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Thailand: Thai Businesses Learning to Develop Themselves Online

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Thailand is the second-biggest economy in the South East Asia region that enjoys sustained growth and a yearly reduction in poverty. However, this was not always the case, as Thailand previously struggled. Just seven years ago, Thailand had a growth rate not much above 1% and was teetering on the edge of a possible recession.

However, rather than accept its fate, the country made quick and decisive decisions that have quickly reversed its fortunes. Those in power and with the ability to make decisions decided a change was needed. They realised they had to digitalise the country if they were to grow as a country. This meant revising its economic model so that Thailand could create its own advanced digital generation.

Going Towards a New and Digital Economy

It was 2016 when the government put in place Thailand 4.0, a new economic model aimed at taking advantage of advancing digital technologies. The government first formed an agreement with Alibaba, a Chinese multinational country that wanted to help the country’s ailing e-commerce sector.

As part of this agreement, Alibaba pledged to provide full training for up to 30,000 SMEs that would boost the chances of success of internet startups. Training would include everything from setting up a website using a website creator, starting online businesses such as eCommerce stores, marketing those businesses, growing them, and how to succeed against the competition.

Results Came Quickly

The boost to the economy has come rapidly, as Thailand’s people continually embraced this new digital revolution. Digital wallets and online payment technologies quickly pushed the country towards a more cashless economy. Banks in the country made enormous investments in digitalisation in the past few years and that has led to continual growth in the number of transactions completed via mobile and internet banking systems.

In the first year alone, those transactions increased by almost 85%. They were now accounting for almost a third of all payment transactions compared to under a tenth in 2010. Thais were now turning to make payments online instead of offline.

Big brands such as LINE, Garena, Lazada, and Grab emerged to take full advantage of this new way of doing things. Thais were now buying their goods online, ordering food, and anything else they could utilise without handing over physical cash.

COVID Only Increased this Reliance on a Digital Economy

Of course, while the implications of COVID-19 have been felt worldwide, it certainly aided many sectors. Thailand could not have made the move towards a digital economy at a better time. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, and social distancing measures only pushed the country’s reliance on its new and flourishing digital mindset. Those still to adopt a digital world were now forced into it. Cashless transactions and deliveries were now the norms for many families across the country.

Ecommerce Growth to Continue According to Analysts

Experts believe that this growth will only continue to increase in the coming years. Thailand is now one of the most digitised countries in SouthEast Asia. Almost three-quarters of the population actively use Facebook with other social media platforms, also accounting for tremendous growth in usage. As a result, social media has boosted eCommerce sales to around $12 billion each year.

The usage of online taxi bookings, parcel deliveries, food deliveries, and online shopping is predicted to continue its growth as more people realise the convenience of it all.

Still Concerns for Other Industries

While the new digital economy is booming in Thailand, there is still an enormous concern for the agricultural and tourism industries. While COVID primarily caused these concerns, the country is still looking at ways to ease the burden.

Thailand usually has a flourishing tourism industry, but the global pandemic has hampered this greatly. If anything, the digitalisation of the country has helped to offset many of those struggles. That said, the country is now ready to open itself up to tourists. In a test run, Thailand is allowing visitors to Phuket, in a bid to help the economy.

Only fully vaccinated visitors can travel to the island, which officials believe would have built up the natural herd immunity required to prevent a fresh wave of infections. Should the sandbox experiment prove successful, the government will consider opening up other popular tourist destinations around the country.

Summary

Thailand certainly deserves plaudits for how it has escaped the jaws of recession to become one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia. Especially when you consider it did this within just a few short years. The turnaround has been significant, and it will be interesting to see how this new digital economy transforms the country further in the next few years. We predict that Thailand will continue to be among the Southeast Asia leaders when it comes to the digital revolution!

 

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PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

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(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children

Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

water

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP

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