Samsung DVE returned in 2019 for the program’s fourth year, partnering with the Office of Vocational Education Commission in Thailand. The program prepares students for vocational careers as skilled technicians, a profession in high demand in both the Thai and ASEAN labor markets. Samsung DVE has provided vocational training, internships and job opportunities, with a significant proportion of participating students going on to serve customers at Samsung Service Centers nationwide.

Commenting on the award, Jung Sung Park, Director of Customer Service Planning, Thai Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd said: “Samsung is pleased and proud to have a role in the skills and career development of Thai technicians. The company is delighted to make this contribution to the Thai labor market. This program not only affirms the company’s commitment to creating benefits for Thai society through its expertise in technology and innovation, but also indicates that Samsung is prioritizing the development of human resources – in particular vocational skills – which are currently in high demand in the Thai labor market.”

Dr. Suthep Chittayawong, Secretary-General of the Vocational Education Commission, said: “The Office of the Vocational Education Commission would like to thank Samsung for creating this project and is delighted that the company has given importance to the development of skilled labor, especially technicians, who are in short-supply at this moment. At present, major industries in Thailand need skilled workers to drive the country’s economy toward Thailand’s 4.0 goal. This collaboration with Samsung is very helpful in giving students real internship experiences, which enable them to learn how to solve real problems in the world of work.”

On October 5 in Bangkok, Samsung Electronics held a signing ceremony for new partnership with Major Cineplex Group, the largest cinema company in Thailand with more than 110 theaters and 668 movie screens, to convert a 200-seat cinema at the Paragon Cineplex in Siam Paragon into its Cinema LED venue. Several additional premium theater renovations are also expected throughout the region during the coming year.

“The continued growth of the local entertainment industry and the openness to embracing new technologies made Thailand the perfect location for Southeast Asia’s first Cinema LED Screen,” said Yong Chul Jo, President of Samsung Electronics Thailand. “By delivering the most immersive theater environment possible, the Cinema LED Screen creates an unparalleled viewing experience guaranteed to make the Cinema LED theater a destination for movie enthusiasts.”

An upgrade on the screen-and-projector operation the industry has relied on for more than a century, the Samsung Cinema LED Screen reinvigorates cinema presentation through superior visual quality, technical performance and reliability. Although it extends nearly 10.3m (33.8ft) wide, the Cinema LED Screen is easy to install and configure within nearly any existing theater dimensions. The display also amplifies on-screen content through HDR picture quality, powered by ultra-sharp 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,160) and peak brightness levels (146fL/500nit) nearly 10 times greater than that offered by traditional projectors. As a result, movie-goers can enjoy content free of distortion and brought to life through lifelike colors, pristine whites and deep blacks.

Samsung Cinema LED Screen at Lotte Cinema in Busan, Korea

Beyond its visual enhancements, the Cinema LED Screen also offers theater managers the reliability of long-term performance. The display’s shelf life of more than 100,000 service hours far exceeds that of traditional projectors and minimizes the need for costly maintenance. Additionally, the Cinema LED Screen employs a strict anti-copy encryption protocol to prevent unlawful streaming or content redistribution.

As the demands for cinema space evolve, Samsung’s Cinema LED Screen will offer theater managers in Thailand and across the world added flexibility to expand service offerings and generate new revenue. The display maintains a consistent presentation across a range of dark and ambient lighting conditions regardless of the featured content. This versatility will empower cinemas to use theater spaces for concert and sports event viewing, gaming competitions, corporate events and other non-traditional content sources.

“We are excited to partner with Samsung to shift the paradigm of entertainment content screening, and we look forward to inviting our customers and partners into a cinema more capable of bringing stories to life,” said Vicha Poolvaraluck, Chairman of Major Cineplex Group Plc.

In May 2017, the Cinema LED Screen became the first product of its kind to achieve full compliance with the esteemed Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) theater technology standard. Based on next-generation picture quality to foster a more captivating and vibrant viewing arena, the Samsung Cinema LED Screen is expected to expand to movie theaters around the world including the USA and Europe in coming years.

In line with the Thai government’s national e-payment strategy, Samsung Pay staged its official launch today in the presence of its partners from both government and private sectors. Leading financial institutes and merchants were also in attendance to demonstrate that Samsung Pay is simple, secure and almost anywhere.

Since its early access release in the Thai market in October 2016, consumers in Thailand have warmly welcomed Samsung Pay. Samsung is excited to announce its official country-wide expansion, bringing Samsung Pay to many more Thai consumers.

“More than three months ago, we introduced Samsung Pay early access to the Thai market, giving people a mobile payment solution that is simple, secure and almost anywhere,” said Wichai Pornpratang, Vice President of IT and Mobile Communications at Thai Samsung Electronics. “During this pivotal phase, Samsung Pay has aligned with many notable partners. From the financial sector are MasterCard, Visa, KCC, Bangkok Bank, Citibank, KasikornBank, KTC and Siam Commercial Bank. Department stores and shops across Thailand have also supported Samsung Pay.Aside from compatible credit cards, the Galaxy Gift Prepaid Card by MasterCard, as well as a wide variety of distinguished membership cards, can be added to Samsung Pay for convenience upon checkout. As a result, Samsung Pay services have won a warm welcome from consumers. Thais have recognized it as a convenient and safe mode of payment. With Samsung Pay, they don’t need to carry cash or credit cards, minimizing their risk of theft. Moreover, we hope that Samsung Pay will play a big role in transforming Thailand in line with its national e-payment strategy. Our innovation will revolutionize Thais’ way of spending and usher them towards a cashless society.”

“We are very excited to be introducing Samsung Pay to the Thai market, as we strive to continue to deliver a robust payment platform and digital wallet to consumers around the world,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President of Samsung Pay. “As we did in other markets, we have taken a customized approach with our launch in Thailand, working with key partners to make quick and secure mobile payments a reality. We look forward to making our Thai consumers’ everyday lives as simple, convenient and seamless as possible through the introduction of Samsung Pay.”

Samsung Pay, an innovative mobile payment service, boasts three strengths:

1. Simple – Following registration, users can easily choose a payment card from their smartphone, use their fingerprint to validate their identity and tap their device on a payment terminal. Making a payment is as easy as that.

2. Secure – Tokenization is in place to protect users’ credit-card data, with digital identifiers or “tokens” generated to replace sensitive payment information for every Samsung Pay transaction. Additional security is provided through fingerprint authentication and Samsung Knox, which protects the device at both the hardware and software levels.

3. Almost Anywhere – Because Samsung Pay is compatible with MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology – the most widely-used credit card payment technology in Thailand – as well as NFC (Near Field Communication), any place of business that accepts credit card payments can also accept Samsung Pay. Users can add up to 10 payment cards to their Samsung Pay account. They can continue to enjoy the privileges and benefits their cards offer, without having to carry them around.

Including Thailand, ten markets around the world can now benefit from the simplicity, security and convenience of Samsung Pay. The service has successfully continued its expansion into Asia, with additional launches in Korea, China and Singapore, as well as Australia. With broader availability throughout the region, Samsung aims to continue delivering a robust payment platform and digital wallet to consumers around the world.

* Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more.

** Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Electronics and its partners, Thailand Association of the Blind, SE-ED Book, AIS and SCB, joined hands in developing the Read for the Blind application. Books have historically been considered the main source of knowledge and entertainment. Sadly though, the blind or people with visual impairment cannot enjoy books in the same way as those with full sight. There are currently more than 700,000 visually-impaired people in Thailand. In a bid to empower their learning and fulfill their dreams.

This innovation offers a very convenient way for Thais to help create audio books and articles for the visually impaired. They can not only read the books for the blind via the app anytime, anywhere. It is also the first time that the application provides online communities between the blind and the audio book contributors can communicate. Since its launch, the number of audio books available on the app has risen to 12,000 during the past year. Following the success of the initiative so far, Samsung and its partners is launching the Read for the Blind 2015 project, which is calling on all Thais to help change the lives of blind people for the better. The new iteration of the project includes an improved app with features to enhance the reading experience.

Sitthichoke Nopchinabutr, Strategic Vice President, IT and Mobile Communications at Thai Samsung Electronics said, “We are building on the success of the original Read for the Blind project, which we launched 2013. The application is designed to allow Thais to create audio books and articles anytime, anywhere via their smartphones or tablets, and has received a very good response. This year, we therefore have decided to give Thais additional opportunities to show their good hearts and the power of virtue. Via Samsung’s new initiative, they can prove that the voice is so meaningful and can be a guiding light to the blind.

“Read for the Blind 2015 is bringing volunteers together for the first time to read audio books and articles via the app. More than 1,000 volunteers have registered to join the project. They will read the compilation of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s royal addresses and advices. The compilation, which is entitled “Kham Por Sorn” (Guidance by Father), presents His Majesty’s ideas about how to live with happiness and sufficiency. The volunteers in the project will also read the compilation about His Majesty’s achievements. This second collection is called “Dhamma Dee Tee Por Tham” (Dhamma that Father Observes) and it tells of the contributions that His Majesty has made for his people and his country throughout his reign. As part of the project, we invited Dr. Jitra Dudsdeemaytha and DJ Chow Chow (Chawalit Srimankongtham) to serve as voice coaches. DJ Chow Chow will teach all volunteers about how to warm up their voices so that they can give clear, accurate pronunciation for the project’s quality audio books.”

Natvut Amornvivat, a representative from Thailand association of the Blind, one of the key people behind the launch of the Read for the Blind application, said, “It’s great that the visually impaired can access audio books and articles more easily via the Read for the Blind application, which also makes it more convenient for people to help produce audio books and articles. Now, we have created Read for the Blind 2015 – the improved version. It comes with two new interesting features: Networking and Clear Pronunciation. The Networking function allows the blind and audio book contributors to communicate to each other. The feature allows app users to comment on audio books they have listened to. Also through this feature, the volunteers can invite their friends to join them in voicing a book so that they can complete it faster. Clear Pronunciation, meanwhile, lets book readers go back to a part whereby they detect a mispronounced word and correct it. This feature is designed to ensure that listeners will be able to enjoy the best audio books possible. Above all, the most significant improved feature is enabling the blind readers to listen to audio books via the Read for the Blind application on smart devices directly. The previous version only allowed users to listen to an audio book by calling the 1414 hotline.”

Nuwat Tatu, a visually impaired person who has learned the benefits of reading firsthand, said, “Reading has changed my life. I can get a bachelor’s degree and pass the entrance exam to get on my MA course because Ms. Maythavee helps by reading books aloud for me. Of course during my study, I get discouraged from time to time. But because of the support I’ve received from others, I am determined to study hard and pursue my dream of becoming a university lecturer one day. Many blind people have not yet had the opportunity I’ve received. So, I would like to encourage everyone to help create audio books via the Read for the Blind app. These audio books will help blind people to make friends, increase their knowledge, and find sources of empowerment. The books will help them to find the courage to step out to their new world. Audio books can really change lives for the better”

Maythavee Tassanasathienkij, an opportunity giver who has changed Mr. Nuwat’s life, said, “I am delighted and proud that by simply reading books aloud, I can make a positive impact on his life. To me, reading books for the blind changes the lives of not just listeners but also readers. I’ve myself come to understand the visually impaired better and my horizons have expanded. As reading books aloud is no difficult task, I would like to encourage everyone to join the effort to produce audio books and articles. These books can give a better life to so many people”.

The ‘Read for the Blind 2015’ project aims to increase the number of audio books or articles by 10,000 before the end of March, 2016, from the existing 12,000 today. Believing that all Thais are kind and helpful, Samsung Galaxy would like to invite everyone to join the project. Through this Read for the Blind app-enabled initiative, participants will contribute to making thousands of lives better.

The Read for the Blind app is free to download. It is available via both the Google Play Store and iOS App Store. For updates about the project, visit www.facebook.com/readfortheblind.