Bangkok April-May 2022

THAI GOVERNMENT
FULLY SUPPORTS
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The government has reiterated
its support for electric
vehicles (EV’s) and the EV
industry alike.
Government spokesman
Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana
was quoted as saying,
"As part of that, the government
now has a policy of not
only supporting the increasing
use of electric vehicles
in the country but to likewise
make Thailand a hub for
producing electric cars and
motorbikes in the ASEAN region.”
Although the ambition is
to become the “Detroit of
Asia” from the manufacturing
and export standpoint,
the government is also firmly
focused on cutting carbon
emissions in Thailand, by
ensuring that sales of EVs
to local customers increase
rapidly.
THAILAND BUSINESS NEWS
To support EV use, the
Metropolitan Electricity Authority
(MEA) unveiled plans
to add at least 100 more MEA
EV chargers in Nonthaburi,
Samut Prakan and Bangkok
by the end of 2022. There is
also a push to install many
more EV charging stations in
other provinces.
Subsidies to the tune of
3 billion baht have been set
aside by the Excise Department
that will translate into
individual subsidies of between
70,000 and 150,000
baht per vehicle sold by
companies taking part in the
scheme.
THAI RESTAURANTS
SEE UPTICK
Green shoots have started to be
visible in the restaurant sector with
the number of new restaurant venues
registering as a new business
propelling the sector into third place
overall.
Two hundred and twenty-two
new eateries were registered in
February, an increase of three per
cent on the previous year. Whilst
not a large increase, it is a significant
milestone showing growth in
the industry. The rise comes against
a modest one per cent overall drop
in the same month for registrations
of new businesses in all business
sectors combined.
Even though Coved-19 cases
have climbed, relaxations in restrictions
and widespread vaccinations
have helped to ensure that people
return to their favourite eateries
whether they be in stand-alone locations
or in popular shopping malls.
HOSPITAL GROUP TO
GO DIGITAL
With average ages in Thailand
climbing, the foray into the
wellness business is seen as an
important step for some hospitals.
Phyathai Hospital Group and
Paolo Hospital Group have carved
out a way to ensure that wellness
services are more streamlined using
online digital services.
Att Thongtang, chief executive
of Phyathai Hospital Group
and Paolo Hospital Group under
Bangkok Dusit Medical Services,
was quoted as saying "We developed
an application named Healthup
to serve our patients and
make treatment services more
convenient.”
The idea is to allow patients to
contact the hospital without necessarily
making an appointment
and to help to have meetings
between hospital personnel and
doctors using secure servers to
provide video consultations.
As well, the app will be able to
serve up reports, scans, and other
information about a patient’s
ailments all in a secure fashion.
Mr Att was also quoted as
saying, "We plan to seek a new
target group among company
employees, especially health lovers
who may be interested in our
healthcare programmes.”
Phyathai Hospital Group and
Paolo Hospital Group have 11
hospitals combined and treat
nearly 4 million people a year.