countries, such as the United States, Britain, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan, have the bill consolifators. Some countries have a single consolidator while others have a few.
Meanwhile, the BOT wants to encourage credit-card holders to use cards issued by local commercial banks to help reduce transaction cost and promote shops to take the credit cards.
The credit-card transactions incurred by international card issuers currently need the overseas clearing system, resulting in the high operation cost. As a result, shops have to pay merchandise rate of 2-3 per cent for the card-issuers unnecessarily.
Tischanok said the country could establish an internal clearing system via any agency, such as National ITMX, in a bid to reduce the cost.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Kodak taps small businesses
To tap the growth of digital printing,Kodak (Thailand) has consolidated its technology resource bringing to retailers its new look Kodak Digital Express Solution.
Kodak Express Solution will be one of the major focus movements this year as Kodak keeps supporting the retail shops with upgrading their service capability, according to Preecha Prasatwattana, the new managing director since April.
The look of those retailers will be revamped, together with new merchan-dise, to catch up with digital technology.
By the second half year, Preecha said Kodak would concentrate on the activity and package offer for SMEs. A Kodak Express conference will be held for partners and retailers in September and the company will help them to better offer services to customers with The KCPS (KODAK Creative Production Software),the workflow software designed specifically for photo retailers. The package offered to SMEs also includes Kodak Express Light Version which comes up with an APEX printer package that helps SMEs to start photo printing businesses on a small budget.
Thailand is one of the world's best retail systems and Kodak Express is also regarded one of the most advanced in the world, said the managing director who has been overseeing Kodak's Southeast Asia market for over 10 years.
The company will also expand the numbers of printing kiosks in Bangkok and upcountry to around 150 locations by this year.
Digital printing still has a promising growth, at 35 percent, he said.
Preecha admitted that sales of digital cameras had declined during the first half year, around 20 percent, due to the economic slowdown.
Kodak Express Solution will be one of the major focus movements this year as Kodak keeps supporting the retail shops with upgrading their service capability, according to Preecha Prasatwattana, the new managing director since April.
The look of those retailers will be revamped, together with new merchan-dise, to catch up with digital technology.
By the second half year, Preecha said Kodak would concentrate on the activity and package offer for SMEs. A Kodak Express conference will be held for partners and retailers in September and the company will help them to better offer services to customers with The KCPS (KODAK Creative Production Software),the workflow software designed specifically for photo retailers. The package offered to SMEs also includes Kodak Express Light Version which comes up with an APEX printer package that helps SMEs to start photo printing businesses on a small budget.
Thailand is one of the world's best retail systems and Kodak Express is also regarded one of the most advanced in the world, said the managing director who has been overseeing Kodak's Southeast Asia market for over 10 years.
The company will also expand the numbers of printing kiosks in Bangkok and upcountry to around 150 locations by this year.
Digital printing still has a promising growth, at 35 percent, he said.
Preecha admitted that sales of digital cameras had declined during the first half year, around 20 percent, due to the economic slowdown.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
B-QUIK PLANS RAPID EXPANSION IN ALL DIMENSIONS
Leading auto-maintenance and light-repair operator B-Quik will spend Bt160 million to open new stores and improve existing facilities.
Of that amount, Bt100 million will be used to open eight new stores and the rest to upgrade existing ones.
CEO Henk Kiks said there were now 57 B-Quik stores in Thailand and that up to six more would be built this year.
"Currently, we have 57 stores. This weekend, we'll open No 58 at Carrefour Rama II, our second store on Rama II Road.
"At the end of October or beginning of November, we'll open No 59 at Big C Pattaya; end of November, No 60 at Carrefour Superhighway in Chiang Mai; then in December, No 61 at Big C Klong 6 in Rangsit, No 62 at Esso Bang Na-Trat km 2 and possibly another store upcountry," Kiks said.
B-Quik has already started its expansion with new stores this year at Central Chon Buri and Carrefour Hang Dong in Chiang Mai. Eight more are planned for the South and Northeast next year, he said.
B-Quik will also replace its Jusco Pattanakarn store with a much larger one, expand its Ekamai Express to full size and renovate and upgrade 10 other stores.
Kiks said B-Quik sales were up 30 per cent year on year to date and that full-year revenue was targeted at Bt2 billion.
The only chain to offer all major brands of tyres, the company plans to sell 500,000 this year. Brands include Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Continental, Dunlop, Yokohama, Falken, Firenza and Nitto, as well as B-Quik's own brand, Thunderer.
"This is another reason major department stores and superstores prefer to have us," Kiks said.
He said the rapid expansion was because superstores and shopping centres had begun to understand B-Quik stores attracted customers.
"They're starting to realise that we not only are an addition to the shopping experience, but also have become a magnet for them, since we serve more than 1,000 customers a month in our bigger stores - 40,000 cars a month in total. These are high-profile customers and very good to have for superstores and shopping centres," he said.
"So it has slowly turned around over the years from us going after hypermarkets, supermarkets and shopping centres to them asking us to build with them."
Of that amount, Bt100 million will be used to open eight new stores and the rest to upgrade existing ones.
CEO Henk Kiks said there were now 57 B-Quik stores in Thailand and that up to six more would be built this year.
"Currently, we have 57 stores. This weekend, we'll open No 58 at Carrefour Rama II, our second store on Rama II Road.
"At the end of October or beginning of November, we'll open No 59 at Big C Pattaya; end of November, No 60 at Carrefour Superhighway in Chiang Mai; then in December, No 61 at Big C Klong 6 in Rangsit, No 62 at Esso Bang Na-Trat km 2 and possibly another store upcountry," Kiks said.
B-Quik has already started its expansion with new stores this year at Central Chon Buri and Carrefour Hang Dong in Chiang Mai. Eight more are planned for the South and Northeast next year, he said.
B-Quik will also replace its Jusco Pattanakarn store with a much larger one, expand its Ekamai Express to full size and renovate and upgrade 10 other stores.
Kiks said B-Quik sales were up 30 per cent year on year to date and that full-year revenue was targeted at Bt2 billion.
The only chain to offer all major brands of tyres, the company plans to sell 500,000 this year. Brands include Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Continental, Dunlop, Yokohama, Falken, Firenza and Nitto, as well as B-Quik's own brand, Thunderer.
"This is another reason major department stores and superstores prefer to have us," Kiks said.
He said the rapid expansion was because superstores and shopping centres had begun to understand B-Quik stores attracted customers.
"They're starting to realise that we not only are an addition to the shopping experience, but also have become a magnet for them, since we serve more than 1,000 customers a month in our bigger stores - 40,000 cars a month in total. These are high-profile customers and very good to have for superstores and shopping centres," he said.
"So it has slowly turned around over the years from us going after hypermarkets, supermarkets and shopping centres to them asking us to build with them."
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Don't break up, go on holiday
Marriage hit the rocks? Considering a divorce? An Indian tour operator wants warring couples to hold off consulting lawyers and go on holiday instead - with a relationship counsellor in tow.
KV Tours and Travels, based in the western city of Mumbai, has launched "divorce tourism" packages, designed to get spouses who have fallen out of love to bury the hatchet.
"With divorce tourism, what we're trying to do is to bring together couples who are heading towards divorce to stop them," the company's chief executive Vijesh Thakker said.
India, where marriage is still viewed as the bedrock of society, has traditionally had one of the world's lowest divorce rates. Only about one in 100 marriages fail, compared with one in two in the United States.
But the divorce rate is rising, particularly in India's big cities.
"In metropolitan areas like New Delhi,Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai, where higher income people are residing, divorce is becoming quite common," said Hasan Anzar, a partner at New Delhi firm ANZ Lawz.
"You can definitely say that cases of family law are rising and it's happening with all lawyers."
Reasons for the rise include the greater empowerment of women in urban India through better education and employment, which has changed their aspirations in life and given them financial independence, said Anzar.
Others are interference from in-laws,many of whom live with married couples in the joint family structure, or imported ideas of "love marriages", as opposed to ones arranged by families along social,religious or caste lines.
In a sign of the phenomenon, ANZ Lawz runs an Internet-based subsidiary called divorcelawyers.co.in, which bills itself as "India's first exclusive divorce law firm."
Elsewhere, websites such as secondshaadi.com offer online dating services to divorcees and widows, who until recently were widely ostracised by conservative society. Shaadi is the Hindi word for wedding.
Thakker said couples at loggerheads are likely to be unwilling to spend cash on each other, so is instead targeting family members who want to save a failing marriage - often to save family honour - to foot the bill.
He said he had had half a dozen enquiries shortly after launching last month and was hoping for more.
Different packages are available, from week-long stays in hill station resorts costing about 35,000 rupees (24,000 baht)to more expensive foreign destinations.
"We're trying to send them where they have not been before, where there are not many people - and no relatives,"said Thakker.
Experienced marriage counsellors,whose costs are paid through deals made with hoteliers and travel agents, will accompany the husbands and wives,encouraging them to patch up their differences and make a fresh start.
Thakker, a 40-year-old father of two sons and "happily married for 18 years",reckons a seven-day trip is enough to determine a couple's future.
Anzar suggested that the concept might work because of the continuing social stigma of divorce in certain sections of Indian society and the wider significance here of marriage as a union of families, not just individuals.
Rhea Pravin Tembhekar, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist who runs a counselling centre in Mumbai,said she was intrigued by the concept.
"If you're fighting about trivial things,like time management or in-laws issues -'my mother, your mother, my money,your money, etcetera'- maybe a holiday might work," she said.
"But sometimes the issues are very critical, like domestic violence. You can't go on holiday and resolve that."
The unusual package comes as the Indian tourism sector suffers a downturn due to the continued effects of the global economic crisis. Overseas visitors also fell after last November's militant attacks on Mumbai.
Thakker, who hit on the concept after seeing a friend go through a divorce 18 months ago, said innovation was the key to helping boost tourist numbers.
"People are ready to accept new concepts," he said.
"Nowadays divorce rates are rising,so we need to sort it out. It's a good thing we're doing. And we're helping domestic and international governments by promoting tourism."
"We're not destiny-changers," he admitted, but added:"We want them to treat the trip like a second honeymoon."
KV Tours and Travels, based in the western city of Mumbai, has launched "divorce tourism" packages, designed to get spouses who have fallen out of love to bury the hatchet.
"With divorce tourism, what we're trying to do is to bring together couples who are heading towards divorce to stop them," the company's chief executive Vijesh Thakker said.
India, where marriage is still viewed as the bedrock of society, has traditionally had one of the world's lowest divorce rates. Only about one in 100 marriages fail, compared with one in two in the United States.
But the divorce rate is rising, particularly in India's big cities.
"In metropolitan areas like New Delhi,Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai, where higher income people are residing, divorce is becoming quite common," said Hasan Anzar, a partner at New Delhi firm ANZ Lawz.
"You can definitely say that cases of family law are rising and it's happening with all lawyers."
Reasons for the rise include the greater empowerment of women in urban India through better education and employment, which has changed their aspirations in life and given them financial independence, said Anzar.
Others are interference from in-laws,many of whom live with married couples in the joint family structure, or imported ideas of "love marriages", as opposed to ones arranged by families along social,religious or caste lines.
In a sign of the phenomenon, ANZ Lawz runs an Internet-based subsidiary called divorcelawyers.co.in, which bills itself as "India's first exclusive divorce law firm."
Elsewhere, websites such as secondshaadi.com offer online dating services to divorcees and widows, who until recently were widely ostracised by conservative society. Shaadi is the Hindi word for wedding.
Thakker said couples at loggerheads are likely to be unwilling to spend cash on each other, so is instead targeting family members who want to save a failing marriage - often to save family honour - to foot the bill.
He said he had had half a dozen enquiries shortly after launching last month and was hoping for more.
Different packages are available, from week-long stays in hill station resorts costing about 35,000 rupees (24,000 baht)to more expensive foreign destinations.
"We're trying to send them where they have not been before, where there are not many people - and no relatives,"said Thakker.
Experienced marriage counsellors,whose costs are paid through deals made with hoteliers and travel agents, will accompany the husbands and wives,encouraging them to patch up their differences and make a fresh start.
Thakker, a 40-year-old father of two sons and "happily married for 18 years",reckons a seven-day trip is enough to determine a couple's future.
Anzar suggested that the concept might work because of the continuing social stigma of divorce in certain sections of Indian society and the wider significance here of marriage as a union of families, not just individuals.
Rhea Pravin Tembhekar, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist who runs a counselling centre in Mumbai,said she was intrigued by the concept.
"If you're fighting about trivial things,like time management or in-laws issues -'my mother, your mother, my money,your money, etcetera'- maybe a holiday might work," she said.
"But sometimes the issues are very critical, like domestic violence. You can't go on holiday and resolve that."
The unusual package comes as the Indian tourism sector suffers a downturn due to the continued effects of the global economic crisis. Overseas visitors also fell after last November's militant attacks on Mumbai.
Thakker, who hit on the concept after seeing a friend go through a divorce 18 months ago, said innovation was the key to helping boost tourist numbers.
"People are ready to accept new concepts," he said.
"Nowadays divorce rates are rising,so we need to sort it out. It's a good thing we're doing. And we're helping domestic and international governments by promoting tourism."
"We're not destiny-changers," he admitted, but added:"We want them to treat the trip like a second honeymoon."
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Kodak launches "Transpromo"
Kodak is going to change the market perception of its "yellow box with camera" to the world of graphic communication by helping businesses to create effective customer communications.
Called "Transpromo", the strategy is all about creating higher value, more effective customer communications to strengthen customer relations and drive higher response rates, said Pat McGrew,Eastman Kodak Data-Driven Communication Segment Evangelist, during an interview with Database .Kodak does this by offering technology that aligns transactional documents and promotional offers, and increases customer loyalty with one-to-one engagement.
McGrew noted that companies around the world use billing statements to have contacts with their customers on a regular basis. Bills, statements,direct mail and other documents are delivered to someone to communicate.The bank and cell phone providers send monthly statements out to their customers.
"The bill is a monthly appointment with customers because customers ex-pect it. If it is postcard or another piece of promotional material, they might throw it away because it something they don't want to take time reading, so why not put more marketing messages on the bill," she said.
McGrew suggested the brand owners,the service providers, and those who deal with the billing should turn that monthly appointment into a regular conversation with their customers.
"The first thing you want is to make sure that it must be easy for them to understand, and add good information content helping the customer to be a better customer."
Credit card companies, banks, insurance companies and telephone companies around the world all have the same number one problem - losing customers.
"Customers leave because they don't think they are getting value for the relationship and because they find it hard to do business with you. That's where the whole story comes together. Teaching them how to make them easy to read, teaching them to design the document so that when someone receives it they know exactly what they are supposed to do. Giving more information so that customers feel you value their time then you can educate them," she said.
Kodak has partnered and worked with the post around the world McGrew said,adding that the post knows their customers. They can adopt the transpromotional strategy to create a personal relationship with customers. For instance, a cell phone provider used bills to tell customers about a special offer allowing them to call a country at a lower rate on a specific day and reminding them that the discount will be coming up.
The bill cost per print is not the right conversation, she said. It is a matter of "cost per response"."If I charge you four times more for your prints, but you get a 500 percent higher response rate, most marketers said yes because most marketing offers made by any brand owners typically only get a 1 or 2 percent response rate. If I can take them 10,12 or 20 percent, which usually use data to create personal relations,then that's a lot more revenue coming back to the company."
Asked how long the business can take to respond, McGrew said that it depends on various factors. Usually for customers, like mobile phone operators in Australia who issue the cell phone bills, from the time they have the idea to the time to implement, takes about 6 to 7 months.
McGrew, whose job is to educate the market globally, said that it is market development, Kodak has to find the printers who are interested in changing the way they print for their customers,find the customers that are interested in working with the printer and educate them, and get to brand agencies, advertising agencies who advise their customers.
"Most brand owners and advertising agencies know all this very well - SMS,web, email, billboard, direct mail but this one they've never heard of, so we have to find those people and tell them this service is available to them and it's an effective market. They can get a higher response rate because this is a personal communication market,this is one-to-one and this can be complimentary to web marketing, to mass marketing."
McGrew, who was recently in Thailand, said she saw tremendous opportunity here."This is an interesting country because you have a rich understanding of colour, you like to communicate in colour. Look at the billboards, every building is colourful so the opportunity to communicate in colour, and also to bring the idea of data-driven personal in market is amazing.
"Kodak has talked to customers here and there is a great deal of interest.Over the next year, you will see your mail box changed, the providers who create bills and statements learn the technique, the access to the technology.
"The most normal thing to do is to work with brand owners, someone has to do data collecting, someone has to do market message development, sometimes the printers provide all of the services for free, so there are a number of different ways that you can handle the cost.
"Way to be successful is get one thing to do first, start with a small project,and learn with the data track the data the use the method. Then once you have experience, you then grow. Then get more sophisticated with the data and with the messaging."
Called "Transpromo", the strategy is all about creating higher value, more effective customer communications to strengthen customer relations and drive higher response rates, said Pat McGrew,Eastman Kodak Data-Driven Communication Segment Evangelist, during an interview with Database .Kodak does this by offering technology that aligns transactional documents and promotional offers, and increases customer loyalty with one-to-one engagement.
McGrew noted that companies around the world use billing statements to have contacts with their customers on a regular basis. Bills, statements,direct mail and other documents are delivered to someone to communicate.The bank and cell phone providers send monthly statements out to their customers.
"The bill is a monthly appointment with customers because customers ex-pect it. If it is postcard or another piece of promotional material, they might throw it away because it something they don't want to take time reading, so why not put more marketing messages on the bill," she said.
McGrew suggested the brand owners,the service providers, and those who deal with the billing should turn that monthly appointment into a regular conversation with their customers.
"The first thing you want is to make sure that it must be easy for them to understand, and add good information content helping the customer to be a better customer."
Credit card companies, banks, insurance companies and telephone companies around the world all have the same number one problem - losing customers.
"Customers leave because they don't think they are getting value for the relationship and because they find it hard to do business with you. That's where the whole story comes together. Teaching them how to make them easy to read, teaching them to design the document so that when someone receives it they know exactly what they are supposed to do. Giving more information so that customers feel you value their time then you can educate them," she said.
Kodak has partnered and worked with the post around the world McGrew said,adding that the post knows their customers. They can adopt the transpromotional strategy to create a personal relationship with customers. For instance, a cell phone provider used bills to tell customers about a special offer allowing them to call a country at a lower rate on a specific day and reminding them that the discount will be coming up.
The bill cost per print is not the right conversation, she said. It is a matter of "cost per response"."If I charge you four times more for your prints, but you get a 500 percent higher response rate, most marketers said yes because most marketing offers made by any brand owners typically only get a 1 or 2 percent response rate. If I can take them 10,12 or 20 percent, which usually use data to create personal relations,then that's a lot more revenue coming back to the company."
Asked how long the business can take to respond, McGrew said that it depends on various factors. Usually for customers, like mobile phone operators in Australia who issue the cell phone bills, from the time they have the idea to the time to implement, takes about 6 to 7 months.
McGrew, whose job is to educate the market globally, said that it is market development, Kodak has to find the printers who are interested in changing the way they print for their customers,find the customers that are interested in working with the printer and educate them, and get to brand agencies, advertising agencies who advise their customers.
"Most brand owners and advertising agencies know all this very well - SMS,web, email, billboard, direct mail but this one they've never heard of, so we have to find those people and tell them this service is available to them and it's an effective market. They can get a higher response rate because this is a personal communication market,this is one-to-one and this can be complimentary to web marketing, to mass marketing."
McGrew, who was recently in Thailand, said she saw tremendous opportunity here."This is an interesting country because you have a rich understanding of colour, you like to communicate in colour. Look at the billboards, every building is colourful so the opportunity to communicate in colour, and also to bring the idea of data-driven personal in market is amazing.
"Kodak has talked to customers here and there is a great deal of interest.Over the next year, you will see your mail box changed, the providers who create bills and statements learn the technique, the access to the technology.
"The most normal thing to do is to work with brand owners, someone has to do data collecting, someone has to do market message development, sometimes the printers provide all of the services for free, so there are a number of different ways that you can handle the cost.
"Way to be successful is get one thing to do first, start with a small project,and learn with the data track the data the use the method. Then once you have experience, you then grow. Then get more sophisticated with the data and with the messaging."
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
SRT contracts consultant for airport link
The State Railway of Thailand is paying a consultancy 85 million baht to help it prepare for its Airport Rail Link.
The overseas consultancy would train 450 staff and draw up instructions and regulations for the system, which would shuttle between the inner city and Suvarnabhumi airport from next April.
SRT chairman Thawalrat Onsira said the SRT board voted yesterday to hire DB International GmbH (DBI) for 85 million baht.
The consultancy would test the Airport Rail Link and train airport link staff over the course of its nine-month contract. It would also draw up instructions and regulations to run the trains.
Chulalongkorn University's Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration would recruit 450 staff for the SRT to operate the Airport Rail Link in particular, and the consultants would train them.
The SRT wanted to hire SRT, Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTS) and Bangkok Metro Plc staff. The latter two operate electric railways in Bangkok.
Mr Thawalrat said construction company B Grimm International would hand the Airport Rail Link system together with trains to the SRT on Nov 6 this year and the first tentative operation was set for Dec 5.
After the one-day trial, officials would evaluate the operation and then resume trial runs from Dec 15 to April next year, when the service would open.
The number of passengers would be limited during the trial operation.Tickets would be distributed first to workers at Suvarnabhumi airport while the public could seek tickets at main stations of the link. Express trains would operate between Makkasan and the airport, a 15-minute journey without stops, while a trip on ordinary trains with stops at all stations en route would take 30 minutes.
The SRT would ask the cabinet to decide whether to support its plan to set up a subsidiary to run the Airport Rail Link or back the SRT labour union's demand for the state enterprise to establish a business unit to run the railway.
Meanwhile, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) yesterday signed a contract to hire CKTC Joint Venture for 14.29 billion baht to build the eastern section of the Purple Line electric railway from Bang Sue to Phra Nang Klao Bridge.
MRTA chairman Supoj Saplom said the contractor, made up of Ch Karnchang Plc and Tokyu Construction Co, would start construction in 60 days,with work lasting 3.5 to four years.
The eastern section would extend from the MRTA's present subway end in Bang Sue to Phra Nang Klao Bridge.
The MRTA would sign two more contracts for the rest of the Purple Line project, opening in 2014.
The second contract was for the 11km elevated western section across the Chao Phraya River from Phra Nang Klao Bridge to Klong Bang Phai canal in Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district.
Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction won the work, quoted at 15.32 billion baht.
The last contract is for a train depot and four park-and-ride buildings, won by PAR Joint Venture, which quoted 6.4 billion baht.
The overseas consultancy would train 450 staff and draw up instructions and regulations for the system, which would shuttle between the inner city and Suvarnabhumi airport from next April.
SRT chairman Thawalrat Onsira said the SRT board voted yesterday to hire DB International GmbH (DBI) for 85 million baht.
The consultancy would test the Airport Rail Link and train airport link staff over the course of its nine-month contract. It would also draw up instructions and regulations to run the trains.
Chulalongkorn University's Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration would recruit 450 staff for the SRT to operate the Airport Rail Link in particular, and the consultants would train them.
The SRT wanted to hire SRT, Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTS) and Bangkok Metro Plc staff. The latter two operate electric railways in Bangkok.
Mr Thawalrat said construction company B Grimm International would hand the Airport Rail Link system together with trains to the SRT on Nov 6 this year and the first tentative operation was set for Dec 5.
After the one-day trial, officials would evaluate the operation and then resume trial runs from Dec 15 to April next year, when the service would open.
The number of passengers would be limited during the trial operation.Tickets would be distributed first to workers at Suvarnabhumi airport while the public could seek tickets at main stations of the link. Express trains would operate between Makkasan and the airport, a 15-minute journey without stops, while a trip on ordinary trains with stops at all stations en route would take 30 minutes.
The SRT would ask the cabinet to decide whether to support its plan to set up a subsidiary to run the Airport Rail Link or back the SRT labour union's demand for the state enterprise to establish a business unit to run the railway.
Meanwhile, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) yesterday signed a contract to hire CKTC Joint Venture for 14.29 billion baht to build the eastern section of the Purple Line electric railway from Bang Sue to Phra Nang Klao Bridge.
MRTA chairman Supoj Saplom said the contractor, made up of Ch Karnchang Plc and Tokyu Construction Co, would start construction in 60 days,with work lasting 3.5 to four years.
The eastern section would extend from the MRTA's present subway end in Bang Sue to Phra Nang Klao Bridge.
The MRTA would sign two more contracts for the rest of the Purple Line project, opening in 2014.
The second contract was for the 11km elevated western section across the Chao Phraya River from Phra Nang Klao Bridge to Klong Bang Phai canal in Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district.
Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction won the work, quoted at 15.32 billion baht.
The last contract is for a train depot and four park-and-ride buildings, won by PAR Joint Venture, which quoted 6.4 billion baht.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Two leave law firm over insider trading
Baker & McKenzie has removed Ratchanon Piriyapongpan and Saowapak Arunvej from the law firm after securities regulators late last week accused the two of insider trading.
The Securities and Exchange Commission said Baker & McKenzie was appointed a legal adviser for Grande Asset Development in March 2006. Mr Ratchanon, acting as the head of the legal team, was privy to market-sensitive information related to investments by GRAND, which was only disseminated to the public on June 30,2006. Prior to the public announcement, Mr Ratchanon directed Ms Saowapak, his secretary, to transact a total of 7.56 million GRAND shares at prices ranging from 2.96 to 4.70 baht per share.
The SEC fined Mr Ratchanon, formerly named Wisit Kanjanopas,6.68 million baht and Ms Saowapak 330,000 baht for insider trading violations in the case.
Baker & McKenzie yesterday disavowed any knowledge of the incident.
"Baker & McKenzie would like to clari-fy that the acts of the two individuals were entirely conducted in their personal capacities, without knowledge or involvement of the management of the firm,"the firm said in a statement.
"We profoundly regret that the incident arose from the acts of a legal consultant and a member of staff, whose conduct, albeit in a personal capacity,may nevertheless impact upon the trust and integrity of the firm, especially in respect of legal work in the field of capital markets and related areas."
The Securities and Exchange Commission said Baker & McKenzie was appointed a legal adviser for Grande Asset Development in March 2006. Mr Ratchanon, acting as the head of the legal team, was privy to market-sensitive information related to investments by GRAND, which was only disseminated to the public on June 30,2006. Prior to the public announcement, Mr Ratchanon directed Ms Saowapak, his secretary, to transact a total of 7.56 million GRAND shares at prices ranging from 2.96 to 4.70 baht per share.
The SEC fined Mr Ratchanon, formerly named Wisit Kanjanopas,6.68 million baht and Ms Saowapak 330,000 baht for insider trading violations in the case.
Baker & McKenzie yesterday disavowed any knowledge of the incident.
"Baker & McKenzie would like to clari-fy that the acts of the two individuals were entirely conducted in their personal capacities, without knowledge or involvement of the management of the firm,"the firm said in a statement.
"We profoundly regret that the incident arose from the acts of a legal consultant and a member of staff, whose conduct, albeit in a personal capacity,may nevertheless impact upon the trust and integrity of the firm, especially in respect of legal work in the field of capital markets and related areas."
Friday, August 21, 2009
More food-safety data online
Chicken exporters have applauded the Livestock Development Department for its livestock traceability system and online service programme to assure foreign buyers about the safety standards of Thai products.
Nikorn Jamnong (second from right), an adviser to the agriculture minister, and Yukol Limlaemthong (right), directorgeneral of the Livestock Development Department, watch a demonstration of the e-service and traceability system of chicken companies.
"The programme will improve confidence among importers and that is a significant factor to increase the exports of Thailand's poultry, especially chicken meat," said Anan Sirimongkolkasem, president of the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association.
Thailand's chicken industry, fresh meat exports in particular, were damaged severely by the bird flu outbreak five years ago. The export volume of raw chicken meat fell almost to zero in 2004, from 480,000 tonnes shipped the year before.
The traceability system and new compartmentalised farming methods have been applied by many Thai chicken companies to assure domestic and foreign consumers of product quality.
Yukol Limlaemthong, the director-general of the Livestock Development Department, said that competition was very stiff in the livestock products market, in particular exported chicken meat.
"Many countries have imposed non-tariff trade barriers with specifications of product quality and traceability of food safety throughout the entire process, both in the manufacturing and food chains for consumer safety, being required," he said.
According to Mr Yukol, the traceability system allows for monitoring of livestock products from the beginning of breeding, feeding, manufacturing and processing through distribution to consumers.
The department has developed an electronic system and database for prod uct quality control that is connected with the systems of chicken companies and others in the food chains
The department also provides e-service, which allows traders to file service request forms efficiently.
Previously, it had offered e-movement, allowing traders or manufacturers who need to move animals and carcasses to seek permission from the department via the internet.
The implementation of the traceability system, which has become a common requirement from import countries, will help Thailand to maintain its leading position in the world chicken export industry, said Mr Yukol.
The Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association has revised up the country's chicken export forecast this year to between 370,000 and 380,000 tonnes after an encouraging first half.
Relate Search: Chicken exporters, Livestock Development Department, Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association
Nikorn Jamnong (second from right), an adviser to the agriculture minister, and Yukol Limlaemthong (right), directorgeneral of the Livestock Development Department, watch a demonstration of the e-service and traceability system of chicken companies.
"The programme will improve confidence among importers and that is a significant factor to increase the exports of Thailand's poultry, especially chicken meat," said Anan Sirimongkolkasem, president of the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association.
Thailand's chicken industry, fresh meat exports in particular, were damaged severely by the bird flu outbreak five years ago. The export volume of raw chicken meat fell almost to zero in 2004, from 480,000 tonnes shipped the year before.
The traceability system and new compartmentalised farming methods have been applied by many Thai chicken companies to assure domestic and foreign consumers of product quality.
Yukol Limlaemthong, the director-general of the Livestock Development Department, said that competition was very stiff in the livestock products market, in particular exported chicken meat.
"Many countries have imposed non-tariff trade barriers with specifications of product quality and traceability of food safety throughout the entire process, both in the manufacturing and food chains for consumer safety, being required," he said.
According to Mr Yukol, the traceability system allows for monitoring of livestock products from the beginning of breeding, feeding, manufacturing and processing through distribution to consumers.
The department has developed an electronic system and database for prod uct quality control that is connected with the systems of chicken companies and others in the food chains
The department also provides e-service, which allows traders to file service request forms efficiently.
Previously, it had offered e-movement, allowing traders or manufacturers who need to move animals and carcasses to seek permission from the department via the internet.
The implementation of the traceability system, which has become a common requirement from import countries, will help Thailand to maintain its leading position in the world chicken export industry, said Mr Yukol.
The Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association has revised up the country's chicken export forecast this year to between 370,000 and 380,000 tonnes after an encouraging first half.
Relate Search: Chicken exporters, Livestock Development Department, Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association
Thursday, August 20, 2009
LUCY IN THE SKY WITH 80s DENIM
Travelling back to like, totally, the gnarly and tubular 80s, here's what Sheikh
Hot Kotture is casting her psychedelic fashionista's eye on this week...
Acid washed denim is making a comeback.If you've started to sprout unwanted white hairs within the last few years then you may know that bleached garments were an iconic trend of the 1980s.They symbolised the experimental youth of that decade, as they wavered between hope and pessimism, and ideas of right and wrong.Err, or maybe they just liked playing with bleach (and other substances).
80s fashion has been endlessly mocked - think scrunchies, big hair, neon legwarmers - so of course the first question is why do we keep teasing ourselves with that era? It's like continuously eating green prik khee noo even though it burns like syphilis every time.
Perhaps our fascination with the 80s is that it beats out every previous and subsequent generation in the battle of the decades.Oh wow, what a bold statement Sheikh Hot Kotture , you may be thinking.Well, excuse moi , but you can suck it!Sorry, that reply wouldn't pass in a court of law, so allow me to rephrase: While the 80s did give us questionable fashion and music, the world also changed at this time.
As the globe witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first woman in space, the identification of AIDS, and the death of John Lennon among other events, Bangkok experienced a massive economic boom.
So obviously, that outdoes any other human achievement ever! And although it's not scientifically proven, methinks money makes people frisky, since Bangkok also saw its population increase in the 1980s from a few million to like, loads of millions more!
Yes, sorry to break it to you, dear readers,for many of us (myself included) we are merely a birth statistic on the face of the 1980s.
Wearing acid washed denim proudly is one small way to keep the spirit of that generation alive. Or you can just wear a t-shirt that says,"In the 2000s, China Rules the World; In the 1980s Duran Duran,Culture Club and People With Chairs Up Their Noses Rule the World - Where Do You Want To Be?"
If you didn't have a chair up your nose throughout the 80s (yes, besides being the name of an 80s band, I'm using it as a euphemism here - use your imagination), you may remember that the acid wash technique was first commercialised in 1986 by an Italian company (Rifle Jeans), but another Italian company (Candida Laundry)patented the process in the same year. No word if the competing companies threw a bucket of acid on each other in anger.
The acid wash process is unique as chemicals are used to strip colour off the top layer of denim. Denim in itself is a durable cotton twill fabric,which is traditionally dyed indigo.Thus, the result of the acid wash is exposed white fabric, which can be seen all over a garment or on parts of it. The wash can be applied to anything from denim jeans to jackets,dresses, shorts, shirts, or skirts. On top of that, you can fray the apparel and make holes in strategically placed parts to give it that tattered, yet funky and individual look.
Acid washed denim doesn't have to be reminiscent of its big-haired 80s counterpart, as the modern wash isn't as splotchy as before, focusing on lighter denim, such as baby blue and grey.
The trippy look can be completely updated by pairing the denim with neutral colours, such as black, white, and brown,or a crisp button-down Oxford shirt, and staying away from bright hues.
Wait, on second thought, if Sheikh Hot
Kotture really has to explain how to wear denim, perhaps you need to go back to Prathom 1 and decline taking your after-lunch nap so you have more time to learn that jeans go with everything.
What Sheikh Hot Kotture will tell you is that, these days, the continuation of a trend can be measured by one very simple test:"Can I wear this with glad-ator shoes?"
If the answer is a resounding yes, then by golly, we've got a style revolution on our hands!(Hint: Acid washed jeans look friggin' awesome with gladiator heels.).
However, one viewpoint that should be taken into consideration is that by clinging to fashion of the past, designers and trendsetters give off the appearance that they lack any semblance of original thought.
Oh, sorry, was that a bit too harsh? What I meant to say was that today's fashion is unoriginal and takes on a copycat nature. By Jove, I did it again!
Granted, it's the nature of fashion trends to resurge every couple of seasons, so perhaps by turning to yesteryear, people are clinging to a more revolutionary past. Fashion can be powerful, you know.
If the Bangkokian mentality is anything to go by, we're not thinking about how simple denim apparel speaks volumes about a decade. We're just clinging to our obsessive need to have an external "it" item to look to. And that's what defines our generation-for better or worse.G
DIY ACID DENIM
Say "yes" to acid washed denim with these DIY tips. Remember to wear gloves and a mask, and do this in a well-ventilated area - like outside, duh!
1. Play Murray Head's 1984 hit "One Night in Bangkok" to get you in the mood.
2. Soak denim garment in lukewarm water; wring out excess water.
3. Mix bleach and water in a spray bottle (or soak pumice stone in bleach).
4. Spray (or rub) mixture on front and back of denim. Do this in less than 10 minutes, because the clothing can disintegrate or turn completely white.
5. Rinse garment thoroughly then machine wash.
Hot Kotture is casting her psychedelic fashionista's eye on this week...
Acid washed denim is making a comeback.If you've started to sprout unwanted white hairs within the last few years then you may know that bleached garments were an iconic trend of the 1980s.They symbolised the experimental youth of that decade, as they wavered between hope and pessimism, and ideas of right and wrong.Err, or maybe they just liked playing with bleach (and other substances).
80s fashion has been endlessly mocked - think scrunchies, big hair, neon legwarmers - so of course the first question is why do we keep teasing ourselves with that era? It's like continuously eating green prik khee noo even though it burns like syphilis every time.
Perhaps our fascination with the 80s is that it beats out every previous and subsequent generation in the battle of the decades.Oh wow, what a bold statement Sheikh Hot Kotture , you may be thinking.Well, excuse moi , but you can suck it!Sorry, that reply wouldn't pass in a court of law, so allow me to rephrase: While the 80s did give us questionable fashion and music, the world also changed at this time.
As the globe witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first woman in space, the identification of AIDS, and the death of John Lennon among other events, Bangkok experienced a massive economic boom.
So obviously, that outdoes any other human achievement ever! And although it's not scientifically proven, methinks money makes people frisky, since Bangkok also saw its population increase in the 1980s from a few million to like, loads of millions more!
Yes, sorry to break it to you, dear readers,for many of us (myself included) we are merely a birth statistic on the face of the 1980s.
Wearing acid washed denim proudly is one small way to keep the spirit of that generation alive. Or you can just wear a t-shirt that says,"In the 2000s, China Rules the World; In the 1980s Duran Duran,Culture Club and People With Chairs Up Their Noses Rule the World - Where Do You Want To Be?"
If you didn't have a chair up your nose throughout the 80s (yes, besides being the name of an 80s band, I'm using it as a euphemism here - use your imagination), you may remember that the acid wash technique was first commercialised in 1986 by an Italian company (Rifle Jeans), but another Italian company (Candida Laundry)patented the process in the same year. No word if the competing companies threw a bucket of acid on each other in anger.
The acid wash process is unique as chemicals are used to strip colour off the top layer of denim. Denim in itself is a durable cotton twill fabric,which is traditionally dyed indigo.Thus, the result of the acid wash is exposed white fabric, which can be seen all over a garment or on parts of it. The wash can be applied to anything from denim jeans to jackets,dresses, shorts, shirts, or skirts. On top of that, you can fray the apparel and make holes in strategically placed parts to give it that tattered, yet funky and individual look.
Acid washed denim doesn't have to be reminiscent of its big-haired 80s counterpart, as the modern wash isn't as splotchy as before, focusing on lighter denim, such as baby blue and grey.
The trippy look can be completely updated by pairing the denim with neutral colours, such as black, white, and brown,or a crisp button-down Oxford shirt, and staying away from bright hues.
Wait, on second thought, if Sheikh Hot
Kotture really has to explain how to wear denim, perhaps you need to go back to Prathom 1 and decline taking your after-lunch nap so you have more time to learn that jeans go with everything.
What Sheikh Hot Kotture will tell you is that, these days, the continuation of a trend can be measured by one very simple test:"Can I wear this with glad-ator shoes?"
If the answer is a resounding yes, then by golly, we've got a style revolution on our hands!(Hint: Acid washed jeans look friggin' awesome with gladiator heels.).
However, one viewpoint that should be taken into consideration is that by clinging to fashion of the past, designers and trendsetters give off the appearance that they lack any semblance of original thought.
Oh, sorry, was that a bit too harsh? What I meant to say was that today's fashion is unoriginal and takes on a copycat nature. By Jove, I did it again!
Granted, it's the nature of fashion trends to resurge every couple of seasons, so perhaps by turning to yesteryear, people are clinging to a more revolutionary past. Fashion can be powerful, you know.
If the Bangkokian mentality is anything to go by, we're not thinking about how simple denim apparel speaks volumes about a decade. We're just clinging to our obsessive need to have an external "it" item to look to. And that's what defines our generation-for better or worse.G
DIY ACID DENIM
Say "yes" to acid washed denim with these DIY tips. Remember to wear gloves and a mask, and do this in a well-ventilated area - like outside, duh!
1. Play Murray Head's 1984 hit "One Night in Bangkok" to get you in the mood.
2. Soak denim garment in lukewarm water; wring out excess water.
3. Mix bleach and water in a spray bottle (or soak pumice stone in bleach).
4. Spray (or rub) mixture on front and back of denim. Do this in less than 10 minutes, because the clothing can disintegrate or turn completely white.
5. Rinse garment thoroughly then machine wash.
Inspection firm eyes Middle East
Qualitech Plc, a listed inspection and non-destructive testing specialist, plans to team up with a foreign partner to expand to the Middle East next year.
QLT managing director Sannpat Rattakham said the company expected 10%revenue growth this year from 245 million baht posted last year.
The company booked second-quarter profits of 16.09 million baht, up from 9.69 million in the same period last year.First-half profits rose year-on-year to 34.6 million baht from 21.51 million last year.
Mr Sannpat said the company had a backlog of 220 million baht as of June,with 130 million expected to be realised in the second half of the year and the rest in 2010. Services revenue in the first half totalled 134.6 million baht, up from 109.46 million in the same period last year.
Among the company's ongoing projects is a testing mandate for a gas pipeline project running from Rayong to Kaeng Khoi. QLT expects to book 13 million baht in revenues from the project.
"Even though our project revenues are relatively small, we can maintain the gross profit margin at a high 40%and net profit margin at 20% to 25%. We can maintain these rates thanks to our skills and experience, and our strong customers such as Chevron and other leading energy firms," Mr Sannpat said.
He said the company was in talks with two or three potential partners to expand its non-destructive testing services to the Middle East. The project is expected to be finalised this year and begin operations in 2010.
"Investing in the Middle East is challenging. Several companies have tried to expand to the region and have lost,"Mr Sannpat said.
"We will bring in a partner with extensive experience in the region. We are quite optimistic of success."
Shares of QLT on the Market for Alternative Investment closed yesterday at 4.24 baht, down four satang, in trade worth 1.15 million baht. The company listed on the MAI in June with an initial public offering price of four baht per share.
QLT managing director Sannpat Rattakham said the company expected 10%revenue growth this year from 245 million baht posted last year.
The company booked second-quarter profits of 16.09 million baht, up from 9.69 million in the same period last year.First-half profits rose year-on-year to 34.6 million baht from 21.51 million last year.
Mr Sannpat said the company had a backlog of 220 million baht as of June,with 130 million expected to be realised in the second half of the year and the rest in 2010. Services revenue in the first half totalled 134.6 million baht, up from 109.46 million in the same period last year.
Among the company's ongoing projects is a testing mandate for a gas pipeline project running from Rayong to Kaeng Khoi. QLT expects to book 13 million baht in revenues from the project.
"Even though our project revenues are relatively small, we can maintain the gross profit margin at a high 40%and net profit margin at 20% to 25%. We can maintain these rates thanks to our skills and experience, and our strong customers such as Chevron and other leading energy firms," Mr Sannpat said.
He said the company was in talks with two or three potential partners to expand its non-destructive testing services to the Middle East. The project is expected to be finalised this year and begin operations in 2010.
"Investing in the Middle East is challenging. Several companies have tried to expand to the region and have lost,"Mr Sannpat said.
"We will bring in a partner with extensive experience in the region. We are quite optimistic of success."
Shares of QLT on the Market for Alternative Investment closed yesterday at 4.24 baht, down four satang, in trade worth 1.15 million baht. The company listed on the MAI in June with an initial public offering price of four baht per share.
IBM's new business advice
IBM has announced the creation of a new business unti to provide consilting services to business and industry.
Called Business Analytics and Optimisation (BAO), the new unit will draw on IBM's expertise in vertical industries, research, mathematics and information management, as well as its understanding of the consequences and outcomes of business decisions, to help clients improve both the speed and the quality of their decision-making.
A recent survey by IBM's Institute for Business Value reported one in two business leaders said they did not have access to the information in their organisation they needed to do their job.
With organisations facing unprecedented scrutiny, pressure and ever-shrinking margins for eroor, leaders are looking for new ways to inject certainty and predictability into their decision-making.
The survey also showed eight out of 10 business leaders made major decisions even though information was either missing or not trusted.
Shyam Mamidi, IBM Asean Global Business Services' line leader for business analytics and optimisation, said the BAO service brought reinforcements to the framework and supported it with information and measures to bring visibility to decisionmakers.
The firm will offer BAO services in five primary areas: BAO strategy, business intelligence and performance management, advanced analytics and optimisation, enterprise information management and enterprise content management.
It will also focus on various industries such as financial services, telecommunications, manyfacturing and distribution.
Called Business Analytics and Optimisation (BAO), the new unit will draw on IBM's expertise in vertical industries, research, mathematics and information management, as well as its understanding of the consequences and outcomes of business decisions, to help clients improve both the speed and the quality of their decision-making.
A recent survey by IBM's Institute for Business Value reported one in two business leaders said they did not have access to the information in their organisation they needed to do their job.
With organisations facing unprecedented scrutiny, pressure and ever-shrinking margins for eroor, leaders are looking for new ways to inject certainty and predictability into their decision-making.
The survey also showed eight out of 10 business leaders made major decisions even though information was either missing or not trusted.
Shyam Mamidi, IBM Asean Global Business Services' line leader for business analytics and optimisation, said the BAO service brought reinforcements to the framework and supported it with information and measures to bring visibility to decisionmakers.
The firm will offer BAO services in five primary areas: BAO strategy, business intelligence and performance management, advanced analytics and optimisation, enterprise information management and enterprise content management.
It will also focus on various industries such as financial services, telecommunications, manyfacturing and distribution.
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