At A Glance

Thailand sent representatives to the IAF/ILAC joint annual meeting recently held in Singapore, including participating in the working-group meeting on the ISO/IEC17024 standards for certification of professionals.
In the meeting, 192 participants from over 100 countries discussed best practices regarding professional certifications for the purpose of gaining global recognition of Thai certified professionals. Discussed were procedures to identify fairness, validity, reliability and general performance of competency assessment.
Thailand demonstrated strong determination to create a standard performance assessment consistent with the ISO/IEC17024 requirements. 

‘Central Village’ luxury outlet to open in 2019
Central Pattana yesterday confirmed it will open “Central Village” next August, billing it as “the first international luxury outlet in Thailand”.
Central Pattana Plc (CPN), said it had closed deals with half of the project’s 235 boutique stores and would partner with Central Group, including leading fashion-brand importer the Central Marketing Group.
Global brands Polo Ralph Lauren, Kenzo and Vivienne Westwood have agreed to join forces with Central Village, as has CK Jeans for its first and only outlet in Thailand along with Adidas.
The outlet will be located on the main road to Suvarnabhumi Airport. CPN aims to attract both Thai and foreign tourists to stop by Central Village on their way in or out of the airport.
Responding to the global trend of establishing an airport city, CPN said it would contribute to making Thailand a real shopping haven for both Thai and foreign visitors from around the world.
The outlet would open next August under the concept “Bangkok Outlet Experience”, said the news release.

Shell pushes a ‘green’ solution
Oil giant Shell Thailand has announced an aspiration to reduce environmental impacts.
The Shell Company of Thailand will focus on supporting a future-oriented energy transition through innovation, partnerships and developing opportunities for people.
The company is doing its bit by supporting the efficient use of energy, using waste management as a source for energy renewal, and reforestation, the company said in a Monday press release.
The actions reflect the company’s sustainability aspiration, in addition to aligning with the Thailand 4.0 policy aiming to create growth and improve the quality of life while also being friendly towards the environment, said the release.
Said Asada Harinsuit, chairman of the Shell Company of Thailand Ltd, “As one of Thailand’s leaders in oil and the energy industry, our main goal is to deliver more and cleaner energy for customers. With an emphasis on sustainability and environmental care, Shell’s business strategy is to support the use of energy to enhance business growth while also caring for society.
“In order to achieve a better quality of life, we take different measures to reduce environmental impacts and greenhouse gas emissions while also creating sustainable harmony between people and environment.
“Our business strategy is in line with the National Agenda for development and based on the fundamentals for improving life quality, while remaining environmentally friendly to reduce the impact of climate change by 40 per cent and increase green space by 35 per cent.”
The State of the Environment Report by the Thailand Environmental Institute indicated that out of 6.187 tonnes of toxic waste, only 35 per cent was properly processed. This is due to the lack of coverage for waste sorting, waste collection and waste delivery, said the release.

UOB and JustCo offer co-working space deals
United Overseas Bank (Thailand) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with JustCo to offer preferential rental rates at any of JustCo’s three co-working spaces in Thailand.
JustCo is one of Asia’s leading co-working space providers with 22 co-working centres in Bangkok, Jakarta, Shanghai and Singapore.
Under the MoU, the bank’s startup and SME customers in Thailand, will enjoy 20 per cent off the rental rates at any of JustCo’s co-working spaces in several buildings located in Bangkok’s Central Business District – AIA Sathorn Tower, Capital Tower-All Seasons Place and Samyan Mitrtown.
James Rama Phataminviphas, country head of channels and digitalisation, UOB (Thai), said, “For startups and SMEs looking to establish themselves in Thailand, co-working spaces offer an efficient alternative to setting up a physical office from scratch.
“For example, a recent study showed that many young Asean FinTech firms think that co-working spaces are beneficial to them as they may not have sufficient resources to set up their own office space.
“Our collaboration with JustCo will enable us to offer UOB’s many startup and SME customers yet another convenient and cost-effective option to set up and to manage their operations in Thailand.”

Samitivej offers digital experience to patients
In response to the needs of patients, Samitivej is expanding its innovative mobile health services.
Samitivej Mobile Health offers Samitivej Plus app, Line@Samitivej and Samitivej PACE to improve the patient experience. Mobile Health’s new Ward Tracking app has now been made available so patients can prepare for medical procedures and to provide daily treatment schedules with on-demand features. Samitivej has deployed Apple technology to create this digital experience in caring for its patients.
People are paying more attention to their wellbeing in this rapidly changing world, said Dr Chairat Panthuraamphorn, CEO of Samitivej and BNH hospitals. Focusing on the importance of such changes, Samitivej is well prepared to meet the higher expectations of patients.
In line with the Healthcare 4.0 era, Samitivej is providing Thailand’s first Mobile Health service in Thailand through an easy-to-use smartphone application, enabling patients to connect with hospital services before, during and after treatment upon their return home. Underlining its determination to enhance the patient experience, Samitivej for the past three years has worked to develop innovative digital technology based on its insights into their patients and patient families.
With Samitivej Mobile Health, the hospital eliminates common pain points, such as waiting time to see a doctor or making a payment, their release said yesterday.