BANGKOK, Oct 8 – Thailand mall operator Siam Piwat Co Ltd has selected Malaysian retail giant Pavilion Group for its first international venture as Malaysia remains an attractive market despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Siam Piwat has chosen Pavilion Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur to debut its first brick-and-mortar store in Malaysia for three Thai brands that "will captivate and resonate with both Malaysian and international visitors.”

Chief executive officer of Siam Piwat Co Ltd retail business group Usara Yongpiyakul said Malaysia’s retail sector has always registered positive growth.

"Although the Covid-19 outbreak has posed unprecedented challenges to the Southeast Asian region, Malaysia is still an attractive market for us,” she told Bernama. "It has felt the impact, but not as much as some other countries. Bukit Jalil, where Pavilion Bukit Jalil is located, is also is a strategic location with a fast-growing population ready for economic growth.”

Located in the heart of Bukit Jalil, Pavilion Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, with a net lettable area of 1.8 million square feet of retail space, is set to be the largest fully integrated lifestyle mall in the southern corridor of Kuala Lumpur. It is set to welcome shoppers starting Dec 3 this year.

Usara noted that the Pavilion Group is Malaysia’s retail giant, a high calibre developer, investor, and operator of shopping centres who has long been "our solid partner” and has been investing in Thailand for many years.

"They also share the same values with Siam Piwat; they have expertise in curating the brands for customers who have high spending power and also focus on the creativity and value of the products.

"Pavilion Bukit Jalil is ‘The Icon of Connectivity’ and a lifestyle shopping destination, showing that the  Pavilion group’s value in their retail development is aligned with Siam Piwat’s. We are both resolute in building a lifestyle destination, which goes beyond merely a mall,” she said.

Siam Piwat is a leading retail and real estate developer in Thailand which owns and operates Bangkok’s famous shopping centres such as Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, ICONSIAM, and Siam Premium Outlets.

Housed within 11,000 sq ft of space, Siam Piwat will debut its own curated Thai brands, namely Ecotopia, Iconcraft, and Absolute Siam at its Pavilion Bukit Jalil store.

The three bands will showcase the height of Thai craftsmanship, ranging from innovative, contemporary crafts to products by Thai craftsmen, SMEs across the country, designers, and the ingenuity of young eco-co creators.

Usara said the company’s goal is to build awareness of Thai brands on the global stage as well as to transform "local heroes” into  "global heroes” and expand their business internationally, especially when the Covid-19 pandemic has hindered travel to Thailand.

"The collaboration will not only open up additional sales channels for SMEs to help them expand beyond online or e-commerce platforms but will also help drive the Thai economy.

"The collaboration is just the beginning and will lead to even greater things such as joint efforts to boost the region’s economy and initiatives to showcase and nurture the uniqueness and magnificence of ASEAN nations,” she said.

The chief executive officer of retail for Kuala Lumpur Pavilion Sdn Bhd Datuk Joyce Yap said the new store would provide Malaysians and international visitors the chance to experience a hint of Thai culture without leaving Kuala Lumpur.

"Thailand has just as rich and unique a culture as any other country. This uniqueness and richness is shared by extraordinary creativity and conveyed through a wide range of exquisite artworks and designer products that have proven to appeal to people across the globe,” she said. "We recognise the value and delicate magnificence of Thai culture and the creativity of Thai artisans, designers, and creators. We are proud to have Siam Piwat’s presence exclusively in Pavilion Bukit Jalil as they continue to expand abroad,” she said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Ambassador to Thailand Datuk Jojie Samuel said Malaysia continues to be a strategic market for most retailers given its ideal geographic location, availability of skilled and experienced workforce as well as relatively lower cost of setting up operations.

"The entry of Siam Piwat into the Malaysian retail industry would be a significant milestone in bringing Thai SMEs, designers, and businesses to Malaysian customers,” he said. — Bernama