Bt3-bn ShowDC to be launched on Wednesday

“We expect ShowDC will be a new contact point between local and regional entrepreneurs, who have been doing business along the total supply chain,” Somkit Tantadvanichkul, founder of ThinkWork, the consultant for the ShowDC project, said last week.
AEC Property Development, a joint venture of Thai and Malaysian developers, envisions its project as catering to local and foreign investors who want to expand here to cash in on the open market environment of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
The Bt3 billion project will have a building with 156,000 square metres of gross area and 95,000sqm of gross leasing space on a 29-rai site on Jaturatid Road near the Rama IX expressway and RCA.
The project is highly innovative, offering a new alternative along the supply-chain that is more than just retailing, as it will include a wholesaling operation, a service and exhibition centre, warehouse, central kitchen and product delivery facility.
It will effectively serve SMEs that cannot enter the big retail stores because of low brand reputation and small supply volume.
“At ShowDC, individual SMEs will be able to open their own| display showrooms and contact directly with end consumers,” he said.
The AEC will draw individual businesses and investors to Thailand, which boasts a strategic location at the centre of Asean.
ShowDC will serve entrepreneurs involved in diversified products from fashion apparel and accessories and home decoration to electric products, IT, computers and mobile products, furniture and consumer goods.
The payback on the project is expected in six to seven years.
Somkit brings a wealth of experience in development, having worked for The Mall Group for almost 10 years (1989-99). He helped the group to open many shopping complexes, including The Mall Ngam Wong Wan, The Mall Bang Khae, The Mall Bang Kapi, Emporium Shopping Complex on Sukhumvit Road and The Mall Nakhon Ratchasima.
After leaving The Mall Group, Somkit set up ThinkWork, but had to suspend it when he joined Charoen Pokphand Group as president of Shanghai Future Development and developed the Super Brand Mall in Shanghai in 2000.
After that, Somkit joined Siam Future Development in 2005 as the CEO of its subsidiary Siam Future Property, formed to develop the Esplanade complex on Ratchadaphisek Road.
In 2008, Somkit resigned from Siam Future Property to continue with ThinkWork, which has provided consulting services for many community retail centre projects, including K Village on Sukhumvit 26, The Circle on Ratchapruek Road, Portochino on Rama II Road, Sena Fest on Charoen Nakhon Road and recently A-Link Square at the Airport Rail Link’s Ramkhamhaeng Station.