Issue 48

A robot developed by a Thai entrepreneur is changing the face of elderly care in places as far away as Japan.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, Asia, including Australia and New Zealand, is the biggest market for robots with about 139,300 industrial robots sold in 2014, 41% higher than in 2013.

Thai entrepreneurs have been developing robots of their own, thanks to talented students who have received international awards in robotics.
“There are numerous university students who have the necessary skills, yet there are few places that accept graduates [to work] in the robotics industry,” says Chalermpon Punnotok, CEO of CT Asia Robotics. “Our company focuses solely on service robots to help those in hospitals and homes.”

Especially for the elderly, something as simple as visiting a doctor can become problematic. The Dinsow robot, developed since 2009, can take care of the elderly and patients by monitoring body movements and vital signs with sensors that serve as portals for telemedicine with doctors.
“What makes us different from other robot manufacturers is that their robots tend to be pure engineering and lack the human touch,” says Punnotok. “Dinsow can smile and even its name sounds down-to-earth.”

Launched in 2015, the latest Dinsow model, Dinsow Mini, is small so that it can be placed by the side of bedridden patients. However, for patients who can walk, there are bigger models that can follow them around.

“The elderly tend to get lonely,” says Punnotok. “They are not ill every day, but they experience loneliness every day. With the robot, their children and grandchildren can call them, see them face-to-face and send them music and video clips. There are also exercise functions and prayer functions.” He adds that the robots are already being used in several nursing homes in Japan.

Hospitals in Bangkok such as Chulalongkorn and Phayathai are working with CT Asia Robotics to develop the robots by using them with patients. “The use of robots in hospitals is still at the development stage and will be in full-scale use from mid-2016 onwards,” he says.

According to Punnotok, the company has already received orders from individuals, hospitals and nursing homes. He explains that the automobile supply chain in Thailand plays an important part in keeping prices low as many robotic parts can be shared with the automobile industry.

Collaboration is what drives CT Asia Robotics. “I am not an engineer but a marketer,” says Punnotok. “We have graphic designers, marketers, different branches of engineers and also partnerships with various hospitals in order to develop the robots. My long-term goal is to develop robots that can offer telemedicine services for patients who live far away from city centres and hospitals.”

For more information, visit www.ctasia.com

Words by Pimsirinuch Borsub

Issue 46

The Thai Ministry of Commerce is promoting the rubber industry through business matching activities.

Thailand’s rubber industry is huge with the capacity to manufacture approximately 4 million tonnes of natural rubber each year. In 2015, income from rubber exports totalled US$5 billion with rubber product exports amounting to US$6.85 billion. The top importers of rubber from Thailand are China, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and the US.

From February 29 to March 2, 150 rubber importers from 28 countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, China, South Africa, India, South Korea and Saudi Arabia, joined in business negotiations with 109 Thai companies at the Centara Grand Hotel, Central Plaza Ladprao, Bangkok.

“The Ministry of Commerce believes that these business matching activities will be an important step for the Thai rubber industry in building business relationships with foreign partners,” Minister of Commerce Apiradee Tantraporn, says. “Moreover, these activities will offer new opportunities for [Thai] companies to meet potential new buyers from various countries.”

Von Bundit, one of Thailand’s largest natural rubber manufacturers and exporters, signed Memoranda of Understanding for a combined total of more than 110,000 tonnes of rubber with three Chinese importers – Qingdao Runlian, Shanghai Han Qing Import & Export and Shanghai Ting Qing Industry – at the event.

Para rubber products which proved of most interest with buyers included tyres, latex pillows and mattresses, natural rubber, rubber gloves and automotive parts made from rubber.

The Thai government has established centres for production, marketing and technological research with the aim to produce the highest-quality rubber and to meet market demands.

Parimon Charoontham, marketing executive of the Rubber Authority of Thailand, believes that these business negotiations will help the Thai rubber industry expand overseas.

“The Rubber Authority of Thailand manufactures rubber into latex concentrate and block rubber,” she says. “I think these business negotiations with foreign buyers will give a chance for our rubber industry to expand further.

“We have many facilities both in the southern and in the northeastern part of Thailand. Now we sell mainly to buyers in Thailand who turn the rubber into rubber products. From these business negotiations, we hope to gain some direct foreign buyers who are interested in processing rubber products.”

The event also featured exhibitions on rubber production, as well as factory tours to help promote the image of Thai rubber. Negotiations are expected to generate over 10 billion baht in trade.

Information and images courtesy of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP)

Words by Pimsirinuch Borsub

Issue 47

 

 

Leading Thai fashion entrepreneurs showcased their projects at BIFF & BIL 2016 this March under the title of Bangkok Fashion Cluster.

Supported by the Department of Industrial Promotion (DIP) and the Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ISMED), a collection of 42 fashion companies have revived the Bangkok Fashion City campaign, that was dropped in 2006. Now called the Bangkok Fashion Cluster (BFC), it is open to Thai manufacturers in the fashion industry.

“As a group, we have been trained and advised by ISMED not only to develop our products and create a collection that reflects the identity of each group, but to learn how we could adjust ourselves to work together in the global market,” explains Molee Maneechot, managing director of Maneesilp. The company has been selling handmade leather shoes both in Thailand and overseas in places such as Milan and Lausanne for 25 years.

Sakchai Boonyanusith, of traditional Thai silk manufacturer Taew Thai Silk, says that BFC is a private sector collaboration aiming to implement a practical approach to Thailand's fashion industry. “Group members can share their knowledge of anything from raw materials to methods and techniques with one another,” he says. “This will help broaden our perspective and creativity. We can add value to each other.”

According to DIP, Thailand’s fashion industry was worth over 620 billion baht (approx. US$17.5 billion) in 2014 showing a continuous growth of around 4% to 5%. Within five years the market value of the fashion industry in Thailand is expected to reach a trillion baht or US$28 billion.

Boonyanusith adds that the project is meant to showcase the industry’s creativity to an international audience as well as share new approaches.
“For example, some have said that silk is for luxury clothes only. But if we talk about the word ‘fashion’, this is wide open to design and creativity. Silk is a material able to be adapted to shoes, bags or other items,” he says.

The plan is to take BFC products overseas, such as to the Takashimaya Mall in Singapore and Super Brand Mall in Shanghai.

“We will select the brand that is ready for export,” says Maneechot. “BFC members should make their products suitable for both domestic and international trade fairs.” He adds that many international fairs require products to be registered with the Ministry of Commerce, and for the brand to be copyrighted. “Entrepreneurs who want to enter the global market need to learn and get it right,” he says.

Maneechot believes that members should behave like supporting partners. “We compete in terms of quality, not price” he says. “Then we could grow sustainably.”

Information courtesy of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP)

Words by Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi 

Issue 45

The team behind award-winning animation studio Rocky Dolly reveals how their comics go beyond entertaining toddlers. 

“Comics are not always nonsense. Comics can provide knowledge as well,” says Poe Sriwatanathamma, managing director of Rocky Dolly Studio. Having collected various prizes, including the latest Thailand Selected Project at Asian Animation Summit 2015, the animator knows a bit about where the Thai graphic industry is currently located.

“I just want to see more creative workforce in Thai animation industry,” he says, adding that Thailand has good production techniques, but that it is lacking in terms of story or character development.

After taking an internship at American studios The Little Airplane Production and The Studio NYC, Poe Sriwatanathamma and Chaiyalap Chanyam, Rocky Dolly Studio’s director, were inspired to create their own creative design house in 2013, the name came from their first project.

Rocky Dolly, or Lomlook in Thai, is a short 2D animation series for kids. It scooped the first prize at the Digimedia Contest in 2013. The story focuses on friendship, family and community, as well as clearly targeting the pre-school audience with its feel-good mood and tone.

“We don’t just produce cartoons, we do characterisation. We create value for the characters,” says Chanyam. “Our target audience is pre-school children aged between four and six years. We found that there is less competition in this group, and also the simple design with informative and useful content is what we are good at.”

To create Lomlook, the pair deviated from traditional Thai animation production techniques. “Oversea animators would reference child psychology. This contrasts with Thailand, where we focus mostly on the imagination and passion of animators,” he says, adding that domestic animators are less concerned with how the story would affect the children in his view.

“How we find ideas and inspiration is by watching a variety of cartoons to study techniques, studying child psychological research, and child development and behaviour to create a story for the pre-school age,” he says. The studio has also employed a child psychologist as a consultant through the creative process.

Sriwatanathamma believes that while much attention is being placed on research and development in order to create an innovative approach, you should never lose sight of the fundamentals of storytelling.

“What is important is how to create a compelling story,” he says. “Spectacular designs and special effects won’t bring anything more profound. If you understand the message from the story, you will understand the value.”

For more information, visit www.rockydolly.co.th
Words by Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi