Industry

Issue 59

Thai rice products continue to make a substantial contribution to the national economy.

According to a recent report, processed Thai rice products exports made the top three for processed agricultural products, along with processed coconut and durian products.

Released in September 2016 by the Center for International Trade Studies, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the report found that exports of processed agricultural products in 2015 generated approximately US$11 billion (or 380 billion baht) with a steady upward trend.

Realising the market potential for processed rice, Siam Organic saw an opportunity to launch organic processed Jasberry rice products on both the domestic and international markets. Collaborating with small-scale farmers in the northeast of Thailand for over five years on organic rice products, Siam Organic has developed organic Jasberry rice, rice pasta, rice flour for bakery products and most recently Jasberry rice tea.

“We want to add more value to Jasberry rice,” says Pornthida Wongphatharakul, co-founder of Siam Organic. “Our processed rice products will provide new options for consuming rice in both the health and organic products market.”

Wongphatharakul believes that Siam Organic can build on Thailand’s strong reputation for quality rice to market Jasberry rice, especially due to its healthy attributes.

“Our tea is made with organic Jasberry rice, which is highly beneficial in lowering blood sugar and blood pressure, including weight control,” she says. “In addition, it also provides higher antioxidants than other strains of rice.”

Wongphatharakul adds that Siam Organic’s Jasberry rice tea is unique. “We combine Jasberry rice tea with Thai herbs such as butterfly pea, ginger and safflower,” she says. “Therefore, our rice tea is not only high in nutrition, but also has a pleasant aroma for consumers who have never consumed this kind of tea before.”

Now that the rice tea has received USDA Certification, the product is proving successful on international markets, and Wongphatharakul says that customer feedback has been great. However, the rice entrepreneur is still looking for fresh pastures to penetrate, as well as developing new products.

“Apart from exporting our rice tea to Hong Kong, we are looking for new markets in Europe,” she says.

For Wongphatharakul, an important part of the company’s mission is to support Thai farmers in Northeast region and to turn their attention towards organic rice production.

“We would like to push Thai organic rice into international markets and bring a better quality of life to Thai farmers,” she says.

For more information, please visit: www.facebook.com/siamorganic

Photo courtesy of Siam Organic Co. Ltd.

Words by Patcharee Taedangpetch

 

 

Issue 58

As the ASEAN MICE sector continues to grow, Thailand is well positioned to tap into this positive market, especially through the ASEAN Economic Community.

The global and regional MICE market outlook remains positive and is growing. Greater levels of confidence have been noted with evidence of increasing budgets and attendance, so claims Loy Joon How, general manager of IMPACT Exhibition Management.

According to a Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) report in 2014, the Thai MICE industry generated revenues of 80 billion baht ($2.3 billion) drawing 900,000 international MICE visitors to the country.

“The AEC is a positive [factor] enabling the growth of the MICE sector in ASEAN,” says How. “As the regional MICE sector continues to grow, Thailand is well positioned to tap into this positive market environment. However, there will also be increased competition amongst Asian countries, including Thailand within the AEC.”

According to How, the majority of international MICE visitors are from Asia. “The top 10 countries are China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, the US, Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan and Hong Kong,” he says. “Asian countries are successful in these international events.”

The IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre is currently the largest venue in Southeast Asia with a total indoor space of over 140,000 sqm comprising of 12 exhibition halls, 56 function rooms, two large ballrooms, one indoor arena and a 380-room hotel. A second 580-room hotel is due for completion by March 2017.

Each year, the venue hosts more than 800 events and welcomes around 15 million visitors. The IMPACT team organises events and exhibitions as well as providing both inside and outside catering.

“The demand for global corporate meetings continues to grow especially in the pharmaceutical, automotive and construction industries,” How says. “The incentive travel sector is also growing with corporate companies increasing their incentive travel budgets.”

How sees IMPACT as becoming much more than just an event and meeting arena.

“Future developments will transform our venue from being just an exhibition and convention centre to become Thailand's key MICE and leisure destination with entertainment attractions such as a water theme park, an entertainment park, a yacht marina, shopping malls and more hotels,” he says.

How believes that listening to its customers and delivering what they want have been key factors behind IMPACT’s continued success.

“Our company culture designs our entire business around customer needs and developing an ideal environment based on good partnerships that cultivate great team work, good communication and motivation for all related sectors to achieve our objectives in the most productive way,” he says.

For more information, please visit www.impact.co.th

Words by Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi

 

Issue 56

A hybrid of a luxury resort and nursing home, Vivo Bene demonstrates the great potential for elderly healthcare in Thailand.

“Thailand is renowned for its good hospitality at an affordable price. The care that Thai people can give to the elderly is really remarkable,” says Marc H. Dumur, general manager of Vivo Bene Village, which combines a first-class resort set in tranquil countryside with tree-shaded tropical gardens, and a professionally managed wellness centre.

Built in 2012 and officially opened in 2014, the Swiss-owned and managed Vivo Bene is located in Doi Saket in Chiang Mai province. It offers guests the facilities of a resort with professional services dedicated to health, well-being, rest and recreation.

“Our ordinary care ranges from simple help, such as getting dressed, up to 24-hour supervision and assistance,” says Dumur. “Advance care is available for cases requiring more than just physical comfort. This happens when guests need to feel that their caregivers deeply understand the difficulties and the often complex emotions that they may be experiencing.”

According to Dumur, Vivo Bene’s main priority lies in recruiting professional staff. “We select staff or caregivers who possess a natural ability to help others in need,” he says. “Most Thai people have this sense of care. They are able to share, bond, enable, motivate and encourage. We have over 70 staff in total, 50% of which are nurses and medically-qualified permanent staff.” Dumur adds that all areas of the resort are disabled-friendly, wheelchair accessible, safe and secure.

As a Swiss company with a sales office in Switzerland it’s no surprise that Vivo Bene’s main market is in Europe, as well as Thai-based Swiss naturals. “We have more than 2,000 Swiss living in Chiang Mai and 80-90% of them are retired,” he says. “However, it’s quite challenging to bring people from the middle of Switzerland to Thailand so we plan to get into the Asian market as well.”

Dumur believes there is a difference in approach towards the treatment of the elderly in Asia to that in the West. He feels that Asian-style nursing can involve giving patients too much care. “Actually, you need to see that they are adults not kids,” he maintains. “So you should let them do what they can … what they can’t that’s your duty. For example, if they can walk, just let them walk. Don’t put them in a wheelchair as if you’re afraid that they will be too tired if they walk.”

Dumur sees a great potential for nursing homes across the world. “I believe it will grow because we have more elderly people than ever before not only in the western world, but also in Asia as well,” he says.

For more information, please visit www.vivobene.co.th

Words by Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi

 

Issue 57

Processed rice products from Thailand are growing on the global market and have become one of the country’s most promising export commodities.

Along with durian and coconut, processed rice is one of the three most promising agricultural products on the world market, according to the Trade Policy and Strategy Office, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Center for International Trade Studies University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Thai company Happy Box has eyed this growth over a number of years, and plans to push processed Thai rice products on international markets. The company was started by a family that had experienced the health benefits of Thai organic rice, particularly wholegrain rice.

After many years’ study and much trial and error, the family finally arrived upon the perfect recipe made from Thai rice. Happy Box was established in 2013, launching products under the Prize brand initially aimed at the domestic market.

“When our products were first introduced, we got very good feedback from health-conscious consumers because our products are made from Thai organic rice with high-quality ingredients,” says Salisa Sresthaporn, assistant manager of Happy Box. “We use a popping process, rather than baking or frying. The products are also free of monosodium glutamate, preservatives and gluten.”

The company has now introduced two product lines – popped rice under the Prize brand and organic rice crackers under the Priz brand. All products are made from Thai organic rice such as wholegrain jasmine rice, wholegrain red rice, organic brown jasmine rice and black rice.

Apart from high nutrition and delicious taste, Happy Box provides genuine organic products certified by the Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT). It has also received HACCP, GMP, Bureau Veritas and Halal certification both for their products and manufacturing process, which guarantees product quality and makes it acceptable on the world market.

“We export our products to many countries and get very good responses,” says Sresthaporn. The company’s main international markets are Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia. “We are planning to expand our products to US and EU markets because people there are increasingly seeking organic healthy foods, especially those that are also gluten free.”

With continual growth in the healthy food market, Happy Box is considering expanding its products to give customers more choice, and to develop products to satisfy a new generation of customers.

“We are going to manufacture new product lines such as kids’ products offering a variety of fruit-flavoured snacks and dips for our crackers and so on. For product packaging, we will change it to make it attractive and appealing to gain more attention from teen customers,” says Sresthaporn.

Although processed Thai rice products are doing well in both domestic and international markets, the young entrepreneur believes there is still a challenge that needs to be addressed.

“I would like government and private institutions to urge farmers to plant more organic rice in order to meet growing market requirements,” she says. “If this happens, then processed Thai rice will definitely go further in this industry, I’m sure.”

For more information, please visit: www.moc.go.th. Photo courtesy of Happy Box Co., Ltd.

Words by: Patcharee Taedangpetch

 

 

Issue 55

A Thai company has used wood from rubber trees to create an environmentally friendly product that it now exports around the globe.

By implementing best practices and taking innovation to toy-making and design, Plan Toys has learned how to manufacture wooden toys from waste rubber wood, as well as creating an eco-friendly product as part of its zero waste goal.

“To do something good for society, Plan Toys is determined to conduct its business with careful consideration for the environment,” says Kosin Virapornsawan, managing director of Plans Creations, the manufacturer of Plan Toys.

The company was established in 1981 by a group of executives with an architectural background and a strong mission to create a sustainable world. Now 95% of the wooden toys are exported to the US, EU, UK and Japan.

On average rubber trees provide latex for about 25 to 30 years. After that, most are burnt to make charcoal which has a low value. Instead Plan Toys uses the timber to create wooden toys. This is part of the company’s ethos to create a sustainable future.

“We also focus on child development, which is considered another way to create a sustainable society,” says Virapornsawan. “The key areas of child development are physical, social and emotional, intellectual and language.”

Virapornsawan believes that SMEs can do business in a sustainable manner if they have the correct mindset.

“Profit, people, planet are the three keywords that should be used primarily to develop the idea of ​​doing business sustainably,” he says. “We work with Mahidol University to check … power consumption and carbon emissions. If you look superficially, many entrepreneurs might think that doing green business increases the cost of production. As a long-term investment, it actually saves a lot of energy.”

According to him, entrepreneurs should come up with creative and innovative ideas to develop their business.

“We mixed the sawdust created from making the wooden toys with organic colours to form new toys with a different texture which are waterproof,” he says. “It is an eco design.”

Finding the right strategic partner, innovation and branding are three factors that all SMEs should consider if they want to enter the global market.

“If we are not good enough in any specific area we could suggest our partner to clients. We should not beat each other [into the ground] but we should grow together,” he says. “Innovation and branding help create a clear identity in the market and add value to your products and services.”

Words by Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi

 

 

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