The auction giant is teaming with portal Sanook Online to launch a Thai language site.
Steven Schwankert, IDG News Service
Monday, May 28, 2007 7:00 AM PDT
Fewer than six months after reducing its commitment in China, eBay Inc. will make a new foray into Asia, this time in Thailand, the company said Monday.
The San Jose, California auction company will join Thai portal Sanook Online Ltd. to create a Thai-language e-commerce site, expected to launch in five to seven months, the companies said. They did not specify what type of e-commerce it will be in terms of fixed-price storefronts or online auctions.
EBay said the site will operate on a revenue-sharing basis, but did not specify the revenue split.
The auction company has had mixed results in Asia. In December last year, eBay announced it would move from ownership of its own site, eBay Eachnet, to a joint-venture arrangement with Tom Online Inc., which now holds a 51 percent stake. The transition came after eBay Eachnet lost its lead as China's top auction site to rival Taobao.com, owned by Alibaba.com Group.
In June 2006, the company turned over its Taiwan operations to PC Home, and laid off most of its 40 employees. It had entered that market through the acquisition of a locally-based online auction company in 2002. EBay shuttered its Japan operations in 2002 after failing to gain traction or take market share from Yahoo Japan Corp.'s auction site. It operates neither a stand-alone nor joint venture site there, where Yahoo continues to dominate.
Exactly. And I suppose the American e-bay user will get to pay for this venture too! Get ready for a fee increase.
I bet that is one part which still sticks in the craw of many ebay users and former users. That basically had the overall effect of having users subsidize the ripping-off of countless fellow Americans.
Dan, did you notice they have already had total of 3 strikes in Asia.. China was just the biggest blunder. I wonder how much, if any, they are still DUMPING into it?
uh... Confucius might say...
"She who does not learn from Asian mistakes going to Bangkok"