Loxinfo switches to TV for card promotion, NATION

SAIROONG DHAMACHAROEN
The Nation (Thailand)
08-11-2000
LOXLEY Information Service (Loxinfo), one of the country's larger
Internet service providers (ISP), has turned to television advertising
to promote its B-Thai prepaid cards for Internet access among young target
groups.

The 30-second TV spot will mark the first time that a pure Internet
company is using this advertising medium.

Tachpong Hotrabhavananda, president of Loxinfo, a unit of the Loxley
Group, said the company decided to use TV commercials because many consumers
now have an idea of the Internet, so investing in TV ads should be effective
in increasing sales of the ISP service.

Currently, there are an estimated 1.8 million Internet users in
Thailand and nearly 20 ISPs. Among the major operators are Internet Thailand,
KSC Internet and Loxinfo.

Loxinfo's ad will encourage parents to help their children enter the
cyberworld by buying a Bt120 prepaid card, good for 10-hours of Internet
access. The cards can be used at a growing number of Internet cafes at
shopping centres, schools and other public places.

The prepaid cards are also collectible and are on sale at various
Internet cafes and bookstores.

Currently, Loxinfo has about 60,000 dial-up customers for its ISP
service and about 7,000 users of its B-Thailand cards. Besides the prepaid
cards, Loxinfo sells a monthly Net package at Bt500 for 20 hours and a
cheaper version Web access kit for teenagers.

The company expects one third of its customers to be prepaid card
users in the near future.

Tachpong said the TV ad is also aimed at creating brand loyalty among
young consumers, who are expected to continue using Loxinfo's service when
they grow up.

The B-Thai cards do not allow users to access overseas websites, so
parents do not have to worry about their children visiting overseas pornographic
sites. However, the cards provide a cheap way for kids to learn Internet-based
chatting and other activities.

The company has launched a program to introduce the Internet and
provide training to 44 schools nationwide.

Amnuaysilp and Wat Mahatai schools in Bangkok are the first two
schools to participate in the program.

Besides its ISP business, Loxley Group has entered into business to
consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B) e-commerce. It has set up
Point Asia Dotcom and subsidiaries for financial services, oil trading
and other B2B activities. The Thai firm also plans to expand into neighboring
countries.



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