
Bangchak Celebrates Thailand's Badminton World No.1
On 4 July 2025, Mr Chaiwat Kovavisarach, Group Chief Executive Officer and President of Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited, joined Bangchak Group executives and employees in congratulating Kunlavut. Also present were 'May' Ratchanok Intanon, Thailand's former women's singles World No. 1 in 2016, and 'Coach Pae' Phattaphon Ngernsrisuk, Director of Banthongyord Badminton School and a key figure behind the success of both athletes.
Mr Chaiwat extended his heartfelt congratulations and presented Bangchak Hi Premium cash cards and commemorative gifts to Kunlavut. In addition, he offered fuel cards and gifts to Ratchanok and a commemorative token of appreciation to Coach Phattaphon. Bangchak Group, a proud supporter of Banthongyord Badminton School for over a decade, remains committed to empowering Thai athletes and promoting the sustainable development of sports in Thailand.
As part of the 'Road to Number One' programme, Mrs Gloyta Nathalang, Senior Executive Vice President, Sustainability Management and Corporate Communications, hosted an inspiring conversation with Coach Phattaphon, Ratchanok, and Kunlavut. They shared insights into their athletic journeys, from early beginnings and intensive training to sources of inspiration and perseverance through adversity, highlighting their growth both on and off the court.
The session concluded with a warm and engaging atmosphere as Bangchak employees joined in a souvenir giveaway from Banthongyord, took photos with their favourite athletes, and shared in the collective joy and positive energy.
Looking ahead, Kunlavut and Ratchanok will represent Thailand at the upcoming Japan Open 2025, a major World Tour event set to take place from 15–20 July in Tokyo. Bangchak Group encourages everyone to continue supporting Thai athletes – with the enduring belief that 'Together We Stand Strong.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Bangkok Post
7 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Five pillars for the digital economy
Thailand must reinforce five strategic pillars — technology, SME participation, digital skills and talent, financial inclusion and innovation, and cybersecurity and data governance — to secure long-term, sustainable growth in its digital economy, according to Maneerut Anulomsombut, chief executive of Sea (Thailand). Speaking on the topic 'Unlocking Thailand's Potential: Digital Ecosystems for Sustainable Growth' at the 2025 Bangkok Post Forum, Ms Maneerut said Thailand is among the three fastest-growing digital economies in Southeast Asia, alongside Indonesia and Vietnam. She highlighted four core sectors driving this growth: e-commerce, online travel, online media and transport/food delivery. E-commerce tops the table, accounting for 56% of Thailand's gross merchandise value (GMV), bolstered by frequent purchases and the rise of video commerce. Over 40% of consumers now rely on video content to guide their purchases, with some sellers reporting exponential growth: one saw orders multiply 84 times in a single day through video commerce. This boom also fuels demand for logistics and fulfilment, where rapid delivery is becoming standard, said Ms Maneerut. Online media, particularly gaming and local content, accounts for 13% of the digital economy. With esports now recognised as an official sport in Thailand, locally developed games will be featured at the 2025 SEA Games. Ms Maneerut described digital content as a powerful form of soft power, helping promote Thai culture and festivals globally. Digital payments also play a pivotal role. Thailand's gross transaction value (GTV) stood at $141 billion (4.6 trillion baht) in 2024 and is expected to reach $310 billion by 2030. Services like ShopeePay and Scan & Pay help ensure seamless digital transactions both online and offline. Despite global challenges, Ms Maneerut sees opportunities for transformation. 'Thailand's digital economy is still in its early phase,' she said, calling for urgent focus on five key areas: technology, SME participation, digital skills development, financial inclusion and cybersecurity. Technology must be applied strategically to support core sectors such as tourism, hospitality and manufacturing, she said. Generative AI and research and development can enhance service quality and productivity, but solutions must fit Thailand's specific context rather than copy global trends. SME participation is vital, as small and medium-sized enterprises make up 99.5% of all businesses and employ 71% of the workforce. Yet only 3.4% are considered digital champions, according to a 2023 survey by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency. Shopee, the e-commerce flagship of Singapore-based Sea, has been offering tools and training to help SMEs sell online and expand internationally, but more work is needed to close the gap. According to Ms Maneerut, Thailand ranks 37th in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2024. She called for more investment in education and practical, business-driven tech skills to keep pace with the AI era.

Bangkok Post
7 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Tariff deal shows Thais ready for ‘new world order'
Economic and trade analysts have warned of a sluggish economy later this year as the impact of the 19% tariff rate imposed on Thailand by the United States takes hold. Nonetheless, there are silver linings as it could spur the country to diversify and be more innovative in order to stay relevant and competitive in the face of the overall contraction of global and US trade, experts said. The 19% tariff rate announced by President Donald Trump this week was lower than expected and would help Thailand avoid a technical recession, according to Amonthep Chawla, chief economist at CIMB Thai Bank (CIMBT). A technical recession occurs when a country's gross domestic product (GDP) contracts for at least two consecutive quarters. 'The US 19% reciprocal tariff on Thai exports is expected to enhance the competitiveness of Thai products. Sectors that will benefit include electronics, auto parts, tyres, processed foods and mobile phone components,' Dr Amonthep said on Friday on the sidelines of the 2025 Bangkok Post Forum panel discussion on 'Positioning Thailand in the New Global Economy: Trade, Investment and Strategic Resilience'. 'However, Thai export growth is still projected to decline in the second half of the year due to a broader slowdown in US imports — resulting from earlier stockpiling — and a weakening US economy driven by rising inflation,' he added. Dr Amonthep also noted that the better-than-expected tariff rate would likely encourage more foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand. He foresees more firms seeking to relocate production from China to Thailand, reducing direct competition with Vietnam and Indonesia. Industries such as electrical appliances, batteries and auto parts are expected to benefit the most. According to Dr Amonthep, Thai businesses will also gain from lower input costs due to reduced tariffs on US imports, including pharmaceuticals, food products, animal feed, corn, soybeans and more — supporting investment in these sectors. Thailand's economic outlook is expected to remain subdued, however, due to structural challenges, including an ageing population, declining competitiveness, and rising debt levels across public, corporate and household sectors, said Dr Amonthep. The US tariffs are expected to further erode the competitiveness of Thai small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As a result, the government should adopt targeted measures to support vulnerable SMEs, he said. Nalinee Taveesin, President of the Thailand Trade Representative Office, said the government is preparing targeted support for SMEs and farmers likely to be affected by the new trade barriers. 'Despite challenges such as economic security concerns, US-China tensions and supply chain disruptions, Thailand remains resilient and ready to move forward,' she said. The new tariff rate could be interpreted as 'good news' as it is likely to encourage Thai exporters to pursue untapped markets to make up the shortfall. Thailand is currently pursuing free trade agreements (FTAs) with the European Union and South Korea, and is also working towards the Asean–Canada agreement. Recently, the country signed FTAs with Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) ahead of the expected US hikes. In addition to enhancing regional ties, Thailand is actively expanding into untapped markets in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and other emerging regions, she said. Pipope Chokvathana, vice-chairman of the Economic and Academic Affairs Department at the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), has warned that Thailand will face double competition with goods from both China and the US flooding in amid the new US tariffs. 'In this so-called new world order, we woke up to this tariff news. Likely the GDP (growth) forecast for 2025 would be 2% if the tariff was at 10%,' Mr Pipope said. 'If the tariff is 19%, then GDP growth this year would be 1.5%. This picture is not totally positive. 'Ever since China faced higher tariffs, they have been planning to reduce exports to the US, and when it comes to competitiveness, a lot of products from China are coming to Thailand. So it becomes Chinese versus Thai goods,' he explained. 'And likely later, there are going to be floods of US goods to Thailand as well.' Mr Pipope said Thai manufacturers should strive to stay relevant and be innovative to deal with the dual threat posed by these superpowers. As the market evolves, companies must be agile and responsive to consumer preferences and international economic conditions. 'The FTI's guidelines are go digital/AI, go innovation, go green and go global,' said Mr Pipope. 'We need to get producers to learn how to use new technology, integrate it into the system and do it quicker, to increase our productivity. 'We need to diversify the market. The world order is changing.'

Bangkok Post
13 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
ONE Championship: Supergirl fight cancelled after hydration fail at ONE Fight Night 34 weigh-ins
'Supergirl' Anna Jaroonsak's long-awaited return to the ring in ONE Championship has been cancelled. Her atomweight Muay Thai bout against Bulgaria's Teodora Kirilova was officially scrapped on Friday morning, after Supergirl failed to pass hydration at the ONE Fight Night 34 weigh-ins the previous evening in Bangkok. The Thai star later confirmed she eventually passed hydration after the official three-hour testing window had closed – but Kirilova declined to accept a catchweight, leaving the fight off the card entirely. 'First of all, I want to sincerely apologise to my opponent, the event organisers, [ONE CEO] Chatri Sityodtong and all my fans,' Supergirl wrote on social media. 'I know many people were looking forward to this fight, and I'm truly sorry for the disappointment I've caused.' The 21-year-old made her contracted weight twice within a few hours, but she failed to provide a hydrated urine sample in time to pass under ONE's weigh-in protocols. Her third attempt, which came just as the clock struck zero, did not meet the minimum requirements of 10 millilitres, and she was not allowed to test. 'I followed the same weight-loss plan I've always used – nothing extreme, and everything was on track – but unfortunately, this time the result was different,' Supergirl added. 'I trained extremely hard for this fight and felt more than ready, both physically and mentally.' The bout was meant to mark Supergirl's first appearance since a first round TKO loss to Cristina Morales in November 2023, when she had complained of feeling sick and fatigued the morning of the fight. Since then, she had been balancing other work commitments, including film and modelling, while stepping away from active competition. 'Coming back into serious training after such a long break wasn't easy, but I gave it everything I had,' she added. 'I truly did everything I could to try and make the fight happen, including initiating direct negotiations with my opponent's team.' The ONE Fight Night 34 card has now been reduced to eight bouts, though the two other contests that appeared to be in jeopardy after Thursday's weigh-ins – involving Shamil Adukhov and Elbek Alyshov – will go ahead, officials confirmed to the Bangkok Post. Ellis Barboza agreed a catchweight with Russia's Adukhov for their Muay Thai opener, which was originally contracted at strawweight.