Alibaba global course develops online sales skills of SMEs

The SOS+ initiative was conceived to help participating businesses connect with world-class e-marketplaces around the globe.
Under the collaboration, Alibaba Group’s Tmall e-marketplace, China’s largest third-party platform for brands and retailers, supports the initiative to help Thai businesses tap opportunities outside their home market. 
Through Tmall Global, an extension of Tmall that serves overseas brands and retailers without physical operations in China, Thai SMEs can gain access to the massive Chinese e-commerce market. Thai companies can join over 16,400 international brands from 68 countries and regions to offer products and services to more than 500 million annual active consumers (as of December 31, 2017) on Alibaba Group’s China retail marketplaces.
Rex Cheuk, business development director for Tmall Global, said that with an estimated 40 per cent of online consumers already purchasing foreign and imported goods, Tmall Global opens up new possibilities for Thai SMEs.
Moreover, Tmall Global offers merchants the ability to build their brand in China through a wide range of mechanics for consumer engagement, ranging from special deals on selected items and exclusive in-app promotions to participation in interactive games or even celebrity-led livestreaming sessions. 
Tmall Global also operates 17 market-specific pavilions dedicated to showcasing the quality products of each partner country/region – including a Thailand pavilion at https://thailand.tmall.com/.
Activities under the SOS+ initiative are being held in 3 provinces across Thailand, starting with the launch of the programme in Bangkok followed by further sessions in Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen later in March.
Alibaba Group offers entrepreneurs in Thailand a range of activities and partnerships across the public and private sectors. 
In 2016, the company signed a letter of intent with the Commerce Ministry to engage in SME training programmes designed to drive e-commerce and logistics capabilities.
The Chinese company has since brought its expertise in e-commerce to Thailand in the Alibaba Global Course programme, which seeks to equip local SMEs with a deeper understanding of global and local market trends as well as advice in business and human resource development.
Late last year, Tmall built upon its partnership with Thai businesses with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Asia Golden Rice, Thailand’s number-one rice exporter and owner of the Benjarong brand. The agreement will see jasmine rice production expand in Ubon Ratchathani for sale on Tmall as well as the Alibaba-owned Hema chain of smart supermarkets in China.