Interview: The next 40 years for Vichai Trading 1983

• Features

• 03/10/2023

Earlier this year, Vichai Trading 1983 celebrated its 40th anniversary. Thitikorn Sopchokchai, managing director for Vichai Trading 1983, is at the helm and believes that the next 40 years for the integrator are bright. He says: “AV is still a growing business – it is not a sunset industry. We are seeing products and solutions become more refined as end users develop a greater understanding of what AV does, and Vichai Trading 1983 will continue to bring technology to users to create value.”

On where he sees Vichai Trading 1983 in the next 40 years, Sopchokchai says: “My vision for Vichai is that it will grow with the AV industry. Whatever direction the industry takes, Vichai will keep itself on top of the game and ahead of the industry’s trends. While we cannot dictate global trends, we can predict how they will shape the industry in Thailand. We see ourselves as a means to bridge the gap between the global trends and local technology needs of users.”

Vichai Trading 1983 is known for its expertise in designing solutions for the hospitality industry. As proof, one only needs to look at the multiple Inavate APAC Awards Hospitality Project wins Vichai Trading 1983 has accumulated over the years. Sopchokchai believes that serving the hospitality sector will remain a core part of business: “Hospitality is quite dominant in Thailand and I don’t think that will change. Approximately 30% of the country’s GDP is from tourism alone. However, there is little difference between the core value proposition of a hotel ballroom from 20 years ago to now. The technology might have changed but the end goal has remained the same, to create the best experience for patrons and guests.”

There are new avenues to explore as Sopchokchai continues: “There are other fields, however, in which we could see innovation developing. Specific areas we are exploring are corporate, healthcare, and retail. We are seeing signs that these sectors are going to grow in Thailand which presents us multiple opportunities to expand our business.”

Forty years is a long time and any predictions about how technology develops are bound to be speculative. Using current tech trends as a starting point, Sopchokchai discusses the possibility of AI being leveraged in the AV world: “My prediction would be that AI could help in the implementation of AV systems. I feel that we could use AI to measure acoustics in rooms or gauge LED pixels and start to automate a lot of procedures that are part of projects. A lot of architects are starting to use AI in the designing of buildings, so I don’t see why we cannot incorporate AI into AV.”

What about AR and VR? Sopchokchai answers: “AR and VR glasses are a hot topic right now because of Apple launching a relevant product. But it is still too early to tell if headsets or glasses will become popular among consumers and if that will translate into a requirement for AV and IT to support them in commercial spaces.”

Sopchokchai concludes: “While we may not be able to predict what kind of displays or speakers people will use in 40 years, what we can say with confidence is that people will always need visuals and audio systems. And this means that there will always be opportunities for Vichai Trading 1983 to use its expertise to deliver value to clients.”