Fly on the Corporate Wall
One stone, two Burma birds Prida Tiasuwan, chairman of the Pranda Group, has gradually faded from the jewellery business, assigning management work to his nephew Chanut Sorakraikittikul. So he has more time for the Social Venture Network Asia: Thailand
Prida has been exchanging ideas with friends like former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun and Professor Dr Prawes Wasi. Recently he went to Myanmar with a group called Siam Intellects, including Sulak Sivalaksa, and visited Aung San Suu Kyi.
According to Chanut, the group went there to gather more information on rights violations, but still since Myanmar is known for its abundance of quality gems, Prida wasn’t going to miss the chance to survey the market. Rumour has it that the Pranda Group is interested in investing there. If so, it would be killing one bird with two stones. Prida can promote rights while expanding his business.
Ikea has more
Launched in 1952, the annual Ikea catalogue is getting a fresh look this year geared to smart-phone applications. The Swedish firm has just introduced "digital" content in its 2013 print catalogues. Any page that has a mobile-phone icon in the corner means you can find more choices available via its smart-phone app.
The digital phones – both iOS and Android – can use the application to scan the page to view extra content, including 3D models, videos and image galleries of the items on offer. So you can get a more comprehensive look at say, a kitchen cabinet. And the new the application also lets you share the page – or the whole catalogue – via e-mail, Twitter or Facebook.
Great es-Capes
The word "Cape" seems to be just part of the trademark for Kasemkij Hotels. The firm has operated several hotels whose names start with Cape. As a result, one of the bosses, Tirawan "Waew" Pangsriwongse, says she’s been asked many times about Cape Dara in Pattaya by people who assume it belongs to her group. Every time she replies with a smile that her company has four Cape hotels – Cape Nidhra in Hua Hin, Cape Panwa in Phuket, Cape House in Langsuan and Cape Racha in Sriracha.
"It’s just a coincidence" they collected so many Capes, she says, but the group will indeed open a couple of hotels in Pattaya soon. Maybe one of them will be a Cape, maybe not. Even after they open, though, Waew will have to keep repeating that Cape Dara belongs to someone else.
