ADVANCE ~ January 2011

AustChamThailand

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com January 2011

International Balloon Festival In This Edition

Anti-corruption:

Are You Bribing Anyone This Christmas? business brief Are You Bribing Anyone This Christmas?

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AustChamThailand Advance

embassy news Australian Musician Receives PM’s Asia Endeavour Award

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community services Sister Joan Evans – A Beacon of Hope in Klong Toey

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community services Australian Doctors and Friends “Big Ride” for Thailand

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January 2011

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Contents Business brief 6 Are You Bribing Anyone This Christmas?

10 Asean-China Free Trade Area – Changes in the Revised Operational Certification Procedures

PATRON His Excellency James Wise Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand PRESIDENT Andrew Durieux Coverage Portfolio: Regional Links

embassy news 12 Australian Musician Receives 2011 Prime Minister’s Asia Endeavour Award COMMUNITY SERVICES 14 Convoy for Kids Day 2010 at Safari World 16 Providing Help for Children

18 18 Australian Alumni Hilltop Barbeque at the International Balloon Festival on 4 December 20 Sister Joan Evans – A Beacon of Hope in Klong Toey 22 Australian Doctors and Friends “Big Ride” for Thailand

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VICE-PRESIDENTS John Anderson Meinhardt Portfolio: Community Services

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chamber Events 24 Key Issues Dinner with H.E. James Wise at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 25 Understanding Bangkok’s Political Turmoil Luncheon 25 Stephen Caswell and Stephen French Keep AustCham Members up to Date on Tax and Economics 25 TMF (Thailand) Ltd on Thai-Oz Talk with Jaye Walton 26 Alumni Event – Project Management Professional on 17 November at Siam@Siam 28 Phuket Sundowners at The Westin 29 Embassy Briefing: The Thais That Bind and the Next Phase of TAFTA Negotiations 30 Christmas Sundowners at the Ambassador’s Residence

M.L. Laksasubha Kridakon Baan Laksasubha Resort Hua Hin Portfolio: Alumni and Sponsorship TREASURER Nigel McKinnon Boral Thailand Portfolio: Treasury DIRECTORS David Armstrong Post Publishing Portfolio: Talks and Issues Achara Boonyahansa Grant Thornton Portfolio: Marketing Amanda Canavan Energi Design Asia Portfolio: Major Events Jurairat Jammanee HASSELL Portfolio: Alumni and Sponsorship Leigh Scott-Kemmis DBM Portfolio: SME Belinda Skinner TopTalentAsia Portfolio: Communications

NEW MEMBERS 32 AustCham’s New Members and Changes of Member Companies

Ben Yong Baker & McKenzie Portfolio: Joint Foreign Chamber of Commerce Thailand, Board of Trade and Other Links

Members’ offers 33 Members’ Festive Season Offers

Saeed Zaki dwp Portfolio: Member Benefits

From the Chamber Office 34 Message from the ED

Ex Officio Maurine Lam Trade Commissioner, Austrade

From the Board

Happy New Year!

COORDINATORS Paul Whyte ESB Coordinator Email: esb@austchamthailand.com Paul Wilkinson AGS Four Winds International Moving ESB Coordinator Email: esb@austchamthailand.com Steve Brajak Raimon Land Phuket Coordinator Email: phuket@austchamthailand.com Harry Usher Lady Pie Phuket Coordinator Email: phuket@austchamthailand.com Executive Director Brett Gannaway Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce 20th Floor, Thai CC Tower 889 South Sathorn Road Bangkok 10120 Tel.: +66 2 210 0216 Fax: +66 2 675 6696 execdirector@austchamthailand.com www.austchamthailand.com

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wrote last month about AustCham’s 2010 year, this month it’s more about Thailand. I remember writing this time last year that many were glad to see the end of 2009. Little did we know about what 2010 was to bring.

The major event was, of course, the local “troubles”. None of us who were here during April and May will forget the Ratchprasong protests and resulting deaths and burning of buildings. A number of Aussies were caught in the middle of it all, and I spoke to a lot of concerned people at the time.

I love the local resilience – a couple of AustCham directors were stuck in their condos and started to run low on food, so they tried dialling for a pizza and Thai food on consecutive nights. Of course it was delivered, right through the bullets and tyre burning zones!

It is easy for us to look back now and smile – but the smell of burning buildings even caused me to close my balcony window for two days at that time.

Many business and tourist trips were cancelled and confidence was certainly at a low point.

Amazing Colourful Thailand!

Editorial Committee Belinda Skinner, David Armstrong, Robert Taylor, Josh Hyland, Gregers Moller, Gary Woollacott Marketing & Production Scand-Media Corp. Ltd 4/41-42 Moo 3, Thanyakarn Village Ramintra Soi 14, Bangkok Tel.: +66 2 943-7166/8 Fax: +66 2 943-7169 scandmedia@scandmedia.com Advertising Finn Balslev Email: finn@scandmedia.com Contributions to Advance magazine are welcome. Please submit content to josh@austchamthailand.com by the first day of the month for publication in the following month’s magazine.

Opinions expressed in Advance do not necessarily reflect the views of the Chamber.

AustChamThailand Advance

Many of us were expecting more protests to follow, but thankfully there have been no big ones. The government has stayed in place and has started to implement some much-needed changes. There have been some positive signs regarding such long-standing issues as the dreaded-90-day reporting rule, the definition of “work,” customs penalties and even the residency applications that many of our members completed more than three years ago and have been sitting on a desk gathering dust ever since.

The other big news locally has been the Thai Baht and its effects in raising the costs of Thai exports and for tourists travelling here. I recognise that this has been a challenge, but it has had the benefit of forcing Thai businesses to look at places other than the US. Given that the Baht’s value has changed in relation to the $US more than against its neighbours and the Aussie, this may well have a longer term positive effect for Thailand, and by extension our AustCham Members’ businesses.

So the year started out with some hopeful signs, turned terrible, and has slowly recovered. Many of the AustCham Members I speak with reflect this flow of 2010.

I think there are more positive signs now, than at the same time last year – more employees being hired (and now the challenge is a very tight labour market), bonuses being paid and business deals being signed. Even the international markets seem to be ending on a high.

The big concerns for next year are clearly both local and international.

Locally there are still worries that the colour protests may resurface, as many longterm issues have not been addressed or resolved yet. The results of recent court decisions, and the delay of many cases, have contributed to the concern rather than making things clearer.

Next year will also see a general election in Thailand, and many expect that this may trigger the protests. Many more expect that money politics will again come to the fore: the fact that this is a widespread, and accepted, practice contributes to the ongoing corruption challenges. AustCham can only hope that the election result is clear and fair, and that any resulting changes benefit Thailand’s long-term interests, and put an end to the underlying issues. Right now I am not so confident.

Externally, the $US and the price of oil will have major implications for Thailand and our Members. The Australian economy still faces the risk of a Chinese slowdown, impacting on our commodities, which have done so well over the last few years.

Of course there could be another X Factor event locally or internationally, but the positive thought is that there are always opportunities when things go bad. As our Members are located in the heart of Asia, with ample food and water, few natural disasters, and an abundant and tolerant work force, we are wellpositioned for a positive 2011.

Happy New Year to all and welcome back!

Andrew Durieux President, AustCham Thailand www.austchamthailand.com January 2011

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Business brief

Are You Bribing Anyone This Christmas?

By Dr. Lavanchawee Brahmopala Sujarittanonta, Australian Alumni Member Dr. Lavanchawee holds a doctorate from the Australian School of Business, UNSW. She is a freelance consultant and adjunct professor, teaching in a range of settings including tutoring expatriates for cross-cultural awareness certificate from Suan Sunandha International College.

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he lunch talk by Dr. Sirilaksana Khoman got me thinking about the corruption and bribery that I will be committing this festive season.

Gift-giving is so deeply entrenched in Asian culture that it cannot be held back by any change in circumstances. Have I been actively bribing people? Should I continue to give presents to a friend who has switched jobs and now works as a government official? Would I be considered just a nice person, until the “friend” in question is employed by the state? I mean, if he/she were not an official, but a corporate employee, employer, customer (my student), or simply a citizen (or non-citizen even), would I then be innocent?

Would things that my bureaucrat friends do for me now make him/her “corrupt” to some degree? The favour may or may not be returned, but now I question the appropriateness of my gift offerings. My marketing doctorate from the Australian School of Business (ABS) has trained me so well; I enjoy the pleasures of shopping too much. But from now on, my habit of getting thoughtful gifts for a certain friend when I see something cute, could now all get misinterpreted as soliciting a chip with the ulterior motive of

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collecting brownie points for redeeming favours. Could I be protected by the curtain of friendship or reciprocity?

Or would I still be guilty as an associate, wholeheartedly participating at the receiving end, accepting “bribes” or “naam jai” (heart water). Should I be objective and address both the good and bad matter-of-factly, or be the perfect academic and never make any real judgment call?

Does giving my friend (co-worker, assistant) a nice present make me feel more comfortable about for asking favours later on? Is a bribe categorised by its

monetary value? If I got a gold chain for my assistant, would NACC judge me based on the gold price of 2005 when I bought it?

Friendly gifts can also be leveraged for more mileage. It might be a good strategy to ask for a favour sometime after giving gifts. Protect yourself from accusations of bribery by using the elapsed time to dissociate the giftfavour link. However, ensure that the “friend” remembers your gift, by selecting an unforgettable present. For example, nice expensive meals get forgotten almost as soon as they reach the sewer.

I cannot emphasise enough to my MBA and MPA students how “meanings vary by context”. To qualify as “corruption”, does “economic exchange” have to be clear-cut? Implementation in the Asian culture and business environment is like this – a favour gets owed beyond a lifetime, way into the next generation of children and greatgreat-grandchildren, i.e. sustainable favour saved for future generations.

This might not be obvious or believable to the regular expatriate, but it is true in Thai society, it is an unspoken but understood

AustChamThailand Advance

Business brief

norm that you are entitled to seek a return favour from a person your ancestors once helped in Siam. Yes, when you take a rain-check here, it has no expiration date. A favour is hazy and ambiguous, accruing interest, and can never get completely repaid. A foreign investor could ’claim’ a return favour based on a made-up story about his ancestor, and the Thai person would have to oblige.

Asian reciprocity can sometimes make it awkward for one to refuse a courteous or well-meaning gesture. Your Thai business “friends” will not know how to

refuse your gifts. It is how we expect the world to work. No one here asks for favours without bearing an intention of giving something back in return at the earliest opportunity. Imagine having to carry around the feeling that you ‘owe someone a return favour’. Yes, far into the eternal future, and possibly a return favour that crops up at a most inconvenient moment. If only it were universally accepted that gratitude for favours with your friend the government official could be expressed in kind or in cash, or some indirect forms of cash, then life would be so much simpler.

“Returning a favour” (so-called corruption if one party is a government official) actually makes good sense to getting things moving. Corruption has also been referred to as ‘elbow grease’ and in a way, it can facilitate things and can be good for business. Time is money, after all. When “elbow grease” is set at a certain sum of money over time, it becomes a standard “fee”. Fees definitely evolved from the customary practice of giving tips or “naam jai”.

An ABS research says companies should “not be afraid of opposites and seeming contradictions”, but to “embrace complexity and to acknowledge that it is okay for it to be a bit messy.” Here is a link to this study: http://knowledge.asb.unsw.edu.au/article.cfm?articleId=1279# Hence, YES you are entitled to be “messy”, and gleefully give and receive presents. Don’t forget the benefits of generosity – the trust (contractual trust, competence trust and goodwill trust) that develops after several gift exchanges. It’s only natural to entrust your time-tested, dependable and reliable friend with the megaproject, i.e. I can get a huge return on the gift investment if a friend rose to great prominence later on.

Gift-giving pervades all levels of Thai society and politics. With globalisation and Western consumerism (replacing rather than repairing), Thai politicians now want to “give-gifts” to voters more repeatedly. The clearest example is the giving of things that break easily or are only useful for a short time. Because someone is profiting from providing overpriced inferior trash cans, they have to be replaced often. We always notice slight changes in our public space, and appreciate the government for the new things we see.

Fortunately, Buddhist rituals also offer opportunities to strengthen your connections further under the guise of friendship. AustCham is the expert at forging friendly business relations and cultivating trust, dependability and reliability like mushrooms, thanks to all the champagne and wine at their functions.

After all, a tipsy person is incapable of telling credible lies.

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AustChamThailand Advance

Business brief

Asean-China Free Trade Area – Changes in the Revised Operational Certification Procedures

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he ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) presents Thai traders with a great opportunity to lower their overall duty costs on imports from China and to improve their competitiveness in the export of goods to China.

Since the inception of ACFTA in 2005, there have however been cases where Thai traders have been denied the preferential duty treatment under ACFTA on imports into Thailand as well as exports to China on administrative grounds (i.e. discrepancies in the product’s HS classification code). Differences in the interpretation by member states of the acceptable invoicing requirements under ACFTA is also another stumbling block towards realisation of the free trade on ASEAN – China cross border trade.

For example, China-origin goods shipped directly to Thai traders with invoicing through the Chinese exporter’s affiliated trading entity in Hong Kong have historically been denied lower duty treatment by Thai Customs on the grounds that Hong Kong is not a signatory to ACFTA. In certain (but not all) other ACFTA countries, such Third Party Invoicing arrangement mentioned above would however qualify for ACFTA’s preferential duty treatment on the liberal interpretation that the invoicing flows should not impact the attainment of the ACFTA preferential duty rates as long as the goods meet the ACFTA origin criteria and supported by Origin Certificate (Form E) from China. The inconsistent interpretation has become sufficiently common leading to lobbying efforts for clearer guidance under ACFTA rules on the acceptance of Third Party Invoicing.

Key Changes to ACFTA’s Operational Certification Procedures (OCP) The ‘barrier’ around the Third Party Invoicing arrangement under to ACFTA preferential duty claims will be removed following recent signing of the Protocol by ACFTA member states in Hanoi last November 2010 to revise the existing OCP. Specifically, the key changes included in the revised OCP cover the following:

Manufacturer

Located in ACFTA member country

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Invoice #1

1. Third Party Invoicing In relation to Third Party Invoicing (as depicted below), the Customs Authority in the importing party shall accept a Certificate of Origin (Form E) in cases where: • Sales invoice is issued either by a Seller located in a third country or by an ACFTA Manufacturer for the account of the Seller company; • Product meets the requirements of the Rules of Origin for the ACFTA; • Details of the third party invoice number, name and country of the Seller are indicated in the Form E obtained by the ACFTA Manufacturer; • ACFTA Manufacturer and ACFTA Buyer are both located within ASEAN and/or China; and • Copy of the third party invoice shall be attached to the Form E when submitted to the Customs Authority of the importing Party.

Under Third Party Invoicing, goods will continue to be shipped or consigned directly from the ACFTA Manufacturer to ACFTA Buyer.

2. Movement Certificate Similar to the back-to-back origin certificate concept under ASEAN FTA, this revised OCP under ACFTA also include the use of Movement Certificate (MC) to facilitate access to the preferential duty treatment under ACFTA as illustrated below.

The MC refers to a certificate of origin (Form E #2 below) issued by an intermediate exporting party, based on the original certificate of origin (Form E #1 below) issued by the first exporting party proving the origin status of the products in question. Under this MC arrangement, the Buyer will be eligible to claim preferential duty rates based using Invoice #2 even though the goods passed through another ACFTA jurisdiction.

Seller Located in ACFTA or non-­‐ ACFTA member country

Invoice #2

Goods++ FForm (perrrevised) Goods orm EE (per evised OCP)_

Buyer r

Located in ACFTA member country

AustChamThailand Advance

Business brief

Manufacturer Located in ACFTA member country

Invoice #1 Form E #1 GOODS

Seller / Distributor Located in ACFTA member country

Under the revised OCP, the local competent authority of the intermediate party within ACFTA may issue a MC if an application is made by the exporter while the goods are passing through the territory provided that: • The importer of the intermediate party and exporter who applies for the MC in the intermediate party are the same (i.e. both parties are Seller/Distributor as depicted above); • A valid original Form E issued by the first exporting party is presented; • Information in the MC includes names of the issuing authorities of the party which issued the original Form E, date of issuance and reference number. The FOB value in the MC shall be the FOB value of the products exported from the intermediate party; and • The total quantity of the products covered in the MC does not exceed the total quantity of products covered in the original Form E.

Invoice #2 Form E #2 GOODS

Buyer Located in ACFTA member country

Thai exporters and importers should stay close to this development as the national level rules, documentation and administrative requirements in Thailand will be relevant in order to avail to the lower ACFTA preferential duty rates for trade with China.

For further details or advice on ACFTA, please do not hesitate to reach out to the following Ernst & Young’s Indirect Tax contacts: William Chea, Executive Director, Tel: +662-2640777 (ext 21021) Email: william.chea@th.ey.com Phil Bell, Executive Director, Tel: +662-2640777 (ext 77035) Email: phil.bell@th.ey.com

Potential Impact to Thai based businesses • The inclusion of the Third Party Invoicing arrangement under the revised OCP allows Thai traders access and benefit to the reduced ACFTA preferential duty rates for goods that meet ACFTA origin where the sale or purchase of goods for export to China or import from China is invoiced through an intermediary entity located either within ACFTA or non- ACFTA countries like Australia • It also offers opportunities for businesses operating regional distribution hubs and/or warehousing centre to integrate their ASEAN and China supply chain structure and gain added flexibility with the combined operations of the Third Party Invoicing and MC arrangement under ACFTA Implementation Under the Protocol, the target implementation date of the revised OCP is 1 January 2011. In order for the revised OCP under ACFTA to take effect, member states need to amend their respective local laws and regulations to ratify and adopt the principles therein. In this regard, we understand that some countries may not meet this target date due to the time taken for their respective national level ratification of this revised new OCP. In relation to the ratification process in Thailand, local notifications issued by Thai Ministry of Finance and practice rules issued by Thai Customs will be required before this becomes law in Thailand. Current understanding is that such local notifications are expected to be issued and implemented for implementation by 1 January 2011.

AustChamThailand Advance

January 2011

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embassy news

Australian Musician Receives 2011 Prime Minister’s Asia Endeavour Award

By John Milne, Australia Thai Association, Canberra

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ormer ATA committee member John Garzoli was presented with his “2011 Prime Minister’s Asia Endeavour Award” by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at a formal ceremony at Parliament House last week. The Award, worth AUD 63,500, will enable John to conduct research at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok for a year, during which time he will be undertaking field work for his Monash University PhD in Thai music. Based in Melbourne, John has retained his ATA membership, and for his next ATA newsletter will be writing an article entitled “My Engagement With Thai Music”.

Many will remember how John used to play the compositions of His Majesty the King of Thailand at ATA dinners, while his partner Khun Jeeraporn would captivate audiences by singing lovely Thai songs; the Thai Ambassador and Defence Attache would then join in. The main picture shows John at Parliament House in late November. He’s 24th from the left in the group photograph which shows fellow awardees in front of Parliament House, while in the second photograph he enjoys the full attention of the Prime Minister. John has given presentations on Thai music to ATA members 12

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and to students of Lecturer-in-Thai at the Australian National University.

Most recently, in 2008, working in collaboration with the ACT Department of Education and Training, he used part of a Royal Thai Embassy project grant of AUD 5,000 to demonstrate Thai music to about a quarter of the primary schools,

high schools and colleges in the ACT. John played at Thailand’s top hotels and established a reputation for himself, during nine years he spent in Thailand, earlier on in his career. As great contributor to ATA, a musical ambassador, and a promoter of Thai music, we all wish John well in his next musical endeavour in Thailand starting in mid-2011.

AustChamThailand Advance

Convoy for Kids and AustCham Thailand would like to thank all of the generous sponsors who supported the Convoy Day in 2010

Sponsored by:

TAIUN THAILAND CO.,LTD

www.convoyforkids.com 14

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www.austchamthailand.com AustChamThailand Advance

community services

AustChamThailand Advance

January 2011

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community services

Providing Help for Children

By Josh Hyland The Foundation The Foundation for the Welfare for the Crippled in Thailand was established in 1954 to provide treatment, welfare, education and even job placement for children affected by conditions including cerebral palsy, spina bifida and congenital deformities. Providing help for these children also helps their families who often struggle with the emotional and financial challenges of caring for a child with one of these conditions. The Foundation’s policy is to help the children help themselves; to face up to their handicaps, enable them to become less dependent on their families and society for support, gain self confidence, lead more meaningful lives and become useful members of society.

Since its start, the Foundation has helped countless people and has grown to accommodate over 152 boys and girls.

It requires an annual minimum of Baht 18

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million and receives only Baht 250,000 from the government. The rest comes from generous private supporters.

Convoy For Kids Convoy for Kids has been contributing to meeting the needs of the Foundation since 2000, when a group of AustCham logistics members formed a sub-committee, focused on supporting the foundation and its children with two annual events. CFK’s donations have paid for a bus, library, hydro therapy pool, laundry, repainting of the school, and security system to mention just a few things.

Since John Kershaw foundered the group 11 years ago, Convoy for Kids has raised over Baht 11 million. Current Convoy Committee Chairman, David Mills, says “Our main aim is to bring

some fun into the lives of these children who have been dealt an unfair hand by fate and to provide some financial support for the school, which does a great job in giving them a positive approach to life. We all admire the children’s courage and ability to smile and get on with life as best they can. We also take underprivileged children from three slum areas around Bangkok on our November outings. Although these kids are able bodied, they too face a challenge in life and it’s rewarding to see the smiles on their faces.”

Golf The first event is a golf tournament which is held in the first half of the year.

The committee works hard to create a professional game of golf with many

“Our main aim is to bring some fun into the lives of these children who have been dealt an unfair hand by fate and to provide some financial support for the school...”

AustChamThailand Advance

community services

sponsored prizes and an impressive dinner at the finale. This year, the golf tournament alone raised Baht 600,000 which was donated to the foundation on Wednesday, 29 September 2010.

Convoy Day The second yearly event is a day just for them. Once again sponsors and friends are called together to take the children on an outing. The location changes each year and has so far included the Ancient City (Meuang Boran), Khao Yai Zoo, Sri Racha Tiger Zoo, The Beach at Bangsaen, Siam Ocean World, The Don Muang Airforce museum, and this year, Safari World. Principal Khun Usma Pestean says that the children do not often get to leave the foundation, so this kind of support is really special. She told of the 2005 outing to the Bangsaen beach: “Some of the children cried with joy” she said, “They’d never seen the sea before, nor had the chance to swim in it”.

This year a record of 450 volunteers and students joined in the convoy day this year. Students from the Foundation were joined by Sister Joan’s students who

come from The Klong Toey slum area.

Also there were children from The Bang Seu and Klong Lod slum areas. See page 20 for more information on Sister Joan and her work. The children exclaimed that it was so much fun and were very grateful for the opportunity to head out

and see the shows with the animals.

Sri Sang Wal School In 1961, the Foundation opened a school for handicapped students beside it.

The school caters for children between eight and 18 years old. This year it welcomed 305 students, of which 152 stay at the foundation, and the other whom are brought to school by their parents or guardians. The students attend school from 8:30am to 3:30pm and take time out for necessary therapy. Computer studies, handicrafts, cooking, dressmaking, gardening, swimming and horse riding are amongst the most popular subjects.

They also play basketball, table tennis, badminton and football, and compete in sport competitions arranged by the government.

Proof of the school’s affect on its student’s lives is undeniable. Some of them have gone on to achieve amazing feats.

In Sydney’s 2000 Paralympics, eleven of the schools previous students went to compete, bringing home many medals including eight gold and six silver medals. They are a true credit to Thailand and the Foundation and a great inspiration to others.

Termite Troubles This year the school discovered a concerning problem. Termites were found in the school building and had already severely damaged some of the important supports of the building. Serious construction work is required and will cost a total of almost Baht 19 million after assistance from the government of Baht 12 million. CFK have pulled together again and are hoping to raise another Baht 500,000 towards this before the end of the year.

We would appreciate help from the building and construction business sector to supply professional advice, materials or labour to help in this substantial project.

Contact Convoy To find out more about convoy for kids or donate to The Foundation for the Welfare for the Crippled in Thailand, see www.convoyforkids.com or contact David mills at: david.mills@th.geodiswilson.com

AustChamThailand Advance

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community services

This year for the first time, Australian Alumni joined the International Balloon Festival in the picturesque province of Nakon Nayok.

After watching car drifting next to the beautiful Klong Tha Dan Dam, AustCham and Australian Alumni Members joined with 50 hot air balloon pilots for a traditional Aussie Barbeque. Thanks must go to the Barbeque Store, Choice Foods, Siam Winery Trading Plus and Thai Asia Pacific Brewery for helping us create such an enjoyable event, as well as Earth Wind and Fire for their fantastic organisational support.

Khun Vichai Chu, medical student at Monash University, and Hye Jin Lee from ANZ Bank were the lucky winners of tickets to fly in the hot air balloons, valued at 100,000 Baht each, courtesy of Earth Wind and Fire. Khun Saengaroon Katib was the lucky winner of a fantastic four burner barbeque courtesy of the Barbeque Store.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks again to our sponsors.

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AustChamThailand Advance

community services

AustChamThailand Advance

January 2011

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community services

Sister Joan Evans – A Beacon of Hope in Klong Toey

By Edward Dever

A

young man asks Sister Joan Evans for further help with his studies. Now working fulltime for a company in Bangkok, career advancement depends on more study which he cannot afford. He shows a gritty determination to better himself and avoid the life of intermittent work and limited options suffered by his father. With several family members to support, Sister Joan is a lifeline to a better life.

For 19 years Sister Joan, a retired religious sister from Perth in Western Australia, has lived and worked in the slums of Klong Toey. Education is her core mission. She believes there is a real need to help children and young adults to the point where they can help themselves.

Sister Joan’s mission uses a ‘cradle to the workplace’ approach. It starts with the Infant Milk Programme, popularly known as the ‘Milk Run’. Created by Sister Joan in 1992, the Milk Run now operates each fortnight from two locations in Klong Toey providing baby milk formula and full cream powdered milk for babies up to 12 months of age. The Milk Run seeks to improve babies’ health and nutrition so they will be sufficiently healthy to attend school when older.

A key part of Sister’s mission involves buying school uniforms, bags and shoes each year so that underprivileged children and young adults can attend school. Often, a parent’s inability to afford these items means their child cannot obtain an education. Sister Joan’s annual Education Project enables hundreds of children and young adults to attend school each year.

Providing uniforms is only part of the solution. Many parents in Klong Toey cannot afford the transport costs so their children can travel to school and cannot provide them with food or money for breakfast or lunch. Sister Joan’s Fares and Food (2F) Programme fills this gap 20

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by providing money for bus fares or other transport costs as well as money for breakfast or lunch. Learning is much harder on an empty stomach and ten or 15 Baht for food can make a world of difference.

Sister Joan has assisted hundreds of students over the years, some of whom have continued with their studies and graduated from university. University graduates are clearly success stories, however, in Sister’s view, even a single day’s education is better than nothing at all.

While Sister’s primary focus is education, her days are often filled with ferrying sick people to hospital, helping out with requests for payment of bills or comforting those in the community who are sick or dying. She also provides food assistance to 90 families each fortnight, providing rice, cooking oil and other essential items.

Sister Joan is a remarkable Australian who has devoted her retirement years to making a difference in the Klong Toey slum communities – one child at a time.

How you can help • Sister Joan’s donation philosophy is simple – a little bit of money goes a long way.

• Funding for Sister Joan’s projects comes from donations and all donations go to help those in need.

• Donations can be made online (via PayPal), by cheque or by direct bank deposit – see www.sisterjoan.info for details. Offers of volunteer help are also welcome.

Sister Joan Evans PBVM Presentation Slums Mission Bangkok PO Box 28, Kluai Nam Thai PO Bangkok 10115 Thailand Email: milkrun44@gmail.com Website: www.sisterjoan.info

AustChamThailand Advance

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com January 2010

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com February 2010

The Thai Property Market Trends in 2010

Voluntary English Teaching Business and Investment Opportunities in the Upper North

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AustCham Board of Directors 2010

SILVER SPONSOR’S NEWS An Unexamined Workscape ...

Is Not Worth Having

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Expatriates and Thais at Work: “Same-Same” or “So Different” and Why?

The Free Flow of Capital and Investment

Advance Is Looking to Share Your News in 2011

COMMUNITY SERVICES 10th Annual Convoy for Kids

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IN THIS EDITION

Khun Sutipong Ittipong 1949 – 2010

COMMUNITY SERVICES AIT/AustCham Joint Christmas Party

BUSINESS AWARDS 2009 EMBASSY NEWS Recipient of AustCham Education The ‘SwimSafe Thailand’ and Human Development Award Project

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COMMUNITY SERvICES Voluntary English Teaching 12 December 2009

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CHAMBER EvENTS Tri Nations Barbeque at The Sukhothai, 19 January 2010

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BUSINESS AWARDS 2009 Recipient of AustCham CSR and Environmental Awareness Award

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EMBASSY NEWS Australia Day: Celebrate What’s Great!

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CSR SUPPLEMENT The “Healthy People in Healthy Community” Project

CHAMBER EVENTS Tax Planning for Australians Working Overseas

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Next year will cover the following supplements:

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com May 2010

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY ANZAC Day

JUNE

JULY Perspectives from Younger Eyes

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER 12 16

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

BUSINESS AWARDS 2009 EMBASSY NEWS Natural Ville & LeNotre receiving Erased Exhibition Redraws the the Best Services Company Award Definition of Drawing

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A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com April 2010

IN THIS EDITION

IN THIS EDITION

BUSINESS AWARDS 2009 Intrepid Receives AustCham Tourism and Hospitality Award

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com March 2010

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AUSTCHAM REGIONAL FORUM Australian Business Creates a Regional Voice

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ATBC SECTION Seventh Annual Thai Festival and Sunshine Friends Concert

EMBASSY NEWS KHUN SUTIPONG ITTIPONG Australian Embassy Helps Sister Celebrating his Life and Joan with Her Milk Run Project Grieving the Loss

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CHAMBER EVENTS Eastern Seaboard Sundowners at Grand Centara Mirage Beach Resort

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A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.auastchamthailand.com June 2010

The Festive Season and Outdoor Activities Corporate Social Responsibility Business Awards – Celebrating Business Success ANZAC Day and Community Services A Piece of Thai in Australia Australian / International Alumni News Golf and Charity Eastern Seaboard Update Chiang Mai Business Update International School Supplement 6 8 Australian Football Hospitality Supplement BUSINESS AWARDS 2009 Akara Mining: the AustCham Business of the Year Award

**Regional AustCham Supplements Please note that the scheduling may change throughout the year

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com July 2010

BUSINESS AWARDS 2009 Recipient of AustCham Industrial Excellence Award

Child’s Play

Small Smiles in Kanchanaburi

BUSINESS BRIEF HEALTHCARE CBRE Survey: Investment TurnWork Doesn’t Have To Be over Jumped 215% Year-On-Year “Back-Breaking”!

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CHAMBER EVENTS Bangkok Sundowners at the Dusit Thani Hotel

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A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com August 2010

AustCham’s If you have any articles that would be of interest to the numerous business First Chiang Mai Sundowners professionals over a broad spectrum of industries, please contact: for 2010 josh@austchamthailand.com

THIS YEAR’S SPONSORS

Convoy for Kids sponsors will receive additional coverage in 2011 The Eighth AnnualAustCham Volvo Golf Day BUSINESS BRIEF FEATURE CHAMBER EVENTS Thai Hospitality Sector Remains Media Coverage During the Crisis Business Luncheon with Positive in the Face of Challenges To Believe or Not To Believe?

Bangkok Governor

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CHAMBER EVENTS Bangkok Commonwealth Sundowners on 2 June 2010

BUSINESS BRIEF Thailand’s Ultimate Travel Experience

COMMUNITY SERVICES CHAMBER EVENTS Voluntary English Teaching at Chiang Mai Sundowners Baan Khao Huay Mahad School at U Chiang Mai

GOLD AND SILVER SPONSORS May 26 submit a one-page Member’s Profile and two half-page press releases 18 per year.

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BRONZE SPONSORS May submit a half-page Member’s Profile and a one half-page press rele ase per year.

AustChamThailand

AustChamThailand

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com September 2010

Educational Supplement

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com October 2010

AustChamThailand

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com November 2010

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MEMBER PROFILE Golden Future Build on an Excellent Track Record

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AustChamThailand

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com December 2010

All corporate Members are entitled to publish one press release per year.

Please note that the cutoff date for each edition is the first day of the preceding Big Ride The AFL Cyber Safety & for Thai month.

Climate Change Grand Final

Medical Aid

Getting Bobbleheaded Over an iPad

In This Edition:

A New Study on Benefits of Services Trade Reform

Celebrating Australia at the World Expo BUSINESS BRIEF BUSINESS BRIEF Office Rents in Asia Rise 2.1% Ending ‘Play Rugby in Thailand?

7 Consecutive Quarters of Decline – Sure do!’

CHAMBER EVENTS Risk Management Luncheon at The Landmark Hotel

CHAMBER EVENTS Phuket Sundowners at the Royal Phuket Marina on 30 July 2010

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EMBASSY NEWS Cultural Relationship Blossoms in the Northern Art Hub of Thailand

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MEMBER PROFILE HASSELL to Expand Presence in South-East Asia

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COMMUNITY SERVICES Voluntary English Teaching at Baan Khao Huay Mahad School

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CHAMBER EVENTS The Natural Ville and LeNotre Ashes Golf Tournament

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BUSINESS BRIEF Do You Need to Lodge an Australian Tax Return?

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COMMUNITY SERVICES Voluntary English Teaching at Sri Ra Cha Primary School

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CHAMBER EVENTS Eastern Seaboard Golf Open at Phoenix Golf & Country Club

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CHAMBER EVENTS Bangkok Sundowners at Royal Orchid Sheraton

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BUSINESS BRIEF CEO Talk: “Investment Climate Update”

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AustChamThailand Advance

EMBASSY NEWS Australian Embassy Helps ‘Clean Up’ Bangkok

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COMMUNITY SERVICES Hands Together for Helping Hands

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CHAMBER EVENTS AustCham Executive Director on Thai-Oz Talk with Jaye Walton

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December 2010

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community services

Australian Doctors and Friends

“Big Ride” for Thailand

The group set out from Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin on Sunday, 21 November at around 11am, heading off at a leisurely pace and cheered on by the Bangkok Hua Hin hospital staff and supporters.

The group then travelled around 100km per day, a phenomenal effort, until early on Saturday, 27 November when they reached the outskirts of Phuket, 40km from their destination. There, the Mayor of Phuket welcomed them to the city and invited 60 additional cyclists from the Phuket Cycle Club to join the final ride.

The next 40km was not so leisurely as Aussie and Thai bike riders rode side by side at a competitive pace.

By John Duke, Bangkok Hospital

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group of 15 Australians including eight doctors and other health professionals had the desire to complete a 600km bike ride from Bangkok to Phuket in six days, and at the same time, to raise money to support local charities.

The motivation for this ride in Thailand came from a similar trip last year.

The group figured that a bike trip was a unique way to see many different aspects of Thai life and much more personal than viewing the country through the windows of an air conditioned luxury bus or car. Dr Peter Dodds, the instigator of the trip, explained that on last year’s bike ride they saw many aspects of everyday life in Thailand that they had not previously encountered as traditional tourists and were able to experience local conditions which they enjoyed very much.

On the previous ride the group talked about raising money for education and healthcare and thought of ways to do so effectively.

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Due to a medical liaison with Bangkok Hospital, the Australian group decided to partner with Bangkok Hospital, and, because of the Australian connection, also partnered with AustCham to direct proceeds from the ride toward specific projects in Thailand. In the case of AustCham, it was toward the schools supported by AustCham’s English Teaching program. In the case of Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin, it was to provide public patients with access to a 64 slice CT Scan which would otherwise not be available to them.

At around 1.30pm the first cyclists completed the ride, arriving at Bangkok Phuket Hospital. Cathy Quinlan, a nurse who completed the Big Ride said “It was the hardest physical thing I’ve ever undertaken and accomplished. The thought of what we were achieving and good old Aussie competitive spirit kept me going.”

Dr David Bollinger said, “The ride provided a great opportunity to meet some Thai doctors and to form friendships for the future. We were overwhelmed by our reception in Phuket”.

Dr Peter Dodds said the group was grateful for the support it received both from St Vincent’s and Mater Health Sydney, the Mater Medical Association and the Bangkok Hospital Group. “This has been an experience of a lifetime and we would like to commit to doing something similar next year”. Peter said his daughter does not believe that he raced the Deputy Mayor of Phuket for 40km.

To date, Baht 600,000 has been raised by the Doctors and Friends Big Ride for Thailand. This is an amazing achievement and will certainly be appreciated by the Thai recipients. A big thank you to the doctors and their sponsors for making it possible.

AustChamThailand Advance

CHAUM HAUS Luxury Pool Villas

Each Unit Consists: • Master Bedroom, Private Bathroom and Wardrobe • Bedroom/Available room and wardrobe • Bathroom and Toilet • Living Room and Dining Room • Kitchen • Entre • Large Front Terrace out from Living Room / Dinner Room • Terrace Out from Kitchen • 120 CM Broad Terrace along east - west facing wall • Swimming Pool 8.5 *4,5 M ars, storage room • Carport for 2 cars,

Tel: 089 89 44 310 Live Winter Sport Darts and Pool Table

Family Bar Baar and Restaurant Restaurrant Serving SCANDINAVIAN SCANDINAAVIAN & THAI FOOD FOOD

Soi Long Beach Cha-Am Tel: 089 89 44 310

Chamber Events

Key Issues Dinner with H.E. James Wise at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit

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iplomacy, it seems, has one thing in common with love. Representing Australia in Thailand, to steal a phrase from Frank Sinatra, is lovelier the second time around.

The Australian Ambassador to Thailand, Mr James Wise, told AustCham that relations between the two countries have more substance than when he served as Deputy Head of Mission in the late 1990s. “It’s easier to be an Australian diplomat in Thailand in 2010 than it was between 1995 and 1998,” he said.

Mr Wise ticked off a list of improvements in the bilateral links since that time: • Trade has grown six-fold to almost $20 billion a year; • For both countries, the ranking of the other as a trading partner has risen; • Each country’s investment in the other had gone from negligible, or less, to reach substantial levels;

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• The number of Thai students in Australia had leapt to almost 24,000.

“But facts and statistics – even impressive facts and statistics – tell only part of the story,” Mr Wise told an AustCham Key Issues Dinner at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel in December 8.

“More importantly, these facts and statistics reflect an underlying change in how Australia feels about itself – generally, and in the region.

“While Thailand and other major economies of South-East Asia industrialised and boomed, Australia embarked on its own comprehensive program of economic and structural reforms, like: the dismantlement of tariff barriers; the introduction of a floating exchange rate; stronger competition policy; and changes in industrial relations and taxation systems.

“For most of my previous posting here, Thailand was booming. The same was true of other parts of South-East Asia.

“In Australia, and for Australian officials serving overseas, these reforms were often unsettling, even unnerving and demoralising, because it involved the social dislocation and sometimes acrimonious internal debate.”

“So at the time there was a strongly held view that Thailand and the other major economies of South-East Asia had struck out on a bold and rewarding path while Australia was still searching for its way forward.

But the Asian financial crisis of 1997 changed the psychology of Australia’s international engagement, especially with South-East Asia. Australians, slowly and often subconsciously, came to think of the region in a slightly different way.

AustChamThailand Advance

Chamber Events

“The crisis provided an opportunity for Australians and non-Australians alike to see how robust and how flexible the Australian economy had become,” Mr Wise said.

Australia had contributed to financial rescue packages for Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand. “Even more significantly, Australian companies showed they had the flexibility and competitive edge to find new markets quickly,” he said.

He called on AustCham Members to pass on their views to the Embassy about trade and investment in Thailand, in advance of next year’s new round of talks on the Thai-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

“We will be looking for ways to persuade Thailand to make it easier for Australian investors and service industries in Thailand,” he said.

“What arguments are likely to persuade Thailand to liberalise? How do we get the Government of Thailand and Thai industry to believe that it is in Thailand’s interests to give Australian companies better access to the Thai market?

“We are very keen to hear the views of AustCham Members on arguments that Thailand might find persuasive.”

“Australia’s response to the crisis demonstrated that the painful structural reforms Australia had been pursuing worked when it mattered most.”

Despite the changed attitudes and performance, Mr Wise challenged the view that Australia punched above its weight in the region.

Corporate Sponsors 2010 GOLD SPONSORS

He said: “That proposition is nonsense.

Australia has a long way to go before it punches at its weight. We are kidding ourselves if we think we punch above our weight.”

Mr Wise said Australians under-estimated how weighty the country really was, globally. Australia had less than 0.5 per cent of people in the world but produced two per cent of global output.

Australia was the 13th largest economy, had the 12th largest defence budget and the 13th largest aid budget. Australians also under-estimated how much the economy had changed. Services accounted for more than 70 per cent of national output; mining and agriculture just over 11 per cent.

Despite Australia’s strengths and despite the importance of Asia, Australia punched below its weight in Asia, including in Thailand.

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

Australian investment in Asia had declined by 11.3 per cent in the past year. Total investment in the United States, the European Union and New Zealand grew by 16.7 per cent.

But it was not all Australia’s fault: “Many nations of the region have regulatory regimes that stop Australians from investing further in Asia,” Mr Wise said.

AustChamThailand Advance

January 2011

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Chamber Events

Understanding Bangkok’s Political Turmoil Luncheon on Tuesday, 16 November 2010 Senior Advisor of the National Anti– Corruption Commission, Dr. Sirilaksana Khoman gave a talk linking Thailand’s political turmoil to a newer form of corruption that occurred mainly during the period 20012006, highlighting the underlying structural shifts that took place after the 1997 economic crisis. The luncheon, held at Centara Grand, saw great interest for AustCham members, with over 50 people attending. Please see page 6 for Dr. Lavanchawee’s thoughts following this luncheon.

Stephen Caswell and Stephen French Keep AustCham Members up to Date on Tax and Economics

The month of November saw two seminars held for AustCham, before the Phuket Sundowners on Friday, 19, and at a Breakfast Webinar Briefing in Bangkok on Tuesday, 23. Updates from their last visit in August included details on the ATO’s crackdown, tax planning updates and new investment strategies.

TMF (Thailand) Ltd on Thai-Oz Talk with Jaye Walton Khun Suganya Ransigutta, a local director of TMF (Thailand) Ltd, recently appeared on Thai-OZ Talk with Jaye Walton. Khun Suganya gave viewers a brief outline of the history and growth of the company which has more than 65 offices world wide.

She said that TMF is the world’s leading independent provider of accounting and corporate secretarial services and as such, does not have any conflict of interest and can work with any advisor or bank of their client’s choice. Their corporate services also include HR, payroll, legal and shareholder services. ThaiOz Talk is seen every week in Bangkok on TV Channel NBT (the old Channel 11) and in 176 countries around the world via the Thai Global Network (True Vision Channel 179).

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AustChamThailand Advance

Chamber Events

Alumni Event – Project Management Professional at Siam@Siam on 17 November AustCham welcomed project management and program management expert Raymond Possick to discuss Project management certification with Australian Alumni members. Attendees learned how this internationally recognised qualification can improve your recognition in the working world and be used to excel your career.

Thanks to Siam@Siam for providing us with their fantastic venue and food for the evening.

AustChamThailand Advance

January 2011

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Chamber Events

Phuket Sundowners on Friday, 19 November at The Westin Following the Phuket Seminar, guests and friends of AustCham gathered at The Westin, Siray Bay Resort and Spa for an evening of networking. Thanks go to our venue sponsors as well as Bangkok Hospital and Caswell and Associates for their generous support.

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1) Susan Usher - Lady Pie; H.E. James Wise, Australian Embassy; Brett Gannaway - AustCham. 2) Li Ann Loo - The Westin Siray Bay Phuket Resort & Spa; Sean Raine - The Westin Siray Bay Phuket Resort & Spa; Simon Samaan - Worldwide Intership. 3) Steve Brajak - AustCham Phuket Coordinator, Raimon Land PCL; Maurine Lam - Austrade.

4) Khun Neung - Thai Bondall; Khun Skulna Varayu - Thai Bondall. 5) Khun Suchada Sanksuwan - Marimare; Bryan Hall - NBT-TV. 6) Peter Davison - Phuket International Hospital; Stephen French - MMT Partners; Andrew Durieux - AustCham President, Coverage; Greg Findlay - The Westin Siray Bay Phuket Resort & Spa; Harry Usher AustCham Phuket Coordinator, Lady Pie; M.L. Laksasubha Kridakorn - AustCham Vice President, Baan Laksasubha Resort Hua Hin; H.E. James Wise - Australian Embassy; Stephen Caswell - Caswell & Associates; Maurine Lam - Austrade; Steve Brajak - AustCham Phuket Coordinator, Raimon Land PCL.

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AustChamThailand Advance

Chamber Events

Embassy Briefing: The Thais That Bind and the Next Phase of TAFTA Negotiations on 1 December Prior to Christmas Sundowners, the Embassy held a Members only briefing with Austrade Chief Economist, Tim Harcourt, and the Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission, Simon Farbenbloom. The two gave an assessment of how well Australia has fared following the Global Financial Crisis and looked at how Australia views the ASEAN region in terms of trade and investment. The role of Thailand and financial services in Australia’s recent economic success was also discussed. AustCham thanks Simon and Tim for sharing their expertise, as well as the Australian Embassy for arranging this seminar.

AustChamThailand Advance

January 2011

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Chamber Events

Christmas Sundowners on 1 December 2010 at the Ambassador’s Residence

AustCham was delighted to hold its final Sundowners for 2010 at the Ambassador’s Residence. Thanks to H.E. James Wise and his wife Teresa for welcoming us to their home to celebrate the festive season with them. Thanks must also go to Gold Sponsor dwp for hosting a truly fantastic event.

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1) H.E. James Wise - Australian Embassy; Andrew Durieux - AustCham President, Coverage; Keith Wecker - Bangkok International Prepatory and Secondary School; Saeed Zaki - AustCham Director, dwp. 2) Alison Owen - The Little House International Kindergarten; Alice Ager - Quantas; Niel Ager - Quantas; Khun Chalita Muakphloi - The Little House International Kindergarten. 3) Nicholas Henley - Talent Technologies; Marcus Burtenshaw - Knight Frank; Sally Holloway - KIS International School; Gregory Poupon - Manpower. 4) Teresa Wise - Australian Embassy; Tricia Balmer - State Government of Victoria. 5) Flavia Bisi - dwp; Agnes Niehof - Nuttic Neso. 6) Khun Narumon Rodsiravoraphat - Colliers International. 7) Jose Mercado - dwp; Sylvie Meunier - dwp; Yu Jordy Fu - dwp. 8) Debbie Steel

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AustChamThailand Advance

Chamber Events

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- Crown Worldwide. Eddie Haworth - The Gift of Happiness Foundation. Rodney Wayne Byers - The Chillington Tool. Paul Wilkinson - Cranes and Equiptment Asia; Mark Butters - RSM Advisory; John Pollard - Meinhardt. 9) Adam Warren - Australian Embassy; Khun Namdi Truong - Australian Embassy; Nicholas Kay - Australian Embassy. 10) Simon Causton - The British Club; Suklin Rathabhakdi - The British Club. 11) Karen Hochhauser - Santa Fe; Jorge Pinedo - Mead Johnson Nutrition; Fabiana Pinedo - Mead Johnson Nutrition. 12) Paul Wilkinson - Cranes and Equipment Asia; Mark Butters - RSM Advisory; John Pollard - Meinhardt. 13) Khun Jurairat Jammnee - AustCham Director, HASSELL; John Pollard - Meinhardt; John Anderson - AustCham Vice President, Meinhardt; Amelia Henty - Australian Embassy. 14) Frank Khan - Knight Frank; Khun Tanrawee Pipatpolkul - BTS Assets; Khun Artitaya Kasemlawan - BTS Assets.

AustChamThailand Advance

January 2011

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New members and Members’ changes

Corporate Ordinary Members

Ambassador Hotel Bangkok 171 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66 2 254 0444 Fax: +66 2 254 7506 Website: www.amtel.co.th

Principal: Mr. Marcel Sawyere Alternate: Mrs. Rachanee Tunthagadh Ambassador Hotel is one of the grand old ladies of the Bangkok scene, having become life in the early 60’s. Initially it served as a rest and recreation hotel for American GI’s during the Vietnam War. The hotel continues to expand and today there are several wings and circular tower, all in which contain 760 guest rooms which has completed renovation.

Asia Biogas Company Limited 62 The Millennia Tower 17th Fl., Suite 1704-5 Lang Suan Road Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 2 651 8625 Fax: +66 2 651 8628 Email: david.donnelly@cleanthai.co.th Website: www.asiabiogas.com

Silk Roads Ltd. began its renewable energy project development activities in Southeast Asia with the founding of Philippine BioSciences (PhilBIO) in 1998 and Clean Energy Development Thailand (CleanTHAI) in 1999.

These two firms have developed more than 75 biogas energy projects in the region. Among them is the Korat Waste to Energy (KWTE) cassava wastewater to energy project, the largest anaerobic digester biogas plant in Asia with a maximum 125,000 cubic meters of biogas generated per day fueling five large boilers and a 3.3 MW power plant.

PhilBIO is the leading biogas company in the region in piggery wastewater to energy systems with 30 projects completed and 50 additional projects under construction and development.

To date, Asia BioGas companies have constructed biogas plants which substitute the equivalent energy of more than 20 million liters of fuel oil per annum, and have an installed a generating capacity in excess of 15 megawatts of biogas fueled electricity. Asia BioGas has a long track record in Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects. To date, its PhilBIO subsidiary has received CDM approvals for more than 50% of all CDM projects approved in the Philippines.

Asia BioGas has an extensive product pipeline, and has completed and operates biogas plants in the starch, piggery and ethanol industries. Asia Biogas companies are presently developing biogas plants with large palm oil refiners in Malaysia and Indonesia. Among its affiliates, Asia BioGas maintains investments in biogas plant operating companies including Korat Waste to Energy, Thai Biogas Energy Co., Cassava Waste to Energy Co., Ltd., Kalasin Waste to

Energy Co., Ltd., Hacienda BioEnergy Co. Inc. and Swine Waste to Energy Co. Ltd. Change of Representative Mr. Brett Wilson, General Manager is a new representative of Anantara Bangkok Sathorn.

Ms. Suweena Jai-Oun, Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing is a new representative of Anantara Bangkok Sathorn.

Mr. Supanit Chaiyawat, Managing Director is a new representative of GoIndustry-DoveBid (Thailand) Ltd. Ms. Themjai Srithep, Business Development Manager Director is a new representative of GoIndustry-DoveBid (Thailand) Ltd. Change of Company Name Sathorn Heritage Hotel has changed company name to be Anantara Bangkok Sathorn.

Change of Company Address Halcrow (Thailand) Limited 16th Floor, Asia Center Building 173/14,15,17 South Sathorn Road Thungmahamek Sathorn, Bangkok 10120 Tel: +66 2 679 0070 Fax: +66 2 679 0071 Peak Corporation Company Limited 41 Romkloa 58, Romkloa Rd. Klongsampravet Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 Tel: +66 2 737 5546 Fax: +66 2 737 5545

Principal: Mr. David Donnelly AsiaBIOGAS Co. Ltd. (ABC) is Southeast Asia’s largest biogas systems design, engineering, construction and operating company. Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, the firm currently operates in Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. Focusing primarily on renewable waste to energy projects, Asia BioGas was created in 2006 to be the regional holding company for the Southeast Asian operating companies controlled by renewable energy developer Silk Roads Ltd.

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AustCham Thailand is now on Twitter.

AustCham Thailand is now on Twitter.

Follow Followus usat: at: twitter.com/austcham twitter.com/austcham

AustChamThailand Advance

AUSTCHAM Members’ offers

New members and Members’ changes

Amari Orchid Pattaya Sivara Spa is offering a special two and a half hour package for only Baht 2,999. It includes a mint foot scrub, feeling fruity body scrub, aromatic oil massage and manicure or pedicure.

For more information, contact sivaraspa@orchid.amari.com.

AusWa Thai AustCham members can get their profiles including company logo, link to their website and an extract of their company details registered at Longdo Map Thailand for free!

To receive full details of this offer, please email: freeaustchammem-map@austhai.biz.

Baan Laksasubha Baan Laksasubha at Hua Hin is delighted to offer readers two nights stay in the Garden Veranda for only Baht 7,000.

Set in plush landscaped gardens, spacious guestrooms are ideal for a romantic getaway or weekend retreat with the family.

Enjoy dining at our Costanera Beach Restaurant and Tapas Bar which overlooks a private beach and serves a variety of culinary delights.

To book this offer, kindly email rsvn@baanlaksasubha.com or contact us on 032 514 525-31 and quote ACOO1.

Coverage SARS, Tsunami, Bird Flu, Coup, Swine Flu, Riots, - what’s the next X for Thailand? What’s next for your business? Are you prepared?

Coverage knows and understands all parts of your business and can AustChamThailand Advance

help provide a plan, training and exercise for you and your staff in English and Thai.

Andrew is offering a 20% discount for all AustCham members. Call 02 261 8485.

Hua Hin Marriott Resort and Spa Italian Lunch Duet at Ciao offers you a large variety of pizzas and pastas. Choose from our daily lunch menu accompanied with complimentary drinks for only Baht 299 from 12.00 - 15.00.

For more information and reservation, please call (66) 32 511 881 ext. 1804.

Holiday Inn Holiday Inn Silom Bangkok is offering Austcham Members a special 25% discount on Food and Beverages.

Enjoy their sumptuous International Buffet at The Brasserie, Northern Indian Cuisine at Tandoor, an outstanding a la carte selection of Afternoon Tea at Orchid Lounge or Relax after a long hard day of work at Hari’s Bar with tasty snack and great music.

For more information please call 02 238 4300 or email: reservations@holidayinnsilom. com

Manohra Dining Cruises Board a beautifully restored antique rice barge and enjoy a gold menu set of ten courses for Baht 1,990 per person or a Silver set menu of eight courses valued at Baht 1,250 per person.

The boat departs at 19.30 each evening.

For reservations, please call 02 476 0022 Ext. 1416, or email manohra@manohracruises.com.

Marriott Resort and Spa Book any luxurious spa treatment and extend your relaxation with a complimentary neck and shoulder massage for additional 30 minutes. Offer from now until the end of 2010. This promotion can be used between 10.00 and 14.00 hrs.

For further information or reservation, please call 02 476 0022 Ext. 1563, or email: ms_ bmrs@minornet.com

Millenium Hilton Thai residents can take advantage of Baht 3,000 for room and breakfast with complimentary upgrade to Executive Room or Baht 3,500 for room and breakfast with Complimentary upgrade to Executive Suite and Thai Massage for two persons. For information and reservation please call 02 442 2000.

Novotel Siam Tammachart Day Spa presents a natural relaxing body healing massage featuring treatment of warm healing herbs. This treatment is valued at only Baht 1,350 for two hours. For more bookings or more information, please contact: +66 2 209 8888, or email: hotel@novotelbkk.com

Pacific City Club Pacific City Club special offer to AustCham Thailand members. A 100% waive the regular joining fee of Baht 130,000 (4K USD) until 31 March 2011.

Additional discounted monthly dues payment will be offered (normally Baht 3,000 per member/per month): 3 months

at Baht 3,000, 6 months at Baht 2,500 or 12 months at Baht 2,000 per member/month. This is a limited and exclusive offer to the first 250 people for only two representatives.

See AustCham’s Member’s Offers page to download a form.

Phachara Suites Strike when the deal is hot with our unbeatable exclusive deal starting at Baht 2,500. For more information or reservation please call +66 2 262 9888.

The Aetas Baht 2,750 is being offered to celebrate the opening of “The AETAS Bangkok”.

This Superior Room offer comes with ABF and internet and will be upgraded to a Delux Room with a 20% discount on food and beverages at ‘Moments’ and ‘Pause’ if staying for three consecutive nights.

For more information or to make a reservation, please call: +66 2 618 9000 or email: contact@aetashotels.com.

The Sukhothai Bangkok From now until 31 March 2011, The Sukhothai Bangkok introduces the “Business Package”. Rates start from Baht 11,500 for single and Baht 11,900 for double occupancy with a minimum of 2 consecutive nights booking in an Executive Deluxe Room including daily buffet breakfast at the Colonnade restaurant, in-room mini bar and complimentary one way airport transfer. For reservation, please email: reservations@sukhothai.com January 2011

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From the Chamber Office

Message from the ED

O

n behalf of the Chamber, it gives me great pleasure to welcome everybody back for the New Year.

The Chamber has another busy schedule planned for 2011and we look forward to providing you with informative sessions via our breakfasts, lunches and Key Issues dinners, useful information and updates via our Advance magazine as well as continuing our very successful Sundowner networking evenings in Bangkok, on the Eastern Seaboard, Phuket and in Chiang Mai. Speaking of Sundowners, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Ambassador James Wise and his wife Teresa Wise for kindly offering their residence for our Christmas Sundowners in December.

It was a marvellous evening and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Thank you to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok for catering the evening and to dwp for sponsoring yet another Christmas Sundowners.

Traditionally we don’t have a Sundowners event in January so this month AustCham will once again be kicking off the year with the Tri nations BBQ in conjunction with the South African and New Zealand Chambers.

This traditional “Braai” will be held at the Sukhothai Bangkok on Tuesday, 19 January. It is always a well attended event with excellent food and great networking opportunities. Make sure that you mark it in your calendar and I look forward to seeing you there.

On Saturday, 29 January, our gala event, the Australia Day Business Awards will be held in the Ballroom at the Swissotel Nai Lert Park. With semi-finalist companies contending for awards in five categories including Tourism & Hospitality; CSR & Environmental Awareness; Best Services Company; Industrial Excellence; and

Calendar of Events SATURDAY, 15 JANUARY Voluntary English Teaching

Venue: Baan Khao Huay Mahad School, Rayong WEDNESDAY, 19 JANUARY Tri-Nations Barbeque

Education and Human Development.

Awards will be given to those companies that have shown excellence in their field in 2010. There will also be a chance to have your say on the night and cast a vote in the People’s Choice Award. The Awards ceremony promises to be a great night celebrating Australian Business success with fabulous food and great entertainment. If you haven’t done so already, make sure that you book your tickets now to attend the dinner and dance evening celebrating Australia Day by honoring successful Australian/Thai business. Tickets can be purchased online via the website or by calling the office directly.

Once again, welcome back for a new year and I wish all members continued business success for 2011.

Brett Gannaway Executive Director, AustCham Thailand www.austchamthailand.com

18.00 – 21.00 Venue: Sukhothai Bangkok AustCham Thailand together with the South African-Thai Chamber of Commerce and the New Zealand-Thai Chamber of Commerce take great pleasure in inviting you to join us for the Annual Braai (Barbecue) with lots of wonderful food; Australian, New Zealand and South African beverages.

SATURDAY, 29 JANUARY 15th Annual Australia Day Business Awards Gala Event

18.00 onwards Venue: Swissotel Nai Lert Park Bangkok The 2010 AustCham Business Awards Gala Event is a dinner and dance evening celebrating Australia Day by honouring successful Australian/Thai business. The AustCham Business Awards are to recognise excellence, innovation and success of Australian/ Thai business. Receiving an award is an endorsement of the quality of your company’s products, services, ethics and an opportunity to showcase your achievements.

Thank you to all December sponsors

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January 2011

AustChamThailand Advance

Kitchens

Furniture

Renovations

Photo courtesy of Lighthouse Navigation

Interior Design/Build

Offices

We design and build offices and other interior design solutions to your exact specifications.

Welcome to the CABINET Interior Design the CABINET has successfully worked with Thai and foreign clients since 1996 and is one of the most experienced and competent turnkey interior design solution providers in Thailand.

Head Office: 900/88 Country Villa Sri Nakarin Rd., Pravet Bangkok 10260 Tel 0 2322 2202 Fax 0 2720 2928

www.thecabinet.co.th info@thecabinet.co.th

Mon-Sat 09.00-18.00

Showroom Hua Hin: 12/16 Petchkasem Rd. (Next to the Shell station) Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan 77110 Tel 0 3250 2290 Fax 0 3251 3806