BCCT Link Magazine - Issue 3 2018

Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand Issue 3 2018

Education in Thailand

University Challenges Member news Chamber events Chairman’s message Final Word

Contents This edition

BCCT

Board of Directors 2018 CHAIRMAN Chris Thatcher Anglo-Thai Legal Co., Ltd. M: 081 803 7377 christhatcher1@Gmail.com VICE CHAIRMEN Simon Matthews Manpowergroup Thailand T: 02 634 7273 matthews@manpower.th.com David Cumming Amari Watergate Bangkok T: 02 653 9000 david.cumming@amari.com Carl Sellick Lucy Electric (Thailand) Limited T: (0) 2 663 4290 carl.sellick@lucyelectric.com

10 10 University Challenges

DIRECTORS

18 Route to just in time learning

Ali Adam Arcadia (Thailand) Co., Ltd. T: 02 108 1822 ali@arcadia-engineering.com Billy Chomsakorn British Airways Plc T: 001 80044 15906 billy.chomsakorn@ba.com

20 COBIS ensures quality at British schools in Thailand

Viriya (Boyd) Chongphaisal Glaxosmithkline (Thailand) Ltd T: 02 659 3000 viriya.x.chongphaisal@gsk.com Gareth Davies Fluxus (Thailand) Co.,Ltd T: 6696463 4704 gareth.davies@fluxus.io Stephen Frost Bangkok International Associates Ltd. T: 02 231-6201/6455 sfrost@bia.co.th

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Colin Hastings The Bigchilli Co., Ltd. T: 02 635 5085 editorbigchilli@gmail.com Simon Landy Colliers International Thailand T: 662 656 7000 slandybkk@gmail.com Pinyapa Pichaipalakorn Hlg (Thailand) Co., Ltd. T: 02 670 1848 ppichaipalakorn@harveylawcorporation.com Nick Smart Tesco Lotus (Ek-Chai Distribution System Co., Ltd.) nick.smart@tescolotusfs.com Sarah Smith Jamie’s Italian T: 662-2555-222 Sarah.Smith@jamiesitalian.co.th HONORARY TREASURER Jonathan Fryer Mazars (Thailand) Ltd. T: 026701100 ext 124 jonathan.fryer@mazars.co.th

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16 Pun Pun prepares for life at Oxford

22 Transforming Harrow Bangkok 26 Experience matters at Shrewsbury

34 Currency conundrums 36 Vienna takes top spot in liveability rankings 38 NACC guidelines for Juristic Persons 40 Tourism Minister leads safety review 41 Demand increases for air travel

36 42 Ploenchit Fair returns to British Embassy

Contents Issue 3/2018

Every editions

The Link is published by the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand.

6 Chairman’s Message

Advertising enquiries: Greg Watkins Email: greg@bccthai.com

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Executive Director’s Message

Editor: Dale Lawrence Email: dalelawrence2008@gmail.com Front cover design: GSBI Production: Scand-Media Corp., Ltd The views expressed by individual authors are not necessarily those of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand or of the publisher. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand is strictly prohibited.

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51 57

44 Member News 58 By the Numbers

60 Chamber Events

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British Chamber of Commerce Thailand 7th Floor, 208 Wireless Road Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel: 02-651 5350/3 Fax: 02-651 5354 Website: www.bccthai.com Email: greg@bccthai.com Greg Watkins, Executive Director

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61 67 Comings and Goings

63 72 Final Word

KIS International School congratulates the class of 2018!

This close-knit group of 34 students from 13 countries has been offered 112 places by 79 top universities in 10 countries.

This year’s graduating class also received university scholarships worth more than an astounding 2,000,000 US dollars.

Our students will study Aviation, Psychology, Environmental Science, Marketing, Medicine, Media & Reporting, Marine Biology, Engineering, Film, Screenwriting, Fashion, Maths, Business, Finance, Design, Architecture, Computer Science, Music Production, Science, Design, Communication and International Justice & Human Rights.

Some of the universities they have been accepted to include: University of Toronto (Canada); University of California – Berkeley, UCLA, University of Southern California, Amherst College, Colby College, Wesleyan University (United States); Durham University, University of Warwick, University of Exeter, University of Leeds, University of Bristol, King's College London (United Kingdom); Monash University and University of Melbourne (Australia-TBC), University of Amsterdam, University of Leiden (Netherlands); University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong), and many more.

www .kis.ac.th

We are extremely proud of them and wish them all the best for their bright futures!

If you would like to be a part of KIS’ success stories, please contact admissions@kis.ac.th

1998-2018

Chairman’s Message

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ave you nominated someone (yourself, your company, someone else) for an award at the Thailand International Business Awards (TIBA)? The awards give opportunities for companies and individuals to be recognised for what they have achieved and can be a big boost for their businesses. Even those who do not win in their category have their profile raised by being nominated.

CHRIS THATCHER Sterling Partner

The judges are all people of note in Thailand and independent of the Chamber or our partner, Big Chilli. Good luck to all who are nominated and I look forward to seeing you at the awards on Tuesday 16th October at the Amari Watergate. Our special guest will be HRH Richard Duke of Gloucester.

Most of you already know about our successful events (run by the dedicated team in the BCCT office). These range from smaller informative events about a topic of interest to a specific group of members (often held in the British Business Centre) to larger lunches, dinners and networking events.

Sustaining Partners

I am often surprised by the number of members who never attend an event of any description. That’s a personal choice of course - but if it is simply that you don’t know about an event, there are ways to ensure that you do. Open the BCCT website (www.bccthai.com), log in and go to Members, Update Profile and then Email lists. Check (or uncheck) any email types to get things flowing exactly as you prefer. If you have forgotten your username and password for the members’ section of our website, please email Jina Phenix ( jina@bccthai.com) and she will be pleased to assist.

Of course it may well be that people don’t come to events because they feel there is nothing for them. We are always willing to listen to your ideas and create new events if the interest is there. Over to you.

During the past three months we have had some interesting experiences.

When Boris Johnson made a flying visit to Thailand there was not an opportunity to engage with him other than fleetingly as he glad-handed his way around a reception at the British Embassy. Soon afterwards it was Dr. Liam Fox who made an official visit to Thailand and we were able to spend much more time with him in his role as Secretary of State for International Trade. After a working lunch with members of the BCCT Board, Dr. Fox addressed questions on UK government policy posed by Chamber members. I don’t recall BREXIT being mentioned!

We have also had opportunities to hear from Thailand’s Minister of Education Dr Teerakiat Jareonsettasin, and Dr. Khobsak Minister from the Prime Minister’s Office. Both were interesting and demonstrated that they had a deep awareness of the problems facing Thailand in economic and educational terms. We also welcomed Jonas Prising, global CEO of Manpower. Many thought his presentation was one of the best we have witnessed for a long time.

Finally, in connection with education, the BCCT was asked to organise a round table event for Pearson - the world’s largest education company.

They have signed an MoU with the Royal Thai government to develop their vocational education offerings and they were seeking the views of chamber members about areas upon which they might focus. This relationship will, I’m sure, be on-going.

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Executive Director’s Message Supporting Partners

H

ard to believe that summer is over, kids are back in school and expat executives are back at work and facing the budget process for next year (if they work on a calendar year basis). For the BCCT there was no break - with a very busy June, July and August.

One of the key projects during this time was an independent membership survey conducted by BMRS. The last survey was conducted at the end of 2015.

This year’s survey engaged with just over one third of member companies. This was followed by an evening with members to generate more-focused feedback on four topics – membership benefits, events, digital communications and Thai language events.

Overall, membership satisfaction showed an improvement compared to two and a half years ago with 56 percent of members either fully or mostly satisfied (versus 45% before). However, around one in three members believe that more can be done. There were a similar number of less satisfied members compared with the last survey, consistent at one in 10 of the total sample (mostly among those based upcountry).

Most members agree that the BCCT is meeting the stated Operational Goal, i.e. help members to develop their businesses in Thailand. Results were very similar to the previous survey, with a mostly positive outlook on what the Chamber achieves for its members. Companies make more use of their membership.

However, one in five members still believe that their company does not make much use – mostly among the longer term members. More can still be done to encourage greater participation among more members to achieve more use out of their membership.

Where would members like to see improvement? Most comments mentioned business leads generation. Members would also like to see more promotion of their businesses within sectors and to a wider audience. Sharing of skills and information, for example through online forums, was often mentioned.

Members suggested that the Chamber partners with professional bodies more frequently for increased awareness and at events.

On events, networking evenings could be more targeted with better matchmaking and specific business introductions. They would like networking to be more inclusive - especially for new members. Members want: more keynote speakers and input from business leaders including MNCs; briefings on politics and the economy; more Thai Government officials as speakers; more engagement with young professionals and Thai executives; better promotion and encouragement of member participation in events, and events tailored specifically to younger members.

Staff development training continues to be valued and the following skills were mentioned: Leadership Development; English for business classes; Using Digital & Social Media; Management Training, and Finance (including for non-finance staff ).

On communications from BCCT there was clear feedback on improving email headlines and social media posts to be more interesting, attention grabbing and clear. Key features on the website should be easier to access and use, and the general ‘look and feel’ should be updated. The website needs to be more mobile-friendly, with fewer clicks and easier navigation for the pages most frequently visited.

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Airline Partners

BCCT Executive Director Greg Watkins with British diver Vernon Unsworth who played a crucial role in the Tham Luang Cave Rescue. More on this in the next issue of The LINK

At the members’ feedback evening on the first topic, membership benefits, there was a clear message that members would like to see the benefits stated more clearly - such as in a handbook or inductions pack - with advice on how to use the benefits more effectively.

It was suggested that BCCT holds a regular induction or on-board event for all new and recent members. Membership fees levels are fair and BCCT events are good, but value-for-money must be considered when the fee is increased.

On events in general, late afternoons and evenings were much preferred to lunches or breakfasts. It was suggested that one board director should sit at each table at an event in order to stimulate and provoke discussion. They should avoid congregating together at networking events.

On digital communications, members expect a better experience accessing the BCCT website on their mobiles. Digital membership cards and E-tickets for events could be considered.

There should also be an opportunity to interact with other members, such as a simple Q&A forum. On BCCT email circulars it is possible to change preferences but most members do not know that this function exists. This message needs to be reinforced.

On Thai language events the objectives are to reach the Thai business community more effectively and to access event speakers that may not be comfortable presenting in English. There was a suggestion that BCCT skills development workshops could focus upon more specific topics and held outside working hours.

What happens next? The BCCT team is already working hard on implementing as many of members’ ideas and suggestions as possible. Huge thanks to all those who found time in their busy schedules to complete the survey and/or to attend the feedback evening. We would like feedback to be an ongoing process.

If you have any comments – positive or negative – please contact any of the BCCT executive team or board directors.

COVER STORY

University Challenges

selves and their families. Parents are also involved in the process through a series of seminars.”

At the Regent’s International School Bangkok, Headmaster Peter Hogan responded, “The work of making the right choices begins in Year 11 or earlier in some cases.

Students individual tutors who runthe specific sessions of young people who think it is important to go A UKhave survey has revealed that proportion on what to study and where to go.

to university has fallen steadily over the past six years. The poll, conducted by Ipsos MORI, was “Wepublished have a trained andSutton experienced counselby the Trustuniversity in August 2018. Results showed that just 75 percent of the 2,381 lor who oversees the process but, in reality, it is a massive respondents aged 11 to 16 years thought that university education was important ‘to do well team effort. In addition we have guest speakers, university get on in life’.

This compares with 78 percent last year and 86 percent in 2013. The Daily fairsand andto a host of other activities to inform and educate students we thenthen help them through the27,000 applica-university places in the UK were still open, with newspaper reported that Mail before tion process.” would-be undergraduates examining via the clearing system the plethora of degree options At available.

Berkeley International School Bangkok, Lisa We asked BCCT member schools to comment.

So is the university bubbleHead bursting?

Johnson works closely with the Campus Counsellor Katrina Burkey is guiding students towards university and careers choices.

“Making a university selection can be a daunting task but it is also a very reflective process that students undergo to determine who they are and what their life goals may be.

College or graduate study should very much build upon interests and aptitudes that are specific and unique for each student.

Lisa Johnson, Berkeley International School

“Our approach at Berkeley is to provide guidance that will empower students to be in charge of this process and responsible for the key tasks associated with college admissions and acceptance. We begin this process very early with our middle school students and refine the target colleges for students each year until application. It is very much a community supported effort, with classroom teachers and parents playing key roles in this process,” explained Lisa.

Q2: Are UK universities still favoured by sixth form pupils at your school?

Carl Gavin at KIS said that about 10 percent of students look at UK universities, with perhaps two or three actually attending in each school year.

Berkeley Head Lisa Johnson said, “We run the College Board curriculum with an emphasis on students taking AP courses at the upper level. The College Board is the governing agency for the SAT, which is also the most widely recognised college admissions exam.

“Hundreds of UK colleges, including Oxford and Cambridge, accept SAT and AP exams. Many UK universities Peter Hogan, Regent’s International School

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degree to study, they will have a very clear idea of their intended career careerand andwhat whatwould wouldbebethe themost most appropriintended appropriate ate degree. degree.

“In terms of choosing the right university, university, we run a programme called ‘Next ‘Next Steps’ Steps’ in in Term Term 3 of Year 12. In this gramme called programme, students carry carry out in-depth research into programme, students universities, write their personal statement and prepare universities, write a programme programmeof ofwork worktotofollow followduring during the school holithe school holiday day between 12 13.” and 13.” between YearYear 12 and Students at Harrow Harroware areencouraged encouraged visit universiStudents at to to visit universities, ties, join summer schools and experience coursjoin summer schools and experience taster taster courses.

Imes.

Importantly, also connected withwho alumni portantly, they arethey also are connected with alumni have who have who areatstudying at universities in studied or studied who areor studying universities in which they which have an interest orderinvaluable to access invaluable have anthey interest in order to in access first-hand first-hand information. information.

Carl Gavin GavinisisAcademic AcademicGuidance Guidance Counsellor at KIS Counsellor at KIS InInternational School in Bangkok.

LINK, ternational School in Bangkok.

CarlCarl toldtold The The LINK, “We “We ‘best . This taking meansinto taking workwork alongalong terms terms of ‘bestoffit’ . Thisfit’means acinto a multitude of such thingsassuch as ability, ascountaccount a multitude of things ability, aspiration, piration, cost andout working which and university cost and working which out university course and will course best fit ourstudents. individual students. best fit will our individual Karen Prout, Harrow International School Karen Prout, Harrow International School

“Students from Grade Grade99upwards upwardsareare give assistance “Students from give assistance in in choosing courses locations are for good for choosing courses and and locations whichwhich are good them-

Q1: With With the theresults resultsof ofthis thissurvey surveyininmind, mind,how howdoes does your school schoolassist assistpupils pupilsin inmaking makingthe theright rightchoices choices in terms terms of ofa) a)degree degreecourse courseand andb)b)university? university?

Karen Prout is Head of Sixth Form Form at at Harrow Harrow Bangkok.

Bangkok.

She explained that students are assisted in making the right degree choice through a careers careers programme programme that begins in in Year Year 9.

9.

In Year Year 11 11aateam teamofofadvisors advisors from Futurewise, a UK from Futurewise, a UK cacareer guidance and planning programme, meets reer guidance and planning programme, meets eacheach stustudent at Harrow to help them to build an individudent at Harrow to help them to build an individualised alised career profile and to guide them in choosing apcareer profile and to guide them in choosing appropriate propriate A Levels.

A Levels.

In the theSixth SixthForm Form (Years & 13), students continue (Years 12 12 & 13), students continue with with a careers support programme, use the designated a careers support programme, use the designated Sixth Sixth and a specialist and Form Form careerscareers librarylibrary and a specialist careers careers and univeruniversity guidance online web platform. sity guidance online web platform.

“Undergraduate degreeoptions optionsareare presented by vis“Undergraduate degree presented by visiting iting universities and professors and we run regular universities and professors and we run regular careers careers workshops forsubject specificdisciplines subject disciplines and workshops for specific and countries,” countries,” explained Karen. explained Karen.

“Students “Students also have continuous continuous career support by specialist staff so that, by the time they need to choose what

Carl Carl Gavin, Gavin, KIS KIS International International School School

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COVER STORY

selves and their Parents are also in the themselves and families. their families.

Parents areinvolved also involved process throughthrough a series aofseries seminars.” in the process of seminars.”

At International School Bangkok, HeadAt the Regent’s International master “The work of making the masterPeter PeterHogan Hoganresponded, responded, “The work of making right choices begins in Year or 11 earlier in some the right choices begins in 11 Year or earlier in cases. some Students have individual tutors who runwho specific cases. Students have individual tutors run sessions specific on what to whereand to go. sessions onstudy whatand to study where to go.

“We and experienced universityuniversity counsel“We have havea trained a trained and experienced lor who oversees the process in reality, is a massive counsellor who oversees the but, process but, initreality, it is a team effort.

In effort. addition have guest speakers, massive team Inwe addition we have guestuniversity speakers, fairs and a fairs host of other activities to activities inform and university and a host of other to educate inform students before we then helpwe them through the through applicaand educate students before then help them tion process.” process.” the application At At Berkeley Berkeley International International School School Bangkok, Bangkok, Head Lisa Johnson Johnson works works closely closely with with the Campus Counsellor Katrina trina Burkey Burkey is guiding students towards university and careers careerschoices. choices.

“Making can be be a daunting tasktask but “Makingaauniversity universityselection selection can a daunting itbut is also process that students to it isa very also reflective a very reflective process thatundergo students determine who they are and may be. undergo to determine whowhat theytheir are life andgoals what their College or graduate should very much buildshould upon life goals may be. study College or graduate study interests and aptitudes that are specific and unique for very much build upon interests and aptitudes that are each student. specific and unique for each student.

Lisa Johnson, Berkeley International School Lisa Johnson (right), Head of Berkeley International School in Bangkok.

“Our approach at Berkeley is to provide provide guidance guidance that that “Our approach at Berkeley is to will empower students to be in charge of this process will empower students to be in charge of this process and responsible for the key key tasks tasks associated associated with with college college and responsible for the admissions and acceptance.

We begin this process very admissions and acceptance. We begin this process very early with our middle school students and refine the early with our middle school students and refine tarthe get colleges for for students eacheach yearyear untiluntil application.

It is target colleges students application. very community supported effort, with classroom It is much very amuch a community supported effort, with teachers and parents playing key roles in this process,” exclassroom teachers and parents playing key roles in this plained Lisa. process,” explained Lisa.

Q2: Q2: Are Are UK UKuniversities universitiesstill stillfavoured favouredby bysixth sixthform form pupils at your school? pupils at your school?

Carl Gavin at KIS said said that that about about 10 10 percent percent of of students students Carl Gavin at KIS look at UK universities, with perhaps two or three actulook at UK universities, with perhaps two or three ally attending in each school year. actually attending in each school year.

Berkeley Johnson said, run the the College College Berkeley Head Head Lisa Lisa Johnson said, “We “We run Board curriculum with an emphasis on students takBoard curriculum with an emphasis on students taking ing AP courses at the upper level.

The College Board is AP courses at the upper level. The College Board is the the governing agency for the SAT, which is also the most governing agency for the SAT, which is also the most widely widely recognised recognisedcollege collegeadmissions admissionsexam. exam.

Peter Hogan, Regent’s International School Peter Hogan, Regent’s International School

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“Hundreds colleges, including Oxford and Cam“Hundreds ofofUK UK colleges, including Oxford and bridge, accept SAT and AP exams.

Many UK universities Cambridge, accept SAT and AP exams. Many UK

universities will also accept AP scores as supplements with CBSE or ICSE grades while applying.”

At Regent’s, Peter Hogan observed that UK universities had not been quite so popular in the last year or so, with ‘push and pull factors at play’. “Other countries (especially USA and Canada) work very hard to recruit students and some excellent universities have amazing incentive for IB graduates.”

He added that the UK is seen as costly in some quarters and the apparent instability over BREXIT and attitudes towards foreigners was a deterrent. “We are a test centre for SATs and we are seeing more students interested in going to America year after year,” added Peter.

The UK still holds some appeal for students at Harrow, however, with Karen Prout stating that around 65 to 70 percent of Year 13 pupils choosing to study degrees at British campuses.

Q3: Are factors such as cost, reputation and overseas family ties influencing overseas university applications?

“The reputation of the university is probably the main Karen Prout, Harrow International School factor that influences overseas university applications for Harrow Bangkok students,” said Karen Prout.

Q1: With the results of this survey in mind, how does your school assist pupils in making the right choices in terms of a) degree course and b) university?

“The Russell Group the have 24 leading – degree to study, they -will a very UK clearuniversities idea of their and othercareer highly competitive universities are intended and what wouldoverseas be the most appropriate widely known in Asia. As the majority of our students degree. come back to work in Thailand after graduating, theyterms appreciate the value of studying at we high-ranking “In of choosing the right university, run a prouniversities.” gramme called ‘Next Steps’ in Term 3 of Year 12. In this programme, students carry out in-depth research into Karen added, “The costpersonal of overseas universities is not universities, write their statement and prepare off-putting. parentsthe are prepared to a programmeHarrow of work Bangkok to follow during school holiday invest universities betweeninYear 12 and 13.”that have a strong reputation.

Students will often accept offers to study foundation programmes at Russell Group to universities, even Students at Harrow are encouraged visit universities, though thereschools is an additional year’staster studycourses. to pay Imfor, join summer and experience rather than attending a UK university withwho a lower portantly, they are also connected with alumni have ranking. studied or who are studying at universities in which they have an interest in order to access invaluable first-hand “Other students choose to study at a Thai university information. but then complete a Master’s Degree in the UK. As for family ties,isthis does not have asCounsellor much influence on Carl Gavin Academic Guidance at KIS Inthe student’s choice university although ternational School in of Bangkok.

Carl told Theuniversities LINK, “We where thereterms are Harrow alumni do influence work along of ‘best Bangkok fit’. This means taking into acthem. universities asas Imperial, UCL, LSE count London a multitude of thingssuch such ability, aspiration, and Collegeout arewhich very popular as and we have cost King’s and working university coursemany will alumni in London.” best fit our individual students.

Karen alsofrom explained Harroware students inevitably “Students Grade that 9 upwards give assistance in feel happier knowing that theywhich will have a ready-built choosing courses and locations are good for themsupport network when they arrive at a UK campus.

Sutton Trust Chairman responds to survey results

Karen Prout is Head of Sixth Form at Harrow Bangkok.

She explained that students are assisted in making the Sir Peter Lampl OBEthrough is the founder right degree choice a careers programme that of the Sutton Trust and Chairman begins in Year 9. of the Education Endowment He observed, “It’sfrom no Futurewise, a UK caIn Foundation.

Year 11 a team of advisors surprise that there has been a fall reer guidance and planning programme, meets each stuin the proportion of young people dent at Harrow to help them to build an individualised whoprofile think it’sand important tothem go into career to guide in choosing appropriate Higher Education.

Young people face A Levels. a dilemma. If they go on to university incurForm debts (Years of over12 £50,000 In they the Sixth & 13),and students continue with will be paying back their loans a careers support programme,well use the designated Sixth intocareers middle age.

Form library and a specialist careers and university guidance online web platform.

“And in a number of cases they end up with degreesdegree that don’t get them “Undergraduate options are presented by visiting into graduate jobs.

On the other universities and professors and we run regular careers hand, degree-level apprenticeships workshops for specific subject disciplines and countries,” Sir Peter Lampl OBE are almost non-existent with less explained Karen. university places. There is effectively no than 10,000 available each year viable alternative compared withhave overcontinuous 300,000 “Students also career support by spe- to university.” cialist staff so that, by the time they need to choose what

Sir Peter continued, “That is why the Sutton Trust has mounted a campaign to dramatically increase the number of degree-level apprenticeships by working with government, for-profit and not-for profit organisations and universities.”

The Sutton Trust is a foundation set up in 1997, dedicated to improving social mobility through education. It has published over 200 research studies and funded and evaluated programmes that have helped hundreds of thousands of young people of all ages, from early years through to access to the professions.

More at: https://www.suttontrust.com Carl Gavin, KIS International School

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COVER STORY

selves and their families. Parents are also involved in the process through a series of seminars.”

Q4: Does your school have a full-time Careers Officer/Advisor?

At the Regent’s International School Bangkok, Headmaster Peter Hogan responded, “The work of making the right choices begins in Year 11 or earlier in some cases.

Students have individual tutors who run specific sessions on what to study and where to go.

At Berkeley, Katrina Burkey is the full-time College and Careers Counsellor – a role that embraces many responsibilities including giving important support to pupils when preparing applications and references for their university applications.

“We have a trained and experienced university counsellor who oversees the process but, in reality, it is a massive team effort. In addition we have guest speakers, university fairs and a host of other activities to inform and educate students before we then help them through the application process.”

“Berkeley hosts several college fairs and seeks out other local fairs for students to attend,” explains Katrina.

At Berkeley International School Bangkok, Head Lisa Johnson works closely with the Campus Counsellor Katrina Burkey is guiding students towards university and careers choices.

Katrina uses targeted study programmes based on Practice SAT results and then further coordinates registration for the actual SAT exam.

“Making a university selection can be a daunting task but it is also a very reflective process that students undergo to determine who they are and what their life goals may be.

College or graduate study should very much build upon interests and aptitudes that are specific and unique for each student.

Despite the survey results, many students in Thailand still seek places at Oxford University.

Carl Gavin observed, “Value for money is high on everyone’s list. I ask all students to speak very early on with their parents regarding funding. The reputation of individual universities does come into the equation but with south east Asian universities coming very much to the fore these days, the UK is again falling behind.”

Lisa Johnson said that overseas university applications and specific destination choices were ‘very individualised and vary from family to family’. “University reputation and family ties weigh quite heavily in this decision,” she said.

Peter Hogan said that reputation, deserved or otherwise, ‘still goes a long way but distance and cost play a big part as well’.

“We have students from over 35 countries at the school and so many seek a first degree in their home country but may then go to the UK or the US in later years for a Master’s or Doctorate.”

Peter Hogan, Regent’s International School

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The school also liaises with universities in specific countries to ensure that Berkeley pupils meet their requirements.

“Berkeley is an official SAT testing centre, which gives our students priority placement for several of the test dates. Even when a desired centre appears full, Berkeley students can be manually switched to our location after registration,” added Katrina.

Lisa Johnson, Berkeley International School

Full-time careers advisors are also employed at Regents, Harrow and KIS. “Our approach at Berkeley is to provide guidance that “We empower have a work experience and other acawill students to becoordinator, in charge of this process demic staff alsofor offer andwith university and responsible thespecialist key tasks careers associated college application and support”, explained Prout. admissions acceptance.

We Harrow’s begin thisKaren process very early with our middle school students and refine the target colleges for students each year until application. It is Q5: Finally, UK universities still visiting very much a are community supported effort, with classroom independent schools in Thailand asin part a globalexteachers and parents playing key roles thisofprocess,” ‘milk run’? plained Lisa.

KIS Academic Guidance Carl Gavin said that although some Thailand there was a Q2: AreUK UK universities universitiesdo stillvisit favoured by sixth form greateratfrequency of visits made by representatives of pupils your school? universities in Hong Kong, USA and Canada.

Carl Gavin at KIS said that about 10 percent of students “Often, UK universities, universities rely agents two based Bangkok look at UK withon perhaps orin three actuor Kuala Lumpur andschool cannotyear. really answer the nuanced ally attending in each type of questions which my students ask,” said Carl.

Berkeley Head Lisa Johnson said, “We run the College Harrowcurriculum Bangkok welcomes visits UK univerBoard with an regular emphasis on by students taksities the school number university fairs ing APand courses at thehosts uppera level.

TheofCollege Board is every year, while Berkeley ‘to provide students the governing agency for thestrives SAT, which is also the most with exposure to acollege varietyadmissions of universities widely recognised exam.from different countries to ensure they apply to a school that is the best fit for their pursuit in life’. including Oxford and Cam“Hundreds of UK colleges, bridge, accept SAT and AP exams. Many UK universities

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Pun Pun prepares for life at Oxford

By Natcha Yongphiphatwong

S

oon I will be departing Thailand for the UK where I will be studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the University of Oxford.

As I write this article, a long list of academic texts tower in my Amazon account - waiting to be shipped as pre-reading for the upcoming term. From the elevation in academic rigour to the sharp drop in temperatures I can already sense a kick of adrenaline, ready to propel me into the whole new world of life at a British University.

In this article I will be sharing my personal experience as an applicant, which may be similar to others’ to a varying degree. As such, I figured it would be best to start with a little bit about me.

I am a Thai student who has – for the entirety of my 15 year academic life – studied at Shrewsbury International School.

I have been lucky at school and I have rarely struggled academically. That said, I was not the student that others would typically point to when asked to identify a classmate who consistently got the top test scores.

Perhaps that was partly because students do not feel ‘ranked’ by teachers at Shrewsbury; it seemed more important to allow each student simply to be the best they can be in their own way and, in my experience, that resulted in a strong sense of collaboration among friends rather than generating counterproductive competition. I have been extremely fortunate to have grown up in such an environment.

I like to think of myself as being a duck, capable in many areas - maths, design and music - yet not a prodigy in any. Nor do I have a strong thirst in knowledge for any subject in particular. As a result, I found it difficult at first to identify with the stories out there of people who just knew what they wanted to do in life.

They are certainly realistic stories, and many of my friends will no doubt relate better to them. I do not yet have a crystal clear picture of what I want to do in the future.

True enough, upon researching, I found that PPE really was what I had been looking for: a course that provides intellectual variety and breadth, and integrates many fields of study together. Furthermore, by flicking through the fun pages of the alternative prospectus (a student introduction to each college within the university), I realised that there are many students just like me out there; it solidified my decision to apply.

A key feature of the Oxford application process was the interviews.

In reality, they feel more like conversations - almost like a series of questions that will lead you to the discovery of the answer.

It was during these interviews that I realised the importance of having had such amazing people around me growing up, helping me to be able order and articulate my thoughts. For example, my debate coaches would constantly come up with counterexamples that challenged me into rethinking my approach, leading into numerous thought processes that mimicked the interview.

I thank my great uncle who sent me extremely relevant articles to read from his favourite newspaper column, in addition to his usual gift of books since childhood. I also thank my Maths teachers who always posed creative questions for me to think about.

Without these extraordinary people I have in my life, I do not how I would be able to respond with such confidence under such pressuring circumstances.

It is important that students (and their parents) realise that getting into university is not a journey’s end, but rather the opportunity to a new beginning. Through the year-long application process, I have come to appreciate so many awesome people around me.

My family who loves me unconditionally and continuously helped me become better versions of myself, my teachers who taught me the skills I will need to succeed in life, and my friends for their jokes, constant support and supply of revision notes!

So, when an admissions officer from Oxford made a presentation at Shrewsbury, highlighting the academic passion in a specific field one had to demonstrate to pass the Oxford’s rigorous admissions process, I simply didn’t think that this was the right path for me.

Moving to another country and going to university is like a rollercoaster: fast, scary and exciting. I will have to leave Bangkok, the city I am most familiar with, and settle into both university life at British culture all within the space of a month.

However, there seem to be situations in life where just one statement, one alternative perspective on the same subject, can change your on view, maybe even your whole life. For me, that was during my conversation with Miss Fretwell, the Director of Higher Education at Shrewsbury, who advised me to look into PPE (after reading my very vague draft personal statement for Economics).

Of course, there will be numerous challenges to overcome but I embark on the adventure with a real sense of excitement, rather than trepidation, and with an inner confidence that I attribute to growing up around friends and within a strong international community at Shrewsbury. Now, as our former Head of Year Mr. D’Rozario would encourage us to do, I am ready to ‘push [my] comfort zone’ once more.

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Route to just in time learning

By Ian Fenwick

ne result of the spread of digital technologies is the dramatic change in the way information is consumed. As with many digital changes, this hit entertainment first.

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from friends (this appropriation seems now to be called piracy) and create my own mix tape. A compilation of already existing content, selected from across records, to better reflect my personal needs.

When I was a teenager, music came on vinyl disks called records. It was pre-packaged, bundled, pre-assorted.

To get the good songs one also had to buy the dross.

Sounds a lot like stackability - the business education of next week: assorting pre-provided courses to build an education that better reflects the user’s needs.

One could cherry-pick to what one listened, but not what one bought. Sounds much like most business education today: pre-assorted, take it or leave it with each individual finding some parts much more relevant than others.

Remixing and stackability Records gradually gave way to tapes. With tapes, it was possible to mix and match. I could ‘borrow’ tracks

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Streaming As technology changed, so tapes gave way to compact discs, and compact discs gave way to digital storage.

Here, the market was disrupted. Rather than simply spawning cheaper, smaller and more efficient storage, digital created music-as-a-service: streaming. One might say that digital re-invented music-as-a-service.

After all, radio was streaming first.

The radio’s musical assortment was created by someone else, reflecting their judgement of what others would like to hear (or what they were paid to play).

The more we interact with digital media, the more it learns about us and so the better it can supply our needs.

With streaming, everyone has his or her own radio station. Streaming doesn’t just allow consumer-driven assortment but it also enables all sorts of other possibilities.

We’re talking about nothing less than a ‘Facebook for education’, driven not by algorithms that maximise attention and advertising (as is Facebook) but by algorithms that maximise course completion and attainment rates. The content would be created (at least initially) not by the community and advertisers but by business school faculties.

Get it where you want it. Music is wherever you are – and on whichever device you’re using – if you want it, and when you want.

There’s no pre-scheduled broadcast. It’s all userscheduled on-demand, on-the-move, up-to-theminute. It’s always relevant, easily updated, adapting automatically to demand and it fits in.

Streaming music can be context aware. In the car, you can hear different music from what you hear in bed.

It can be cued by your actions: music for exercise vs. music for relaxation.

It adapts in real-time. The service streaming the music learns what the user likes, in which locations, at which times, and in which contexts. Crowd sourcing allows every user to benefit from the experiences of all other users and automatically augment a user’s selection with songs that others find similar.

Music has gone from something purchased and owned, in pre-assorted packages, to something that streams. A flow that is rented not owned, metered not packaged.

Could this be the business education of next year? If so, how would it work?

Education with real business relevance Relevance seems to be the Holy Grail for business education. Curricula and programmes, developed through committee approval processes often over months or years, struggle to reflect changing business realities.

Streaming business education, created from microtopics, would automatically adapt to demand. Rather than centrally planned, rigid programmes the microtopics on demand provide built-in flexibility.

Education for individuals Like Facebook, however, ‘Education-book’ would learn about each individual and be able to use others’ experiences to anticipate needs.

Crowd sourcing, perhaps with professional professorial (and business) assistance, would still operate.

As career options become simultaneously more fluid and harder to predict, so the educational curriculum that will best prepare students for success becomes harder to discern.

As education disintegrates into specific applicable topics, so credentials become spread across microtopics and, potentially, across institutions.

How do we keep secure track of many students and many micro-topics, across time? Again, developing digital technology holds hope. Blockchain can provide an easily updateable secure system to monitor and add to each student’s credentials.

For business education, and education in general, unbundling, streaming, always-on, makes so much sense.

It is the real delivery of life-long learning – a mantra chanted by so many and yet delivered by so few. It is the route to just-in time learning from our current models of just-in-case.

If a particular micro-topic does not address a real need of business or of students, its irrelevance will be seen quickly – and supply can be adjusted and re-orientated to match user needs.

Education that fits our times Search has become the dominant access to information.

As a need for knowledge, or entertainment, develops, we search for what we seek.

The very act of searching informs the AI behind the search engines of our needs.

Dr. Ian Fenwick is Interim Deputy Director, Sasin School of Management (Bangkok) and Professor Emeritus & Senior Scholar at Schulich School of Business (Toronto) teaching graduate and executive programmes in digital marketing.

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COBIS ensures quality at British schools in Thailand T

he Council of British International Schools, or COBIS, is a not-for-profit association of 260 high-quality British international schools spread across 80 countries worldwide that exists to support, develop and represent international schools who deliver the UK curriculum.

As a recognised UK Department for International Trade (DIT) Trade Challenge Partner, COBIS works closely with the UK DIT to promote the export of high quality British education globally.

COBIS has a growing number of school members based in Thailand, which have met or which are working towards, meeting a robust membership criteria and rigorous set of compliance and accreditation standards. International education sector experts predict a growth in demand for British education in South East Asia over the next 10 years, so this figure is likely to increase. New membership applications are welcome.

COBIS schools are distinguished by their high standards in academic achievement, pastoral care, extracurricular activities as well as teaching and learning and they share similar features with the best independent (private) schools in Britain.

Although British schools overseas have traditionally catered to expat families, this is no longer exclusively the case. They are now the natural gateway for aspirational local students whose parents see Oxford or Cambridge as potential university destinations.

By studying at a British school that delivers the UK curriculum in Thailand, including GCSEs and A-levels, Thai students and foreign students living in Thailand are already integrated into the British education system by the time they choose which university is right for them.

British schools in Thailand wishing to access the support that COBIS offers, such as CPD for school staff,

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background checks and child protection guidance, student competitions, recruitment, consultancy, networking and access to UK-based suppliers and solutions, must first work towards gaining COBIS membership.

This is granted after a school has passed Accreditation or Compliance, two benchmark quality evaluation programmes that serve as recognised kitemarks for British schools around the world.

Schools participating in The Patron’s Accreditation, as the overall programme is named (in honour of COBIS Patron HRH The Duke of York), must meet high standards in staff recruitment, teaching and learning, facilities, governance, ethos and values, leadership and more.

A COBIS team led by an experienced Head (or former Head) will also visit the school to verify that the standards are being met. After joining COBIS, schools go through this process again every five years to ensure continuous improvement, development and a commitment to quality.

From the school’s point of view, COBIS accreditation positively impacts admissions and the school’s reputation by demonstrating that it has been externally validated by a UK-based body.

As a student-centred organisation a full calendar of events, competitions and programmes for young people studying at COBIS schools is delivered annually.

The association’s flagship sports extravaganza, the COBIS Games, are set to take place at Brighton College Bangkok in March 2019.

For more information on the activities and services of COBIS, please see www.cobis.org.uk or contact COBIS CEO Colin Bell at ceo@cobis.org.uk

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Transforming Harrow Bangkok

By Richard Green

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arrow International School Bangkok has evolved. Harrow Bangkok sixth formers have the perfect place to prepare to go on to some of the world’s best universities.

Across the school, students study in comfortable, well-lit classrooms.

Early Years students are having so much fun they don’t realise they’re learning.

Harrovians master their design and manufacture skills using state-ofthe-art equipment and create with clay, paint, pencils. They perform, entertain and learn in fabulous drama and music theatres and studios.

Resident students are safe, secure, comfortable, studious and happy in

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home-from-home boarding houses.

Students keep fit, take part, acquire new skills and learn to work as a team in lush, spacious grounds.

Harrow Bangkok students now arrive more smoothly and efficiently with revised traffic circulation.

As Harrow UK, the inspiration for Harrow Bangkok, begin its 30 months Estate Master Plan, Harrow Bangkok’s ambitious five year redevelopment programme – HBuild – nears completion.

This programme was instigated partly to accommodate a rising school roll but also to put Harrow Bangkok firmly at the cutting edge with architecture designed to enhance and improve learning.

HBuild provides well-lit classrooms to keep students alert, focused and comfortable; ergonomicallydesigned furniture, and adaptable, flexible learning spaces to cater for different activities and to give students the option to choose where and how they work most effectively.

Other enhanced facilities have improved the co-curricular and extracurricular side of studying at Harrow Bangkok. Down to intelligent design, the school’s new facilities do not impinge upon the l35 acre campus but in fact add to the garden feel.

Harrow Bangkok’s oldest students benefit from the first HBuild building; the new Rayleigh Centre for sixth formers.

This modern space offers pupils aged 16 to 18 years a choice of spaces for independent, quality A Level study; classrooms that are airy and light; outdoor and indoor spaces; an expansive careers library and coffee shop as well as flexible exhibition, conference and community spaces.

The needs of young learners in the Early Years Centre (EYC) are quite different as the learning that takes place outside of the classroom is at least as important as that which takes place inside.

HBuild has given the EYC outdoor and messy play areas for fun and play-based learning. The new classrooms are spacious, bright and flexible and the dining area, playground, multipurpose room, ICT and library have been redeveloped to improve student and parent experiences.

The new Cub House brought a dedicated building for the very youngest Harrovians – the Little Lions. They have their own well-equipped classrooms for toddlers and parent-toddler groups and their outside learning space with its splash-play area, complete with German-made equipment, is second to none.

Across the rest of the Lower School and Upper School, classrooms have been upgraded and revised to be naturally light, spacious, comfortable and flexible.

HBuild saw the building of two additional boarding houses where resident students enjoy hotel-quality facilities, designed by students and staff to offer the very best living, recreational and learning spaces.

Boarders, students, staff and parents also benefit from the new Hub building - the dining and multipurpose space with outstanding views across the sports fields towards the school.

a tranquil space to meet, dine and shop. A new Lower School library – the Pullman Library – has brought the magical world of books closer to primary age students.

Finally, for now, is the new Creative and Performing Arts Centre, the CPA; Harrow Bangkok’s one-stop shop for all things creative.

On the ground floor are the Design Technology (DT) workshops kitted out with UK sourced machinery and equipment – under the strict eyes of the supremely experienced DT teachers Paul and Karri – art studios, the ceramics studio and the cavernous QE11 Hall for meetings and assemblies.

ted from the improvements made to traffic flow allowing easier access and exit to school. This will undoubtedly improve even more when Harrow Bangkok’s private access road from the Viphavadi Rangsit local road is completed.

HBuild has brought Harrow International School up to date with worldclass unparalleled facilities.

To quote one of Harrow Bangkok Head Master Michael Farley’s favourite phrases, ‘HBuild is the icing on the cake for Harrow Bangkok and it’s hard to fully appreciate what’s on offer without seeing for yourself ’.

Go up another floor for yet more art studios, the new Upper School library, dedicated exams centre and the music and music technology classrooms. On the top floor sits the drama studios and performance theatres, the Steinway Hall and individual and class music classrooms.

Sports and activities now have The Den - a covered sports area – as well as a new gymnastics centre and redeveloped swimming pool.

It is an impressive build; light, airy and conducive to 21st century learning.

The Kopse, with its Kopse Kafe, parents lounge and school shop, is

Aside from buildings and facilities, student learning has also benefit-

Richard Green is Marketing Content Manager at Harrow International School.

E-mail: richard_gr@ harrowschool.ac.th

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ADVERTORIAL

Experience matters at Shrewsbury

By Will Davies-Jenkins

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hrewsbury International School is looking to ‘raise the bar’ for the next generation of pupils. As students celebrate another record breaking set of examination results and global university placements that underline Shrewsbury International School’s credentials as one of the most successful schools in Asia, they also point to the responsibility that leading schools have to support the interests and ambitions of its entire student community and to prepare them for university life and ever-changing work environments of the future.

Over the last 15 years Shrewsbury has met this responsibility, in part, through extensive, ongoing investment in the physical spaces, technologies and resources that contribute to a rich and rounded educational experience, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Shrewsbury Riverside is currently undergoing a THB 700 million capital investment project that will deliver improved provision for student sport, recreation and collaborative learning.

Shrewsbury School’s new senior management team.

It is from within that the school has appointed many of the school leaders now charged with building on the foundations laid over the last 15 years. At the newlyopened City Campus, Principal Amanda Dennison (formerly Head of Junior at Riverside) heads a leadership team full of experience developed both in Riverside and beyond, and supported by a newly established staff body that brings fresh impetus, knowledge and perspectives from the UK and around the world.

Meanwhile, the design of the school’s brand new 15 rai Primary School campus in Sukhumvit-Rama 9 has also been influenced by the latest educational thinking, applied with the careful precision and consideration that 15 years of experience here in Thailand brings.

At Riverside too, a new-look leadership team has been built around existing members of staff whose drive for continual improvement singled them out as the right candidates to help take school forward.

Leveraging that experience has become all the more important as Shrewsbury begins to articulate its strategic vision and to move (in its own words) to the ‘next level’.

Alongside its structural developments, Shrewsbury is also ensuring that its efforts to recruit, retain and develop teaching talent of the highest calibre keeps pace.

The start of the 2018-19 academic year sees Rob Millar taking up his new role as Vice Principal (Head of Senior), whilst Rob Groves succeeds him as Assistant Principal (Head of Academic), having himself delivered outstanding results in his former position as Shrewsbury’s Head of Mathematics.

The growth of the Shrewsbury family, marked in August with the opening of both the Bangkok City Campus and another new Primary school in Hong Kong, presents particularly exciting opportunities for teaching professionals who are committed to high quality learning, and who are keen to become part of an organisation that values professional collaboration and dialogue so highly.

In the Junior School, Siobhan O’Brien moves from a Head of Year position to lead the Pre-Prep and joins fellow leaders Debbie Brown (Assistant Principal, Head of Prep School) and Sally Weston (Vice Principal, Head of Junior) - both of whom begin their second year of tenure in their current roles following internal promotions.

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These appointments represent a key facet

of Shrewsbury’s strategic thinking and which gains momentum under the direction of Riverside Principal Chris Seal, namely to nurture an environment where teachers continually reflect on their own practice and recognise themselves not just as teachers but also as learners.

Perhaps there is no single example that embodies this philosophy more than Sally Weston, who now in her twelfth year at the School (and 24th year of teaching).

Sally has just completed a second, Professional Masters degree, focused (appropriately) upon the theme of transition. Her research into the subject is now being used to inform Shrewsbury’s approach to supporting children’s academic, social and emotional progression through their time at school and beyond.

And it is fitting then that, as the educational journey begins for next generation of Shrewsbury students, one of the most successful schools in Asia is defining a new trajectory that asks not only ‘how did we get to this point’ but also ‘where do we want to go next’. For all members of the Shrewsbury community, it’s an exciting time indeed.

Will Davies-Jenkins is Associate Director of Marketing & Communications at Shrewsbury International School Bangkok.

ADVERTORIAL

Rugby School Thailand becomes one of the fastest growing international schools in Thailand.

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ugby School Thailand is stepping into its second year of existence, growing from 152 pupils at the end of its first year, to over 400 pupils, both day and boarders, at the beginning of its second. It has become one of the fastest growing international schools in Thailand and many have already assessed it to be one of the top educational destinations for children aged 2-18 in Asia “The future’s looking very exciting,” says Nigel Westlake, Founding Headmaster and Head of Prep School.

“We have already had a successful year with the number of pupils increasing from 110 to 152 in the Prep and Pre-Prep Schools, as well as tremendous pupil achievements and a wonderful range of opportunities. The parents report very positively and the children are happy.”

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Aside from the impressive pupil intake and the introduction of over 70 teachers and teaching assistants, the school has also constructed several more school buildings. The new classroom block has 30 general classrooms and also many specialist spaces including 2 large Music classrooms, Dance studio, 15 Music practice rooms, 2 Design & Technology workshops, 2 Art studios, Food technology room and a Theatre.

“But this is just one step, the facilities are continuing growing along with the pupil numbers. We will have more classroom blocks and more specialist spaces in the future.”

Also in September, Rugby School Thailand opens its Senior School with Years 9, Year 10, and Year 12. Years 11 and 13 will follow in 2019. The first Senior School building to open will be the Sixth Form Centre, which is a stand-alone complex of classrooms and offices exclusively for students in Years 12 and 13. It is designed to be a learning hub for Sixth Form students, and where they will work with the Head of Sixth Form during their A Level studies.

In Year 9, students follow a curriculum based on the UK National Curriculum Key Stage 3. Students take IGCSE courses in Years 10 and 11, before progressing to A Level studies in the Sixth Form. Breath of choice is very important, and twenty A Level courses offered in the School’s foundation year.

With ‘The Whole Person The Whole Point’ as its touchstone, an extensive co-curricular programme of games and activities complements the academic dimension of the school. The Community Action Programme, modelled on the one that operates at Rugby UK, will add the service dimension to the co-curricular programme. The Duke of Edinburgh Scheme and local outreach will be important pillars of the service learning curriculum. All students in the Senior School will be involved in community action.

The School has recruited highly qualified and experienced teachers. With small class sizes and exceptional facilities, they are eager to embrace the challenge of establishing an outstanding school.

The other main feature of the School that’s opened for the first time is their Boarding Programme. Boarding is the heart of Rugby UK and it will be at the heart of Rugby School Thailand. The School currently has two boarding houses, one for the Prep pupils and the other for the Senior. The boarding houses will have house parents, assistant house parents as well as matrons who will help look after the children.

“Being a Housemaster, or House Dean as we call it at Rugby School Thailand, is just like being the parent figure for the students in our care. We will try our very best to steer those students towards good decision making, personal, social and academic development and a happy and safe life within the bounds of their home from home. We want it to be a special environment wherein friendships are forged and support for each other runs through its DNA.” Rugby School Thailand is a selective school. The selection process, though differing for each age group, will focus upon assessing three key criteria: one, the academic ability and potential of each child; two, the talents and potential outside the classroom in areas such sport, music, art and drama; and three, qualities of character.

“On the academic side, we utilise a computerised test which measures ability in English, Mathematics and Reasoning skills,” explains Nigel Westlake. “We look at school reports, medals, certificates and see what each pupil can offer outside the classroom. Interviewing each pupil helps us assess personality and qualities of character.”

“The School is currently attracting some very able children. This means that the entry standard is steadily increasing and unfortunately this has meant we haven’t been able to take every child who has applied. But it does mean that the children at Rugby School Thailand are pushed on academically and look to be capable of achieving excellent results in the years to come.”

Rugby School Thailand is also attracting some outstanding members of staff. The School’s positive reputation has spread quickly across the world.

“I know plenty of colleagues in the UK who are fully aware of Rugby School Thailand and of its unique approach that it is based upon the British independent school model rather than upon the international school model,” says Nigel Westlake.

Parents in South East Asian countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as China, are becoming increasingly aware of the School.

“All the signs are that pupil numbers will increase significantly and naturally our facilities will grow along with those pupils. But the essential ‘whole child’ philosophy and ethos of the School will always remain the same.”

“Rugby School Thailand offers three kinds of boarding for its children: Full-Boarding, Weekly-Boarding and Day Boarding,” says Dave Ennis Billing, Deputy Head – Pastoral, Head of Senior Boarding and Senior School House Dean.

“The most obvious benefits of boarding are the levels of independence and resourcefulness that boarders learn, naturally, from day one. Whatever the age of the boarders, they identify with a community within the boarding house and therefore have a family out with their own, another layer of friendship and support to build on and turn to.”

For further information: +66 (0) 33 141 800 www.rugbyschool.ac.th The Link

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How balance leads to top results T

him going. “Luckily, I had many outlets through which I could relieve my stress: sports, music, and most importantly -- friends and family. As much as I studied, I made sure that I was always had time to chill and refresh my brain,” he said.

wo students from the Class of 2018, Jisoo Yoon (Sue) and Seung Won Paek, from International School Bangkok (ISB), scored a full score of 45 points on their International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma (DP). This exceptional achievement places them within a small percentage of students globally to manage this challenging feat.

These activities also created a space for friendships to develop, and the school experience to take on a greater meaning. Seung Won suggests that all High School students should get involved in activities as well as aim high academically. “Through different classes, clubs and sports teams at ISB, I was able to meet so many amazing people who have had a significant impact in my life,” he said.

Accomplishments such as these require a considerable amount of focus and hard work, but these ISB students cite the importance of maintaining balance in their lives.

“The score came to me as a huge surprise,” said Seung Won, echoing sentiments expressed by Sue. Both students credited their success in part to their positive and engaging experience with extra-curricular activities, in addition to standard classwork. “Most people think of activities as another burden on top of academics, but I think it’s just the opposite,” Sue said. “Participating in activities I loved, like music, gave me the energy and motivation to work hard academically as well.”

Seung Won added that it was essential to maintain a responsible balance between schoolwork and extra activities. “Time management was key to my success,” he said. “I was forced to manage my time wisely so that I could complete all the work I had in a limited amount of time.”

As well as being Class Representative for Student Council, Sue participated as a singer for the Interscholastic Association for Southeast Asia Schools (IASAS) Cultural Convention for all four years of high school, served as President of VOX A Cappella Club, performed in musical theater, and

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volunteered with the Helping Paws Club for stray dogs.

Seung Won, another long-time member of the Student Council, served as President of his class since his sophomore year. He belonged to clubs such as the Global Issues Network and High School Tech, played on the varsity basketball and volleyball team, and organized special events for students.

Students like Sue and Seung Won used these activities to stay focused during the year. After mentioning the difficulty of long hours studying, Seung Won explained what kept

Sue agreed, saying, “I am immensely grateful that at ISB I was able to pursue my non-academic passions without sacrificing any academic opportunities.”

Seung Won will be attending Stanford University in the fall and Sue has received a number of acceptances to top universities in South Korea.

They were together with some other friends from ISB in Seoul when they heard the IB results.

A total of 20 students at the school scored over 40 points, including another two students with 44 total points. The global average score for the IB DP is 30 points, but ISB students far surpassed this number for yet another year, with an average of 35, including an average of 5.51 across all IB courses.

Their scores and all round achievements are part of another hugely successful year at ISB, with the school continuing to outperform many others of its type worldwide.

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SPONSORED EDITORIAL

BASIS for academic success

By Elizabeth Thies

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ASIS International School Bangkok may be new to Thailand but we are not new to education. This campus will be the 35th campus in the BASIS Curriculum Schools network, one of the most prestigious networks of schools in the United States and around the world.

Our educational model is unique and we define our success in global terms to ensure that our students are prepared to attend the best universities in the world and move into their professional careers empowered by knowledge, critical thinking skills and creativity.

Our curriculum is intentionally designed to best meet the needs of our students at every grade level. This process begins in the pre-kindergarten years and continues through the senior years.

We believe that great teachers inspire a student’s determination to overcome problems, master complex tasks and concepts, establish habits of discipline and critical inquiry, and develop an interest in lifelong learning.

In 2018, BASIS Curriculum Schools were ranked #1 through #5 on the list of ‘America’s Best High Schools’, according to US News and World Report. This is the result of hard working and dedicated teachers and students alike.

Our Primary model is unique in that we have two teachers in the classroom at all times; a Learning Expert Teacher (LET) and Subject Expert Teacher (SET).

We value the entire learning process and have intentionally designed our curriculum to give our students the skills that they will need to be globally competitive and successful.

The Learning Expert Teacher focuses upon effective pedagogy while the Subject Expert Teacher specialises in a particular subject such as the humanities, maths, science, engineering, art, Thai language and culture.

The teachers work together to create engaging lesson plans and ensure that each child is performing to the best of his/her ability.

Our curriculum, combined with passionate teachers, gets results. In 2017, BASIS Curriculum Schools out performed all other nations in maths, reading, and science on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) test for schools.

We want to provide a strong educational foundation so that our students get the opportunities that they deserve, and they do. In 2017, over 27 percent of our students were accepted to US News and World Report’s top ranked national universities.

We place a heavy emphasis on hiring passionate, highly-qualified teachers and insist that all of our Subject Expert Teachers have a degree in the area that they teach.

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Our network of schools got the highest international results for student satisfaction with teaching. This means that our students connect with our teachers and our teachers understand and value the importance of empowering their students.

BASIS International School Bangkok will be the first BASIS Curriculum School in Thailand but we will continue the rich tradition of excellence that is found in our sister schools across the world.

As Head of School, my hope is that any parent truly invested in the success of their child takes the opportunity to learn about our school before making a final decision about where to send their child.

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Currency conundrums

By Paul Gambles

You may have noticed that there has been some commotion in the currency markets of late.

Having experienced a strong USD for the best part of two years, the US dollar took a sharp downturn once Donald Trump took office, with talk of the greenback’s days as a global reserve currency being numbered.

With that backdrop I already expected last February for the dollar to strengthen – making me feel quite lonely amongst advisors. Since then, however, the dollar Index has strengthened to levels similar to around March last year – the mid-point of the price drop (see chart).

Whilst the dollar may not be out of favour just yet, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the it is on the rebound either. Like the British pound in the 1920s, it’s too soon to bank on the USD’s long-term demise just now, unless you can afford to be wrong for a long period of time. Yet, I’m also wary of short-term bullishness and prefer to look to use the USD as a longer-term source of alpha.

In its guise as the most representative anti-dollar currency (because it represents almost two-thirds of the dollar Index), the euro could provide some short-term relief in the event of further dollar weakness. Yet, the euro is a currency accident waiting to happen at some point.

Since the 2000 and 2008 financial crises, the US and China have become alarmingly dependent on various policy stimuli. As the European Union is in the same situation, this means that the economies that make up two-thirds of world GDP now have relatively little linkage between economic strength and asset prices.

Because currencies’ values are determined relative to both assets and foreign exchange rates, it makes it difficult to understand in which way they are heading. It largely involves guessing 34

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not just the response of a central bank or government within the country of currency issuance but also the responses of FX markets to various policymakers operating in various countries. Consequently, I don’t believe it’s possible to accurately forecast currency movement on a day-to-day basis.

However, I do have a few opinions as to what may happen, which I explain in detail in the corresponding MBMG IA Client Note, which you can obtain on request.

Here are some of them: To start with, if the US growth outlook is good, Fed policy will likely be positive for the dollar. If US growth falls significantly culminating in a negative global impact, I think there would be a reasonable chance that investors would perceive the US dollar as a safe investment, especially in the long run, and thus boost the greenback that way.

It’s impossible to call what will happen to the yuan, as the People’s Bank of China has far greater control than a central bank has with any genuinely freefloating currency – we don’t know what the policy-makers in Beijing will decide next. Their decisions also affect ASEAN countries: this was evident in June when, just after the PBoC’s response to the Fed’s policy announcements, the Singapore dollar and the Philippine peso highly coincidentally (?!?) stopped tracking the yuan and have since largely stuck to the USD (see chart). .

There may be a small retrace of US dollar prices in the short term. However, in the longer run I see a reasonable probability for a dollar spike in the next few years, to levels significantly higher than today; although I wouldn’t anticipate this happening in a straight line. This is far from inevitable, though – changes in Fed or PBoC policy could easily reduce the likelihood of a spike.

In any case, before a sharp rise, I think there’ll be a period of weakness (perhaps lasting multiple years). It seems unlikely that any major event would cause a permanent reduction in the USD’s relative value and USD purchasing power, as well as asset and commodity prices, point to higher mediumterm prices than we currently have.

Overall, I’m neutral-to-marginallybearish on USD and there is the possibility of a flight from euro and the pound. The yuan will be whatever Beijing wants it to be and consequently ASEAN currencies will remain under pressure, and the yen is no safe haven.

I expect the AUD, CAD to behave just like the euro: as anti-dollars, but without the existential risks.

Gold remains extremely good relative and absolute value in the medium term and also provides a hedge to many of the FX risks out there. It can certainly fall from here but at these levels, accumulating a gold position would be both our preferred FX profit and hedge strategy at this time.

Paul Gambles is Managing Director, MBMG Investment Advisory, Bangkok. Paul is also licensed by the SEC as both a Securities Fundamental Investment Analyst and an Investment Planner.

MBMG Investment Advisory Co., Ltd. 75/56 Ocean Tower2, 26th Fl. Soi Sukhumvit 19 (Wattana), Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110 For more information and to speak with our advisor, please contact us at info@mbmg-investment.com or call on +66 2 665 2534.

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35

Vienna takes top spot in liveability rankings V

ienna had outscored Melbourne to become the world’s most liveable city, according to the latest findings of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Ranking.

The Ranking provides scores for lifestyle challenges in 139 cities worldwide. An improvement in security scores, propelled by a return to relative stability across much of Europe, has been chiefly responsible for Vienna’s rise to the top.

However, the difference between Vienna and Melbourne is marginal at just 0.7 percent. Other Australian cities continue to perform well with Sydney (fifth) and Adelaide (tenth) joining Melbourne in the top 10 liveable cities.

Bangkok is ranked 98 out of 139 cities with a rating of 66 compared to Vienna’s 99.1. The liveability ratings are based on scores for education, infrastructure, culture and environment, healthcare and stability.

Survey editor Roxana Slavcheva said, “Although Melbourne can no longer claim the title of the most liveable city in the world, Asia Pacific cities have a lot to boast. With a global top 10 containing three Australian cities and two in Japan, Australasia clearly dominates the top performers. At the other end of the scale, three of the cities posing the highest number of challenges to daily life are also located in the region. The picture is a lot more nuanced.”

Elsewhere in the region, Osaka and Tokyo climbed up the rankings over the past year to enter the top 10 at third and seventh positions respectively. The improved rankings for

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Vienna is a winter wonderland.

both cities may be attributed to a consistent decline in crime rates and improvements in public transport that have pushed the overall ratings for both cities to over 95 percent.

Both cities are at their highest positions since the survey began over a decade ago.

Hong Kong’s ranking fell dramatically in 2015 as a result of heightened fears of unrest as part of the so-called Umbrella Revolution but the former British Territory has largely recovered and now sits in 35th place. Although it was overtaken by Singapore in the rankings for the first time last

Top 10 liveable cities Country

City

Rank

Overall Rating (100=ideal)

Stability

Healthcare

Culture & Environment

Education

Infrastructure

Austria

Vienna

1

99.1

100.0

100.0

96.3

100.0

100.0

Australia

Melbourne

2

98.4

95.0

100.0

98.6

100.0

100.0

Japan

Osaka

3

97.7

100.0

100.0

93.5

100.0

96.4

Canada

Calgary

4

97.5

100.0

100.0

90.0

100.0

100.0

Australia

Sydney

5

97.4

95.0

100.0

94.4

100.0

100.0

Canada

Vancouver

6

97.3

95.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

92.9

Canada

Toronto

7

97.2

100.0

100.0

97.2

100.0

89.3

Japan

Tokyo

7

97.2

100.0

100.0

94.4

100.0

92.9

Denmark

Copenhagen

9

96.8

95.0

95.8

95.4

100.0

100.0

Australia

Adelaide

10

96.6

95.0

100.0

94.2

100.0

96.4

year, led by a 2.9 percent improvement in stability. As the destabilising effects of civil unrest and the threat of terrorism gradually decline, 68 cities have seen their liveability rankings improve over the past year.

Docklands twilight, Melbourne Castle in Osaka

Castle in Osaka

year, Hong Kong has now surpassed its regional rival, albeit with only a marginal difference of 0.1 percent overall. Singapore’s score also registered an improvement in the public healthcare category, boasting the highest possible score.

tric vehicles, whose larger impact on liveability in Chinese cities, and especially in the Greater Bay area, remains to be seen.

Although liveability scores for most Chinese cities did not change over the last year, Shenzhen registered a modest improvement of 0.7 percent after it electrified its entire fleet of public transit buses. This measure is one of the first successes in a nationwide effort to transition to elec-

Global liveability has improved for the consecutive second year from 74.8 percent in 2017 to 75.7 percent this

This compares with declines in just nine cities, four of which are located in Asia: Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, Colombo and Dhaka. These declines reflect, chiefly, an impact on culture and environment indicators with scores for Kathmandu and Dhaka being affected by pollution and declining air quality - a factor that, increasingly, is having repercussions on liveability standards in Asia. The list of least liveable cities includes Damascus, Tripoli and Karachi.

The EIU is headquartered in London, UK, with offices in more than 40 cities and a network of some 750 country experts and analysts worldwide. It operates independently as the business-to-business arm of The Economist Group, the leading source of analysis on international business and world affairs. * A summary of the full report is available at: http://www.eiu.com/Liveability

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37

NACC guidelines for Juristic Persons U

K business leaders in Thailand are being encouraged to read the guidelines for Juristic Persons published by the National Anti-Corruption Commission. In a foreword to the 65-page report NACC President, Pol. Col. Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, writes: ‘We are living in an increasingly integrated and borderless world in which businesses are constantly under pressure to meet market expectations and thrive under intense competition.

These challenging global business conditions have prompted the international community to collectively step its efforts to combat transnational bribery, an unethical business practice that distorts market mechanisms and prevents fair competition.

One such regulatory approach to promote organisational cultures that encourage ethical conduct and corporate-wide commitment to compliance is the establishing of a system of strong anti-bribery compliance measures and internal control.

NACC President, Pol.Col. Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit

This guidance document, which sets out the fundamental elements of what constitutes effective internal control by a juristic person to prevent its employees and its associated persons from bribing public officials, is produced as part of a wider effort by the NACC to tackle the supply side of corruption.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) attaches great importance to cooperation with the private sector – a key engine for Thailand’s economic growth –and stands ready to take necessary legislative, policy and enforcement measures to support the promotion of corruption-intolerant business culture in Thailand.

It is the practical product of an inclusive, open and constructive dialogue that spanned over 14 months and benefited invaluably from broad input from over 500 stakeholders representing law enforcement agencies, regulators, chambers of commerce, industrial federations and professional associations.

It is globally recognised that a private sector committed to upholding the principles of good corporate governance and transparency invariably improves a country’s overall trade and investment climate and contributes to its sustainable growth.

The practical guidelines intend to provide a broad framework for companies to develop robust and effective anti-bribery programmes and internal control measures that are in line with international standards and best practices.

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Apart from ensuring legal compliance and limiting potential criminal liability of the juristic person, the adoption of effective and robust antibribery procedures entails other potential benefits.

A carefully-designed internal control system, for instance, enhances the company’s overall ability to deter and detect abuse and misuse of resources by its employees or business partners.

On behalf of the NACC, I would like express my sincere appreciation for all the hard work and dedication provided by the editorial team and external experts representing the private and public sectors.

The NACC eagerly looks forward to future collaboration with partners from all sectors to achieve the vision as set forth by the National Strategic Plan on Prevention and Suppression of Bribery, phase 3 (2017 – 2021) to create a ‘Zero Tolerance & Clean Thailand’.

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39

Tourism Minister leads safety review T

hailand is set to undertake a ‘sweeping overhaul’ of the country’s safety and security measures relevant to the travel and tourism industry, according to a media statement issued by the TAT. Addressing a half-day form attended by more than 150 industry representatives Khun Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports, said that Thailand had experienced numerous incidents impacting the safety and security of both Thais and foreign tourists, creating a negative impact on the image of tourism.

In the short term he said it could lead to cancellation of travel bookings. In the longer term it could lead to a lack of confidence in the service business, especially in relation to the safety and security of life and property of tourists.

The forum, titled ‘Travel around Thailand, Safe Everywhere’, was also attended by TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn and representatives of private and public sector associations.

If Thai tourism is to maintain its competitive advantage, in accordance with the 20-year national development strategy (2017–2037), it will be necessary to set measures and guidelines to strictly enforce the rules and regulations and ensure proper coordination among all the various entities, the delegates were told.

The Minister added that Thailand attracted 35 million visitors in 2017, ‘equal to the population of a sizeable country’. He said that ‘the decline in arrivals from China which followed recent accidents such as the boat mishap off Phuket was not important compared to the value of a human life’.

“For sure, we can launch another marketing campaign based on discounted 40

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Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports

rates but it is more important to win the hearts of the Chinese people by showing them that we are truly sorry for the accident and that we are serious about fixing the problem that caused it,” the Minister stated.

Governor Yuthasak said that the TAT was responsible for maintaining the competitiveness of tourism marketing and ensuring visitor satisfaction.

As such, the outcomes of the safety and security forum would go a long way towards ensuring that Thailand remains a ‘preferred destination’ for global visitors.

All the measures and recommended

actions generated by the forum will be divided into three parts: Preparation Measures, Crisis Management Measures, Post-Crisis Relief Measures, and then communicated to the National Tourism Policy Board and the Cabinet to approve for further action by the relevant agencies.

Governor Yuthasak added, “The overall goal is to reduce the number of accidents, crime and threats to the life and property of tourists. This will ensure the good image of Thailand as a quality tourist destination and boost the confidence of tourists in our safety and security measures.”

Demand increases for air travel

N

ew figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) show that demand for air travel rose by 7.8 percent in the 12 months to 30 June 2018.

Demand is measured in total revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs). June capacity (available seat kilometres or ASKs) increased by 6.5 percent and the load factor rose by one percentage point to 82.8 percent.

“The first half of 2018 concluded with another month of above-trend demand growth, which is a good indicator for the peak summer travel season in the northern hemisphere, but the looming prospect of a global trade war is casting a long shadow.

Additionally, rising cost inputs with fuel prices having soared by approximately 60 percent over the past year.

This is reducing the stimulus of lower fares,� said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The first six months of 2018 produced demand growth of seven percent, down from 8.3 percent growth recorded in the first half of 2017.

Initial Q2 2018 data results point to a moderate squeeze on airline profitability compared to the same quarter a year ago. However, industry-wide

cash flow generation increased this quarter compared with Q2 2017.

Global airline share prices rose for the first time since January this year and outpaced developments in the overall global equity index.

The improvement in the airline share price index was dominated by North America, with modest gains in Europe & Asia Pacific. Airline shares are still 10 percent lower than at the beginning of this year.

Oil prices eased slightly again in July but the upward trend remains in place.

Jet fuel prices dipped back below US$90 but remain almost 40 percent higher than their level of a year ago.

IATA states that despite rising input costs there are signs of renewed downward pressure on passenger yields.

Yields in the less price-sensitive premium-class cabin have generally proven to be more resilient than the economy cabin, despite signs of weakness in May.

Alexandre de Juniac

Passenger demand carried solid momentum into the peak Northern Hemisphere summer period but freight demand was showing signs of some moderation.

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41

Ploenchit Fair returns to British Embassy T

his year’s Ploenchit Fair will be hosted at the British Embassy Bangkok on Saturday 24th November. There’s something for everyone at this popular annual event including games, rides and competitions for the kids and adults.

The main stage will host a variety of bands and performers throughout the day. Food and drink will be available from some of the best bars and restaurants in Bangkok.

There are opportunities for Christmas shopping at the Petticoat Lane Bazaar where some vendors will be selling handicrafts, homewares, clothes, accessories, books and jewellery.

The fair is planned, organised and managed by the BCTFN (British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy) along with an army of over 2000 volunteers. Many organisations assist the BCTFN including private and public companies, the British Embassy and the BCCT. The organisation has evolved from humble beginnings in 1946 as the more simply titled ‘Charity Fair’, through to the 1950’s when it be came

established as the United Kingdom Committee for Thai Charities (UKCTC) under the auspices of the British Embassy.

In 1999 it became a fully authorised and recognised Thai Charity Foundation. The name changed to reflect Thai law which required the name of the charitable foundation to reflect clearly its purpose.

The BCTFN disburses funds to a wide range of projects. Since 2000 the Fair has raised over THB 70

million which has benefited a diverse range of organisations. In recent years, priority has been given to self-help projects that benefit and enable a community to become selfsustaining.

Assistance has also been given in the provision of basic necessities and equipment to improve healthcare, nutrition, education, agricultural projects and the disabled throughout Thailand.

Donations are never made in cash.

Once a project is approved, building plans, estimates and invoices are met by the BCTFN and payment is made directly to contractors and suppliers.

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43

Member News

Banking on Thailand’s economic growth

S

tandard Chartered is sticking to its 4.3 percent growth forecast for Thailand this year, reiterating its non-consensus call for a tightening of monetary policy.

Thailand is relatively insulated from global trade and geopolitical headwinds, the country’s external balances are strong, as they are less dependent on trade and bolstered by an extremely strong services account and tourism sector. The pickup in economic growth is expected to continue. The GDP growth this year is set to exceed four percent (which seen as potential growth), after fall-

ing to below one percent after the political turmoil of 2013.

“More or less, the three factors will have an impact across the globe.

However, Thailand’s internal factors weigh more on the potential growth of the country at the moment. Thailand has mega-projects related to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) as a long-term growth catalyst. With the likelihood of elections taking place early next year, investors are optimistic about the Thai markets,” said Standard Chartered economist Tim Leelahaphan.

Figure 1: Thailand macroeconomic forecasts 2020

2020

2020

GDP growth (real % y/y)

4.3

4.5

5.0

CPI (% annual average)

1.5

2.3

3.0

Policy rate (%)*

2.0

2.5

2.75

Current Account balance (% GDP)

9.0

7.0

3.0

Fiscal balance (% GDP)**

-3.0

-3.0

-3.0

*end period **for fiscal year ending in September (Source: Standard Chartered Research

Standard Chartered Bank maintains its call for robust global growth of four percent this year, the strongest in five years, as economic fundamentals have remained solid. Unlike in previous years, growth this year has been broad-based and synchronised across regions. However, due to a number of tail risks, Standard Chartered Bank is ‘uncomfortably optimistic’ as these could eventually undermine confidence in the major economies, which has so far been resilient in the face of political event risks.

“We flag three main sources of risk to global growth, which we will continue to monitor closely: 1) the consequences of the end of the Quantitative Easing era, 2) the intended and unintended consequences of a possible full-scale USChina trade war, and 3) the sensitivity of many economies to an oil price shock,” according to Standard Chartered Bank’s Global Research team.

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Tim Leelahaphan

“However, most of the positive drivers have already been factored in for the Thai market. Unless there’s a new driving catalyst, Thailand’s economy is likely to grow at this moderate pace,” added Tim. Policy – Rising expectations of policy rate normalisation Standard Chartered Bank has maintained its expectation of the Bank of Thailand raising its policy rate by 25 basis points in September and another in the fourth quarter of 2018.

This anticipation differs from the consensus view that the central bank will keep policy rates on hold for the rest of this year.

However, the latest minutes of the Monetary Policy Committee meet-

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ing, suggested that the trend is leaning towards tightening.

“Our call is supported by improving domestic growth, monetary policy tightening in other countries (both regionally and globally), and the clear shift in the Bank of Thailand’s stance towards tightening. Inflation and the second quarter GDP data to be released ahead of the September Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting will be crucial,” said Tim.

HSBC launches digital trade transaction tracker

“We continue to question the meaningfulness of the current headline inflation target and, more importantly, the ability of monetary policy to manage headline inflation given that raw food and energy prices make up about 30% of the inflation basket. We believe the central bank may adjust the target early next year; this would have a significant impact on the market’s policy rate expectations.”

Politics – Q3 to see more progress towards elections The elections are likely to be held in early next year supported by several significant developments, including timeline of relevant bills and enforcement.

“Our recent conversations with investors suggest that they widely expect post-election policy continuity.

It remains to be seen whether this can provide a longer-term boost to the economy via new growth catalysts,” said Tim.

HSBC has launched the Trade Transaction Tracker, a mobile application that enables businesses to track trade transactions on a realtime basis.

“Based on our expectation of strong external balances and monetary policy tightening, we expect a stronger THB over the medium term.

This feature is built into the existing HSBCnet mobile application and the introduction of Trade Transaction Tracker in Thailand follows its launch in key markets throughout the region including Hong Kong, India, Australia, Singapore and China.

“In conclusion, the patchy recovery of the Thai economy over the past years is gaining greater momentum.

Looking forward, we are optimistic about the potential growth and the resilient foundation of the economy that is ready to take off once triggered by supportive drivers.”

The Trade Transaction Tracker is a simple, easy-to-use tool that helps customers track status of their trade transactions with real time information. It provides a consolidated view of import and export documentary credit and collections transactions across markets in one single app.

Currency outlook

Krisda Phatcharoen, HSBC Thailand’s Head of Commercial Banking, said, “HSBC has been investing in digital innovation to make global trade simpler, better and faster for our customers. In today’s fast changing world there is increasing demand by businesses to run international business activity using mobile phones.

“It is important to keep our services competitive and the Trade Transaction Tracker is an innovative tool to simplify the entire trade transaction tracking process, allowing businesses to better manage their global trade flows anytime and from anywhere.”

HSBC Thailand has also launched its digitised Supply Chain Finance solution which allows buyers to automate funding processes and to reduce manual processing time.

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Member News

Making the right move

A

llied Pickfords Bangkok has been awarded the prestigious Customer’s Choice Award for Asia Pacific. This award is given annually to the SIRVA agent that provides outstanding customer service and experiences growth in all aspects of their household goods international moving business.

Qualifying agents must have excellent quality and customer satisfaction scores along with a superior claims/safety record. The award was announced by parent organisation SIRVA Worldwide Relocation & Moving, based in Chicago.

“There is no question that Allied Pickfords has set the highest standard for exceptional service in international moving,” said Bob Thomas, VP and general manager of International Moving. “We’re proud to recognise this agent which has mastered the complexities of in-

Pictured from left to right: Jacob George, President - Asia & Middle East at SIRVA; Michael Ellis, Managing Director - Allied Pickfords Thailand; Guy Ellis, Sales & Marketing Manager - Allied Pickfords Thailand and Deborah Wonson, Director - Global Networks at SIRVA.

ternational moving and maintains the necessary knowledge of foreign regulations to make customers feel comfortable and safe about an

important milestone in their life.

Congratulations to Allied Pickfords Bangkok for achieving such a high level of success.”

Top awards for Royal Orchid Sheraton

R

oyal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers has received the award for ‘Luxury hotel & restaurant of of the year’ in the 2018 Luxury Travel Guide Awards.

“We are honoured to have received this outstanding recognition for our hotel services and facilities together with our exquisite culinary experiences that we offer to guests as we are constantly endeavouring to exceed our guests’ expectations,” said General Manager Michael Schlueter.

The Luxury Travel Guide Awards celebrate the very best accommodation providers in the world’s most sought after destinations. All winners of the awards are subject to the same rigorous assessment criteria, carried out by in-house pro46

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fessionals and celebrity judges to ensure that only the most deserving companies and individuals receive these prestigious accolades. The Royal Orchid Sheraton, located on the

north bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok was one of the city’s first hotels to be designed and constructed with MICE business in mind.

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Member News

Dulwich College expands in Yangon

D

ulwich College Yangon has spent some US$8 million on additional sports facilities at its StarCity campus. The school is making this capital investment to develop the first phase of two worldclass campuses in partnership with Yoma Strategic Holdings.

Daryl Orchard, Founding Headmaster of Dulwich College Yangon, said, “We believe that to develop learning at the very highest levels requires the very best facilities. In today’s competitive world, excellent exam results alone are not enough to gain entry into the world’s top universities.

“Extracurricular achievements are equally as important as academic achievements. We broaden the students’ breadth of experience to include key life skills such as sport, music, performing arts, public speaking and community service.”

The 20-acre StarCity campus features state-of-the-art sports facilities including a 400-metre running track, indoor gymnasium, dance

studio and aquatic centre with a 10lane, 50-metre swimming pool and a 20-metre training pool.

across two campuses and students benefit from cross-campus learning and shared facilities.

Dulwich College Yangon is spread

“We are developing the campuses as we continue to grow, expanding on and improving the current facilities.

Throughout our network of schools, when we establish campuses we think in terms of decades not years and are constantly looking for ways in which we can improve,” added Daryl Orchard. * Dulwich College Yangon follows the English National Curriculum and the primary language of instruction is English, with both Myanmar and Mandarin language taking an important role in the curriculum.

Dulwich College Yangon is a member of the Dulwich College International family of schools, overseen by the prestigious Dulwich College in London. Find out more at: http:// yangon.dulwich.org

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Member News

Phuket potential for hoteliers

H

otel and residential resort property developers can capitalise on Phuket’s status as a ‘top tourist destination’. That’s the view of Prakaipeth Meechoosarn, Director of Resort Property Sales, CBRE Phuket.

Khun Prakaipeth has seen the market evolve since she first joined the company in 2004. “Originally, most of the buyers were Asia-based expatriates looking for a second home. We have since seen the market expand to Russian buyers, Chinese and other Asians including Thais. Individual Thai purchasers are also looking to benefit from the robust tourism market by purchasing properties in projects that provide rental income”, she explained.

She added that Phuket’s success had spread to neighbouring provinces.

“We now talk about the Greater Phuket Market’ or ‘Andaman Coast Market’ for hotels, including the potential for residential resort properties from Khao Lak to Krabi.

Over the past 30 years, Phuket has steadily transformed from an underdeveloped island formerly dependent on tin mining and rubber to a top tourist destination.

“The future presents opportunities with the growth in the number of

people living less than four hours flight away who have started going on overseas holidays. Europe saw this trend in the 1970’s and now it is Asia’s turn – further supported by the amazing growth in low-cost carriers where now, literally almost everyone can fly.”

Bangkok’s condo market set for more project launches

T

he overall state of the condominium market in Bangkok during the second quarter of 2018 was still good in terms of demand and prices, according to Knight Frank Thailand Research.

In Q2 2018, a total of 8,894 new units entered the market, a decrease of 47 compared to Q1 with industry operators turning their attention towards the development of areas in the city’s Central Business District (CBD) and in the suburbs.

New supply declined by more than half compared to the previous quarter with most operators planning to launch new projects during the second half of 2018.

This is reflected, states the company, by the number of new units launched in these two areas which increased by over 6.5 percent and 2.2 percent respectively in comparison with the

first three months of 2018.

The most popular locations were along the train extension lines, notably the Light Green, Blue and Yellow Lines. Ladprao, Phaholyothin, Petchkasem, and Charansanitwong also witnessed project launches.

The Sukhumvit sector of the CBD remained the most popular locale among operators during Q2 2018 with two new luxury projects coming on stream at Asoke and Ekamai.

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Member News

Modest improvement for Thailand in transparency rankings

T

hailand ranks 34th in the latest biannual Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) 2018 published by property consultancy firm JLL. This ranking represents a modest improvement from the 2016 edition of the Index where the country was ranked in 38th position. Compared to the other six countries in south east Asia covered by the Index, Thailand is ranked as the third most transparent real estate market in the sub-region, followed by Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar (ranked globally in 42nd, 48th, 61st and 73rd positions respectively).

This 10th edition of the Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) contains the most comprehensive country comparisons of data availability, governance, transaction processes, property rights and the regulatory/legal environment around the world.

The 2018 Index covers 100 countries and 158 city markets, and the number of individual factors covered has increased by 36 percent to 186 factors.

Mrs. Suphin Mechuchep, Managing Director of JLL, said “Transparency across Thailand’s real estate markets has continuously improved over the last decade thanks largely to increased availability of and access to market data.

“While the growth of listed companies and real estate investment vehicles has contributed a lot to improving financial disclosures, greater regulatory enforcement, the planned introduction of a new property tax system and steps to digitise its land registry will underpin the

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Khun Suphin Mechuchep

country’s improvement in real estate transparency further. The improved level of transparency represents a sign of growing maturity of Thailand’s real estate market. It helps owners, investors and occupiers to identify opportunities and anticipate challenges more accurately and, consequently, make better real estate decisions.”

Asia Pacific’s mature economies such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan have a significant opportunity to advance real estate transparency through ‘proptech adoption’. These leading investment destinations are on the cusp of the ‘highly transparent’ tier, and are poised to join the top group which includes countries such as Australia, New Zealand, USA and UK. “The proptech sector is growing fast, especially in Asia, though adoption is still relatively low compared to North America and Europe,” said Jeremy Kelly, Director of Global Research at JLL.

“We believe the Singapore government could play a key role in promoting proptech adoption through opendata initiatives and the pioneering of blockchain technology. The potential benefits of proptech are certainly not limited to transparent markets. It could also help improve transparency in semi-transparent markets like China which has a vibrant proptech sector and where traditional data sources are lacking.”

Another key area of potential improvement for both Singapore and Hong Kong is in sustainability transparency. Strengthening energy efficiency requirements, carbon reporting and stricter energy consumption disclosure will help them make the step up; and in this regard, they could emulate Japan, which has become a global leader in sustainability transparency.

“Asia Pacific as a whole has made the strongest transparency improvements since 2016 compared to the other four regions covered by the

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study,” said Dr Megan Walters, Head of Research – Asia Pacific at JLL. “This is supported by developments in Myanmar, Macau, Thailand, India and South Korea.”

Myanmar has registered the most significant improvement globally, moving up 15 places to join the ‘low transparency’ group. According to the report, the country continues to open up its economy as increasing investor demand translates into greater market intelligence.

For the first time, South Korea has nudged into the ‘transparent’ tier with heightened investor activity pushing improvements in data coverage and a new carbon emissions trading scheme.

Macau has also advanced with a focus on anti-money laundering, resulting in increased monitoring by financial regulators

Baker McKenzie brand retains regional strength

B

aker McKenzie has been named by market research organisation Acritas as the region’s strongest law firm brand for the second consecutive year.

Baker McKenzie received top scores for its multi-jurisdictional litigation and deals work, two of the eight metrics used to compile the Asia Pacific Law Firm Brand Index 2018.

Acritas reports that Baker McKenzie

stood out for its ability ‘to service the cross-border international needs of buyers in the region’.

The Asia Pacific Law Firm Brand Index 2018 is compiled from data analysis arising from the Sharplegal survey. The data is derived from 441 interviews conducted in 11 countries.

More details at: www.acritas.com/ asia-pacific-alternative-legal-brandindex-2018.

Dr Walters added, “It’s also worth noting that India’s reform-driven government has made significant progress in its agenda to improve transparency and reduce corruption.

The Real Estate Regulatory Act, which was passed in 2016 and implemented in 2017, is a regional highlight. The country joins China, Indonesia and Thailand at the top end of the ‘semi-transparent’ tier.”

Progress has been made on sustainability transparency across the region.

South Korea introduced a carbon emissions trading scheme; meanwhile Vietnam established its own marketspecific Green Building Certification System several years ago and is implementing mandatory minimum energy efficiency standards for all new buildings and major retrofits.

Improvements in transparency in some Asian countries have been accompanied by record-breaking commercial real estate investment volumes. In 2017, real estate transactions in the Asia Pacific region reached a record US$149 billion.

SENA Development and Knight Frank Thailand have teamed up to launch the Niche MONO Tiwanon condominium project. This new project, with convenient MRT access (Ministry of Public Health station) features a comprehensive ‘co-creation space’ designed to cater to a ‘new generation of urbanites’. The large common area includes a media hub, business centre, kitchen & BBQ terrace. Prices start at THB 2.1 million.

Pictured at the project’s launch: Dr. Kessara Thanyalakpark - Deputy Chief Executive Officer of SENA Development Pcl (middle); Phanom Kanjanathiemthao - Managing Director of Knight Frank Thailand (second from right), and Frank Khan - Executive Director and Head of Residential, Knight Frank Thailand (second from left).

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Member news Pic: Khun Aliwassa Member News Rocketing land prices in Bangkok

Rocketing land prices in Bangkok

Land prices in Central Bangkok have increased by one thousand percent since 1988 – the year that CBRE established an office in Bangkok.

L

and prices in Central Bangkok have increased by one thousand percent since 1988 – the year that CBRE established an office in Bangkok.

Highest landper prices perwah square wah in downtown Highest land prices square in downtown Bangkok Bangkok

Land prices rose dramatically during the ‘Asian Tiger’ boom years from 1988 to 1996 before the market came to a grinding halt in the 1997 financial crisis.

Growth resumed in the early 2000s and there has been a rapid escalation of prices over the past two years for prime central business district (CBD) sites, according to CBRE. Two landmark transactions in the late 1980s were the acquisition of a 3.17 acre site on Sathorn by the original developer of Empire Tower and the acquisition of an 8.5-acre plot on Wireless Road, then the site of Standard Chartered Bank manager’s house, by the M Thai Group which became All Seasons Place.

More recent sales include the Australian Embassy in Sathorn and the controversial sale of the British Embassy in Wireless Road site to the Central Group/Hongkong Land joint venture.

Land price increases in Bangkok over the past 30 years have not been uniform with a huge change in the city’s development patterns.

Historically, the commercial city centre was on Charoenkrung Road and the Government Centre was on Ratanakosin Island. In the 1950s and 1960s, the commercial centre moved to Silom and Surawongse Roads.

Bangkok grew in the 1970s and 1980s but did not have a clearly defined city centre and development spread as new roads were built, but this has now changed.

The two big changes have been the opening and extension of the mass

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Source: CBRESource: Research Capital Markets - Investment & &Land, 2018 CBREand Research and Capital Markets - Investment Land, July July 2018

transit system with the first during BTS Line In the 1980s 1990s Land prices rose dramatically the ‘Asian Tiger’ boomand years from Bangkok 1988 to in 1999 and the MRT Dark Blue Line spread further and further outwards 1996 before the market came to a grinding halt in the 1997 financial crisis. in 2004.

but, in the 2000s, Bangkok has become more inward looking with the Growth resumed in the early 2000s and there has been a rapid escalation of prices The mass transit lines have changed adoption of high-rise condominium over past years for prime work, central business district (CBD) sites, according thethe way thattwo Bangkok residents living and the growth of modern of- to CBRE. live and play. By the mid-2020s, fice space. The city centre is now beBangkok should have about 460 kicoming more clearly defined and the of transactions mass transit inlines, com-1980snext of development willacre be site Twolometres landmark the late wereround the acquisition of a 3.17 to by thethe 402-kilometre London builtTower on many remaining un-8.5on pared Sathorn original developer of Empire and of thethe acquisition of an Underground system. sites suchBank as the 105-rai acre plot on Wireless Road, then the site of der-utilised Standard Chartered manager’s Suan Lum site of the One Bangkok house, by the M Thai Group which became All Seasons Place.

The popularity of Bangkok’s mass development on the corner of Rama transit routes with over 1.2 million 4 and Wireless roads.

More recent sales theland Australian users a day has include increased values Embassy in Sathorn and the controversial salenext of the British Embassy in Wireless site to the Central Group/Hongkong prices are starting to form a to stations, but not every line orRoadLand Land joint isventure. much greater proportion of total destation equally attractive. Land valvelopment costs as they have risen at ues have been partially determined faster costs.with by price the popularity line andover a staLand increases of in aBangkok the past 30 rates years than have construction not been uniform The total development costs, mainly tion. a huge change in the city’s development patterns. due to the increase in land prices, have risen, driving condominiums “The other big determinant of land Historically, city centre was onhigher Charoenkrung Road the prices and raising theand revprices has the beencommercial urban planning and needed to make building regulations, particularly Government Centre was on Ratanakosinenue Island.

In the 1950srental and projects 1960s, the feasible. those governing how much space commercial centre moved to Silom and Surawongse Roads. can be built, obviously if less space CBRE expects that central Bangkok can be built on a site then the land Bangkok grew the 1970s and Kul1980s but not have defined willdid continue to abeclearly the most pre-city is worth less,”in observed Khun location for but thethis besthas hotels, wadee Sawangsri, Executive Director centre and development spread as new ferred roads were built, now offices, retail centres, residences and for Capital Markets – Investment & changed. other types of buildings such as hosLand at CBRE Thailand. pitals. Bangkok will have a clearly defined city centre with extended Planning and building regulations development along the mass transit have become increasingly stricter and line routes concentrated in clusters more sophisticated and are now a key around the stations. factor in determining land price.

Member News

The rate of increase of land prices will depend on the level of development activity and the returns that can be generated from development. This will vary depending on what can be built and how much customers can afford to pay either to buy or rent in the completed developments.

As the number of freehold potential development sites in Central Bangkok declines, CBRE experts are predicting that land prices will continue to rise.

In some cases, land prices will be higher than the value of the existing building on the plot and we will see a greater number of older buildings being demolished and the sites being redeveloped.

Examples include the demolition of Kian Gwan Tower I on Wireless road and Vanissa Building on Chidlom road. There are also plans to demolish the Dusit Thani Hotel and redevelop the site. So far, it has only been single ownership buildings that have been demolished.

The condominium law requires that 100 percent of co-owners agree to revoke the condominium - thus enabling it to be sold and redeveloped.

This has not happened to date although there are now some condominiums where the total value of all the units is less than the vacant possession value of the land on which the condominium has been built.

The sale of all the units and the redevelopment of the site has taken

place in other countries, particularly in Singapore where the number of co-owners needing to agree to a block sale is lower. CBRE thinks it will be very difficult to get 100 percent of condominium owners in Bangkok to agree to sell all the units to a developer.

“Assuming that planning regulations do not change and the amount of space that can be built on sites remains the same, then Bangkok’s CBD land prices are likely to continue to rise,” concluded Khun Aliwassa Pathnadabutr, Managing Director of CBRE Thailand, who has worked for the company since the first office opened in 1988.

The increases will not be constant and will be in stages in line with the economy and property development cycle.

Ray’s on board at KIS KIS students are now enjoying new academic and sports facilities.

Expansion plans mark anniversary

K

IS International School is marking its 20th anniversary with major capital projects to enhance facilities for its 700 pupils.

The new arts centre, design centre, drama suite and offices opened in July 2018 and a new swimming pool and indoor sports courts is schedule to be ready for use in January 2019.

The school hosted a recent visit

by The Council of International Schools and the International Baccalaureate as part of the fiveyear re-evaluation process. The visit confirmed KIS’s status as an authorised IB (International Baccalaureate) World School and a CIS accredited school.

KIS International School Bangkok has welcomed Ray Davis to its Executive Board.

Ray Davis is Director of School Support & Evaluation Services at the Council of International Schools (CIS), where he has global responsibility for supporting over 740 member schools in 116 countries that participate in the CIS accreditation and evaluation process.

Ray was previously Headmaster in the UK and has also led international schools in Singapore and Malaysia.

He has an MA in International Education Management from the University of Bath.

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Member News

Edmund Tie appoints new COO

E

dmund Tie & Company (ET&Co) has appointed Khun Punnee Sritanyalucksana (Pom) as Chief Operating Officer (COO) in Thailand

Khun Pom has spent most of her career in real estate with both developers and consultancies. As the new COO Khun Pom is focussing upon on growing the professional and agency business as well as expanding and strengthening client relationships.

Khun Pom reports to Heng Hua Thong, Executive Director and Regional Head of Investment Advisory at the company’s headquarters in Singapore. Khun Pom has been with the company for 17 years.

“My priority as COO is to build a professional team offering resultoriented services that exceed clients’ expectations. Together with the great team here, our HQ in Singapore and affiliate office in Malaysia, I look forward to steering the company to scale greater heights,” she said.

“Despite fierce competition in the retail scene in Thailand, Khun Pom has managed to deliver splendid results and made Edmund Tie & Company known as a trusted brand in Thailand. I am confident she will continue with the excellent track records,” said Ong Choon Fah, CEO of Edmund Tie & Company.

Khun Punnee Sritanyalucksana

Taking off with EVA

T

aiwanese carrier EVA Air is offering discounts on air fares to BCCT members.

EVA, which operates a daily nonstop service to London Heathrow, also provides excellent connectivity to north American cities via its hub at Taipei. The route network serves more than 50 cities across Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania.

EVA operates Boeing 777 aircraft to London in a three class configuration.

EVA was the world’s first’s airline to introduce a premium economy cabin.

Visit the Eva Air website for more details. Username: BKKBCCT18 Password: BRBKK. More details at: https://booking.evaair.com/flyeva/ EVA/B2C/CIBS/Login.aspx

The always-popular ‘Last Night of the Proms’ returns to Shrewsbury International School’s riverside campus on Thursday 1 November. Drinks and dinner begins at 17.30 hrs. with the concert scheduled to begin at 19.15 hrs. Tickets are priced at THB 1,600 for adults and THB 1,100 for children and teenagers aged 8 to 18 years.

Call 02 675 1888 or or visit www.Shrewsbury.ac.th.

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Member News

Regent’s International hosts Round Square Conference

R

egent’s International School Bangkok has hosted a Round Square Global Conference.

The conference focussed upon ‘Discovery Framework’ - a new way to teach values-based education.

The event was attended by 147 students and 48 teachers from 30 Round Square schools in the UK, USA, Australia, India, Kenya, Denmark, Oman, Tanzania, China, Canada, South Africa, Japan and Hong Kong.

The objective of this students-led conference is to allow selected pupils to be involved in the ‘Discovery Framework’ that connects the various discoveries that students make on their learning journey, namely inquisitiveness, tenacity, courage, compassion, inventiveness, ability to solve problems, self-awareness,

sense of responsibility, appreciation for diversity, commitment to

Regent’s Secondary students travelled to Mae Hong Son in northern Thailand to help with Operation Smile’s medical missions. Operation Smile provides free and safe surgeries to children with a cleft lip and cleft palate as well as other birth defects and injuries. The students spent time with surgeons, medical staff and children before and after their demanding operations and distributed gifts to the patients.

sustainability, communication and team-working skills.

Primary pupils at Regent’s have raised THB 200,000 for The Good Shepherd Sisters – one of Thailand’s most deserving charities.

The pupils have also been visiting the Good Shepherd Sisters school to assist with English language classes. The cash raised is being used to erect a playground cover.

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Member News

Bromsgrove hosts action packed summer camp

S

tudents from across the ASEAN region attended this year’s action packed Bromsgrove International School summer camp.

At the end of the academic summer term, once the staff and students had left, silence descended upon the campus as another busy school year ended. At Bromsgrove International School Thailand (BIST), this silence was very short-lived as their BIST Intensive English and Adventure Summer Programme ran for a two week period at the Windsor Park Campus on the outskirts of Bangkok.

This year the school welcomed more than 60 young people from Russia, UK, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Laos PDR, Taiwan and Japan.

The summer camp programme combined academic intensive English lessons, led by fully qualified teachers with social and sporting activities, with cultural and recreational excursions and activities.

A typical camp day consisted of English lessons in the morning followed by a range of sporting activities and cultural activities in the afternoon with some off-campus trips. Students staying overnight in the boarding houses were treated to evening entertainment, giving them students a taste of what it would be like to go to an international boarding school.

Over the course of the camp, each student had the opportunity to develop a wide array of personal development skills. Learning how to sail; completing problem-solving challenges; learning tactics through playing various team games; performing on stage in the school’s

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520-seat theatre and getting muddy whilst learning about nature and our environmental challenges, are just a few examples.

Throughout their stay, the camp students were able to take advantage of the well-equipped school facilities on the Windsor Park campus.

For more details BIST Intensive English and Adventure Summer Programme and Bromsgrove International School day and boarding British curriculum programmes, call the Admissions Team at +66 (0) 2 989 4873; email enquiries@ bromsgrove.ac.th or visit: www. bromsgrove.ac.th.

Member News

Time for tea at Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok

T

he enchanting love story of Jay and Daisy is the inspiration for a new Afternoon Tea set at Mondo – the all day dining venue at the Hilton Sukhumvit Hotel Bangkok.

The tea set includes recipes and flavours brought to Thailand by Jay and Daisy during their maritime adventure that concluded in Bangkok.

This new Afternoon Tea set is presented in a leather-bound picnic case and reflects the fascinating décor at Mondo that features luggage brought by the character known as Jay when he arrived in Thailand as part of his Asian adventure.

“This is probably Bangkok’s most photogenic Afternoon Tea presentation and we’re looking forward to viewing the social media posts of our local and international guests in the weeks and months ahead,” said hotel General Manager Ian Barrow.

Regional award for Mazars

Alex Cruz

BA faces compensation claims over security breach

M

azars has been crowned as Xero’s Regional Partner of the Year – Asia. The annual Xero awards recognise excellence across the book keeping and accounting sectors as well as thirdparty app developers. The award was presented to Jonathan Fryer, Mazars Accounting and Payroll Services partner.

He said, “It is fantastic recognition of the work we are doing for our clients in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines. Our clients range from local startups to multinationals, but one common goal at Mazars is multicountry engagement and to support and drive cross-border growth for our clients.

“Mazars prides itself on operating a truly global model, able to support its clients consistently and seam-

B

ritish Airways CEO Alex Cruz has promised to compensate customers affected by the theft of payment card data.

Jonathan Fryer

lessly across Asia and the rest of the world,” added Jonathan Fryer. “This award is proof of our leadership in Asia, leveraging Xero to provide high-quality and innovative services to our clients. We are proud to have been honoured with this award and would like to thank Xero for recognising our hard work.”

The awards ceremony was held at Xerocon 2018 in Brisbane, Australia.

Details of 380,000 cards were hijacked by hackers during the major security breach of the BA website and mobile app between 21 August and 5 September.

Mr. Cruz described the theft as a ‘sophisticated, malicious criminal attack’. Last year the CEO faced flak over an IT meltdown during a Bank Holiday weekend that disrupted the travel plans of some 75,000 passengers. The problem was blamed on human error.

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Dataconsult

Chamber Events

value terms, is forecast to maintain 2017 performance. After a lengthy period of minimal growth, 2017 had achieved an impressive 9.8% upswing, admittedly based on virtually zero growth in 2016. This 2017 growth of 9.8% was considered hard to match in the current year, but the outlook is encouraging, with a forecast of 10%.

By the Numbers

Chris Bruton Director, Dataconsult Ltd.

T

hailand is now entering the preparatory period for a general election, due within first-half 2019, perhaps even first quarter 2019, if yet another delay is not announced in the meantime. That also means promotion of government achievements to back up promotion of current prime minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha as continuing leader after the election.

Private consumption is also forecast as attaining relatively strong growth, at 4.1% for full year 2018, as compared with 2017 at 3.2%. Public consumption will also achieve some recovery, at 2.2% growth, as compared with 2017 at 0.5%. Export growth and overall positive trends inevitably mean import growth, forecast 15.4%, but Thailand will nevertheless maintain positive trade and current amount balances.

On the domestic front, the outlook is also positive, with some recovery in investment, forecast at growth of 4.4%, recovering from poor past performance. This will be mainly reliant on public investment, a function of implementation of the government’s ambitious infrastructure development plans, with a growth forecast of 7.3%, along with private investment at 3.9% already more than doubling 2017 growth performance.

Although continuing to maintain growth at modest levels compared with overall ASEAN performance, Thailand has the prospect of good year-end performance.

This should encourage government to proceed to a long-promised election in 2019, but the outcome will remain a factor of uncertainly, inhibiting domestic and international investment.

Economic Projection for 2018 Actual Data

This, in turn, will mean maximum promotion for the economy, especially the agricultural sector where many voters still earn too modest a living. It will also mean stimulation of the general consumer sector, full employment and low inflation.

At this stage of development the outlook for the rest of 2018 appears promising to meet policy-makers’ aspirations.

The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) latest forecast indicates a GDP outlook for full year 2018 within a range of 4.2% to 4.7% with GDP growth, average of 4.5%.

This represents a clear advance on 2017 GDP of 3.9%, but below achievements of first half 2018, which reached 4.7% to 4.8% range. This promising first half has given government promoters hopes of achieving as high as 5.0% growth. However second half 2018 is less likely to maintain this pace, and the more modest NESDB forecast appears likely to be achievable.

The main engine of growth continues to be export performance, which, in US$

GDP (at current prices: Bil. Bht) GDP per capita (Bht per year) GDP (at current prices: Bil. USD) GDP per capita (USD per year)

Projection 2018

2016

2017

May 21 - 2018

Aug 20 - 2018

14,533.5 215,454.6 411.8

15,452.9 228,412.0 455.3

16,457.3 242,622.1 522.5

16,426.4 242,166.5 513.3

6,103.9

6,730.2

7,702.3

7,567.7

GDP Growth (CVM, %) Investment (CVM, %) Private (CVM, %) Public (CVM, %) Private Consumption (CVM, %)

3.3 2.8 0.5 9.5 3.0

3.9 0.9 1.7 -1.2 3.2

4.2 - 4.7 4.7 3.9 8.6 3.7

4.2 - 4.7 4.4 3.9 7.3 4.1

Government Consumption (CVM, %) Export volume of goods & services (%)

2.2 2.8

0.5 5.5

3.0 6.3

2.2 5.9

214.3

235.3

256.0

258.8

Growth rate (Volume, %) Import volume of goods & services (%) Import value of goods (Bil. USD) Growth rate (%) Growth rate (Volume, %) Trade balance (Bil. USD) Current account balance (Bil. USD)

0.1 0.5 -1.0 177.7 -5.1 -2.5 36.5 48.2

9.8 6.0 6.8 201.1 13.2 7.2 34.2 51.1

8.9 4.9 6.7 229.1 12.7 6.7 27.0 43.7

10.0 6.0 7.2 232.1 15.4 9.4 26.7 43.1

Current account to GDP (%)

11.7

11.2

8.4

8.4

0.2 2.4

0.7 2.3

0.7 - 1.7 1.5 - 2.5

0.9 - 1.4 1.5 - 2.0

Export value of goods (Bil. USD) Growth rate (%)

Inflation (%) CPI GDP Deflator

Source: Office of National Economic and Social Development Board, August 20, 2018

2018 Macro - Economic Rating Country

Overall Score

Property Rights

Government Integrity

Judicial Effectiveness

Tax Burden

Government Spending

Fiscal Health

Business Freedom

Labor Freedom

Monetary Freedom

Trade Freedom

Investment Freedom

Financial Freedom

Singapore Malaysia Thailand Philippines Brunei Indonesia Cambodia China India Myanmar Laos

88.8 74.5 67.1 65 64.2 64.2 58.7 57.8 54.5 53.9 53.6

98.4 83.8 48.6 45 56.6 49.3 36 46.7 55.4 32.5 34.1

91.2 54.8 34.7 34.4 45.4 42.8 17.7 47.3 47.2 28.2 33.1

90.9 65.2 45.3 38.2 57.1 45.2 24.5 65.4 54.3 17.6 41.4

90.4 85.6 81.3 78.9 85.6 83.7 89.8 70.4 79.4 86.3 86.7

90.6 81.3 85.5 89.3 57.7 90.7 86.5 71.6 77.7 84.7 79.3

80 80.7 96.4 97.7 20 89.4 92.1 85.9 13.2 89.2 60.2

90.9 83.9 77.2 62.6 79.9 57.3 30.6 54.9 56.4 54.2 65.4

92.6 75.8 62.6 57.6 88.9 50.3 57.7 61.4 41.8 65.9 55

85.2 85.6 75.5 76.3 75.1 81.6 79.7 71.4 75.9 67.6 76

90 87.4 83.1 80.7 89.1 80.5 80.3 73.2 72.4 70.9 56.6

85 60 55 60 65 40 60 25 40 30 35

80 50 60 60 50 60 50 20 40 20 20

Vietnam

53.1

46.4

30.4

36.3

79.7

74

27.3

63.2

60.4

75.4

78.7

25

40

Source: The Heritage Foundation: 2018

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2018 Macro-Economic Data Country

Overall Score

Tariff Rates %

Score : 100 = perfect

Income Tax Rate %

Corporate Tax Rate %

Population (Millions)

GDP (Billions) US$ (PPP)

GDP Per Capita US$ (PPP)

Unemployment Rate %

Inflation Rate %

FDI Inflow (Millions)

Tax Burden % of GDP

Govt. Expenditure % of GDP

Singapore

88.8

0.0

22.0

17.0

5.6

492.6

87,855.40

1.8

-0.5

61,596.70

13.6

17.7

Malaysia

74.5

1.3

25.0

25.0

31.7

863.3

27,266.70

3.3

2.1

9,925.90

13.8

24.9

n.a. (69.8 n.a (0.5 in in 2017 2017)

n.a (0 in 2017)

n.a. (18.5 in 2017)

n.a (0.4 in 2017)

n.a (33.2 in n.a. (79,587 in 2017) 2017)

n.a. (1.9 in 2017)

n.a. (-0.4 in 2017)

n.a. (173.2 in 2017)

n.a. (33.1 in 2017)

n.a (40.4 inn 2017)

Brunei Thailand Philippines Indonesia Cambodia China India Myanmar Laos

67.1 65.0 64.2 58.7 57.8 54.5 53.9 53.6

3.5 2.2 2.3 4.9 3.4 6.3 4.6 14.2

35.0 32.0 30.0 20.0 45.0 30.9 20.0 24.0

20.0 30.0 25.0 20.0 25.0 32.4 30.0 24.0

69.0 104.2 258.7 15.8 1,382.70 1,309.30 52.3 7.2

1,164.90 805.2 3032.1 59.0 21,291.80 8,662.40 304.7 40.9

16,887.60 7,728.10 11,720.30 3,736.90 15,398.60 6,615.80 5,831.80 5,709.60

0.6 5.9 5.6 0.3 4.6 3.5 0.8 1.5

0.2 1.8 3.5 3.0 2.0 4.9 7.0 2.0

1,554.20 7,912.20 2,658.10 1,916.10 133,700.0 44,485.60 2,190.0 889.9

15.7 13.7 10.4 15 17.5 7.2 8.2 13.4

22.0 18.9 17.6 21.2 30.7 27.3 22.6 26.3

Vietnam

53.1

3.1

35.0

22.0

92.6

595.5

6,428.60

2.2

2.7

12,600.0

17.9

29.4

Source: The Heritage Foundation: 2018

Inward Foreign Investment into Thailand (Quarterly) Q1/2016

Q2/2016

(Million US Dollars)

No

Countries

Q3/2016

Q4/2016

Q1/2017

Q2/2017

Q3/2017

Q4/2017

1

Japan

1,499.26

92.85

552.77

1,173.97

927.20

647.94

397.18

1,042.26

Q1/2018

2

ASEAN

1,130.47

621.36

-563.01

770.02

426.51

368.42

617.56

391.61

949.86

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

EU Hong Kong United States Taiwan South Korea Middle East Australia China Russia

-3,463.19 3,522.89 340.54 56.31 81.22 13.12 -28.28 55.04 -5.58

-482.78 532.60 101.08 -2.13 -25.52 -18.00 3.75 759.92 21.52

-229.62 -3,172.23 -137.42 96.43 -32.48 -12.94 -28.03 178.25 2.26

-244.40 183.83 96.85 34.46 3.97 7.08 94.61 78.70 19.19

64.62 209.56 354.81 23.81 37.67 2.58 21.32 -184.21 8.54

155.36 91.27 -167.32 106.47 22.97 10.83 19.79 221.76 -8.06

466.07 -151.88 36.23 555.29 -50.33 6.21 -31.63 43.72 18.70

128.33 32.19 -43.19 11.36 153.09 9.29 67.50 114.15 18.69

908.21 529.18 108.19 85.31 14.61 13.03 12.61 1.63 -1.22

12

Switzerland

13

Total

1,490.84

-120.93

176.17

-87.61

139.37

-21.92

52.70

227.32

54.35

-24.71

3,513.81

1,347.83

-4,102.91

2,304.51

2,482.60

1,516.62

2,052.51

1,892.35

4,601.29

Source: Bank of Thailand

Foreign Direct Investment Inflows 2012- 2017 Country

(Million US Dollars)

Foreign Direct Investment Inflows

Foreign Direct Investment Outflows 2012 - 2017 (Million US Dollars) Foreign Direct Investment Outflows

Country

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

111,862

118,963

129,594

117,322

120,613

133,771

Singapore

59,837

57,453

73,475

62,746

77,454

62,006

Indonesia

19,138

18,817

21,811

16,641

3,921

23,063

Thailand

10,497

11,679

8,368 9,239 2,449 9,135 497 2,001 294 39

8,900 12,115 2,280 15,493 584 2,068 427 50

9,200 10,877 5,285 4,809 946 1,853 721 49

11,800 10,082 4,447 5,624 2,824 1,823 1,119 43

12,600 11,336 6,915 2,068 2,989 2,476 997 5

14,100 9,543 9,524 7,635 4,341 2,784 813 7

Malaysia Indonesia Philippines Vietnam Cambodia Laos Brunei Timor-Leste

17,143 5,422 3,407 1,200 36 0.1 853 13

14,107 6,647 2,189 1,956 46 -0.3 271 13

865

776

568

173

-150

-46

-

-

-

SE Asia total

Vietnam Malaysia Philippines Thailand Myanmar Cambodia Laos Timor-Leste Brunei

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

SE Asia total

58,629

81,348

88,368

54,931

38,969

55,026

Singapore

20,058

44,441

52,418

31,123

27,922

24,682

5,575

1,687

12,414

19,283

16,369 7,077 6,299 1,150 43 12 -590 13

10,546 5,937 4,347 1,100 47 53 78 13

8,011 -12,215 1,032 1,388 121 24 258 13

5,792 2,912 1,614 540 259 30 -85 -

-

-

-

Myanmar

Source: UNCTAD, World Investment Report 2018

Foreign Direct Investment Stocks: inward and outward (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) Southeast Asia Country SE Asia total

FDI Inwards Stock

(Million US Dollars)

FDI Outwards Stock

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

1,553,205

1,687,452

1,704,891

1,872,239

2,162,289

720,413

845,669

913,349

1,012,808

1,204,190 841,402

Singapore

837,652

912,355

978,411

1,096,320

1,284,929

497,880

576,396

625,259

682,404

Indonesia

230,344

253,082

224,843

234,961

248,510

16,070

24,052

30,171

58,890

65,871

Thailand

185,463

199,311

175,442

188,651

219,368

58,610

65,769

68,058

85,636

107,298

Malaysia Vietnam

144,705 81,702

133,767 90,991

117,644 102,791

121,621 115,391

139,540 129,491

133,996 -

135,685 7,490

136,892 8,590

126,937 9,978

128,517 10,518

Philippines

32,547

57,093

59,303

64,249

78,788

13,191

35,603

41,100

45,377

47,824

Myanmar

14,171

17,652

20,476

22,666

27,806

-

-

-

-

-

Cambodia

9,399

13,035

14,739

16,656

20,794

465

484

531

652

911

Laos Brunei Timor-Leste

2,779

3,630

4,850

5,639

6,560

14

-

16

19

188

14,212

6,219

6,061

5,739

6,162

134

134

2645

2,803

1,550

230

316

332

346

339

83

86

86

112

112

Source: UNCTAD, World Investment Report 2018

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Chamber Events

BCCT Multi-Chambers/PKF Hotel & Tourism Evening

BCCT Multi-Chambers Lunch: Minister of Education

BCCT, in conjunction with PKF and in partnership with AMCHAM, AustCham, CanCham, EABC, FTCC, NTCC, NZTCC, STCC and SATCC, organised a BCCT MultiChambers/PKF Hotel & Tourism Evening Panel Discussion on “Insights and quick wins from the forefront of innovation in hospitality” on Monday 18th June at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit.

On Friday 22nd June, BCCT organised a BCCT MultiChambers Lunch with Minister of Education at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok. The Minister, Dr Teerakiat Jareonsettasin, discussed his masterplan on revolutionising “Education in Thailand”. Special thanks to our sponsors Bumrungrad International Hospital and Bromsgrove International School Thailand.

Pictured from left: BCCT Chairman Chris Thatcher, Andrew McBean, Hermione Joye (speaker), Pimpawee Nopakitgumjorn (speaker), Chetan Patel (speaker), Michael Widmann (speaker), and BCCT Vice-Charman and Chair of Travel & Tourism Committee David Cumming.

Pictured from left: BeLuThai Executive Director Philip Coates, AustCham President Brenton Maureillo, BCCT Chairman Chris Thatcher, Minister of Education, AMCHAM Vice-President Herman Ehrlich, Bumrungrad International Hospital Senior Manager of Expatriate MKT Udo Kim, Bromsgrove International School Director Duenpen Pawakranond and NTCC Executive Director Hans van den Born.

BCCT DTG Briefing: Artificial Intelligence

BCCT T3+1 Business Networking

On Tuesday 26th June, BCCT organised a BCCT Digital & Technology (DTG) Briefing on Artificial Intelligence in Businesses Today at British Business Centre. Speakers included Movaci CIO Christopher Mosby, Dappers Villian Media Content Creator Dana Blouin and Fluxus Director Gareth Davies.

On Thursday 28th June, the British Club Bangkok opened its doors to BCCT members and guests to host a BCCT T3+1 Business Networking, providing great British food and drinks in their iconic Clubhouse building in the heart of Silom, Bangkok. Also a special thanks to Captain Hook’s Smokehouse for amazing salmon selections throughout the night.

The panel discussed current updates and trends on artificial intelligence in the current world and what we can expect in the future. Pictured from left: Christopher Mosby, Dana Blouin and Gareth Davies.

Pictured from left: British Club Chairman Jack Dunford MBE, Captain Hook’s Smokehouse representative Tanda Kitchaitanakavin and BCCT Chairman Chris Thatcher.

Thank you to our sponsors.

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Chamber Events

BCCT Site Visit to SCG 100th Year Building

BCCT Members Open Evening

BCCT organised a BCCT Site Visit to SCG 100th Year Building on Friday 6th July 2018. Led by BCCT Director and Chairman of the Chamber’s Property & Infrastructure Committee Group, Ali Adam, BCCT members were shown the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award-winning SCG 100th Year Building.

BCCT organised a Members Open Evening on Tuesday 10th July at the Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, giving members an opportunity to share their ideas and opinions on how BCCT can further collaborate and assist the Chamber membership to enhance business opportunities in Thailand.

Special thanks to SCG Team Lead Thanissa Pedyod and SCG Portfolio Management Manager Panupant Phapant and a great presentation from Design 103 International Vice-President Chaiwat Limwattananon

The evening was facilitated by BCCT Directors - Stephen Frost, Sarah Smith and Pinyapa Pichaipalakorn and a representative from Fluxus (Thailand) Koblarb Thaitun dividing participants into four group discussions - Membership Benefits, Digital Communication, Events and Thai Language Events. A summary of of the BCCT 2018 membership survey was also presented by BMRS Asia Managing Partner Andy Gower.

PM Office Minister addresses mutli-chamber business dinner

BCCT Workshop: High Performance & Leadership

Thailand’s Minister Attached to the Prime Minister Office, Dr Kobsak Pootrakool, spoke at BCCT Multi-Chambers Business Dinner at Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside on Wednesday 11th July 2018. The Minister discussed “Improving Governance and Inclusiveness: Thailand’s Agenda and Achievements”.

On Friday 13th July, BCCT organised two free-featured workshops at the British Business Centre. The sessions, facilitated by Manmeet Kalra, Managing Director of Falcon Mind Sdn Bhd, under the topics “How to instill a High Performance and focused ‘Mindset’ in Your Teams” and “How to Inspire Motivate Leadership in Senior Management within 2 days without needing any Title”.

Pictured from left: AustCham Treasurer Peter Emblin, AMCHAM Vice-President Brad Middleton, Prudential Life Insurance (Thailand) Director Saipin Choaknumkij, Deputy Chairman OCS ROH, Heather Suksem OBE, Dr Kobsak Pootrakool, NZTCC President Warren Boyes, Oman Air Country Manager Joseph Cusmano and BCCT Chairman Chris Thatcher.

Big thanks to Oman Air for their great support - making it an excellent evening.

Pictured standing is Manmeet Kalra. Special thanks to Falcon Mind Sdn Bhd for their support.

Thank you to our sponsors.

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Chamber Events

BCCT Boardroom Briefing on hot topic about Bangkok smart city

BCCT Half-Day Workshop: Powerful Communications

On Monday 16th July, BCCT organised a BCCT Briefing to discuss the hot topic on “Is Bangkok savvy enough to become a smart city?” by Khun Sarinee Achavanuntakul, Founder of Sal Forest and Co-Founder of ThaiPublica. Facilitated by BCCT Director Ali Adam, interesting points on Bangkok current urban planning and development were raised for discussions.

BCCT organised a BCCT Half-Day Workshop on Powerful Communications for Marketing and Sales Managers on Wednesday 18th July at the British Business Centre (BBC).

The workshop was facilitated by Neil Stoneham, Managing Director of Voxtree (pictured centre) in order to build attendees’ confidence in sales and marketing.

Pictured Ali Adam (left) and Sarinee Achavanuntakul (right)

They also discovered how to get clarity on proposals and inspire people in their team to be creative and know the target.

BCCT Multi-Chambers T3 Business Networking

BCCT Briefing: Thai Wills and Property Ownership

Another evening was well spent at Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside for a BCCT Multi-Chambers T3 Business Networking on Thursday 19th July. The host beautifully presented a variety of cuisines to members and their guests from BCCT, AMCHAM, AustCham, EABC, FTCC, GTCC, ITCC, NTCC, and SATCC in the fantastic ambience of the waterfront terrace overlooking the spectacular views of the Chao Phraya River and the City Skyline.

On Tuesday 24th July, BCCT organised a BCCT Legal Briefing on Thai Wills and Property Ownership by Ghaff Khan (pictured), Director of Legal Services, Orion Investigations. Facilitated by Stephen Frost, BCCT Board member and Chairman of the Chairman’s Legal & Taxation Committee, the presentation discussed the rights of nonThai nationals, who have chosen to make Thailand their home in relation to inheritance and property law issues.

Pictured from left: BCCT Chairman Chris Thatcher, GTCC Executive Director Dr Roland Wein, BCCT Vice-Chairman Simon Matthews, Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside General Manager Willem Pentermann, AMCHAM Executive Director Heidi Gallant, SATCC Vice-Chairman Pavlos Pavlidis and Director Danupong Panitpichet, AustCham Former President Gary Woollacott and GTCC President Markus Lorenzini.

Ghaff Khan makes his presentation on Thai wills and property ownership in the Kingdom.

Thank you to our sponsors.

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Chamber Events

BCCT Young Professionals Business Networking

BCCT Half-Day Workshop: TeleSales Skills

Fantastically hosted by Jamie’s Italian Siam Discovery, BCCT Young Professionals (YP) Networking was held for the third time in 2018 on Thursday 2nd August. A fun speed group networking activity, led by BCCT Young Professionals Committee and YP business leaders from various sectors enhanced the networking event to be a wonderful evening with many YP professionals getting together.

BCCT organised a BCCT Half-Day Workshop on TeleSales Skills on Friday 3rd August 2018. Sponsored by SpeakPro Training Ltd., the workshop was facilitated by Professional Corporate Trainer and Presentation Coach Pachara (Billy) Yongjiranon who guided participants on how to be confident in making calls, know how to get to the decision maker, how to arrange an appointment and become an effective telesales operator.

Special thanks to Fitness First for a great support making it an excellent night. Picture is Jamie’s Italian General Manager, BCCT Board of Director and BCCT YP Committee Sarah Smith.

Pictured standing is Pachara (Billy) Yongjiranon.

BCCT Eastern Seaboard Business After Hours

BCCT Briefing: Thailand’s Retailers

BCCT organised a BCCT Eastern Seaboard Business After Hours on Friday 3rd August at Hooters Pattaya. BCCT Honorary Advisor Graham Macdonald (right) and BCCT Executive Director Greg Watkins (middle) welcomed Eastern Seaboard members and guests to enjoy the evening in a relaxing atmosphere with great food, drinks and friendly service.

On Thursday 16th August Howard Bryant, Managing Director of Retail Asia, shared actionable solutions on how to create higher value relationships with Thailand’s retailers from years of buying, selling and negotiating experience on both sides of the desk. The BCCT Briefing discussed crucial points in making a compelling proposition and presentation and differentiating yourself to stand out from the crowd.

Special thanks to Hooters Pattaya for their generous support which helped to make it a very successful event.

From left, BCCT Director Nick Smart and Howard Bryant.

Thank you to our sponsors.

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Chamber Events

BCCT Two-Day Thai Language Workshop: Sales Skills

BCCT Multi-Chambers Lunch: Talent Shortages

BCCT organised a BCCT Two-Day Thai Language Workshop on Sales Skills by SpeakPro Training’s Corporate Trainer and Presentation Coach Pachara (Billy) Yongjiranon on 21-22 August at Dream Hotel Bangkok. Participants enjoyed a fun and engaging session developing their sales skills over the twoday course.

On Tuesday 21st August, ManpowerGroup Chairman & CEO Jonas Prising spoke at a BCCT Multi-Chambers Lunch on ‘Talent shortages and what employers, education and governments can do to build a sustainable pipeline of talent for today and tomorrow’ at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit.

The presentation covered talent shortages in the industries and an employment market trend.

Pictured third from right: Pachara (Billy) Yongjiranon

Guests were welcomed by BCCT Chairman Chris Thatcher (second from left).

BCCT T3 Business Networking at Shangri-La Hotel On Thursday 23rd August, BCCT held a monthly BCCT T3 Business Networking kindly hosted by Volti Restaurant, The Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok. Guests indulged in a variety of exquisite Shangri-La cuisines and great British beers and ciders by Flow Inter.

Pictured from left: Flow Inter Sales Director Porrada Pengsombut, BCCT Chairman Chris Thatcher, Shangri-La Director of Sales and Marketing Joanne Chung and BCCT ViceChairman Simon Matthews.

Thank you to our sponsors.

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Chamber Events

BCCT Multi-Chambers Eastern Seaboard Networking BCCT, in collaboration with AMCHAM, AustCham, BeLuThai, CanCham, GTCC, NTCC, NZTCC, STCC and SATCC, held a BCCT Multi-Chambers Eastern Seaboard Business Networking hosted by Pullman Pattaya Hotel G on Friday 24th August. The splendid evening was filled with great British and international food and drinks while guests networked in a beautiful beachfront Bua Sawan Room and terrace. Special thanks to our generous sponsors AXCEL Electronics, Lucy Electric, Garden International School Rayong, Mazars and Budget Car and Truck Rentals and our media partners Pattaya Mail and En-Siri Media House.

Pictured are our sponsors, media partners and chamber representatives.

BCCT Eastern Seaboard Briefing

Pictured from left: Mark Butters, RSM, John Casella, PKF Holdings, Graham Macdonald, Macallan Insurance Broker

BCCT Multi-Chambers Chiang Mai Networking

On Friday 24th August BCCT, together with PKF, organised a BCCT Eastern Seaboard Briefing on Thai Labour Law, Work Permits and Visas: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly at Pullman Pattaya Hotel G. PKF Partner John Casella and PKF Director on Corporate Legal Services Chutinun Wannapirun shared updates and changes to the Thai Labour Law, Work Permits and Visas in Thailand including SmartVisas and the new Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Act on employment.

Members and friends of BCCT, AustCham, CanCham and STCC got together for this year first Multi-Chambers Chiang Mai Networking organised by BCCT on Thursday 30 August kindly hosted by Hard Rock CafĂŠ Chiang Mai. Big thanks to our generous sponsors Movai Technology and BlueStar AMG.

Pictured from left: John Casella, Chutinun Wannapirun and BCCT Executive Director Greg Watkins. Special thanks to Pullman Pattaya Hotel G on the venue support and also to our media partners Pattaya Mail and En-Siri Media House.

Picture from left: BCCT Business Development Manager Jina Phenix, Movaci Technology Business Director/Chief Operating Officer Darryl Crist, BCCT Executive Director Greg Watkins, Senior Financial Planner BlueStar AMG Chris Ryan and Movaci Technology CIO, Senior Security Consultant Christopher Mosby.

Thank you to our sponsors.

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Comings and Goings The British Chamber of Commerce Thailand welcomes the following new members:

Aberdeen Asset Management Co., Ltd. 179, Bangkok City Tower, 28 Floor South Sathorn Road Sathorn, Thungmahamek Bangkok 10120 Tel: +66 2352-3333 Fax: +66 2352-3389 Email: client.services.th@ aberdeenstandard.com Website: aberdeen-asset.co.th

through many key economic cycles.

• Known for our long-term and fundamental approach to Equity fund management,Aberdeen Thailand is trusted with over $5Billion(Dec 2017)of equity assets under management.

Products or Services Mutual Fund/ Private Fund / Provident Fund

Chamber Representatives

Mr. Korawut Leenabanchong - Chief Executive Officer Background • Aberdeen Standard Investments is a leading global asset manager dedicated to creating long-term value for our clients, and is a brand of the investment businesses of Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life Investments.

• With over 1,000 investment professionals we manage $778.8 billion (£575.7 billion)* of assets worldwide. We have clients in 80 countries supported by 50 relationship offices. This ensures we are close to our clients and the markets in which they invest.

• Aberdeen Asset Management Company Limited (“Aberdeen Thailand”) is part of the leading global asset management group “Aberdeen Standard Investments” • Aberdeen Thailand has been operating under the Mutual Fund license in Thailand since 1996 with extensive local knowledge and on the ground experience, investing

B i T Research 5 Hunton Court, Erdington Birmingham B23 6BT Tel: +44 07957947478 Email: bitresearchuk@gmail.com Website: bitresearch.co.uk Chamber Representatives

Mr. Darren Thawley - Senior Partner Background We are a UK Business Consultancy that seeks to enhance business links between the UK & Thailand. We assist UK & Thai companies in developing effective business strategies & solutions to help grow their businesses in these countries.

Products or Services Marketing, Communications, IT Solutions,Bespoke Training Courses, Investment Strategies, Human Resources, Consultancy,Change Management,Company Research, Organisational Strategy,Policy Development Advice, Market / Sector Analysis, Customer Profiling,Product Placement

Britvic Asia Pte Ltd 3 Temasek Avenue, Level 34-00 Regus Centennial Singapore 039190 Email: Daniel.Lim@britvic.com Chamber Representatives Mr. Daniel Lim - Business Development Director Carabao Tawandang Co., Ltd. 393 Silom Building, Floor 7-10 Silom Road, Bangrak Bangkok 10500 Tel: +66 026366111 Fax: +66 026367953 Email: info@carabao.co.th Website: www.carabao.co.th Chamber Representatives Mr. Sathien Setthasit - Chairman & CEO CEC Energy Solutions Ltd 4 Chichester Road Hellingly BN27 4BF Tel: +44 1872520000 Email: abby_7@hotmail.co.uk Chamber Representatives Mr. Abdul Hussain - Managing Director Background Company that can help project manage Solar Installs from Design to Installation. Also TEFL teaching and Training Business English for Corporate clients.

Products or Services TEFL Teaching, Solar Installation, Solar Design, Corporate Business English, Energy Consulting

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Charleston Scientific International Co., Ltd. 1575/43 Phahonyothin Road Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400 Chamber Representatives Mr. Alden Lee - Director d&A Access to Asia Co.,Ltd. 89/62 Moo 4 Kanasiri PinklaoKanchana Village, Bangyai,Bangyai Nonthaburi 11140 Tel: +66 995364196 Email: daaccessasia@gmail.com

info@dandaaa.com Website: www.dandaaa.com

David’s Kitchen 113 Bumrungrad Road, Wat Kate Muang, Chiang Mai Chiang Mai 50000 Tel: +66 52088228-9 Website: www.davidskitchen.co.th

Falcon Mind Sdn Bhd No 1 Jalan Jernai 7 Medan Idaman Gombak Kuala Lumpur 53100 Tel: +60 123327567 Email: info@falconmind.com Website: www.folconmind.com

Chamber Representatives

Chamber Representatives

Mr. David Philip Gordon - Owner Mrs. Tanyarat Gordon

Ms. Praveen Anansongvit - Director Mr. Manmeet S Kalra - Managing Director

Chamber Representatives

Mrs. Nisachon Seale - Managing Director Mr. David Seale - Marketing Director Background Established in 2018, d&A Access to Asia assists UK and Ireland degree students to study in Thailand at some of Asia’s top universities. We are a small but specialised organisation helping to cut the cost of degree education and help students to be debt free once they graduate. www.dandaaa.com Products or Services We work entirely with the private university sector in Thailand, helping to develop university degree packages for British and Irish Students. We are constantly developing our reach in the UK and Ireland to make higher education available to all.

Elevating Studio (Thailand) Company Limited 99/349 Chaeng Wattana Road Thungsonghong, Laksi Bangkok 10210 Tel: +66 2 576 1535 Fax: +66 2 576 1535 Email: info@elevatingstudio.com Website: www.elevatingstudio.com Chamber Representatives Mr. Frank Brown - Managing Director Mrs. Nuchjarin Disayabut - Business Development Manager Background Elevating Studio (Thailand) Ltd. is a vertical transportation consulting company, we consists of a team of globally recognized specialists from the elevator industry. We have experience in R&D, Manufacturing, Installation, Maintenance and Modernization of elevators and escalators. Elevating Studio is accredited and certified by Liftinstituut, for safety inspections on elevators and escalators, as per EN81 and EN115 standards.

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Background At Falcon Mind, we conduct training that help individuals and organizations grow and nurture their talents. With the help of high quality coaching and soft skills training in human capital development and performance management, we turn middle managers into top leaders.

The Falcon Mind logo is synonymous to everything that personifies a Falcon – Success, Victory and Rising above any situation.

There is an outcry for interpersonal skills, taking initiatives, dependability, teamwork, self-management, and other soft skills within ANY organization. Fundamentally, employees who possess soft skills work well with others and display a positive work attitude in a professional work setting. We provide that service.

We provide services that bridge the gap between fresh graduates, young professionals and employability.

Our training programs cover four very specific areas in your organization, which collectively further your company’s potential – Leadership Training, Soft Skills Training, Coaching and Performance Management Training.

Absolutely no one wants to walk into an office full of meeting hell, discontent amongst staff, poor decision making, and the list goes on.

That’s why we at Falcon Mind help our clients soar towards unlocking their organization’s full potential.

Manmeet Kalra has a strong knack in developing talent and aspiring leaders through job role enrichment as well as through training, coaching and mentoring. With more than 15 years of extensive management experience, Manmeet Kalra has worked closely with company Directors as well as CEOs and CIOs, at the same time nurturing young talent within his previous management and consultancy roles. A respected walk the talk and highly motivated professional with strong applied knowledge in IT service delivery, service and vendor management, and service transitions – applying his expertise in data driven, long term strategic planning in all the organizations he has worked with.

Firm based in Bangkok that offers professional and personal Corporate and Commercial law services to locals and expatriates both in Thailand and abroad. We practice local law with an international mindset.

Specialising in Corporate, Commercial and Taxation Law, our dedicated team assists companies and individuals with a number of key legal consultancy services. We pride ourselves on delivering first rate, tailor made, costeffective advice to our clients.

With a team comprising of both Thai and Native English speaking Consultants as well as Japanese, Spanish, Malay, Hindi and Bengali language capabilities, we offer excellent legal advice without any details being lost in translation. JNP Legal is committed to achieving best possible outcomes for our clients, giving legal advice that is practical and most beneficial. Our team is passionate, dynamic, proactive and highly skilled.

We represent clients in various industries and of various sizes, with both international and local presences.

JNP Legal Co., Ltd. 399 Sukhumvit Road, Interchange 21 Building, 23rd Floor, Unit 1 North Klongtoey, Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66 2611-2798 Fax: +66 2611-2797 Email: info@jnplegalthailand.com Website: www.jnplegalthailand.com Chamber Representatives

Mrs. Nippita Pukdeetanakul - Managing Director Mr. Michael Anastasia - Partner, Tax and Consulting Background JNP Legal is an International Law

At JNP Legal Thailand, we pride ourselves on our personal client relationships, acting in our clients best interests. We tailor our solutions to our clients’ circumstances and budget with international service delivery and local capability.

JNP Philosophy Rooted in the view that Legal services can be more intimate, involved, accurate, and straightforward, JNP Legal always strives to create both a professional and a personal ‘relationship’ with our clients. At JNP, we recognise that clients are real people with real issues and hence treat them as such.

JNP Character JNP Lawyers and consultants are made up of a young, dynamic, interactive, enterprising and generous team, each with their own specialty and talents.

Our people aim to build friendly and long-term relationships with clients keeping connected with them via frequent communications for mutual gains.

Products or Services • Contract Drafting • Corporate • Employment Contracts and Disputes • Intellectual Property • Real Estate • Private Client Legal Services Family Law • Probate • Work Permits & Immigration • Notary Public Services • Tax and Consulting Services

Kensington International Kindergarten 88 Bangprom Road, Bangprom Talingchan, Bangkok 10170 Tel: +66 28649977 Fax: +66 28649911 Website: www.kensington.ac.th Chamber Representatives

Mrs. Beverley Petch - Head Teacher Mrs. Varaporn Kanjanawat Phanwiroj - Director Business Activity Education Background Kensington International Kindergarten is an International Kindergarten offering a curriculum based on the Early Year Foundation Stage and the British National Curriculum. We are committed to providing excellence in Early Childhood Education. We believe that for your child to reach their potential we must provide a stimulating, creative and innovative environment

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where children become engaged and effective learners.

a network of branded Direct English schools across the country.

It is well documented that the first few years of a child’s life are fundamental in term of their development. Hence, our promise to parents is that every single child in our care will enjoy a warm, safe, stimulating, individual and age appropriate education that will prove to be a critical foundation in their life-time love of learning, development and vital confidence building.

Products or Services Direct English is a comprehensive nine-level English language program for adults, including over 85 learning hours per level. Direct English is a complete learning system which provides complete preparation for students wishing to undertake the IELTS and TOEFL exams, and benchmarked against the internationally recognised Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

We only have your child for a few short years but we take a long term perspective and see them as future adults and leaders. In light of this, we make every effort to create a solid platform that can be built on.

The Kensington kindergarten has everything needed for successful, wellrounded children.

“Nurturing Children to Become Happy Life – Long Learners” Linguaphone Group Ltd. Liongate Enterprise Park, 80 Morden Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4PH Tel: +44 2036036554 Email: sarah.McAllister@

linguaphonegroup.com Website: www.directenglish.com Chamber Representatives Ms. Sarah McAllister - Head of Marketing Background Linguaphone Group Ltd is a worldleading language training provider operating under the internationally recognized Direct English and Pingu’s English brand names. With over 115 years of experience, the Group has an extensive network of licensed partners across Asia, the Middle-East and Europe.

They already have a Master Licensee in Thailand for their children’s brand Pingu’s English. They are now looking to replicate this success by looking for a country wide Master Licensee with the business acumen and the resources, to successfully open up

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They also have a global agreement with Cambridge English Assessment (previously University of Cambridge (ESOL), which allows all Direct English Master Licensees to apply to become authorised test centres and offer Cambridge’s internationally recognised Business Language Test Service (BULATS) qualification to their students.

To complement t students’ classroom teaching, we have upgraded our global network to Direct English Live a powerful, new and responsive online platform for students and staff alike.

With two years in development, including an in-built Learning Management system, Direct English Live will be accessible through all computer, smartphone and tablet devices via the Direct English App. This comprehensive and advanced digital online resource will allow all of our global students to have access to their interactive learning resources and teaching schedules, as well as enable staff to effectively track and monitor students’ real time access and progress through the course.

Mövenpick Siam Hotel Na Jomtien Pattaya 55 Moo 2, Sukhumvit Road, KM. 156.5 Na Jomtien, Sattahip Chonburi 20250 Tel: +66 33078888 Fax: +66 33078777 Email: hotel.pattaya@movenpick.com Website: www.movenpick.com/pattaya Chamber Representatives

Mr. Pete Seeda - Hotel Manager Ms. Wanwadee Wareewes - Director of Sales Background Located right by Na Jomtien Beach, Mövenpick Siam Hotel Na Jomtien Pattaya offers 260 stylish rooms and suites. The hotel’s 5-star accommodation options are complemented by a comprehensive range of facilities including four top class food and beverage outlets.

Guests can indulge in an array of different cuisines during their stay at Mövenpick Siam Hotel Na Jomtien Pattaya, from internationally themed food at Twist Restaurant to sizzling specialties at the T55 New York Grill, or tantalizing tapas at La Costa Beach Restaurant and Bar. Our all-new family programme inspires kids to create their own unforgettable childhood memories whilst letting the whole family enjoy a special vacation together. Featuring Little Birds Club with signature activities, ‘Power Bites’ - our fun and healthy kids menu and Family-friendly services including babysitting and kids TV channels.

The hotel offers businesses and individuals impressive options for

meetings, incentives and private functions. Events spaces include the 392 square metre Siam Grand Ballroom as well as three separate ‘Marina Conference Rooms’ plus a modern, stylish pre- function foyer.

Mövenpick Siam Hotel Na Jomtien Pattaya is ideally located for leisure, corporate or incentive-based travellers just 75 minutes from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, and 20 minutes from the regional U-Tapao Airport.

Products or Services Maritime Security, Security Risk Management consultancy, Infrastructure, Hotel Developments, Ports Assessments, Gap Analysis, Close Protection, Chaperoning, Secure Travel Services, Crisis Management, Emergency Evacuation.

For more information to view our current offers or to book a reservation, please visit www.movenpick.com/ pattaya.

Novotel Bangkok Ploenchit Sukhumvit 566 Ploenchit Road, Lumpini Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 23056000 Fax: +66 23056001 Email: h7176@accor.com Website: www.novotelbangkokploenchit.com

Neptune P2P Group Neptune P2P Group, Riverside New Bailey Street Manchester M35FS Tel: +44 1618376220 Email: info@neptunep2pgroup.com Website: neptunep2pgroup.com

Chamber Representatives

Chamber Representatives Mr. Mike Calton - Security Risk Management Mr. Carl Sykes - Managing Director Business Activity Security / Fire Services Date Joined: 21-Jun-2018 Background We are international security risk management and maritime security experts with proven experience of keeping people, assets and organisations safe. We can support your needs anywhere in the world from our bases in the UK and the UAE. We only employ the best, and our track record is second to none. Whether you need our expertise in risk consultancy or our specialist security services, you’ll be in safe hands with us. We can even train your staff and help you introduce processes and protocols that will keep you even safer.

Mr. Jean-Louis Barc - General Manager Ms. Supawadee Boonnom - Director of Sales Background Novotel Bangkok Ploenchit Sukhumvit, a conveniently located Bangkok City Hotel, near BTS SkyTrain – Ploenchit Station offering easy access to Bangkok’s attractions and shopping malls including Siam, Silom and Sukhumvit.

Find your dream hotel in Bangkok at Novotel Bangkok Ploenchit Sukhumvit, the best 4-star hotel in Bangkok. Enjoy comfortable accommodation, with modern facilities at truly great value rates making your next vacation in Bangkok an even more enjoyable trip.

Book direct online with our hotel and take advantage of our Bangkok hotel deals available all year round.

Products or Services Novotel Bangkok Ploenchit Sukhumvit

comprises 370 guest rooms and 12 multi-purpose function rooms all featuring natural daylight and high ceilings; meeting and event spaces are suitable for small- to mediumsized gatherings of up to 240 people.

Advanced audio-visual technologies and on-site best professionals further ensure a successful occasion. This Ploenchit meeting venue likewise offers meeting packages and themes to suit a wide range of event types and budgets.

Ownership Fico Development Co.,Ltd. Senior Management Mr. Jean-Louis Barc - General Manager

Oman Air S.A.O.C 11/1 AIA Tower 7th Floor, unit 705 Sounth Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120 Tel: +66 20263517 Fax: +66 22861721 Email: resbkk@omanair.com Website: www.omanair.com/en Chamber Representatives

Mr. Joseph Cusmano - Country Manager Thailand Ms. Areelak Soralump - District Sales Manager Thailand Background Oman Air is the flagship carrier of the Sultanate of Oman and an Official 4 Star Skytrax rated premium full-service airline.

Oman Air operates a modern fleet of aircrafts including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the 737 Max and the Airbus A330, boasting the latest in cabin innovations which has won the Airline many awards.

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Since March 2018, Oman Air also boast a brand new airport terminal in Muscat, a multi-billion U.S.-dollar project capable of handling over 20 million passengers per year.

The airline currently operates direct international flights from Muscat to 53 destinations, including 8 in Europe, 14 in the Gulf and Middle East, 18 in the Indian Sub-Continent, 5 in the Far East, 5 in Africa and 3 domestic points.

We’re a fast-moving tribe of direct response marketers herded together to help you reach your overarching targets – more revenue.

Ultimately everything we do is aimed at helping our clients maximize the amount of bookings, sales and leads they generate. We do this through increasing website traffic, improving conversion rates and implementing proven online strategies to grow brands.

Oman Air operates 3 flights per day from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport with B787 Dreamliner’s, with convenient connections to its network from the new state of the art terminal at Muscat. Promotional fares to Europe start at THB21,600 in Economy Class and THB84,380 in Business Class.

Products or Services Digital Marketing and Advertising

Products or Services Passenger and Cargo Airline

Rent a Nurse (Thailand) Co. Ltd. Glass Haus Building, Level P, Unit P01 1 Sukhumvit 25, Sukhumvit Rd. North Klongtoey, Wattana District Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66 971783668 Fax: +66 20260131 Email: info@rentanurse.asia Website: www.rentanurse.asia

Primal Co.,Ltd. 141, Major Tower Thonglor, Floor 7 Office 2, Soi Sukhumvit 63 (Ekkamai) Klongton Nua, Wattana Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66 2 038 5850 Website: www.primal.co.th

Mr. Oliver Franz - Founder

Background We’re an integrated and results driven digital marketing agency.

We know how to acquire traffic, convert visitors to sales and scale, with margin. We work with some of Thailand’s progressive brands from growing start ups and established players disrupting their industries.

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Products or Services - professional, domestic nursing care for all ages (certified RN/PN) - 3 care-levels available, from simple house-visits to comprehensive 24h care (1 or 2 nurses, RN + PN) - documentation of vital-signs and given medication - management of staff and assistance with medical equipment for homeuse - fall-risk management and vital sign monitoring - language service, remote-familycontact service (phone-/video-calls) - insurance-/third party payer directbilling service and monitoring

Chamber Representatives

Chamber Representatives

Mr. Mark McDowell - Managing Director

Due to constant monitoring of the Patients condition, we are able to counter-act deterioration of the Patient’s condition right when it occurs. Professional help can be arranged immediately after correspondence with the Patients family and insurance. Communication is the key-value in medical services, especially for foreigners, as it is the base for building trust.

Background Rent a Nurse (Thailand) Co., Ltd is a service-provider for domestic nursing care in all its variations.

Our mission is to help Patients of all possible care-levels to find the domestic care they need, in order be able to maintain their life activities at their own home, instead of moving to a care facility or even being forced to move back to their native country.

We will make sure that the service is well maintained and are able to intervene and make changes to benefit both staff and customer, at any time.

SnagR Ltd. Blueprint, 21F Dorset House Quarry Bay, Kongkong Tel: +852 90295321 Email: mark@snagr.com.hk Website: www.snagr.co.th Chamber Representatives

Mr. Mark Henderson - Managing Director Background SnagR is designed to monitor the progress of complex projects, providing the easiest way to capture on-site data, automate reporting and visualise sophisticated analytics.

Services, they believe the two are synonymous. We have all made a toast to health, wealth and happiness... by working with Tenzing, you only need to worry about the happiness

Products or Services Available on the web, iOS and Android

Templeton Events Limited 12 Glebe Gardens, New Malden Surrey KT3 5RY Tel: +44 2072590600 Fax: +44 20 8942 1309 Email: enquiries@templetonevents. com Website: www.templetonevents.com

Tenzing Pacific Services Limited 23rd Floor, Athenee Tower 63 Withayu Road, Lumphini Bangkok 10330 Tel: + 0616376251 Email: craigmcavinue@tpim.co Website: www.tpim.co Chamber Representatives

Chamber Representatives Mr. Justin Kelly - Director Mr. Robin Mays - General Manager Background Templeton is the smart choice for anyone looking for a Destination Management Company in London. We can provide many services for visitors to London.

Products or Services Meet and Greet Whether arriving at one of London’s airports or main railway stations, the capital can sometimes all be quite confusing for visitors. We can meet your guests on arrival and make sure their first experience of London is a positive one.

Accommodation For many years we have worked with a wide range of quality hotels in London from quality business hotels to luxury boutique hotels. Templeton can arrange everything for you at competitive rates.

Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC) 26th Floor, Bhiraj Tower, 689 Sukhumvit Road, Klong Tan Nua, Wattana Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66 20181615 # 101 Fax: +66 20181632 Email: info@thac.or.th Website: www.thac.or.th Chamber Representatives

Mr. Craig McAvinue - Senior Associate Background Tenzing Pacific offer Insurance and Wealth Management Services, predominately to the expat market in South East Asia Having been established in Vietnam for four years, the Health Insurance Brokerage helps more expats in Ho Chi Minh City than any competitor by some distance.

Their Wealth Management Division is also expanding rapidly. With a team of in house analysts and a focus on offering low cost solutions whether fully Managed or bespoke to the client.

It’s part of this rapid expansion which has seen Tenzing employ Craig McAvinue in Thailand to develop their business there, with offices in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Products or Services Tenzing Pacific Services offer Health Insurance (Tenzing Pacific Insurance Services www.ten-pac.com ) and Wealth Management (Tenzing Pacific Investment Management www.tpim. co) solutions

Mr. Pasit Asawawattanaporn - Managing Director Ms. Litsan Chong - Counsel Business Activity Legal Services Background Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC) is established subject to the Act of Arbitration Center B.E. 2550 (2007).

The purposes of THAC are to support and promote the international system of arbitration, to become a center of arbitration known widely for stipulating independent services on arbitration and to improve arbitration center in Thailand in order to meet the same standard as arbitration institutions in other countries.

Vision To facilitate international arbitration settlement with international standards and strengthens the system of arbitration

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Mission • To provide independent arbitration service that comply with international standards • To support and promote the international system of arbitration Products or Services THAC’s arbitration service actively aims to help both parties to find a settlement that they both agree and happy with the best dispute resolution while exposing the minimized contractual impact within the shortest timeframe and reach to the least expensive manner.

The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui 9/123 Moo 5, Tambon Bophut Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84320 Tel: +66 66 77 915 777 Website: www.ritzcarlton.com Chamber Representatives

Mr. Yannick Gregory Mauchle - Area Director of Sales and Marketing Mr. Mahmoud Skaf - Area General Manager Business Activity Food & Beverage / Hotel / Hospitality

Chamber Representatives Mr. Andrew Charles - Director Ms. Kannika Srinate - Director Background Steakhouses began life as ‘chophouses’ in London during the 1690s. These establishments normally catered to men only throughout their early years. They always served hearty fare that featured individual cuts of meat as their biggest selling point.

During the late nineteenth century, the Americans adopted the concept of the chophouse and renamed it the ‘steakhouse’. They saw it as a favourable step up from the traditional bars, taverns and inns that were prevalent in America at that time.

The steakhouse concept, by design, attracted a somewhat more genteel crowd than the bars and taverns did and steakhouses began to evolve in two directions – casual and fine dining restaurants.

The steakhouses that evolved into fine dining establishments, welcomed women and families. They became popular destinations as the country entered the industrial age and families had more disposable income to spend on dining out. Whether casual or fine dining, steakhouses have always made their reputations based on the quality of the meats they prepared and served. This tradition remains today.

The SteakHouse Co. Bangkok embraces this tradition of maintaining the high standards of food preparation.

Bangkok is known to be a city with a world-class reputation for producing fine food across a rainbow of culinary styles. We are proud to be part of the high-quality, fine dining reputation of a Steakhouse in Bangkok.

OUR STEAK CHEFS

The Steakhouse Co Bar & Grill 9/8 Phat Phong 2, Bangrak Bangkok 10500 Tel: +66 610978325 Fax: +66 22332100 Email: office@thesteakhouseco.com Website: thesteakhouseco.com

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Krittin Kerdnaimongkol (“Chef Moo”) “Chef Moo” is a Thai chef from Chanthaburi, on the banks of the Chanthaburi River, Thailand. With over 20 years’ experience in the restaurant industry, Chef Moo began work as a

trainee chef at the Delta Grand Pacific Hotel in Victoria, Canada before working for a US cruise-line company and in various kitchens across New York. Returning to Thailand, he took the position of Head Chef at KuDeTa (now Ce La Vi) in Bangkok, and also ran the kitchen at the Dusit Thani Hua Hin Resort.

Thomas International UK Ltd. 1st Floor, 18 Oxford Road Marlow SL7 2NL Tel: +44 1628-475366 Email: heinjl@thomas.co.uk Chamber Representatives Mr. Hein Jan Lapidaire - International Account Manager APAC

Williams Lea Asia Limited Suite 405-07. 4th Floor, Harcourt House 39 Gloucester Road, Wanchai Hongkong Tel: +852 28900080 Fax: +852 21690567 Website: www.wlt.com Chamber Representatives

Mr. Toby Simon Alexander Codrington - CEO Mr. Matthew Szabo - Managing Director Smoke & Mirrors (a WLT company) Background Williams Lea Tag is the leading independent provider of marketing and communications services. We help organisations transform business processes, enhance customer conversations and realise the potential of their brands. Our solutions combine reengineered processes, leading technologies and highly experienced collaborative client teams.

BRITISH BUSINESS CENTRE, BANGKOK A dedicated new facility for UK Business

Within the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) - located in the heart of Bangkok - close to the British Embassy and BTS Skytrain •

110 sq.m multi-purpose space providing latest communication technology

•

Drop-in facility for visiting UK businesses*

•

Printer/scanner/photocopier

•

Free wireless connectivity (12 Mb/s) and charging for laptop/mobile * the room is subject to availability and frequent use may attract an additional charge

Available for private functions, meetings, networking events, product displays, seminars, presentations and training, receptions and press conferences.

Floorplan

1

2

Lectern Laptop available for presentations 2014 edition Samsung Galaxy Note tablet available for use as whiteboard or remote 70 - inch TV screen for picture perfect presentations Webinar and video conferencing via Skype Fully integrated TV screen with PC-Capabilities

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Service access for food and beverage Complimentary refreshments available Seats up to 60 theatre - style Integrated Bose speakers in ceiling for excellent sound facilities

For further information on the British Business Centre, contact jintana@bccthai.com

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FINAL WORD

Party lines

By Dale Lawrence

W

ith BREXIT negotiations in turmoil it’s surely time for a new UK political party that restores the really important things in life that have been denied to Brits over many years by politicians in Westminster and Brussels. My top manifesto pledges: • Restore ‘British’ weights and measures. Buy spuds by the pound, beer by the pint and petrol by the gallon.

Yards, feet and inches for all measurements.

• Tighter border controls. Only long-suffering England cricket fans admitted.

• Halt foreign aid to states that give refuge to terrorists and that spend our hard-earned cash on space exploration programmes.

• Re-open police stations closed in UK rural communities and put more coppers back on the beat.

• No BREXIT severance payment.

• Cancel HS2. It’s another scandalous waste of taxpayers’ money – and I’ve yet to meet anyone who feels the need to cut travel times to Birmingham and Manchester.

Off the rails

Benny Hill

• Ban unfunny so-called ‘comedians’ such as Russell Brand from our TV screens and bring back Dad’s Army, Morecambe & Wise…......and the delightfully non-PC Benny Hill.

Costs on the highly controversial West Coast Route Modernisation programme, budgeted initially at around £2bn, had rocketed to an estimated £14.5 billion by 2002, contributing to the demise of Railtrack which was placed in Railway Administration.

Addressing a meeting of the National Farmers’ Union, Michael Gove said that funds should be diverted from the HS2 project to provide a superfast nationwide broadband service. He added that the UK’s agriculture sector could not reach its true potential without such investment.

Michael Gove

T

alking of HS2, the crackpot UK rail project designed to cut travel times between Birmingham and London by 20 minutes, I hear that Cabinet Minister Michael Gove is expressing doubts about the validity of this costly white elephant.

Current estimates of £60bn for the total HS2 project, stretching from London to Manchester and Leeds via Birmingham, are undoubtedly conservative – and the UK has a poor track record in controlling rail infrastructure expenditure.

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He said it was ridiculous that Kenya enjoyed better mobile phone coverage than in parts of Kent and unjustifiable that there was such poor broadband coverage in areas of a country that first guaranteed universal mail provision, invented the telephone and TV, and pioneered the internet. Quite so.

And finally...

M

ake a date for the Ploenchit Fair on Saturday 24 November when it makes a nostalgic return to the grounds of the British Embassy on Bangkok’s Wireless Road before the bulldozers move in to flatten this historic plot for yet another commercial development.

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Finnair flies to all major cities in Asia and over 60 destinations in Europe.