A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL www.austchamthailand.com July 2013
School’s in Session at the Beaumont Ruam Pattana School in this edition
BlueScope 2013 AustCham Ball Business brief Happiness in the Workplace
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News and Updates Real Estate Woes in Yangon: Tactics for Staying Savvy
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AUSTRALIANALUMNI community services 12th Volvo Truck and Bus (Thailand) Turbo-charging Your Career: Effective Networking and Resumes that POP! Convoy for Kids Charity Golf
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ATS
specialist mortgage
specialist mortgage
ATS
PATRON His Excellency James Wise Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand PRESIDENT Leigh Scott-Kemmis DBM (Thailand) Ltd.
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Contents business briefs 6 Happiness in the Workplace 8 Real Estate Woes in Yangon: Tactics for Staying Savvy
20 22 Boardroom Brief with CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors 24 AustCham Commonwealth Sundowners 26 Eastern Seaboard Sundowners 27 Luncheon Address by Chairman of Thailand Board of Trade Australianalumni 28 Turbo-charging Your Career: Effective Networking and Resumes that POP! AUSTCHAM MEMBERS 29 New Members and Member Changes
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Belinda Skinner TopTalentAsia TREASURER Warwick Kneale Baker Tilly Thailand Limited
Josh Hyland AEC South East Asia Co., Ltd.
AUSTCHAM BALL 14 BlueScope 2013 AustCham Ball
chamber Events 22 Boardroom Brief: Cyber-Crime - Would Your Business Know How to Respond?
M.L. Laksasubha Kridakon Baan Laksasubha Resort Hua Hin
DIRECTORS David Bell Crestcom-Ra-Kahng Associates Ltd.
COVER STORY 10 School’s in Session at The Beaumont Ruam Pattana School in Chaiyaphum
Community services 20 The 12th Volvo Truck and Bus Thailand Convoy for Kids Charity Golf Day 2013
VICE PRESIDENTS Jason Ellis BlueScope Steel (Thailand) Limited
From the Chamber Office 30 Message from the Office
Brenton Mauriello dwp Alan Polivnick Watson, Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited Rananda Rich Blackmores Ltd. Pratamaporn Svasti-Xuto Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Banking Group Ltd. Charles Wrightman Natural Ville & Lenotre EX OFFICIO Greg Wallis Senior Trade Commissioner, Thailand COORDINATORS Paul Wilkinson JVK International Movers Ltd. ESB Coordinator Email: paul.wilkinson@jvkmovers.com Trevor Dick Indochine Asset Management ESB Coordinator Email: trevor@indochine-asset.com
From the Board
President’s Message Harry Usher Lady Pie Phuket Coordinator Email: phuket@austchamthailand.com 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 office@austchamthailand.com www.austchamthailand.com For more information on individual Board Member focus please visit www.austchamthailand.com/ boardmembers
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hat a busy month for the Chamber in June. Congratulations to the Pattaya crowd at Eastern Seaboard Sundowners (sponsored by the Hilton and Capital TV) as they showed great respect to the sponsors and you could have heard a pin drop during the chat. It can be done! The Ball was a great success. Congratulations and thanks to BlueScope for the sponsorship, AustCham office and the ball committee for all the hard work lead brilliantly by Belinda Skinner. Lots of photos for all to see included in July Advance and on the website. Editorial Committee Belinda Skinner, Domenica Agostino, 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 domenica@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
AustCham hosted two very interesting and successful lunch meetings, one with John Colvin, CEO of the Australian Institute of Directors, and the other with Khun Isara Vongkusonkit, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand. John had a lot to offer regarding the challenges directors are facing as their companies regionalise and globalise in an environment where regulation is still mostly national. Given all of the regulation and responsibilities it’s no wonder that listed companies are having difficulty attracting talented and qualified directors. The Australian IOD push is to convince Governments that they need to cull laws and regulations so companies can operate efficiently and compete. Good luck. The Khun Isara lunch was a great success with a turnout of more than 130 including the Presidents from ten foreign chambers of commerce. Again well done by the office to have organised and managed the event. Khun Isara has aggressive plans for the Thai Chamber and the Board of Trade under his
leadership. He is seeking as much support and help as he can muster from the foreign chambers. A major focus is on strengthening the Thai small and medium size enterprises sector as he sees this as critical to future Thai growth, closing the income gap and competing in the new world of Asia after 2015. We are working on ways for AustCham/Australia to help in this area especially with training and business matching. The new Board is settling in well and I am hoping lots of members come along to the members briefing and open forum discussion before Sundowners on the 3 July, 5pm to 6pm at Sofitel So. We have a constant challenge in this globalising world of balancing national interests with non-national businesses and their needs. We are very keen to hear your view on this issue so that we may shape our activities to deal with the challenge. Our ever effective ED Mark Carroll will have more to say on this subject. Finally our annual membership renewal process is now complete with a pleasing outcome. Many thanks to all our members for your continual support for your chambers. We are all working to keep AustCham one of the most effective chambers in Thailand, and one the highest performing Australian Chambers anywhere in the world.
Leigh Scott-Kemmis President, AustCham Thailand www.austchamthailand.com July 2013
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business brief
Happiness in the Workplace By PeopleServe Asia
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e’re a bit late in celebrating, but on 20 March, the UN held its first International Day of Happiness. This got us thinking about the topic, “Happiness in the Workplace”. As Thailand’s premier Human Resource Management specialists, we spend much of our time on things like payroll, training, and employee benefits, however, there is a great deal of data connecting workplace happiness with productivity and motivation.
Happiness = Organisational Productivity The Thai Health Promotion Foundation has been doing research on the subject for many years, going so far as to issue the Health Promotion Foundation Act of 2001, which addresses the issue of creating happy workplaces. It states organisations should give happiness, “special consideration” by including it as one of eight key strategies for promoting productivity in organisations.
This helpful diagram demonstrates the feedback and action loop that is useful in developing a workplace-happiness program: HOME
HR Plays an Important Role in Facilitating Happiness in the Workplace In a recent study of Thai organisations called, “An Approach to Create a Happy Workplace” undertaken by Juthamas Kaewpijit, Ph.D. and Wichai Utsahajit, Ph.D., the authors found that while there have been a number of efforts undertaken in recent years by Thai organisations to increase employee happiness, the overall approach has been that of “one size fits all”. Their findings suggest that to be truly effective, there needs to be ‘buy-in’ from management and programs need to be designed for specific roles within the organisations and account for individual needs. They point out that, as middlemen, “Leaders have to know how to make executives understand and support such projects aimed at creating happiness for all staff.” Their study reveals that in-depth analysis and statistics offer practical insights specific to Thai organisations. One of the major take-aways, specific to the Thai workplace, is a technique they call HOME. 6
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“It is also advisable for organisations, training or consulting companies, and educational institutions to design a curriculum or a training course on how to create a happy workplace for organisations in Thailand in order that happiness can be happening in any workplace all around the land of smiles.” All of this talk of happier work places may lead you to ask, “What can I do to make a happier workplace?” Here we give concrete examples of what you, as business leaders, can do.
The HOME approach to happiness at the workplace
The HOME approach is holistic and takes into account the myriad of factors and stakeholders, as well as organisational and Thai culture. It is systematic, with the key tools being happiness mapping, organisation diagnosis results, an approach for the value of happiness, and environment creation. The study emphasises that for the best results, it shouldn’t just be a Human Resource Management effort. Instead, they conclude, “Creating happy organisations involves three groups of people: top management, facilitators (human resources department) and a steering committee.”
The first step is determining what actually makes your employees, and the organisation on the whole, happy -- as no two organisations are the same. Two key techniques are: • Directly asking employees • Developing an employee suggestion system Once these are determined and buy-in is obtained from the stakeholders noted in the HOME diagram, happiness needs to be approached as strategically as any other organisational initiative and involves: • Developing effective happiness strategies that include: Precision; Activity deadlines; Timelines; Objectives; Determining resources needed; A monitoring and evaluation system. AustChamThailand Advance
business brief
Creating a Happy Environment First, there is the physical work environment and then there are work-systems.
piness than when one feels that they are recognised for their skills, are given a challenge, are supported in meeting it and can successfully achieve goals.
between boss and subordinate. Small things like saying hello, asking how one’s day is going and sincerely caring about the answer are great starts.
Work environment
Work Life Balance
Here is a great chance to get creative and use the data you’ve collected to make spaces that are relaxing, fun, and engaging. Plan fun activities. Look at things like lighting, how the offices are laid out, and policies about things like to what level employees are able to personalise work stations. Take down barriers that don’t allow personal interaction and create communal spaces that encourage socialisation. Friendships and relationships at work are central to finding blissful employment.
Data from across the globe, not just here in Thailand, indicates that people are happiest when they have a proper work-life balance that they feel is supported by their organisation. As professionals, we can conduct top-down trainings that encourage things like flexi-time, working from home, or a place to bring children to work so that parents can feel at ease that their children are being well cared for and are nearby, if childcare is a concern.
Then, communicate frequently and transparently about company goals and values. Take to heart people’s ideas, suggestions and opinions; let them have a say.
Have a Celebratory Culture
Compliment people freely, publically and never neglect to give credit where it is due. In creating a happier workplace, keep in mind that workers thrive when they sense that they are being listened to, that their advice is valued, that the organisation cares about their welfare and that of their families. And Remember: Happiness is Contagious!
Work systems These include work hours, incentives, formalised mentoring and support relationships, workflow design and payment and overtime calculations. “People are Happiest when Developing and Learning” According to Holly Birch, encouraging learning is paramount. “Contented workers tend to have personal career goals they are working towards and are therefore less likely to get bogged down in office politics. It is important to prioritise career goals and support them in whichever way you can. People are generally happier when they are developing and learning.” Take the time to figure out what strengths each employee brings to their job and give them an opportunity to shine. Nothing creates satisfaction and greater hap-
Systemise and budget for celebrations. Birthdays, special occasions and reaching critical organisational milestones are a great time to promote cohesion, have some fun as a team and demonstrate that happiness is an important value in your organisation. Parties inside and outside the office or factory, group outings and ‘retreats’ at resorts or in a completely novel atmosphere, definitely make people happier. Ask your employees – they’ll tell you. Believe them and take it to heart. Communication It may seem small, it may seem intangible, but people are happiest when they feel heard.
Just beginning the process of creating a happier workplace promises great rewards. Spread the Happiness, and maybe let it begin with you! Would you like to know more? Subscribe to the PeopleServe Asia newsletter and receive monthly updates on the latest in HR news and opinions from Thailand and the region, and check out our weekly business blog on the PeopleServe Asia website. At PeopleServe Asia we are proud of being one of Thailand’s premier HR outsourcing companies for over ten years. We offer a range of professional HR services including, Outsourced Payroll services, HR Information systems, to executive coaching and development.
Listen Be a listening organisation. Work with upper management to narrow the divide
For more information, call your HR partner today on +66 2 652 0888 or visit us at www.pserveasia.com
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For more details contact us on: Tel: +66 2207 1023 Email: interglobal@iag.co.th
AustChamThailand Advance
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business brief
Real Estate Woes in Yangon: Tactics for Staying Savvy By Christa Avery
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ast week whilst chugging along Bogyoke Aung San Road, an enterprising young Burmese lad thrust a bound copy of “The Condominium Law 23 August 2012” through my taxi window. For 3,000 kyatts, I thought it was a bargain (that’s just over US$ 3). Though still in Parliament (it has not yet been passed in the ‘Pyidaungsu Hluttaw’ and is undergoing revision) it seems as though they aim to allow foreigners to own up to 40 per cent of the housing units in a building. Even more interesting, was the proposed notion that a person with the title-deed for a unit in a Condominium might mortgage the housing unit to foreigners. I am curious as to how this will all come to eventuate within the jam-packed, busting-atthe-seams, ‘owners-dream’ real estate market that is present day Yangon. Foreign arrivals in Yangon are up 44 per cent from a year ago. Between 1 January and 30 April this year, over 250,000 foreign visitors passed through Yangon International Airport. 46,871 of those were business travelers – a three-fold increase over the same period in 2012. Most of these business travelers are destined for Yangon. And, at present, though the vast majority of Myanmar’s citizens live in rural areas this is also likely to change at warp speed. The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that the share of the population in Myanmar’s large cities could double, from just 13 per cent today to around 25 per cent in 2030—an additional ten million people, or two cities the size of current day Yangon. In addition, they estimate that there are between three – five million migrants working abroad who may return home to help build the new economy. The infrastructure investment required for Myanmar to keep pace with its impending urbanisation is estimated by McKinsey’s at US$ 146 billion just in the large cities alone between 2010 and 2030. Almost 60 per cent of the urban capital investment is likely to be required for residential housing and more than ten per cent for commercial real estate. U Thurane Aung, Director of Dagon International Co (one of Myanmar’s largest construction firms) speaking at the recent Urban Development Conference 2013 held in the Traders Hotel on 6 May, estimated that Yangon would need up to 30,000 new apartment units per year to accommodate its expanding population. This has led to a thriving frenzy of spec-
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Star City
ulation based on even the faintest whiff of a planned upgrade from the YCDC (Yangon City Development Committee). One acre in Dala is selling for K7-K8 million, up from K3-K4 million in December based on the rumour of a bridge development, and McKinsey estimate that the land surrounding the SEZ (Special Economic Zone) areas of Thialawa and Dawei has increased as much as five-fold. So, where does all this leave the average punter who just needs some office space and a place to hang their hat? This is the ‘topic de jour’ over a whisky sour at the Strand these days. I have overheard plans from a husband/ wife team who are renovating a whole apartment block for ’his and hers’ office floors, kids and nanny on top, to pre-fab knock-down offices flown in from Thailand to erect on family lands in the outskirts of Yangon. And there is the more common age-old tactic of ’housesharing’ with others you know who are in the same boat as you (and in some cases not even originating from the same country). Stuart Deed, founder of Myanmar Real Estate says that downtown’s high-end office towers, Sakura Tower and Centrepoint Towers, or the International Business Centre on Pyay Road, are the three most sought after spaces available that the big foreign companies are willing to use, but that prices are soaring to as high as US$ 90 per square metre. Stuart knows of three new developments in the pipeline by developers ‘Shwe Taung Group’ (a business centre on the north side of Kandawgyi Lake, an office tower downtown and a business centre at Junction Square – a full page ad in the Myanmar Times for the ‘soft launch’ on 2 June – and one office tower project on Pyay Road by Asia Express).
Tony Picot of Colliers International notes that around 54,000 square metres of office space is currently supplied to the Yangon market, with around 80 per cent occupancy – however most ‘vacancies’ are owing to selective proclivities of landlords (read: holding out for the big guns to come to town). Tony estimates that there will probably be a doubling in supply by 2015, but still feels it will not be enough to match the surge in demand. Also new on the commercial scene, is the ‘My Yangon Office’ opened in May in Dagon Township. My Yangon Office manager Ma Wai Me Han said expatriate clients – her target niche – can enjoy the same facilities and services at her centre that they can anywhere in the world, including internet access, telephone lines, fax machines, photocopiers, video conferencing, catering and receptionists. The centre has space for six offices, four on the ground floor and two above. It also has two meeting rooms that seat up to eight for video conferences. Rent ranges from US$ 1,800 to US$ 3,500 a month for an office, a desk in an open area costs US$ 30 a day, US$ 150 a week or US$ 450 a month and conference rooms cost US$ 40 per hour. On the home front, with residential space being squeezed, Stuart has seen a dramatic shift in over the past year. Traditional expat neighbourhoods are getting seriously pricey and expats are being forced to look in different areas: South Okkalapa, Thingangyun, Hlaing, Mayangone, Mingalar Taung Nyunt, Lanmadaw as well as Bahan and Kamaryut. “There are loads of foreigners living downtown now”, says Deed. Horror stories abound from friends who’ve been living for years in AustChamThailand Advance
business brief
the Golden Valley and whose landlords have quadrupled the rent (or decided to give them the boot so they can build a car showroom on the front lawn). Shining brightly on the horizon, is Serge Pun’s planned Mega-Development for the future called Star City – this is an entire eco-community built over the other side of the Bago river about 25 minutes drive from downtown Yangon and near the planned Thilawa SEZ and Terminal. This ‘model community’ will offer commercial and residential space, hotel and serviced apartment space, entertainment outlets, restaurants and bars, supermarkets and even a swanky golf course. Their brochure even mentions a planned shuttle bus and ‘ferry’ service to downtown – welcome relief from the traffic jams that are now too common the city over. So, how do you get savvy about getting your habitat and surrounds sorted? Here are a few tips to get you started. • For those with deep pockets and longer term vision: you may wish to consider renovating your own space, with ads for places in China Town and other locations advertised at US$ 1,700 per month for a 185 square metre (empty) space http://www.burma-
AustChamThailand Advance
consult.com/office-space-for-rental.html This could be locked in for a set period. An unfinished unit can be rented for US$ 1,200 – US$ 1,800 in Dagon or Botahtaung township, but attention needs to be paid to power access (and/or generator). It never hurts to just peruse the Myanmar Times classifieds! • For those on an NGO or SME budget, consider ‘shared office space’. Contact agents who are on the ground (like Stuart Deed – see contacts below) may know others who want to share space. Or consider combined building concepts: office on one floor, staff housing on subsequent floors (or space that can be sublet to other expats). • For the one-person-show: the serviced office option may be just the ticket – whether a closed office or open desk, you will have the support you need not to waste precious time trying to figure out why the Wi-Fi isn’t working or the phones are down or a last minute meeting that needs a conference room. • For those whose with no pockets to speak of: with the price of hotel rooms and office space, many people are opting to FIFO, especially with all the cheap daily airline specials (Page 13 of 27 May Myanmar Times has an ad for Golden Myanmar Airlines flights to Bangkok for US$ 40 each way). Places like the Monument Bookshop off Dhamazedi
Road (near the Savoy Hotel) offer free Wi-Fi in comfortable air-con environment (and serve tea, coffee, ice-cream and snacks) as do many other coffee shops and restaurants around Yangon. There are plenty of food and beverage outlets in the up-market hotels to hold meetings in and keep your eye on the market for a deal that suits. And lastly and perhaps most importantly – build your networks, both in real time and online. Join websites such as http:// www.inter nations.org/yangon-expats/ guide and https://groups.google.com/ forum/?fromgroups#!forum/yangon-expatconnection or consider running with the Hash House Harriers http://yangonhash.wordpress. com/ - and of course the de rigueur: whiskey sours at the Strand on a Friday night. Christa Avery serves on the Board of the Australia-Thailand Business Council, and is based in Bangkok. Christa has been living and working in Southeast Asia for 18 years. Christa resided in Yangon during the 1990’s and maintains a strong local network of friends and associates there. Christa helps companies enter the Myanmar market, including enabling set up with local support/partners and engagement strategies. For more information contact christasavery@yahoo.com
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COVER STORY
School’s in Session at The Beaumont Ruam Pattana School in Chaiyaphum On Saturday 18 May, The Beaumont Foundation was proud to open the Beaumont Ruam Pattana School. This school for the underprivileged was established to serve needy rural communities and offer a high standard of education to ordinary children free of charge with just a commitment from their families to contribute ten hours minimum a month to the running of the school. After a determined period of fundraising and development the school has completed Phase One of the three part project. Phase One features a Kindergarten and Primary Year One classroom along with an administration block and library.
The beginning of a brighter future… The location for the school was chosen in the Chaiyaphum Province where the typical local family will earn Baht 11,000 per month to sustain their family’s needs. Only 41 per cent of 15-17 year olds remain in school decreasing their opportunity to reach their development potential or improve the financial position of themselves or their families.
Locals beat the heat on school opening day
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AustChamThailand Advance
COVER STORY
And the project begins…. The incorporation of rammed earth will engender a sense of buildings which belong to the site. Whilst the geometry of the floating second roof areas are conceived to funnel air flow and assist in natural cooling. Importantly, the methods of construction are developed to encourage participation from the local community, volunteers and sponsors who form part of the broader construction industry.
Bricks were made on site thanks to a brick making machine donated by BuilderSmart Public Company Limited with the help of Khun Sunchai Nuengsit
With ongoing support from so many, a few of whom fortunate to join the opening day ...
Tim Beaumont, Australian Ambassador, HE James Wise and Mrs Theresa Wise tour the school buildings.
Tim Beaumont, The Beaumont Partnership CEO (far right) and Khun Mechai Viravaidya, founder of the Mechai Pattana School (centre) both Foundation board members thank Mr Richard Cromwell (left) the representative of BNH Hospital for donating the Nursing Room.
PACE made a substantial contribution to the Foundation, enabling them to build a library called “Pace Learning Centre” “We hope that through providing “Pace Learning Centre”, more children will be given the opportunity to reach their development potential, which will lead to a better future for Thailand,” PACE CEO Sorapoj Techakraisri said.
AustChamThailand Advance
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COVER STORY
Opening day … Phase One, a major accomplishment …
The Pace Learning Centre Library stands proud with the Thai national flag. The building is engineered to provide natural ventilation and cooling.
Local food and entertainment featured prominently on school opening day…
Modern learning facilities provide a foundation for education success.
“Thank you” performance from the kindergarten children …
A helmet program is being introduced with the donation of 180 helmets to kick start the program by Peter and Belinda Skinner.
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AustChamThailand Advance
COVER STORY
However … there is still a long way to go Phase Two: to include community centre, Primary classroom 2 and 3, sports facilities, canteen and Phase Three: Secondary classroom 1, 2 and 3
Continued support is much needed to help achieve these kids’ dreams…
“I want to be a Doctor”
The first student intake of The Beaumont Ruam Pattana School show off their brand new school uniforms.
“I want to be a Teacher”
“I want to be a Soldier”
Great progress has been made but ongoing donations are needed ...
How You Can Help Sponsor a Child Please visit: http://www.tbp-foundation.com/home.html Should you personally, or as a company, like to help, The Beaumont Partnership Foundation are seeking commitments to “sponsor a child” for the period of their six year education at the school. The annual contribution of USD 1,000 can be paid pro-rata per semester or annually in advance. The school will provide a regular update on your student’s progress during their schooling to enable you to share in the success of “Your Child’s” greater opportunity created by your generosity. Sponsorship contributions will go 100 per cent towards the education of the students. Your contribution will enable the annual running costs to be covered. This includes classroom equipment, education tools, teaching and operational costs and, of course, uniforms.
AustChamThailand Advance
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AUSTCHAM BALL
BlueScope 2013 AustCham Ball What a night! With over 400 attendees guests were dressed to impress in their finest blue apparel with even a few in creatively blueinspired fancy dress. Not only did everyone have a fabulous evening but we saw close to Baht 2 million committed for the enormously worthy Beaumont Ruam Pattana School in Chaiyaphum Province. We also gave away two tickets to Australia courtesy of Singapore Airlines together with a three night stay at the Hyatt Melbourne, a host of other prizes and, thanks to Be Minta, a beautiful blue sapphire and blue topaz pendant. Blackmores vitamins for each guest may have come in handy Sunday morning. Blue macaroons, thanks to Natural Ville and Lenotre, provided a sweet finale to the evening which began with blue cocktails from the Blue Elephant restaurant and Chandon sparkling wine by Diageo Moet Hennessy. Baht 274,700 Raised for The Beaumont Partnership Foundation This year’s raffle saw us give away over 80 fantastic prizes! We raised Baht 158,000 from charity raffles, Baht 23,400 from the blue topaz guessing game and Baht 85,500 from the silent auction. Thanks for all contributions and congratulations to all those who had a winning ticket or received one of the fabulous prizes from Be Minta.
Singapore Airlines
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Be Minta
Blackmores
Bluescope
Blue Elephant
Diageo Moet Hennessy
NaturalVille & Lenotre
AustChamThailand Advance
AUSTCHAM BALL
AustChamThailand Advance
July 2013
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AUSTCHAM BALL
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AustChamThailand Advance
AUSTCHAM BALL
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AustChamThailand Advance
July 2013
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community services COMMUNITY SERVICES
Friday 7 June was the date, Laem Chabang International Friday 7 June was the date, Laem Chabang Golf Resort was the location for the 12th Volvo Truck & Bus International Golf Resort was the location for the 12th Thailand Convoy for Kids Charity Golf Day. Volvo Truck & Bus Thailand Convoy for Kids Charity Golf Day. ItItwas wasdecided decidedtotoreduce reducethe thenumber numberofofplayers playersininthis thisyear’s event 144 over 18 over holes18 asholes it wasasfelt the higher year’stoevent to 144 it was felt thenumbers higher last year over delays 27 holes, caused delays last yearnumbers over 27 holes, caused in play. in play. The of the thebest bestininThailand, Thailand, was in great Thecourse courseisis one one of was in great playing playingcondition conditionon on the the day day and greatly greatly appreciated appreciatedby by all all participants. participants.
Our thanks go to our event sponsor Volvo Truck and Our gowho to our event sponsor Volvosince Truckitsand Bus Busthanks Thailand have backed this event Thailand who have backed this event since its inception. inception. Sika SikaThailand ThailandLimited Limitedprovided providedGold Gold(Course) (Course sponsorship ) for the second year running, and the event sponsorship for the second year running, cap and sponsor the eventwas taken yet againwas by taken Jungheinrich Thailand. cap sponsor yet again by Jungheinrich Thailand. Our Oursilver silversponsors sponsorswere wereCeva CevaLogistics LogisticsThailand ThailandLimited, DHL Thailand, Linfox Logistics Thailand Limited, Limited, DHL Thailand, Linfox Logistics Thailand Loscam Thailand WCA Limited, Family Thailand. Limited, Limited, Loscamand Thailand and WCA Family Thailand. Hole were BTBT Midland, Bourbon Street Restaurant HoleSponsors Sponsors were Midland, Bourbon Street and Oyster Bar, Baker Tilly Thailand, FLS 1993 Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Baker Tilly Thailand, (Thailand) FLS Co., K. P. Thaweesap Ltd., Sahatham Transport 1993Ltd., (Thailand) Co., Ltd., K.Co., P. Thaweesap Co., Ltd., (1996) Co., Ltd., SSI Schaeffer Thailand., Tile Asia Ltd., and Sahatham Transport (1996) Co., Ltd., SSI Schaeffer Thailand., Tile Asia Ltd., and Carrier Transicold. Carrier Transicold.
Prize sponsors were Asian Tigers, Loscam, Boncafe
HThailand, ole Sponsors were BT Midland, Bourbon Street Crown Relocations, Fenix Apparel & Accessories
Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Baker Tilly Thailand, FLS Ltd., Tops Supermarkets, Central Food Hall, Central 1993 (Thailand) Co., Ltd., K. P. Thaweesap Co., Ltd., Wine, Amari Hotels, (1996) Sebamed, & Suites, Sahatham Transport Co., Ramada Ltd., SSIHotel Schaeffer Sheraton Tile Grande Hotel, Hotel, Baiyoke Thailand., Asia Ltd., andGrand CarrierHyatt Transicold.
of Hotels, Santa Fe Relocations Thailand, Banyan PGroup rize sponsors were Asian Tigers, Loscam, Boncafe Golf Club Hua Hin, Oakwood Serviced Appartments,
Thailand, Crown Relocations, Fenix Apparel & St. Regis Hotel Bangkok, Chesa Swiss Accessories Ltd., Tops Supermarkets, CentralRestaurant, Food Naturalville Bangkok, Singha Corporation, Hall, Central Hotel Wine, Amari Hotels, Sebamed, RamadaThe Imperial Queens Park Hotel, J. W. Marriot Hotel, Raja’s Hotel & Suites, Sheraton Grande Hotel, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Baiyoke Group ofHotel. Hotels, Santa Fe Fashions and Centara Relocations Thailand, Banyan Golf Club Hua Hin, Oakwood Serviced Appartments, Regis Hotelthe beer We raise our glasses to HeinekenSt. who provided Bangkok, Chesa Swiss Restaurant, Naturalville Hotel for the event. Cheers! Bangkok, Singha Corporation, The Imperial Queens Park Hotel, J. W. Marriot Hotel, Raja’s Fashions and The Convoy Centara Hotel.for Kids Committee would like to say a
big thank you to AustCham for the support given in W e raise our glasses to Heineken who provided the organising this event and to the ladies from Linfox who beer for the event. Cheers!
assisted on the day at registration.
The Convoy for Kids Committee would like to say a
big thankofyou to 680,288.50 AustCham for themade support given in which A total Baht was on the day organising this event and to the ladies from Linfox will be donated to Sri Sangwal School which is part of who assisted on the day at registration.
The Foundation for The Crippled in Thailand.
A total of 680,288.50 Baht was made on the day
which willYOU be donated to Sri Sangwal School which is THANK ALL part of The Foundation for The Crippled in Thailand.
ConvoyYOU for Kids THANK ALLComittee AustChamThailand Advance
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community services COMMUNITY SERVICES
Sahatham Transport
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Chamber Events
Boardroom Brief: Cyber-Crime - Would Your Business Know How to Respond? Tuesday 28 May at Eastern Grand Hotel Sathorn Andrew Smith, Director of Computer Forensics Services from Orion Investigations, provided guests with an insight into the field of digital forensics and how it can benefit in the event companies become a victim of cyber-crime. An interesting and insightful presentation, guests heard about the legal and moral obligations to protect their customers’ personal data as well as safeguarding commercially sensitive information. As heard on the day, data leakage remains one of the biggest problems businesses face in today’s technological world – whether it be through poorly maintained systems, sophisticated cyber-attacks or the difficult-to-detect ‘insider threats’. Most companies know they need to have secure networks in place, with up-to-date anti-virus and the latest patches installed. The fact remains, however, that practically every business will at some point will be touched by cyber-crime.
Boardroom Brief with CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Thursday 13 June at The St. Regis Bangkok AustCham was pleased to host a special boardroom briefing with John Colvin, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the highly respected Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). AICD is widely regarded as a pre-eminent institution representing company directors and promoting excellence in corporate governance. Guests heard on the day about the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and pressures of Asian integration forcing more and more businesses to operate not just regionally, but globally. In this cross-border environment good-practice corporate governance is not simply desirable; it can be the deciding factor in corporate survival.
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ISB Grade 2 - 1966
International School Bangkok Bringing out the passion in each of us since 1951. www.isb.ac.th
Chamber Events
AustCham Commonwealth Sundowners Wednesday 5 June 2013 at the Anantara Bangkok Sathorn AustCham was pleased to host a very special Sundowners for June. Not only were we joined by colleagues from the Commonwealth country Chambers, our Gold Sponsor Minor International was our host at their fabulous Anantara Bangkok Sathorn Hotel. Representing its Thai heritage and global outlook, Anantara served an array of traditionally prepared Thai food with an emphasis on the distinct flavours and culinary influences from the most famous regions of Thailand. Members from the British, Indian, Irish, Malaysian, New Zealand, Singapore, South African, Canadian, Ghana, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka-Thai Chambers of Commerce were invited to join.
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Chamber Events
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Chamber Events
Eastern Seaboard Sundowners Friday 14 June at Hilton Pattaya June Eastern Seaboard Sundowners was hosted by AustCham and held in conjunction with the British (BCCT) and American (AmCham) Chambers of commerce. Thanks to Capital TV, our fantastic corporate sponsor for making the evening possible and Hilton Pattaya for taking good care of our guests.
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Chamber Events
Luncheon Address by Chairman of Thailand Board of Trade Tuesday 18 June at Dusit Thani Bangkok AustCham, together with American, British, Canadian and South African Chambers of Commerce, were pleased to host a special luncheon address by the recently elected Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and Chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand (BOT), Khun Isara Vongkusolkij. Speaking in his capacity as TCC and BOT Chair, but drawing on his experience as one of Thailand’s top ten most successful business people, Khun Isara presented on the topic of “BOT Priorities and Outlook for Business in Thailand”. (From left) Danny Yu , President of the Thai Hong Kong Trade Association; Peter J. Van Haren, President of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce; Justin Barnett, President of the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce; Peter Cauwelier, President of the Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce; Karl-Heinz Heckhausen, President of the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce; Khun Isara Vongkusolkij, Chairman of the Thailand Board of Trade and Thai Chamber of Commerce; Leigh Scott-Kemmis, President of the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce; Simon Landy, Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand; Graham McDonald, President of the South African-Thai Chamber of Commerce; Matt Bradley, President of the American Chamber of Commerce Thailand; Paul Scales, President, Irish-Thai Chamber of Commerce
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AUSTRALIANALUMNI
Turbo-charging Your Career: Effective Networking and Resumes that POP! Wednesday 22 May at Glowfish AustralianAlumni members and guests were invited to an exclusive networking and resume workshop hosted by Alumni Partner, Opus Executive Search. Presenter Gary Woollacott, Opus CEO and Saj Iqbal, Operations Director of Linfox (Thailand) Ltd, shared their unique insights on writing a resume that pops, interview tips, and networking techniques, as well as shedding some light on the skills and attributes that major employers seek when recruiting. Thanks to Glowfish for providing their meeting room for the seminar and Opus for providing invaluable knowledge that will only enhance the career prospects of the attendees.
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AUSTCHAM MEMBERS
Harrington Industries Thailand 450 / 35 Moo 9, Nongprue Banglamung, Chonburi 20150 Phone: +6684 599 0582 Fax: mike@harringtonthailand.com Website: www.harringtonthailand.com
Representative: Mike Griffis, General Manager Founded in 1919, Harrington Industries is a privately owned family company whose operations are directed by John Harrington (Managing Director), Mark Bennett (Engineering Director), Trent Harrington (Sales Director) and Marshall Harrington (Purchasing Director) who are all shareholders. Using the latest technology and 90 years of experience they develop and produce complex metal pressings and assemblies. The company has over 70 presses ranging from 10 tonne to 600 tonne capacity with up to 3.5m * 1.5m bed area. This includes transfer press lines and transfer presses. Other facilities include numerous coil straightening and feed lines, robotic automation equipment, resistance welders and eight MIG welding robot stations. The company has its own tool making facility for the design and manufacture of new tools and maintenance of existing tools. Harrington Industries has been manufacturing metal stamped products for nearly a century. Our metal pressing and steel stamping facility, located in Padstow, Sydney, has produced products for some of Australia’s most prominent corporations, including Electrolux, Holden, Ford, Victa Lawnmowers, Toyota and many more. Products or Services: Automotive products: - Chassis components - Brake components - Sumps, oil pans and oil scrapers - Suspension and engine brackets - Engine management system impulse senders - Passenger safety reinforcing brackets - Catalytic converter components - Torque converter covers Medical products: - Chassis components Consumer products: - Lawnmower Base plates AustChamThailand Advance
- Hot Water Heater Components - White goods Mining products: - Conveyor Components - Rock Bolt Washers
Heidrick & Struggles Recruitment (Thailand) Ltd. 57 Park Ventures Ecoplex, 11/F Unit 1105, Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Phone: +662 631 8500 Fax: +662 631 8500 Website: www.heidrick.com
Representatives: Jeff Stryker, Principal in Charge Renu Arora, Associate Principal Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., (Nasdaq:HSII) is the premier provider of senior-level Executive Search and Leadership Consulting services, including culture shaping, executive assessment, succession planning, board effectiveness, leadership development and leadership strategy. For 60 years, they have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through their relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com Products or Services: Senior-level Executive Search and Leadership Consulting services
Myanmar Business Ventures Co. Ltd 148/L, A One Street, Pyay Road, Yangon, Myanmar Phone: +95 942 000 8208 Email: info@myanmarbv.com Website: www.myanmarbv.com
Myanmar Business Ventures Co. Ltd. is an independent consulting firm focused on business interests in Myanmar. In addition to developing its own projects, MBV functions as a local partner to foreign investors wanting to have an immediate local representation through a Western-run business entity. Prospecting and establishing a business in the newly opened Myanmar market requires a persistent effort and is best served with a local presence - locally perceived as a commitment to the long-term development and evolution of the country. Setting up a local office requires a substantial investment and trust. The essence of Myanmar Business Ventures Co. Ltd. is to facilitate foreign businesses of all sizes to be locally represented without carrying the full financial, logistical and practical burden hereof, benefiting significantly in the long run from their early presence and at a very low (financial) risk. Products or Services: Myanmar has become one of the most sought after destinations for potential investment. The market has a long-term potential and as a consequence requires a permanent presence to establish credentials and cement the long-term relationships of mutual trust. Not every business has the desire or financial and manpower resources to set up its own office early on; the occasional business trip is rarely seen as a serious commitment by the Myanmar interlocutors. Hence MBV aims at bridging the gap by functioning as a local representative office that actively nurtures, manages and potentially participates in the new venture. It is a cost effective alternative that prepares for a smooth transition to a more permanent representation or limits prospecting expenses. Change of Representative • Mr Claus Padkaer, Head of Department – Expat, International Marketing is a new representative of Bangkok Hospital. • Mr Ian Harriss, General Manager, is a new representative of Clubhouse Bar. • Mr Eddy Bellavoine, Regional Sales Manager is a new representative of SafeComs Network Security Consulting Co., Ltd. Change of Company Address
Representative: Mr Wim Somers, Managing Director
Holiday Tours & Travel (Thailand) Ltd. 21st Floor, Charn Issara Tower I 942/160-163 Rama IV Road Suriyawongse, Bangkok Bangkok 10500 Tel: +662 234 0031 July 2013
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From the Chamber Office
Message from the Executive Director
Calendar of Events Wednesday 3 July Stars and Stripes Sundowners
18:00-21:00 Venue: Sofitel So Bangkok Corporate Sponsor: Singapore Airlines Ltd and Baker Tilly Thailand Ltd Venue and Catering Sponsor: Sofitel So Bangkok Thursday 11 July Evening Presentation with the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Perth, Lisa Scaffidi
18:00-21:00 Venue: The St. Regis TUESDAY 16 JULY Joint Boardroom Brief: Digital Advertising in Thailand - The Essentials
12:00-14:00 Saturday 20 July Voluntary English Teaching
A
fter much preparation and planning we delivered a highly-successful BlueScope 2013 AustCham Ball on 1 June for over 430 guests. Much credit must go to AustCham Vice-President Belinda Skinner and her volunteer committee members for their hard work and direction. Of course my colleagues in the AustCham office also deserve a pat on the back for the 400 or so hours that they dedicated to the ball. Thanks guys! The feedback on the ball has been fantastic. It is now standard practice for us to survey guests as soon as possible after our major events via survey-monkey. This gives us hard-data on how we have performed and how we can do better next time. For the ball, the aggregate rating for ‘overall event experience’ was 4.5 out of 5. This is a great result and only our business conference last year has scored more highly. The AustCham office was a little disappointed that for the first time in our history of such surveys ‘service by the AustCham staff’ was knocked from the top spot: at 4.6 out of 5, it came second place to ‘decorations in the room’ which scored a whopping 4.9 out of 5! The room did look great, particularly the blue laser light show. For me, the most significant outcome from the ball was that it was the first proof of our
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new performance based remuneration system. The AustCham office now no longer pays a thirteenth month ‘bonus’ as has become standard (and expected) practice in much of Asia. We have also frozen pay rises. Instead of longevity of service, we now reward staff on the basis of performance as measured at certain major event times and at the end of the year. The AustCham ball is one such performance triggerpoint. I was pleased that most staff in the office were able to be awarded a performance payment. Of course those who performed more highly received a larger award. Similar to our recently introduced timesheet system (and in fact working in unison with it) the performance based remuneration system is a great way of holding the office staff to account for their work.
Bus departs at Thai CC Building at 8:00 Location: Baan Khao Huay Mahad School, Rayong Monday 22 July AustCham Office Closed in honour of Asarnha Bucha Day
Thank you to June sponsors:
Mark Carroll Executive Director, AustCham Thailand www.austchamthailand.com
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