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BEC raises its TV
commercial rates
Joins with TVB Hong Kong to expand to ASEAN
market
Chatchai Tiamtong, the Finance Director of BEC World,
or TV3, said this year TV3 will change its price structure and increase
normal time TV commercial rates by 25% - from 160,000 baht per minute to
200,000 baht. Commercials during prime time will cost 10% more, from
300,000 baht per minute to 330,000 baht. The move is in response to the
recovering economy in Thailand.
According to market research on TV media, TV3 is the
country’s most popular public TV channel, with an average 40% share of
the audience, or about 20 million people out of 55 million countrywide.
The total value of the public TV industry is about 20,000 million baht.
TV3’s share of the revenue is 3,000-4,000 million baht.
Chatchai continued, saying that, “at the moment TV3 is studying the
possibility and feasibility of expanding our TV business into Vietnam,
Myanmar and Cambodia by making a joint venture with TVB Hong Kong.”
First investment has been made in Myanmar.
Microsoft Thailand to
launch Windows 2000
Peerapong Ersoontornwatta, Managing Director of
Microsoft Thailand, announced Microsoft is ready to launch Windows2000 in
Thailand. The grand opening is scheduled for 25 February at the Sirikit
National Convention Center.
Microsoft says that the new Windows2000 operating
system will ensure users the highest security, as the new system complies
with the US government’s encryption regulations.
Windows2000’s new security system will support
e-commerce safety through the use of SmartCard technology.
“Microsoft intends to provide the highest security to users. As we
become more involved with e-commerce development, we become more concerned
with increasing the security of our consumers’ data,” Peerapong said.
HP waits to launch new
home PCs
Waiting for Windows 2000 to become widely
used
Prasert Jaroonpaisarn, Marketing Manager and Retailing
Products Manager of Hewlett Packard Thailand, said this year is not the
right time to launch new marketing plans for home-use PCs, due to a
“localization” problem in pre-installed programs which need to be
changed into the local language.
“The market for home PCs this year is still
uncertain. We expect next year will be the right time to jump into the
market. The main reason to wait is the localization problem. However, the
newly launched Windows 2000 will solve this problem because by then all
PCs will have the same language standard,” Prasert said.
The official release of Windows 2000 will be on the 25th of February at
Sirikit National Convention Center. “I believe that Windows 2000 will
become very popular among PC users by the end of this year. In the future,
all PCs will be shipped with Windows 2000 pre installed, just like Windows
95 and 98,” Prasert added.
BMW sees
significant sales in Thailand
BMW’s international marketing management said sales
will significantly increase this year in Thailand, from over 1,300 to
almost 2,000 cars, and in South Korea from a little over 350 to over 1,000
cars.
BMW’s Marketing Management strongly believes that
BMW’s sales in Asia will increase this year, recovering from the sharp
drop experienced during the economic crisis over the last 2 years.
Asia is the highest-growth automobile market in the
world, and BMW’s sales in Asia are 10% of its worldwide sales.
BMW has invested USD25 million in its first Asian car
assembling factory in Thailand, which has an annual production capacity of
10,000 cars.
BMW foresees an even larger market expansion in SE Asia after AFTA is
fully activated in 2018.
Jetro confident
better Japanese economy will result in higher exports from Thailand
Takachi Tsuchiya, Jetro President, said the Japanese
economic situation is on its way to recovery as a result of financial
support from the Japanese government. “It is a good opportunity for Thai
exporters to gain more export values to Japan, but products must meet with
Japanese standards,” Takachi said.
Thailand’s Department of Export Promotion said Thai
products being exported to Japan are both increasing and decreasing.
Products showing an increase are computer parts, automobiles, construction
materials, furniture and costumes. Products with decreasing export value
are garments, sugar, chemical products, watches and gypsum.
Thai exporters are advised to focus on quality products to meet with
Japanese standards, lower costs, and on-time delivery. Knowledge of the
Japanese language is crucial, as is knowledge of Japanese culture.
KFC steps back from
E-commerce
KFC International Thailand launched its on-line
delivery site in October 1999. However, the site didn’t draw sufficient
on-line orders to meet with its sales target, so KFC finally closed down
its on-line restaurant in December last year after only 3 months of
operation.
“We found that most of the Internet users got
connected from their office, school or Internet caf้,” said
Suwanna Ussanajit, Marketing Manager of KFC International Thailand.
“Order and delivery places were normally different places. It was
difficult for us to make delivery and collect the bills. However, we could
say that KFC was successful, in a way, as to study this consumer group.”
Last year, KFC Delivery had growth rate of 7-10%. It is estimated that
the growth rate will reach 10% this year due to the many new competitors
entering into the market resulting in a larger consumer base.
CP develops Thai
fast food franchise to hit international market
The food products policy of Charoen Poakaphan from now
on will focus on developing Thai franchise brand names to meet with
international standards and promote them into the world market in the near
future.
Presently, CP is marketing Chester Grill Fried Chicken
and planing to expand locally from 65 chains to 100 chains in the near
future. CP has received many contacts from foreign businesses showing
interest in buying franchises to operate in their countries. Countries
showing high potential are Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and North
Africa. CP has already set up its chain restaurant in China.
CP is at the same time on the way to develop another 2 franchise
restaurants. One is a Thai restaurant called Bua Barn (blossom lotus) and
another new franchise is under research and development.
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