logo
Thai duty-free giant King Power seeks to quit kingdom's airports

Thai duty-free giant King Power seeks to quit kingdom's airports

BANGKOK: Thai duty-free giant King Power is seeking to terminate its concessions at the kingdom's major international airports, citing falling numbers of Chinese tourists, the terminals' operator has said.
Airports of Thailand (AOT) told the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) on Monday that King Power had requested a discussion of the possible termination of its duty-free concession contracts.
King Power, shirt sponsors for English football club Leicester City, has a monopoly on duty-free outlets at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, as well as those in Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai.
Aside from airport stores, the King Power Group also operates retail outlets around Thailand, as well as hospitality services.
King Power founder Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha led a consortium that bought Leicester City in 2010, and it was under his ownership that the Foxes secured their Premier League title in 2016.
AOT, which runs Thailand's biggest international airports, said it would consider its options within 60 days, and will discuss with King Power for fastest possible conclusion.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Asian stocks retreat from recent peaks as US tariff deadline looms
Asian stocks retreat from recent peaks as US tariff deadline looms

New Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • New Straits Times

Asian stocks retreat from recent peaks as US tariff deadline looms

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG: Stocks in emerging Asian economies pulled back on Friday from recent peaks, as market participants took a cautious stance ahead of US President Donald Trump's July 9 tariff deadline, while regional currencies dipped against a steady US dollar. An MSCI gauge of equities in emerging Asia slid nearly 1 per cent from a 3-1/2-year high notched in the previous session. Stocks in South Korea and Taiwan, which together make up over a third of the regional index, were the biggest drags on performance. Investors initially cheered trade discussions between the United States and Vietnam, hoping they could pave the way for breakthroughs in other emerging economies. But limited details and tariffs remaining above pre-April 2 levels dampened the optimism. "The trade deal with Vietnam announced this week was more hawkish than we expected, posing a risk that other countries could face higher tariff rates," Nomura analysts said in a note. South Korea's KOSPI fell 1.5 per cent after scaling a near four-year high in the previous session, marking its worst intraday drop since April 9. Taiwan's benchmark index slipped from a near four-month high. Stocks in the Philippines fell 0.7 per cent, while those in Singapore eased off from a record-closing high. Thai stocks also came off a three-week peak, snapping a four-session rally. Vietnam's benchmark index slipped from its April 2022 peak, while the dong weakened to a record low of 26,230 against the US dollar. Currencies in emerging Asia also nudged lower - Malaysia's ringgit slipped to an eight-session low, while the Indonesian rupiah and the Philippine peso shed around 0.2 per cent each. An index tracking global emerging market currencies retreated from a record high. "Asian currencies may face renewed volatility as markets turn their attention to tariff-related developments," said Lloyd Chan, senior currency analyst at MUFG. Citi analysts, referring to the US-Vietnam trade development, said that while the "de-dollarisation" narrative remained well-entrenched and had more steam to run further, "the roadblocks for stronger EM Asia FX had just increased". They predicted similar deals could impact currencies such as the Chinese yuan, ringgit, Thai baht, South Korea's won, and the Singapore dollar. On the day, the Singaporean dollar snapped a three-day losing streak to appreciate marginally, and remained a few points shy of its October 2014 high. The Thai baht and the Indian rupee weakened marginally. The US dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, retraced some of its gains from Thursday.

Lad & Dad Fish & Chips will leave you well-fed and glad
Lad & Dad Fish & Chips will leave you well-fed and glad

The Star

timean hour ago

  • The Star

Lad & Dad Fish & Chips will leave you well-fed and glad

At 11.30am on a Friday, Lad & Dad in Kuala Lumpur is relatively quiet. One or two tables are occupied but nothing to raise blood pressure levels and certainly nothing that portends the flood of humans that will soon arrive. Because by noon, the restaurant is out-of-control packed – each table absolutely heaving and swollen to capacity. Outside, a long, snaking queue has formed and eager would-be diners can be seen craning their necks in the hope of getting a table soon-ish. It's quite mad really. Who would have thought a fish and chips restaurant would have such a strong pull? Well, owner Keith Koh did. Which isn't all that surprising once you realise that Koh is a veteran in the business of proving his dissenters wrong. 'More than 10 years ago, I was in Britain studying and I worked in hospitality. In the final year of my degree course, I decided I wanted to start an F&B business. But with the little savings that I had, I could only afford a hawker stall in Singapore. 'I had a big argument with my dad and I eventually convinced him to give me two years to get the business going. So I registered a company together with him so that he could see the books and basically get a sense of assurance – hence the name, Lad & Dad,' says Koh. Koh (left) started Lad & Dad with his father Desmond Koh who now helps him manage the eatery in Singapore. He first ran a food stall in one of Singapore's ubiquitous food courts, serving up old-school English fare like Yorkshire puddings, mashed potatoes and lamb stew. He says the decision to serve these was driven by a desire to be different. 'The whole idea wasn't just for me to be in F&B, but to introduce a whole dining experience. "English food has never been top of the list when it comes to international cuisine – it's always Italian or Spanish or something else. So I felt that the market for English food was still raw back then,' explains Koh, adding that he also wanted his food to be affordable. The eatery is perpetually packed and often boasts long, teeming queues during lunch hour. Interestingly, for the first year, fish and chips wasn't even on the menu as it took Koh that entire year to figure out how to make the best possible version of it. He received valuable feedback from his parents. 'When I first developed my recipe in Britain in the dorms, my local housemates were my focus group and they really liked my recipe. 'But when I brought it back for my mum and dad to try, they were like 'There's no way this would fly in this part of the world'. They told me outright that there wasn't enough flavour or depth to it. 'I thought I had the perfect recipe, but then I spent a year trying to get it right. In the end, I think it was a good thing we waited that long because when we finally got the right one, it took off immediately,' he says. So why open in Malaysia? Koh says an opportunity presented itself last year and he opened in Wisma Cosway in KL to great reception and serpentine queues. Unfortunately, things fell apart and he ended up having to close shop. But demand from fans in Malaysia proved overwhelming so this year, he decided to reopen Lad & Dad at another lot in the same building. The secret to the restaurant's success is in its fish batter, which is made using a wide range of herbs and spices. — Photos: Lad & Dad KL The location choice is a little perplexing as most new restaurants typically launch in more salubrious neighbourhoods or upscale malls. Yet, Koh says the bare-bones building that the eatery is housed in really resonates with the brand's unassuming roots. 'The malls have been knocking on our doors, but rental at these malls is like RM50,000 to RM60,000. And we are still only a small family business. 'We felt that to come full circle in our 10-year anniversary, we wanted to pay homage to our hawker stall roots and continue to make our fish and chips affordable. No way can we sell it at our current prices if we were paying RM50,000 in rent. 'Which means fewer people will be able to eat it and that defeats the purpose again,' says Koh. At Lad & Dad here, fish and chips reigns supreme. There are only two fish options – Norwegian haddock or perch sourced from the region. On the chips front, you can opt to have thick-cut or the more popular thin-cut fries. Served alongside this are a selection of sauces like classic tartar sauce, mushy peas, malt vinegar, curry sauce and the KL-exclusive sambal aioli. Each order of fish and chips comes with a choice of two sauce accompaniments. The perch is sourced regionally and has a crackly outer skin that yields to incredibly flaky flesh within. Start with the Classic Perch Fish & Chips (RM29.90). The batter that took Koh over a year to perfect is made up of a range of proprietary herbs and spices like salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, paprika and other ingredients that cannot be disclosed. But trust me when I say that all the hard work was oh-so worth it. Because this is a fish that has been battered and fried to absolute perfection and retains a crispy, crackly carapace that is an absolute auditory and sensory delight. The batter itself is laced with a multi-dimensional flavour profile – there is a herbaceous underlay and a touch of spice gilding its core structure and this is what gives it an edge over conventional fish and chips. Each mouthful delivers a power-packed textural odyssey – first landing on a brittle crunch that then segues into sweet, tender flesh within. If you're opting for the thin-cut fries to accompany your fish, you'll marvel at how each long spud baton is crisp on the outside yet succumbs willingly to starchy innards that are insanely addictive. From the sauce selection, the classic tartar sauce delivers a creamy yet lightly acerbic counterpoint to the fried fish while the sambal aioli hits all those spicy high notes and then some. Opt for the Norwegian haddock with thin cut fries if you want to indulge in a crispy, crunchy, flaky, voluptuous slice of fish. If you're opting to indulge, then sample the Premium Haddock Fish & Chips (RM51.90). The haddock is extraordinarily good – a fat, voluptuous slice of fish with flaky, voluminous flesh that is the gift that keeps on giving. Pair this with the thick-cut fries and enjoy the sumptuous, hedonistic journey to nirvana. Wash down all this goodness with the House Made Lemonade (RM9.90) which is made with freshly squeezed lemons and is a potent citrus siren designed to sluice through the richness of the fish and chips with lethal efficiency. Moving forward, Koh says there are already plans afoot for expansion in the Klang Valley and beyond. 'Expansion is definitely in the works. But we want to take it slow. We want to make sure we find the right group of people to work with,' he concludes. Address: Lot G-30, Ground Floor, Wisma Cosway, 88 Jalan Raja Chulan, 50450 Kuala Lumpur Open: Mondays to Saturdays, 11.30am to 2.30pm; 5pm to 8pm

How Xi empowers Global South in int'l governance
How Xi empowers Global South in int'l governance

Malaysia Sun

time2 hours ago

  • Malaysia Sun

How Xi empowers Global South in int'l governance

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- As Chinese President Xi Jinping once observed, in the face of global changes of the century, pursuing modernization and working for a more just and equitable international order are the sacred historic missions of Global South countries. Xi described the BRICS countries as "leading members of the Global South," calling for building BRICS into "a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform." Since becoming Chinese president in 2013, Xi has always been a steadfast champion of BRICS cooperation. In Xiamen, he advocated for the "BRICS Plus" program at the 2017 BRICS summit, calling for more active participation from other emerging markets and developing nations. He played a crucial role in propelling the BRICS' historic expansion in 2023, ushering in the era of greater BRICS cooperation. Effective coordination between BRICS members and other countries in the Global South has been adding more bricks to the global governance architecture. The New Development Bank exemplifies this effort. Xi said the bank serves as "an important emerging force in the international financial system," which should work to "make the international financial system fairer and more equitable and effectively enhance the representation and say of emerging markets and developing countries." Over the years, China, under Xi's leadership, has taken concrete steps to advocate for developing countries, help Global South countries enhance their representation and voice in international governance, and promote a more just and equitable international order. At the 2022 G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, China took the lead in supporting the African Union (AU)'s membership in the G20. In their meeting on the sidelines of the summit, then Senegalese President Macky Sall, who was also the AU chairperson that year, thanked Xi for being the first to publicly support the AU's G20 membership. The global leadership today remains lopsided, and rebalancing this skewed system is a shared imperative for both the Global North and South, said Paolo Magri, managing director and chair of the advisory board of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, a think tank. "Global South countries marching together toward modernization is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilization," Xi said at the "BRICS Plus" Dialogue in Kazan, Russia, last year, while acknowledging that "the road to prosperity for the Global South will not be straight." "No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South," Xi pledged.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store