PTT signs MOU with SAP to drive digital economy

Photo caption: Chansin Treenuchagron, President & Chief Executive Officer of PTT, centre, presided over the signing ceremony of a MoU between PTT and SAP. The MoU was signed by Wittawat Svasti-Xuto, Chief Technology and Engineering Officer of PTT, left, and Scott Russell, President Sap Asia Pacific Japan, right. 

Under the MoU, both will jointly develop a strategy to enhance digital capabilities with SAP’s cutting-edge technology and innovation to drive new businesses within PTT Group.This collaboration is in line with the government’s Thailand 4.0 policy, which aims to support existing S-Curve and new S-Curve businesses and transform the country’s economic to become fully digital system.

TAX 
Five tourism projects granted BoI privileges 
Board of Investment (BOI) has granted tax privileges to five major tourism development projects worth a total of Bt5 billion this year. The projects include two water-theme parks in Phuket worth Bt3.776 billion, and three others in Chonburi worth a combined Bt1.225 billion.
Over the past decade, BoI has granted tax privileges to 32 projects for new tourism attractions, worth a total of Bt23 billion.
DEBT RATINGS
Healthcare group assigned ‘AA-’ with stable outlook 

TRIS Rating has affirmed the company rating on Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc (BDMS) and the ratings on its outstanding senior unsecured debentures at “AA-”, with a “stable” outlook. The ratings reflect BDMS’s leading market position as the largest operator of private hospitals in Thailand, with an extensive network of hospitals and strong franchise of its hospital brands, supported by its high quality of services and medical staff. 
The ratings also take into consideration BDMS’s sound operating performance, moderate financial risk profile, and exposure to intense competition from local and international healthcare services providers. 
Largest private hospital operator in Thailand, with extensive network of hospitals
BDMS’s strong business profile reflects its leading position in the private hospital segment in Thailand. BDMS has the largest hospital network, covering 45 hospitals nationwide, with a service capacity of 5,996 inpatient beds at the end of June 2018. 
The company has the largest pool of physicians and nurses in the industry. Based on physician participation, BDMS has more than 11,600 physicians and about 8,000 full-time registered nurses across its network of hospitals.
In 2017, revenue from healthcare services and sales totaled nearly Bt72 billion, or around 55 per cent of the total amount of revenue reported by all listed healthcare service providers. As another measure of size, BDMS has 16 per cent of the total number of private hospital beds in Thailand and around 5 per cent of total hospital beds in Thailand.

GOAIR 
Carrier first to fly India-Phuket direct 

India’s GoAir has become the first airline to fly India-Phuket direct.
The fastest-growing carrier in the world has just arrived in Phuket. With five direct flights a week from two cities in India. 
"Phuket is our first international route. Our inaugural flight landed on the island on October 11 and the level of interest from Indian travellers has been excellent. Thanks to Gulu Lalvani, Chairman of Royal Phuket Marina, who convinced me to open-up Phuket to the Indian market. We are making Phuket our Thailand hub. We already have routes from Mumbai and Delhi to Phuket, and by the end of next year we will increase this to 10 cities flying direct to Phuket," says Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir.

Photo caption: Gulu Lalvani, Chairman of Royal Phuket Marina, right, with Jeh Wadia, Managing Director of
GoAir, left after GoAir commenced the first direct flights to Phuket.

India is a country of more than 1.3 billion people with a rapidly growing appetite for international travel. World Bank data shows that almost 22 million Indians travelled overseas in 2017 while the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) predicts that India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020. That these figures look set to more than double in three years is no surprise to Gulu Lalvani, Chairman of Royal Phuket Marina.
The start of direct flights to Phuket could not have come at a better time for the island. Opening up Phuket to the second largest country in the world, will help to soften the impact declining arrivals from China.
"The upside for Phuket is clear and the potential is limitless. These direct three-to-four hour flights from India will benefit Phuket's economy immensely. As well as bringing more lucrative Indian weddings to Phuket, their average holiday spend is high. Typically May and June have the lowest hotel occupancy in Phuket, yet this is the school holiday period in India and a time when many Indians travel. GoAir's direct flights will help to provide a big boost to the island's tourism businesses during this period," added Lalvani.
Owned by Waida Group, one of India's oldest conglomerates established in 1736, GoAir is a leading low cost carrier in India and was recently reported to be the fastest growing airline in the world by Routes Online.
"We will also be flying into Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok soon. Thailand is a big part of our international expansion, it is a destination popular with Indian travellers and Phuket is at the heart of that," explained Wadia.