Bangkok Business Brief - Volume 1, Issue 7 - Mid-June/July 2012 by Mango Mango Ltd. Part.

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BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF Mid-June/July 2012

BUSINESS BRIEF

Vol. No. 1, Issue No. 7

Mid-June/July 2012

Daily business news briefs at www.bangkokbusinessbrief.com

The Future of IT is ET By Dean Outerson

With so much media attention IPO, it’s little wonder that there focusing on the growth of social has been somewhat less attention media and the recent Facebook paid to the changes that are happening in the IT industry. And yet, words like ‘transformation’ and ‘renewal’ are being used to General Interest 2 describe these dramatic changes Economy 3 in the industry that are already Government 4 underway and that many experts Finance/Investment 5 say are expected to gain signifiProduction 6 cant momentum in the coming Infrastructure/Logistics 7 years. There are even claims that Retail/Services 8 “IT, as we know it, is over.”

Inside

IT/Comms Tourism Real Estate Environment/CSR Business Organizations The Chambers The Calendar

9 10 11 12 13 14 22

quite the opposite. As individuals and small- and medium-sized businesses, especially start-ups, have embraced the innovation and cost efficiency of enterprise technologies (ET), such as cloud computing, big business and government stood by and wondered if any of these technologies were scalable. It now appears that in 2012, they have finally started to take notice. CEOs and COOs are now asking their IT departments how to use IT budgets to drive But unlike earlier changes in the innovation, rather than just to IT industry, which were mostly upgrade infrastructure. top-down initiatives with changes occurring first with govern- The article that proclaimed that ment and big business, then “IT, as we know it, is over” was small business, and finally in- published on the Network World dividuals, this IT ‘revolution’ is website (www.networkworld.com)

in April. “From IT to ET: Cloud, consumerization, and the next wave of IT transformation” by Johnna Till Johnson, posits that as IT becomes more and more important, it is being replaced by ‘enterprise technology’ (ET), or technology that is not just in offices, but is “embedded throughout the enterprise.” As Ms Johnson notes, ET includes wireless and mobile technologies (workers with tablets and smart phones), display technologies, next-generation computing, and ‘big data,’ or the ability to efficiently process and access, in real time, the vast amounts of data that most companies deal with on a daily basis. Story continues on Page 20.

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Smarter commerce does matter in the age of the customer

Our planet’s system of systems carries inefficiencies totalling nearly US$15 trillion (Bt450 trillion), or 28 per cent of worldwide gross domestic product. Much of this waste is found in our systems of commerce – in inventory backlogs, failed product launches, wasted materials and ineffective marketing campaigns. It was highlighted in a 2010 IBM research from the survey of more than 500 economists worldwide. Huge loss, isn’t it? We are in the age of customer where they are empowered by technology, transparency, and an abundance of information. They expect to engage with companies when and how... Full story at http://goo.gl/pmwPb

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...added that the company had set aside a significant investment budget of Bt200 million to Bt300 million for overseas expansion. Full story at http://goo.gl/bH6PF

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The problem has been less pronounced in Thailand because its educational system simply does not produce enough quality graduates for the domestic labour market in the first place _ let alone enough to lead to human capital flight.

(USTR) report released on Monday in Washington. The report is significant because “IP-intensive industries support as many as 40 million American jobs and up to 60% of US exports,” US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a statement.

“Employers report having difficulty hiring people with problem-solving skills and good work habits and finding applicants with even basic reading skills,” says Yongyuth Chalamwong, a labour expert. “And a significant number of them report With all this effort every customer that their skill requirements for lost feels like a failure, and repre- entry-level positions have increased sents a real loss for the company in over the years.” terms of future revenue and the cost of replacing that client. With this in Many have responded to shortages... mind, one of the most difficult... Full story at http://goo.gl/609nk Full story at http://goo.gl/uEpyN

The priority watch list carries no threat of sanctions, but its aim is to shame governments into cracking down on piracy and counterfeiting and updating their copyright laws... Full story at http://goo.gl/cFO4o

When it’s time to fire a client Business owners who rely on ongoing customer relationships are aware of the efforts and costs involved with acquiring new customers. They’ll also know that it doesn’t stop there. Once a relationship has been established, outstanding customer service needs to be delivered if the relationship is to continue to thrive, and grow into a long-term valuable client.

A critical shortcoming

Companies say it’s not easy finding the right people for the jobs available. Brain drain has been a persistent problem for many developing countries.

Thailand remains on US IP piracy & counterfeit list

Thailand remains on the list of 13 countries the United States considers the most serious violators of intellectual property rights, according to a US Trade Representative

Expat assignments on rise in Asia

About 43 per cent of companies across Asia project an increase in cross-border traditional expatriate assignments from now till 2014, and 85 per cent of them are likely to send their staff on international assignments within Asia itself, according to the Talent Mobility Study by global professional services firm Towers Watson and workforce mobility association Worldwide ERC. Overall, the study shows that 45... Full story at http://goo.gl/sscaa

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Corruption, red tape holding back growth Outdated regulations, an inefficient education system and corruption are among the key factors impeding growth in Thailand’s competitiveness, said speakers at the World Economic Forum in East Asia yesterday. Policymakers need to unshackle the constraints that hinder Thai businesses by removing bureaucratic obstacles and creating a business environment more favourable for growth. Thierry Geiger, an economist and associate director for the WEF’s Centre for Global Competitiveness and Performance, said Thailand’s competitiveness has declined slightly. Thailand ranked... Full story at http://goo.gl/lAqO0

IMF says Thailand should unwind stimulus with recovery

The International Monetary Fund said Thailand should be ready to increase interest rates and exit fiscal stimulus when the recovery strengthens.

rest

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With Europe sliding into its second slump, the fallout on Thailand’s exports, stock market, gold price and baht is inescapable, a banker and an economist said. “The worst of

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Nature and life in JuliusCaesar. 1997-98 wa are cyclical _ the impact of s a blessing, as the mains seasons of the yea 2008 would ha above the Europ the phases of the r, life and death, far worse ve been ean average. for the region, mo http://goo.gl/o on, the tides. ” Azman In Caught up in da zbNM India, China ily details, we eas Mokhtar, the managing and Thailand, ily forget that dir ect of or Kh Asia stands to rou aza ghly 12 percent nah the business wo of has cycles, too. rld told the CI Nasional of Malaysia, tion contribute to a the populaWe are all fam MB Asean Confe gain from W pension, while iliar with the econo rence. the we es t mi ak c ne bu sse sin s ess of cycle His com slowdown of expansion, con sion system are Thailand’s penments were... ... covery. Howe traction and re- Full story Full story at htt The shift of eco ver, other cyc at http://goo.gl/d nomic growth p:/ /goo.gl/rtpH3 lic ph al fu2 en u om ena affect... momentum to the Thailand near Preventing up numerous East has opened Full story at http://goo.gl/fJ to p opportunities olr of list of wor that Asian countries Bangkok from out, suggests an should not miss Panel: Asia bett weakest pensld’s sinking bigges economist. io off, not immun er n t systems: stud challenge The robust eco y from global cr e, no Greece, India, Ch Land subsidence China and em mic growth of is es ina and Thailand erging economi caused by groun are home to the water losses top will open a ne es KUALA LUMPUR : The As d weake w s ian cri- pensi on systems in st national lems that must the list of probAsian economi opportunity for sis in the late 1990s was a wa es to increase the be the kesol cal up ved wo l for in rld cri Ba , the region that pp wealth from tra ir has turned eig led by a mix of acute sover- kok to mitigate the impact ngde in goods an out to be of the n debt, young climate change services at a tim a blessing in d retire dis e on States and Europ when the United nearly 15 years later, as the guise high ratios of pension ment ages, a study by multin flooding, says region’s ers an ers to worke ational agencies financial sec Full story at htt are... d . p://goo.gl/S65D6 able to sus tor is now strong and study poor pension take-up, a The conclusio showed. tain a certain n de is gre contained in of shocks from e Grow with th a rep ort the entitled “Clim e flow Western Hemi fallout in the The Allianz ate Risks and Ad of cycles sphere, accord ing sion Susta Global Investors Pen- Megac aptation in Asian Coastal to a panellist at a recent As inability Index, ities”, jointly con ‘There is a tid ean conference. ducted by the which Asian De tracks the rel e velop ati men, which, tak in the affairs of ity of nationa ve sustainabil- Internation ment Bank, the Japan l al leads on to for en at the flood, “There wi in 44 countries pension systems and the Wo Cooperation Agency ll be more crises tune”, wrote Wi around the wo rld Bank in 201 l- future, an in the showe rld, 0. d the Asian crisis in tirees d the number of Greek reThe report recom to people of wo rking age reFull story at htt mended a... p://goo.gl/20yMD Sponsored by

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the euro-zone crisis has yet to be revealed,” said Kobsak Pootrakool, executive vice president of Bangkok Bank. An adverse impact is expected on exports, the stock market, gold price and baht, he said. But there are also opportunities for investors to shop for good assets in Europe – such as brand-name businesses and know-how – if they wait for a while until prices bottom out, he told a press briefing hosted by Krungthep Turakij newspaper. The euro zone would face a second financial crisis in the near future as... Full story at http://goo.gl/xNDBK

Hong Kong ‘bolstering tie’ with emerging economies

Hong Kong is continuing to foster trade relationships with emerging economies including Thailand as global economic power shifts from the West to the East, and is seeking membership in the Asean-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA). Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang noted: “We are a small economy with 7 million people. Since 2007, we have begun to further our trading relations with the Asean region, BRIC countries and others. We are beginning to see the results. We will continue to develop not only direct, simple relationships but also more complex, multidimensional relationships with different countries. In the past, we relied a great deal on the US and Europe. But now, we see a lot of problems arising in these two areas. And it may take quite a long time for them... Full story at http://goo.gl/NBxXg

“Directors agreed that the current expansionary fiscal and monetary stances are appropriate in the context of weak world demand and muted inflationary pressures,” the IMF said in an e-mailed statement. “The authorities should unwind the supportive policy stance as the WTO chief outlines recovery takes hold and move to a anti-trade trends medium-term consolidation path Three worldwide trends are workconsistent with low inflation and ing against trade – the slowdown in fiscal sustainability.” the global economy, constraints of trade finance and rise of protectionThe Bank of Thailand has kept its ism, Pascal Lamy, director general benchmark rate unchanged at its of the World Trade Organisation, past two meetings, resisting pres- said yesterday. Since Europe’s econsure from the government to re- omy has weakened, and the region re-presents about 15 per cent of the sume cuts in borrowing costs to... Full story at http://goo.gl/wDpjU global economy, it has affected other countries too, Lamy said.

Kobsak: Europe’s banks a concern

...added that the set aside a signi company had budget of Bt20 ficant investment million for over0 million to Bt300 seas expansion Full story at http: . //goo.gl/bH6PF

Export-led-growth countries such as China and Thailand have felt the impact, he said. Constraints of trade finance caused by the deleveraging of banks had adversely affected... Full story at http://goo.gl/5BB8g

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...added that the company had set aside a significant investment budget of Bt200 million to Bt300 million for overseas expansion. Full story at http://goo.gl/bH6PF

Thailand faces a high risk of being ‘blacklisted’ by global watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for lack of action in countering Small and medium-sized enter- money-laundering. prises have yet to be affected by the minimum wage hike to 300 baht AMLO secretary-general Sihanart a day, insists Kittiratt Na-Ranong, Prayoonrat said at a press conferdeputy prime minister and finance ence yesterday that being in the minister. He cited the latest Labour FATF “grey-list” for involvement in Ministry report that local SME ac- terrorist support and money launtivity remained normal, with some dering had already created probclosing down and many opening lems for Thai tourism enterprises. new factories. The government raised daily minimum wages in sev- The FATF has reported its listing to en provinces by 40% on April 1. many member states. Sihanart said this action had affected Thai tour Mr Kittiratt said access to capital re- companies as their money had been mains the key problem for SMEs, so “rejected”. And Thai people may the Finance Ministry is relaxing its soon face problems transferring... collateral requirements for SMEs... Full story at http://goo.gl/OmyUi Full story at http://goo.gl/ONgpE

Kittiratt: SMEs Government sanguine about wages

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Yingluck, Wirjawan speak at WEF Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Indonesia’s Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan outlined their countries’ economic aims on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Bangkok on Thursday, with both emphasising fundamentals. Ms Yingluck said the country has a grand plan of investing in infrastructure projects and improve income distribution to grow domestic economy. Some US$71.4 billion worth of public spending plan has been set up for water and infrastructure management over the next five years. The plan will include building of high-speed train, energy security and telecommunication. As for... Full story at http://goo.gl/ebQVl

Money-laundering grey list yet to hurt

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UAE seeks joint ventures to boost trade

The United Arab Emirates has proposed that Thailand boost trade and investment by forming more joint ventures in high-potential sectors such as food, spas and medical

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tourism, while urging Bangkok to further open its contract-farming sector to foreign investment. Thailand wants to reduce its trade deficit with the UAE, as the Kingdom’s imports from the Gulf nation currently focus heavily on crude oil. Two-way trade value reached US$17 billion (Bt538.66 billion) last year, with Thailand shouldering a trade deficit of $9 billion due to its heavy imports of crude oil. During... Full story at http://goo.gl/tKndN

PM visiting Australia

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra left for an official visit to Australia. It was the first official visit involving a leader from Thailand or Australia in eight years. Ms Yingluck said she would join celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relationships between Australia and Thailand. The visit is also intended to restore confidence in the Thai economy among Australian investors and strengthen trade... Full story at http://goo.gl/txKsZ

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Finance / Investment

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Germany sees more investment opportunities in Asia, led by China Germany is increasingly turning to Asia to cash in on China’s rise and the region’s integration, which opens up a new window of opportunity for investment. Of total capital stock of 100 billion euros (Bt4 trillion) as of 2009, more than a quarter is now in Asia, including 23 billion in China, 1.40 billion in Thailand and 245 million in Vietnam. Myanmar’s reopening could also draw some investment, now that the European Union has suspended sanctions on the country.

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...added that the set aside a signi company had budget of Bt20 ficant investment million for over0 million to Bt300 seas expansion Full story at http: . //goo.gl/bH6PF

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...

investors. “Start-to-invest” is now available for iPhone and iPad, set to become personal advisor that can answer all investment-related questions. “This is part of the SEC’s strategy towards modernisation and friendliness to all,” said SEC SecretaryGeneral Vorapol Socatiyanurak. His deputy Chalee Chantanayingyong is confident that this mobile application would raise awareness of financial planning among Thai consumers. The application... Full story at http://goo.gl/7GOPU

Millionaires shunned as tax evasion rule looms

Go away, American millionaires. That’s what some of the world’s largest wealth-management firms are saying ahead of Washington’s implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, known as Fatca, which seeks to prevent tax evasion by Americans with offshore accounts. HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA), Deutsche Bank AG, Bank of Singapore Ltd. and DBS Group Holdings Ltd. (DBS) all say they have turned away business.

“That will increase in five to 10 years as China, Asean and India are the main destinations for German companies because of the robust growth rate,” said Volker Treier, of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce. Thailand or Vietnam could be a base for re-export to China, given the increasing “I don’t open U.S. accounts, period,” production cost in that country... said Su Shan Tan, head of private Full story at http://goo.gl/krSrA banking at Singapore-based DBS, Asia’s largest lender, who New dollar futures Southeast described regulatory attitudes toin the works ward U.S. clients as “Draconian.” A US-dollar futures contract will begin trading in Thailand on June 5, The 2010 law, to be phased in startwith 1,000 contracts a day expected ing Jan. 1, 2013, requires financial to change hands initially. institutions based outside the U.S. to obtain and report information Kesara Manchusree, managing di- about income and interest payrector of the Thailand Futures Ex- ments accrued to the accounts of... change (TFEX), said the contract Full story at http://goo.gl/ECSGY will be good for exporters in need of a hedging tool. It will also be useful Small banks see for investors interested in speculat- room for brokerage ing on currency movements. in Asean Like their larger counterparts, small She said exporters currently hedge banks have plans to go regional their currency risk through com- once the Asean Economic Commumercial banks, and the dollar fu- nity (AEC) is formed in 2015. Tisco tures contract will offer them an Bank aims to strengthen its core alternative. It will also act as indica- business of auto leasing, particularly tors of sentiment and future price... in the provinces, before expandFull story at http://goo.gl/jofcZ ing regionally over the next several years. Currently, the business is not SEC launches strong enough to support overseas mobile app expansion, according to CEO OraThe Securities and Exchange Com- nuch Apisaksirikul. “We have no mission is brushing up its old image, plan to go offshore in the next three with the introduction of mobile ap- to five years because we are not... plication to satisfy new-generation Full story at http://goo.gl/jf04R

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Caterpillar: Thailand our Asean hub

With an investment of US$300 million, Caterpillar Inc, the world’s top maker of construction equipment, is in the process of turning Thailand into its main Southeast Asian production base. Two factories are being built in Hemaraj Rayong Industrial Land, with 95% of the output slated for export. Richard Lavin, president of the Illinois-based Caterpillar Group, said one of these, a mining-equipment facility, will start producing the first prototype trucks and loaders in the fourth quarter. The medium tracktype tractor factory will start operating in next year’s first quarter. Caterpillar will employ 2,000 people in... Full story at http://goo.gl/rxo0M

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...added that the company had set aside a significant investment budget of Bt200 million to Bt300 million for overseas expansion. Full story at http://goo.gl/bH6PF

ment this year despite being hit hard by last year’s flood crisis. “The heavy flooding has not affected our expanSingha Corporation is expand- sion plans one bit,” said Kobkarn ing globally and has plans to open Wattanavrangkul, the chairwoman breweries and establish partner- of of Toshiba Thailand Co. ships overseas. The campaign is part of the company’s ongoing efforts She said Toshiba will relocate its to double foreign revenue to 20% semiconductor facility and build a of total by 2015. Singha also wants new home electrical appliance facto be one of the three largest beer tory. Moving the semiconductor brands in the region, up from about plant to Prachin Buri’s 304 Industenth place now. trial Park will reduce business risk... Full story at http://goo.gl/hndQx Piti Bhirombhakdi, the regional marketing director, said Singha is CP Group lures seeking to grow globally two ways. China’s Saic to set up It will contract local breweries to carmaking base here produce Singha beer, continuing to manage and control marketing and Thailand’s biggest agricultural condistribution, and it will establish glomerate, Charoen Pokphand fully owned or joint-venture opera- Group, has persuaded China’s bigtions in foreign markets. These ar- gest carmaker Shanghai Automorangements will help the company... tive IndustryCorporation (SAIC) Full story at http://goo.gl/PW4Qb to set up a manufacturing base for right-hand-drive vehicles in ThaiFlooding fails to land as well as expand its motordampen Toshiba cycle manufacturing to capitalise on Toshiba Corporation remains firm the creation of the Asean Economic on its 2-billion-baht local commit- Community (AEC) in 2015.

Singha takes global expansion approach

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SAIC has approached CP Group to be its partner here to set up a factory aimed at exports not only to Asean countries but other destinations as well. They are looking for a location for the production base. Initially, production capacity in Thailand would be 300,000 units per year. SAIC is China’s biggest auto-maker, with annual production capacity... Full story at http://goo.gl/3KB14

Thai fruits head for the Olympics

The Commerce Ministry, in cooperation with Tesco, is launching a campaign to encourage the consumption of Thai fresh fruits at the upcoming London Olympics in a bid to bring Thai fruits to the attention of the world. The strategy focuses on encouraging food chains, restaurants, English consumers, and tourists to consume more Thai fruits on various occasions. It will also promote the uniqueness and quality of tropical fruits from Thailand amidst higher... Full story at http://goo.gl/QJKJI

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Myanmar megaproject may be on a road to nowhere

A simple, red sign on a white beach marks the start of a billion-dollar highway that will, one day, lead to a vast industrial project to be built close to impoverished Myanmar’s border with Thailand.

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...

DHL cuts ribbon on new hub

DHL Express, the world’s leading courier service, yesterday opened its largest distribution centre in Thailand on Rama III Road to capitalise on economic opportunities once regional integration begins in 2015.

Located in a prime business location in Bangkok with close proximity to major transport links, the Rama III distribution centre can process 3,700 shipments a day or 1.35 million a year. The 124-million-baht facility enhances the ability of the company to service customers for longer hours , making it possible... Full story at http://goo.gl/2KtGa

Amata: State should support Dawei The government should invest in in- Big expansion frastructure in neighbouring Myan- planned for mar to make the capital-intensive overcrowded Dawei project more financially viBangkok airport able, says Amata Corp. As borderless transactions between Southeast Asean nations become a reality under the Asean Economic Community (AEC), set for establishment in 2015, the government should consider Myanmar as another production base for Thai companies, said chief business officer Somhatai Panichewa. “Once the AEC is established, there will be no more border,” she said, pointing out that the Malaysian and Vietnamese governments have already invested abroad.

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Nature and life in JuliusCaesar. 1997-98 wa are cyclical _ the impact of s a blessing, as the mains seasons of the yea 2008 would ha above the Europ the phases of the r, life and death, far worse ve been ean average. for the region, mo http://goo.gl/o on, the tides. ” Azman In Caught up in da zbNM India, China ily details, we eas Mokhtar, the managing and Thailand, ily forget that dir ect of or Kh Asia stands to rou aza ghly 12 percent nah the business wo of has cycles, too. rld told the CI Nasional of Malaysia, tion contribute to a the populaWe are all fam MB Asean Confe gain from W pension, while iliar with the econo rence. the we es t mi ak c ne bu sse sin s ess of cycle His com slowdown of expansion, con sion system are Thailand’s penments were... ... covery. Howe traction and re- Full story Full story at htt The shift of eco ver, other cyc at http://goo.gl/d nomic growth p:/ /goo.gl/rtpH3 lic ph al fu2 en u om ena affect... momentum to the Thailand near Preventing up numerous East has opened Full story at http://goo.gl/fJ to p opportunities olr of list of wor that Asian countries Bangkok from out, suggests an should not miss Panel: Asia bett weakest pensld’s sinking bigges economist. io off, not immun er n t systems: stud challenge The robust eco y from global cr e, no Greece, India, Ch Land subsidence China and em mic growth of is es ina and Thailand erging economi caused by groun are home to the water losses top will open a ne es KUALA LUMPUR : The As d weake w s ian cri- pensi on systems in st national lems that must the list of probAsian economi opportunity for sis in the late 1990s was a wa es to increase the be the kesol cal up ved wo l for in rld cri Ba , the region that pp wealth from tra ir has turned eig led by a mix of acute sover- kok to mitigate the impact ngde in goods an out to be of the n debt, young climate change services at a tim a blessing in d retireme dis e on flo& Intellectual Property Representations nt ages, aInvestigations oding high rat , States and Europ when the United nearly 15 years later, as the guise  stu ios dy of by pensioners to wo multinational age says region’s ers an e financial sec rkncies. Full story at htt are... d p://goo.gl/S65D6 able to sus tor is now strong and study poor pension take-up, a Th  Pre-employment Screening sho tain a certain e conclusion wed. degree is contained of shocks from Grow with th a in rep ort the entitled e flow Western Hemi fallout in the The Allianz and Adaptation “Climate Risks of cycles sphere, accord Global Invest/ors n SuPolygraphs Lie Detector Tests in Asian Coast ing sio to a panellist Pe nMe al staina gac at a recent As ‘There is a tid ean tracks the bility Index, which Asian ities”, jointly conducted by the conference. e Development Ba relative sustai men, which, tak in the affairs of nk, the Japan nabilcounter ity - Internation  Surveillance and surveillance of na en tio at na the l al Coopera pe flo nsi od leads on to for on systems and in 44 countries tune”, wrote Wi , “There will be more crises the World Bank tion Agency aro un d l- future, an in the in the showed the 2010. world, d the Asian numb Due Diligence er crisis in tir ees to people of of Greek re- The report rec working age reom Full story at htt mended a...  Company Background Checksp://goo.gl/20yMD Sponsored by

“This investment will enable us to cope with flourishing trade across the region when the AEC starts,” said Chananyarak Phetcharat, the managing director for Thailand and Indochina. “The Thai government advocates the country becoming But with years to go before it is up the business hub of Asean, and the and running, the $50 billion port country is well positioned to do so.” and industrial complex in the southern city of Dawei is already strug- With 41 service facilities nationgling to look relevant as Myanmar wide, DHL will act as a network to emerges from untouchable state to give Thailand and Asean connectivAsia’s latest Eldorado. ity with the rest of the world. Conceived during the day’s of military rule when Myanmar faced crippling sanctions, the project was at the time a very welcome offer of major foreign investment. Officials insist that nothing has changed despite the rapidly growing list of... Full story at http://goo.gl/UMT9v

...added that the set aside a signi company had budget of Bt20 ficant investment million for over0 million to Bt300 seas expansion Full story at http: . //goo.gl/bH6PF

Airports of Thailand Pcl is to spend about $1.9 billion over the next five years to expand capacity at Bangkok’s overcrowded Suvarnabhumi airport by a third, its president said on Wednesday. AOT AOT.BK, which runs the country’s six main airports, aims to boost capacity at Suvarnabhumi by 15 million to serve up to 60 million passengers in 2017, Anirut Thanomkulbutra told reporters. The $4 billion airport, which opened in September 2006 on what was once flooded marshland known as “cobra swamp”, is expected to serve about 51 million passengers in AOT’s fiscal year ending in September 2012, up from 48 million a year earlier and above annual capacity put at 45 million now, Anirut said.

Vietnam, for instance, has grown rice in Myanmar, where the soil is fertile and the weather conditions favourable. Amata, a Thai industrial estate developer, has studied two projects in Myanmar, including one in Dawei. It is in talks with ItalianThai Development (ITD), which has been granted a concession to Construction is due to begin in develop a Special Economic Zone... 2015. Bangkok’s old Don Muang... Full story at http://goo.gl/LjdUM Full story at http://goo.gl/FwvZg

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BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF

Briefs Retail/Services

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DKSH (Thailand) lands exclusive contract to sell Mrs Fields cookies Mrs Fields, the snack food brand best known for its chocolate-chip cookies, is back in Thailand. DKSH (Thailand) Ltd has obtained the exclusive franchise contract to operate Mrs Fields locally. The move is part of the trading company’s strategy of increasing sales in its consumer products division over the long term. DKSH (Thailand) is the local arm of the DSKH Group, a Switzerland-based enterprise long active in Asia, and in Thailand since 1906. This is the third time the Mrs Fields brand has entered the Thai market... Full story at http://goo.gl/Sj9Qe

High-flying ladies

Stewards are growing scarcer in the skies as more carriers advertise for female-only crews at flight attendant preparation classes at Kasem Bundit University (KBU) and Mae Fah Luang University (MFU), the female-to-male ratios are about the same. At state-run MFU in the northern province of Chiang Rai, about 15 of the 50 students are male. In the lecture room at KBU’s Rom Klao Road campus in Bangkok, the mix is roughly the same _ five out of 25 are men. Across the capital at the Bangkok Airways recruitment centre in Chatuchak district, applicants for cabin crew jobs are roughly 75% women and 25% men. The gender mix for those applying for cabin attendant jobs at other airlines, Thai and foreign, is about the same. The numbers of men seeking to enter this profession and those already working as cabin attendants at... Full story at http://goo.gl/C9nIM

Tesco boosts Thailand’s fruit export

www.bangkokbusinessbrief.com

Mid-June/July 2012

To read the full article of a story brief, enter the short code at the end of the story into your browser: to create greater awareness and salesof exotic fruit from Thailand. This is a joint initiative between Tesco and the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) and is running in over 200 UK stores.

...added that the company had set aside a significant investment budget of Bt200 million to Bt300 million for overseas expansion. Full story at http://goo.gl/bH6PF

goal of 40% growth in Thailand this year. The company plans to spend around 450 million baht to support its new Think Big approach in the four Asian markets where it is available: India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. Big Cola aims to be the A full range of Thai fruits will be No.1 carbonated drink in Thailand available from the more familiar ly- in four years. chee and mango to the less common rambutan and mangosteen, all pre- Jorge Lopez Doriga, chief marketing sented in a colourful and eye-catch- officer of the Aje Group, the proing ‘Taste of Thailand’ display unit. ducer and distributor of Big Cola globally, said the company’s new This promotion is in its fifth year image will be reflected in all worldand is just one way in which Tesco wide brand communication. “Tosupports the growth of exports from day, Big Cola is taking a giant step Thailand. Last year saw an increase towards strengthening its position in the value of Thai exports to Tes- as one of the fastest-growing global co’s international businesses, reach- soda brands,” he said. Thailand is ing Bt12.5 billion. Tesco estimates Big Cola’s largest market since... that this figure could increase by Full story at http://goo.gl/09S8R Bt1 billion by the end of this year. 50 new brands Exports of Thai fruit alone are... Full story at http://goo.gl/Dze1h expected to debut in

MasterCard expects new techno to ease bill payment via mobile phones

Mobile bill payment will become more popular thanks to the fastgrowing number of smart phones and tablets in Thailand, MasterCard Worldwide says. The company believes Thailand will adopt the mobile payment technology called near-field communication (NFC) soon in response to this trend. Philip Yen, group head for emerging payments, Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said NFC made payments quickly at retail points of sale. Mobile-phone users simply download the application into card readers and tap “pay”. This technology is suitable for small retail outlets because the NFC machine is smaller than an electronic data capture (EDC) device. MasterCard will encourage merchant partners, especially small businesses, to accept payments through NFC technology. Singapore and Malaysia are two countries in the region that have implemented NFC mobile payment technology. Yen said NFC would be available in Thailand once banks... Full story at http://goo.gl/PR11l

Big Cola aims for a big fizz

Tesco Lotus has launched the ‘Taste The Peruvian maker of Big Cola soft of Thailand’ fruit promotion in one drink will launch its new image in of Tesco’s major London superstores Asia next month to underline its

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land soon. The American Ralph Lauren brand will open its first flagship store in Thailand at Central Embassy, the new complex at the Phloenchit intersection. The H&M clothing chain, which has more bargain offerings, will anchor its first store with a two-storey unit at Siam Paragon in October. At least 50 other brands and fashion, lifestyle, coffee, food, entertainment and automotive products stores are planning to come to Bangkok by next year. They include Levi’s Vintage, Oakley, Agnes B, Giuseppe Zanotti and Sretsis Martina, as well as Miu Miu, which is ready to re-enter the Thai market after withdrawing several years ago.

Kriengsak Tantiphipop, the chief marketing officer of Siam Paragon Development Co, said the company is allocating about 1 billion baht from 2010-13 on a facelift for Bangkok this year the mall to allow the parade of new Two long-awaited international brands. More than 30 new brands fashion brands _ Ralph Lauren and will open their doors in Siam... H&M _ are ready to debut in Thai- Full story at http://goo.gl/xd4II

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Smartphones to rule roost Smartphone sales in Thailand will overtake those of feature phones in the next three years, thanks to soaring demand for internet-enabled devices and the upcoming 3G licence auction. In value terms, smartphones surpassed feature phones in sales for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2011, taking a 53% share of total handset sales, said the research firm GfK Thailand. General manager Wichit Purepong said smartphones sales in the country would reach 4 million units with an estimated value of 37 billion baht in 2012 _ more than double last year’s unit sales volume and value. Mobile handset sales in Thailand are forecast to reach 14.5 million units. Dr Wichit noted that local smartphone adoption is low when compared with neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia. Songklod Wongpeng, GfK’s telecom accounts manager,... Full story at http://goo.gl/kka7j

Business will become ‘social’

Nearly a decade since e-businesses have transformed the way businesses are conducted, IBM believes the next wave will be what it calls “the social business”.

rest

December 20 11

To read the fu ll article of a BANGKOK BUSINESS story brief enter the shor , ...added that the com BRIEF Mid-June/July 2012 t code at the pany had set aside a signi end the story into budget of Bt20 ficant investment goo.gl/bH6P your browser: of million for over0 million to Bt300 seas expansion F liam Shakespe Full story at http: . //goo.gl/b are

H6PF Nature and life in JuliusCaesar. 1997-98 wa are cyclical _ the impact of s a blessing, as the mains seasons of the yea 2008 would ha above the Europ the phases of the r, life and death, far worse ve been ean average. for the region, http://goo.gl/o ” Azman In Caught up in da moon, the tides. Mokhtar, zbNM India, China the managing ily details, we eas and Thailand, ily forget that dir ect of or Kh Asia stands to rou aza ghly 12 percent nah the business wo of has cycles, too. rld told the CI Nasional of Malaysia, tion contribute to a the populaWe are all fam MB Asean Confe gain from W pension, while iliar with the econo rence. the we es t mi ak c ne bu sse sin s ess of cycle His com slowdown of expansion, con sion system are Thailand’s penments were... ... covery. Howe traction and re- Full story Full story at htt The shift of eco ver, other cyc at http://goo.gl/d nomic growth p:/ /goo.gl/rtpH3 lic ph al fu2 en u om ena affect... momentum to the Thailand near Preventing up numerous East has opened Full story at http://goo.gl/fJ to p opportunities olr of list of wor that Asian countries Bangkok from out, suggests an should not miss Panel: Asia bett weakest pensld’s sinking bigges economist. io off, not immun er n t systems: stud challenge The robust eco y from global cr e, no Greece, India, Ch Land subsidence China and em mic growth of is es ina and Thailand erging economi caused by groun are home to the water losses top will open a ne es KUALA LUMPUR : The As d weake w s ian cri- pensi on systems in st national lems that must the list of probAsian economi opportunity for sis in the late 1990s was a wa es to increase the be the kesol cal up ved wo l for in rld cri Ba , the region that pp wealth from tra ir has turned eig led by a mix of acute sover- kok to mitigate the impact ngde in goods an out to be of the n debt, young climate change services at a tim a blessing in d retire dis e on States and Europ when the United nearly 15 years later, as the guise high ratios of pension ment ages, a study by multin flooding, says region’s ers an ers to worke ational agencies financial sec Full story at htt are... d . p://goo.gl/S65D6 able to sus tor is now strong and study poor pension take-up, a The conclusio showed. tain a certain n de is gre contained in of shocks from e Grow with th a rep ort the entitled “Clim e flow Western Hemi fallout in the The Allianz ate Risks and Ad of cycles sphere, accord ing sion Susta Global Investors Pen- Megac aptation in Asian Coastal to a panellist at a recent As inability Index, ities”, jointly con ‘There is a tid ean conference. ducted by the which Asian De tracks the rel e velop ati men, which, tak in the affairs of ity of nationa ve sustainabil- Internation ment Bank, the Japan l al leads on to for en at the flood, “There wi in 44 countries pension systems and the Wo Cooperation Agency ll be more crises tune”, wrote Wi around the wo rld Bank in 201 l- future, an in the showe rld, 0. d the Asian crisis in tirees d the number of Greek reThe report recom to people of wo rking age reFull story at htt mended a... p://goo.gl/20yMD

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Social Business and Collaboration Solution Sales and Evangelism cited many real cases that some enterprises – large and small, international and Asian companies, have already embraced the social business capability to their benefits. The Royal... Full story at http://goo.gl/wzJja

Free Wi-Fi expands via True-BMA plan

Starting today Bangkokians will be able to use free public Wi-Fi service at 23,000 hotspots courtesy of the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) and True Corp. Three more mobile operators and internet service providers are planning to join the “Bangkok WiFi” project to expand the service throughout Bangkok.

Under a three-year agreement ending in April 2015 between BMA and True Internet, a subsidiary of True Corp, the Bangkok Wi-Fi service will offer two download speeds _ 256 Kbps and 2 Mbps _ and it can serve up to 150,000 users. The 2 Mbps is free for five hours per month, while the 256 Kbps is unlimited, said Non Ingkutanon, True’s general manager for broadband. Users are required to register every six months to renew the service. The coverage includes... Full story at http://goo.gl/NFrKB

Infor eyes growth in Thailand, Asean

or small.

tems and storage, database, and middleware – to the financial-serMr Hope said enterprise resource vices, telecommunication, manuplanning (ERP) software usually facturing, education and energy has a life of five to 10 years, so the industries. company wants to be the option for replacement. But the focus will cen- He added that after the completre on companies that use low-end tion of Oracle’s acquisition of Sun ERP or those who lack ERP... Microsystems, this would be the Full story at http://goo.gl/o8axw first full year in which the company had handled Oracle products in the Small firms’ fate Thailand market. As a result, the worries True company targets revenue of Bt1.3 TrueMove is concerned that if the billion. “We handle three of Oracle’s planned licensing of the 2.1-giga- four product groups. The applicahertz spectrum promotes the emer- tion group is the only one we do... gence of small players in the third- Full story at http://goo.gl/6wCNn generation cellular market, they might be taken over by the bigger Thai bloggers players as a way of acquiring addi- to report from tional bandwidth capacity. London Olympics The cellular operator recently sent its opinions on the planned spectrum auction to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission’s 2.1GHz spectrum management subcommittee, which is gathering telecom operators’ views on the issue.

The combination of direct and joint-venture marketing for Infor Global Solutions in Thailand is set to capitalise on globally designed, industry-specific applications and achieve 30% growth in licence revCiting social media like Facebook enue this year. TrueMove said that as TOT was and Twitter, which have already already allocated 15MHz of the dramatically changed the way peo- David Hope, Infor’s regional man- 2.1GHz spectrum block, the NBTC ple get to know, interact, and share aging director for Asia-Pacific therefore ought to allocate the reinformation with each other, Sandy South, said the joint venture has maining bandwidth at 15MHz per Carter, vice president of IBM and successfully entered the food and licence. If the bandwidths are not author of a few books about social beverage sector, while Infor’s own equal, those that can grab the... media, social business and “mar- office in Thailand has focused on Full story at http://goo.gl/DMgSL keting 2.0”, asserts that the business other industries. First Logic targets world will soon follow their consumers in this trend. The company is already strong Bt1.3 bn from in the Thai markets for food and business IT solutions Using social media and social tech- beverage, automotive and general First Logic, a subsidiary of the counnology tools, and techniques, cor- manufacturing, but it still wants to try’s largest information-technology porations which can capitalise on see growth in these areas as well as group of companies, GDG Group, this emerging opportunity, will equipment, general distribution, has set a goal of achieving Bt1.3 bilhave an edge over their competitors, health care and human capital man- lion in revenue this year from prosince they will become more dy- agement. viding IT solutions to businesses. namic, collaborative, efficient and customer-driven, she said. After the acquisition of another Trairatt Chaisamran, general manbusiness software provider, Law- ager of First Logic, said it would In an exclusive interview to The son, Infor has products to cover the focus on providing Oracle systems Nation, the IBM vice president for whole spectrum of customers, large across three product groups – sys-

Samsung has invited 75 bloggers from around the world – including four Thais – to join the London 2012 Olympics as citizen journalists.In a first for the firm, Samsung has encouraged bloggers from 20 countries to do the work of the press, reporting from London from July 27 to August 12. Thai Samsung Electronics’ corporate marketing director Chandvipa Pipatanakul said that the company wants to keep people from around the world in touch with the stories that occur during the Olympics through the Samsung Global Bloggers. The participating bloggers are frequent users of social media – Facebook, Twitter and so on – aged 18 years and above. The company started the campaign in Thailand with 50 bloggers whittled down to 20 finalists. Only four of these 20 finalists will represent Thailand in reporting and blogging from the London Olympics. They will join the 71 other bloggers from another 19 countries. These 75 bloggers will be divided into two... Full story at http://goo.gl/eBDEu

BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF

Briefs Tourism

http://goo.gl/fxE4d

Thais enter Myanmar hotel market with Bt8 bn stakes

www.bangkokbusinessbrief.com

Mid-June/July 2012

To read the full article of a story brief, enter the short code at the end of the story into your browser: from Thailand had spent US$263.25 million (Bt8.3 billion) in Myanmar, offering 1,896 rooms in total via 11 hotel brands, including Andaman Club, Kandawgyi Palace, Nikko (Chatrium), Mandalay Hill and Pearl Laguna.

Investments from Singapore were the highest in the hotel industry at about $597 million, followed by Thailand, Japan with $183 million,... Thailand is the second-largest in- Full story at http://goo.gl/B1feX vestor in Myanmar’s hotel business after Singapore, but the Association Thumbs up to of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has Thai tourism warned that the young country still Thailand last year moved up one faces many obstacles such as outdat- place to 11th in the ranks of the ed legislation and political instabil- world’s top destinations by internaity. Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, tional tourism receipts, according to the association’s president, acknowl- statistics compiled by the UN World edged Myanmar’s huge potential in Tourism Organization (UNWTO). the tourism and hotel industry, but The country was also among five said its business outlook remains global destinations whose internaunclear. Yet, several countries in the tional tourism receipts in 2011 grew region maintain their interest in in- by US$5 billion or more in absolute vesting in the country. terms, with income rising by $6.2 billion to a record $26.3 billion. According to Maung Maung Swe, chairperson of the Union of Myan- The UNWTO figures underscore mar Travel Association, hoteliers Thailand’s position on the world

...added that the company had set aside a significant investment budget of Bt200 million to Bt300 million for overseas expansion. Full story at http://goo.gl/bH6PF

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ronmac2810@gmail.com tourism map and the growing imSantorini Park ready portance of tourism and travel to the country. Notably, Thailand’s to get wet and wild 2011 receipts and ranking surpassed Supoj Tantichirasakul, founder of two main competitors in Southeast the fashion apparel maker Pena Asia _ Malaysia and Singapore. House Group, will develop a water park as phase two of Santorini Park Malaysia’s receipts were surpris- in Cha-am.”The opening of outlet ingly stagnant from 2010 at $18.3 malls in destinations like Phetchabillion, while its ranking remained buri, Phuket, Khao Yai and Krabi unchanged at 14th, according to the in the past 10 years alerted me to UNWTO World Tourism Barom- tourist demand,” said Mr Supoj. “It’s eter. Singapore fared better with re- a strong foundation for us to extend ceipts of $18 billion, up from $14.1 our tourism-related business in the billion a year earlier. This raised... provinces including amusement.” Full story at http://goo.gl/WDHCI With this potential, the company is Domestic tourism set to build a water park on 12 rai at sector fears Santorini Park, near its Cha-am Premium Outlet Mall. “Water parks are spending drought a trend,” he said. “Disney launched The tourism industry is worried that its DisneySea [in Tokyo], and the the soaring cost of living across the Cartoon Network has plans to decountry may squeeze domestic trav- velop a water park in Pattaya.” el. In that case, the government and private sectors would have to work Amornphant Nakorn-Siam Park Co even harder to stimulate domes- has pioneered the water park busitic tourism, such as by launching a ness in Thailand. Pena House is in steady stream of activities in the sec- the process of selecting a designer... ond half of the year. However, so far Full story at http://goo.gl/5Zc3d there have been no signs that Thais More green hotels are travelling less. Thawatchai Arunyik, deputy governor for domestic marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said yesterday that local people would keep travelling, especially to resort areas close to Bangkok such as Cha-am and Pattaya. On weekends, hotel occupancy rates are still high. “Travel is part of people’s lives now,” he said. Maiyarat Pheerayakoses, president of the Association of Domestic Travel, said domestic tourism last quarter was hit by natural disasters... Full story at http://goo.gl/3vtRB

to be encouraged to go organic

The Commerce Ministry plans to promote Thailand as a regional wellness and retreat hub in the medium term, starting with upgrading green hotels and resorts to organic hospitality centres. Piramol Charoenpao, the commerce deputy permanent secretary, said some Thai hotel and resort operators have branded themselves as green hotels and resorts by investing in green energy, waste management and waste-water treatment. But these... Full story at http://goo.gl/RK9hn

BANGKOK BU SINESS BRIEF

December 20 11

Briefs 11

2012 BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF Mid-June/July 2012

General Inte rest

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Real Estate

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Residences to cost more Home-buyers will have to increase their budget by 5-10 per cent to buy residences in the second quarter of this year compared with last year, property experts said. The price of residences will rise as a result of the hike in the daily minimum wage to Bt300, which came into effect on April 1, and also an increase in the prices of construction raw materials. Construction raw material manufacturing firms have had to shoulder not only the increased labour cost but also the rising price of energy. The president and chief executive officer of leading property firm Pruksa Real Estate, Thongma Vijitphongpun, forecast that residential prices would increase by 3-5 per cent. “We will absorb the increased cost in the first two or three months after the wage hike to help our customers. But after that, we will have... Full story at http://goo.gl/onYC9

KBank offers new 50-year mortgage

Competition in the mortgage market is heating up as Kasikornbank (KBank) offers the industry’s longest mortgage instalment of 50 years. KBank is looking to penetrate the lower-income segment of customers earning 16,300 baht a month, down from its earlier focus of 20,000 a month. The longer maturity loans would make housing more accessible to lower-income earners via lower monthly payments. The previous maximum period for housing loans was 30 years, said executive vicepresident Chatchai Payuhanaveechai. Typically for mortgages, 1 million baht in credit is available for clients with monthly incomes of 20,000 baht for monthly payments of 8,000 baht over 20 years.

To read the fu ll article of a story brief, enter the shor t code at the end the story into your browser: of liam Shakespe are

...added that the set aside a signi company had budget of Bt20 ficant investment million for over0 million to Bt300 seas expansion Full story at http: . //goo.gl/bH6PF

goo.gl/bH6P F

Nature and life in JuliusCaesar. 1997-98 wa are cyclical _ the impact of s a blessing, as the mains seasons of the yea 2008 would ha above the Europ the phases of the r, life and death, far worse ve been ean average. for the region, mo http://goo.gl/o on, the tides. ” Azman In Caught up in da zbNM India, China ily details, we eas Mokhtar, the managing and Thailand, ily forget that dir ect of or Kh Asia stands to rou aza ghly 12 percent nah the business wo of has cycles, too. rld told the CI Nasional of Malaysia, tion contribute to a the populaWe are all fam MB Asean Confe gain from W pension, while iliar with the econo rence. the we es t mi ak c ne bu sse sin s ess of cycle His com slowdown of expansion, con sion system are Thailand’s penments were... ... covery. Howe traction and re- Full story Full story at htt The shift of eco ver, other cyc at http://goo.gl/d nomic growth p:/ /goo.gl/rtpH3 lic ph al fu2 en u om ena affect... momentum to the Thailand near Preventing up numerous East has opened Full story at http://goo.gl/fJ to p opportunities olr of list of wor that Asian countries Bangkok from out, suggests an should not miss Panel: Asia bett weakest pensld’s sinking bigges economist. io off, not immun er n t systems: stud challenge The robust eco y from global cr e, no Greece, India, Ch Land subsidence China and em mic growth of is es ina and Thailand erging economi caused by groun are home to the water losses top will open a ne es KUALA LUMPUR : The As d weake w s ian cri- pensi on systems in st national lems that must the list of probAsian economi opportunity for sis in the late 1990s was a wa es to increase the be the kesol cal up ved wo l for in rld cri Ba , the region that pp wealth from tra ir has turned eig led by a mix of acute sover- kok to mitigate the impact ngde in goods an out to be of the n debt, young climate change services at a tim a blessing in d retire dis e on States and Europ when the United nearly 15 years later, as the guise high ratios of pension ment ages, a study by multin flooding, says region’s ers an ers to worke ational agencies financial sec Full story at htt are... d . p://goo.gl/S65D6 able to sus tor is now strong and study poor pension take-up, a The conclusio showed. tain a certain n de is gre contained in of e shocks from the Grow with th a rep ort entitled “Clim e flow Western Hemi fallout in the The Allianz ate Risks and Ad of cycles sphere, accord ing sion Susta Global Investors Pen- Megac aptation in Asian Coastal to a panellist at a recent As inability Index, ities”, jointly con ‘There is a tid ean conference. ducted by the which Asian De tracks the rel e velop ati men, which, tak in the affairs of ity of nationa ve sustainabil- Internation ment Bank, the Japan l al leads on to for en at the flood, “There wi in 44 countries pension systems and the Wo Cooperation Agency ll be more crises tune”, wrote Wi around the wo rld Bank in 201 l- future, an in the showe rld, 0. d the Asian crisis in tirees d the number of Greek reThe report recom to people of wo rking age reFull story at htt mended a... p://goo.gl/20yMD Sponsored by ...

Contractor rides on condo boom

Contractor and property developer Pre-Built Plc is targeting revenue growth of 23 per cent to Bt3.7 billion this year, thanks to growing condominium projects around Bangkok. Managing director Wirot Charoentra said contractors are engaged in more condominium projects this year than in the same period last year. Due to the limited number of contractors, it has created business opportunities for Pre-Built to get new contracts.

The company is engaged in construction valued at Bt5 billion and will also bid for new contracts worth Bt5 billion in the next eight months. They include condominium, office building, and manufacturing facilities located in Bangkok and... Full story at http://goo.gl/OJKcy

Property developers air their gripes

The property market will grow in line with the country’s recovering economy this year, but regulations still obstruct its development, say property developers and analysts. Thongchai Busrapan, president of Noble Development Plc, said the property market will be good this year, but regulations, down payments and price supports will hamper growth. Developers believe Bangkok’s new city plan follows the US model, where it tries to reduce urban density. Thailand’s floor-area ratio (FAR) determines how many square metres a building can have, meaning a 1:10 ratio allows one sq m of land to develop 10 sq m of building. “Thailand should have superblocks or more flexible FAR zoning, with higher FAR near public transportation to... Full story at http://goo.gl/89mW4

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Starbucks reaffirms resolve to balance profitability with a social conscience

Starbucks Coffee Thailand, the local arm of Starbucks that operates in more than 57 countries, last week joined the global community service campaign, where its partners joined hands with the local community to rebuild the library and facilities at the flooded Wat Kla Cha-um school in Pathum Thani.

www.bangkokbusinessbrief.com

Mid-June/July 2012

To read the full article of a story brief, enter the short code at the end of the story into your browser: Starbucks carry out this year? Are all activities designed at the head office? Which are the activities that are locally designed. What is the highlight of this year’s activities? Starbucks is committed to helping... Full story at http://goo.gl/WzhmS

High prices stir green push

The rising prices of oil, gas and electricity have prompted several businesses to apply for energy-saving initiatives. The Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department has been overwhelmed by requests for support despite having allocated 200 million baht to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to adopt energy-saving The Global Month of Service was appliances and factories. The recarried out by Starbucks worldwide quests amount to nearly 1 billion with the realisation that the scale baht. could be employed for the public good. Under the programme, the department will offer grants amounting to Murray Darling, managing director, 20% of the total project for businessstresses the importance of CSR ac- es to change, modify or renovate tivities in his written replies to The buildings and factories or anything Nation: What CSR activities will that could save energy, said deputy

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...added that the company had set aside a significant investment budget of Bt200 million to Bt300 million for overseas expansion. Full story at http://goo.gl/bH6PF

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director-general Twarath Sutabutr. In addition, the department has partnered with the Revenue Department to offer private companies... Full story at http://goo.gl/QfJrr

CH Karnchang Co in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Thong Chai district. This 79,000-square-metre project will reduce Thailand’s CO2... Full story at http://goo.gl/V6Bwl

Within the next five or six years Thailand could become one of the world’s leading lights in solar power, producing electricity from this renewable energy source at a cost that is either the same or less than buying electricity from a fossil fuel-fired plant. The government’s progressive energy policies have spawned a major solar power market, as Thai investors and entrepreneurs see the value of the long-term investment in photovoltaic cell systems, which draw on the natural energy of the sun, a completely free and eternal resource.

is not an issue for anyone aspiring to start up a social business, Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus said yesterday. “First is to identify the social issue, seek solutions and then bring business ideas to solve the issue,” said Yunus, who founded Grameen Bank to lend money to the poor worldwide.

Grid parity is light Practicality for at the end of the social business, solar-power tunnel, says laureate but delay likely Practical ideas are key while funding

While a conventional business is about maximising profits and not caring for other people’s well-being, a social business takes the opposite approach by stressing social objectives, such as alleviating poverty and unemployment, preserving the Just recently, Conergy Renewable environment and advancing educaEnergy commenced construction tion, he said. A social business is... on a new solar project on behalf of Full story at http://goo.gl/lJb5Y

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December 20 11

Briefs13

BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF Mid-June/July 2012

General Inte

Use the QR Code reader in your smartphone to see all the stories in a certain category.

Business Organizations

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Most skilled workers lack understanding of AEC: survey More than half of the skilled labourers and professionals in Thailand lack a good understanding of the upcoming Asean Economic Community, according to an in-depth survey by University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), and not many of those polled see how it will benefit them. The AEC will result in the free flow of skilled labour within Asean member countries after it comes into effect in 2015. Skilled workers and professionals are expected to flow into the Kingdom, especially from Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. Service careers such as nursing and dentistry are expected to see particular movement,... Full story at http://goo.gl/g06lC

Asia-Pacific countries review merits of closer regional integration

Asia-Pacific countries began deliberations in Bangkok at an annual United Nations forum to review policy options for deepening integration within the region to maintain its dynamism while making it inclusive and sustainable, amidst continuing global economic uncertainty. Representatives of 60 governments in the region attended the 68th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific against a backdrop of stalling growth in developed countries together with high and fluctuating commodity prices threatening Asia-Pacific economic dynamism and progress towards international development goals. “If 2011 has shown us anything, it is that Asia and the Pacific is again confronted by a deeply challenging external... Full story at http://goo.gl/7fIVA

rest

To read the fu ll article of a story brief, enter the shor t code at the end the story into your browser: of liam Shakespe are

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...added that the set aside a signi company had budget of Bt20 ficant investment million for over0 million to Bt300 seas expansion Full story at http: . //goo.gl/bH6PF

Nature and life in JuliusCaesar. 1997-98 wa are cyclical _ the impact of s a blessing, as the mains seasons of the yea 2008 would ha above the Europ the phases of the r, life and death, far worse ve been ean average. for the region, mo http://goo.gl/o on, the tides. ” Azman In Caught up in da zbNM India, China ily details, we eas Mokhtar, the managing and Thailand, ily forget that dir ect of or Kh Asia stands to rou aza ghly 12 percent nah the business wo of the populahas cycles, too. rld told the CI Nasional of Malaysia, tio• n con Dedicated. Respected. We are all fam MB Asean Confe tribute to a pensi Trusted. gain from W iliar with the econo rence. the we on, while es t mi ak c ne bu sse sin s ess of Thailand’s peof properties. cycle His com slowdown of expansion, con • R ich database sio nn system are... ments were... covery. Howe traction and re- Full story Full story at htt The shift of eco ver, other cyc at http://goo.gl/d no p://goo.gl/ris lical fu2u • Our service to none. tpHsecond 3 mentum to the mic growth mo- phenomena affect... Thailand near Preventing up numerous East has opened Full story at http://goo.gl/fJ to p opportunities • E xpert communicators olr of list of wor that Asian countries Bangkok from out, suggests an should not miss Panel: Asia bett weakest pensld’s sink& economist. ingnegotiators. biggest io off, not immun er n systems: stud ch e, al le The robust eco nge y fr om nomic growth gl ob Gr al eece, India, Ch crises Land subsid China and em of erging economi are home to the ina and Thailand water losses ence caused by ground will open a ne es KUALA LUMPUR : The As weake tops w ian cri- pensi on systems in st national lems that must the list of probAsian economi opportunity for sis in the late 1990s was a wa es be wealth from tra to increase their call for the region that ha ke-up crippled by a mix of the world, kok to mitigate solved in Bangs turned eign the impact of acute soverde in goods an out to be the de climate change services at a tim a blessing in disguise high bt, young retirement ages, e when the Un d nearly 15 on years later, as the ited ratios of pension a study by multin flooding, says States and Europ reg ers e are... ati ion on to fin al ’s wo an age rkers cia ncies. l sec and Full story at htt p://goo.gl/S65D6 able to sus tor is now strong and study poor pension take-up, a The conclusio showed. tain n is containe of shocks from a certain degree Grow with th d in a rep ort the entitled “Clim e flow Western Hemi fallout in the The Allianz ate Risks and Ad of cycles sphere, accord ing sion Susta Global Investors Pen- Megac aptation in Asian Coastal to a panellist at a recent As ina ‘There is a tid ean tracks the bility Index, which Asian ities”, jointly conducted by the conference. e Develop relati men, which, tak in the affairs of ity of nationa ve sustainabil- Internation ment Bank, the Japan en at the l al flo od leads on to for in 44 countries pension systems and the Wo Cooperation Agency tune”, wrote Wi , “There will be more crises around the wo rld Bank in 201 l- future, an in the showe rld, 0. d the Asian d the nu mber of crisis in tirees to people of wo Greek re- The report recom rking age reFull story at htt mended a... p://goo.gl/20yMD Sponsored by

...

consulting company to advise on investment in Asean, which could help to boost Thai exports by at least 2 trillion baht, says Tos Chirathivat, the chief executive of Central Retail Corporation (CRC).

The projection is based on the assumption that the government helps lead the private sector to operate businesses in Asean by offering one-office service to assist Thai companies in business registration, licences for trans-border movement of goods and regulation troubleshooting. “The actual operation of such an office could be done by the private sector, with smaller companies paying lower fees,” said Mr Tos at a seminar on the future of Thailand after the Asean Economic Community in 2015. He said countries with high potential for investment include... Full story at http://goo.gl/IDM9s

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Surin: Fixing education is the way forward in AEC

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Thailand needs to speed up improvements to its educational system and support Thai enterprises investing across Asean borders to ensure the country’s preparedness for regional integration under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. While Thailand is not far behind other Southeast Asian nations in terms of awareness about the potential of AEC, educational preparedness has to be increased, said Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan. “English is the working language of Asean, and the Thai educational system has to prepare the younger generation to be competitive [in this area],” he said at a forum at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Arts. “The educational system has to teach students to be more... Full story at http://goo.gl/cj0ZT

Asean pledge for greater connectivity

The World Economic Forum on East Asia 2012 was dominated by discussion of Asia’s unrivalled strengths, attributed to intra-regional connectivity and lessons learned during the 1997 crisis. Myanmar’s opening up is another factor boosting attractiveness... and according Central urges AEC Asia’s to a source, the next WEF on East advisory company Asia will take place in Myanmar’s... The government should set up a Full story at http://goo.gl/p81nG

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BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF

BANGKOK BU SINESS BRIEF

Briefs

December 20 11

www.bangkokbusinessbrief.com

Mid-June/July 2012

The Chambers

General Inte rest

liam Shakespe are Nature and life ar seasons of the yea the phases of the r http://goo.gl/o Caught up in da m zbNM ily ily forget that Asia stands to the b has cycles, too. We a gain from W with the econo mi slowdown est of expansion, con c tra cov ery. However, The shift of eco o no mentum to the mic growth mo- phenomena affect... up numerous East has opened Full story at http://go op Asian countries portunities that out, suggests an should not miss Panel: Asia b economist. off, not immu The robust eco fr om global c nomic growth China and em of erging economi will open a ne es KUALA LUMPUR : Th w opportunity sis in the late 1990 for Asian economi s was es wealth from tra to increase their call for the region that de in goods an out to be services at a tim a blessing i d e States and Europ when the United nearly 15 years later, as t e financial sec Full story at htt are... p://goo.gl/S65D6 able to sus tor is now s tain a cer of shocks from the ta Grow with th fallo e fl ow We ste rn Hemisphere, of cycles to a panellist at a rece ‘There is a tid con ference. e men, which, tak in the affairs of leads on to for en at the flood, “There wi ll be more cris tune”, wrote Wi l- future, an d the Asian Sponsored by ...

Use your smartphone’s QR Code scanner or enter the short code to go directly to AMCHAM’s website.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM) 7th Floor, GPF Witthayu Tower A, 93/1 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 (0)2 254 1041 Fax: +66 (0)2 251 1605 Website: www.amchamthailand.com Email: service@amchamthailand.com

The AMCHAM Charitable Trust Foundation

http://goo.gl/mbUpG

Thailand Charitable Foundation (ATCF) to provide a legal entity through which AMCHAM members and other supporters could While AMCHAM’s primary mis- to the ATCF to support the Founda- contribute to a range of educational, sion is to promote and support tion’s education focused programs. civic and social services projects. American commerce, AMCHAM also devotes 20% of our resources For more than three decades, AM- The majority of charitable initiatives towards supporting our chari- CHAM members have helped to undertaken by the ATCF are ditable foundation, the AMCHAM improve the social infrastructure rected towards bettering education Thailand Charitable Foundation in Thailand, particularly schools for Thai students. In 2011 this as(ATCF). In 2011, the Chamber do- in rural areas. In 2004, AMCHAM sistance consisted of 150 university nated more than Baht nine million formally registered the AMCHAM student scholarships and 49 AdoptA-School projects, which include school facility improvements and teacher fellowships.

are directed to ATCF projects. The ATCF charges no administration fees and AMCHAM covers all overhead costs.

The majority of ATCF funds are raised at AMCHAM hosted events, such as the annual Installation Ball, Independence Day Picnic, bowling and golf tournaments and social networking events. And onehundred percent of donated funds

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In 2012, the ATCF plans to continue its steady fundraising growth and expand its services. Given the recent events and continued vulnerability in Thailand, the ATCF’s Adopt-ASchool program is partnering with Save the Children and USAID to produce a children’s coloring book that will be distributed to primary schools and focus on disaster risk reduction education.

An ATCF Adopt-A-School dedication at Baan Kayong School, Durin Province

I-Day Picnic, July 7th DINNER IS NOW ONLY 9 DIGITS AWAY!

On Saturday, July 7 AMCHAM will host the annual community Independence Day Picnic. Held at the KIS International School, the allday picnic is a great family outing, with loads of games and traditional picnic field activities, great music from a variety of local bands, and

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an American BBQ. Advance tickets are available at the AMCHAM office for Baht 200 or you can pay Baht 300 at the event. Kids under 12 are free! Shuttle vans will also be available to and from Huai Khwang MRT station. Event proceeds will fund ATCF projects.

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BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF

BANGKOK BU SINESS BRIEF

Briefs

December 20 11

www.bangkokbusinessbrief.com

Mid-June/July 2012

The Chambers

General Inte

rest

liam Shakespe are Nature and life ar seasons of the yea the phases of the r http://goo.gl/o Caught up in da m zbNM ily ily forget that Asia stands to the b has cycles, too. We gain from W with the econo mi slowdown est of expansion, con c tra cov ery. However, The shift of eco o no mentum to the mic growth mo- phenomena affect... up numerous East has opened Full story at http://go op Asian countries portunities that out, suggests an should not miss Panel: Asia b economist. off, not immu The robust eco fr om global c nomic growth China and em of erging economi will open a ne es KUALA LUMPUR : Th w opportunity sis in the late 1990 for Asian economi s wa es wealth from tra to increase their call for the region that de in goods an out to be services at a tim a blessing i d e States and Europ when the United nearly 15 years later, as t e financial sec Full story at htt are... p://goo.gl/S65D6 able to sus tor is now tain a cer of shocks from the ta Grow with th fallo e fl ow We ste rn Hemisphere, of cycles to a panellist at a rece ‘There is a tid con ference. e men, which, tak in the affairs of leads on to for en at the flood, “There wi ll be more cris tune”, wrote Wi l- future, an d the Asian Sponsored by

Use your smartphone’s QR Code scanner or enter the short code to go directly to AustCham’s website.

...

The Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AustChamThailand) 20th Floor, Thai CC Tower, 889 South Sathorn Road, Yannawa, Bangkok 10120 Tel: +66 (0)2 210 0216-8 Fax: +66 (0)2 675 6696 Website: www.austchamthailand.com Email: admin@austchamthailand.com

With Thai Prime Minister H.E. Yingluck Shinawatra making her first official trip to Australia, it has been an important time for Australia-Thai bilateral relations. It has also been hectic for AustCham as we helped prepare the ground for the visit, in particular by launching our Study of Australian Business in Thailand. The study was an ambitious exercise and we are very pleased with the result. If interest in the report from both the Thai and Australian Governments - and the media - is any gauge, then we are clearly having an influence on how business in Thailand is perceived. The Australian newspaper ran an AustCham-authored article, entitled ‘Experience shows closer Thais can only help manufacturing’, and the report was also quoted by the Australian Financial Review and several other media outlets in Australia. For the full report, please visit www.austchamthailand.com. The Chamber thanks AECgroup Ltd. - one of Australia’s leading consultancies - for its invaluable assistance with the study.

organised by AustCham’s Australian counterpart, the Australia-Thailand Business Council (ATBC). In a joint communique (for the full text, please visit the AustCham Thailand website) the two Prime Ministers reflected on the importance of the trade relationship, with Australia now Thailand’s sixth largest trading partner, and Thailand being Australia’s ninth largest. They committed to a general review of the ThailandAustralia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) with a view to a ministerial TAFTA Joint Commission meeting in the near future. Both sides said they looked forward to stronger cooperation in industries such as energy, mining, agriculture, education, hospitality and tourism. This is all good news for businesses in Thailand. The day following Ms Yingluck’s dinner, at a seminar held by the Board of Investment (BOI), AustCham Thailand gave an overview of the business study to a seminar of potential Australian investors in Thailand to over 200 business people,. It won’t come as a surprise to any of us already operating businesses here, but a key conclusion of the business study is that commercial opportunities in Thailand are plentiful.

As part of the high-level business delegation that accompanied the Prime Minister, AustCham President, John Anderson, also presented on the business study at a seminar in Sydney organised by the Board of AustCham played an important role Investment. in the lead up to, and during, the Business was the centrepiece of Prime Minister’s visit. Our Executhe Prime Minister’s Australia trip. tive Director travelled to Australia Trade and investment were high on at the beginning of May as a guest of the agenda in Ms Yingluck’s discus- the ATBC to participate in a forum sion with Prime Minister Gillard, that brought together key stakeAustralian cabinet ministers and holders in the Australia-Thai comLeader of the Opposition Tony Ab- mercial relationship. That meeting bott. In Sydney, Ms Yingluck spoke helped fine-tune the areas of focus to a dinner audience of close to 400 for the Prime Minister’s visit and business representatives at an event was an excellent opportunity to

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http://goo.gl/N47Gg

share important messages with the that has just been concluded. As our Thai Embassy in Australia and key business study revealed, Australia Australian Government agencies. and Thailand have both individual and shared challenges ahead. The The AustCham Board of Directors good news, however, is that we becontinue to believe that efforts to lieve greater Australia-Thai business influence the development of the cooperation will go a long way to Australia-Thai commercial rela- addressing them - as well as bringtionship should be a top priority ing enormous benefit to both counfor AustCham. We see the review tries. A key to this would be bringof TAFTA as important, especially ing TAFTA up to date with - or even in light of the Australia-Malaysia going further than - the new MalayFree Trade Agreement (MAFTA) sia-Australia agreement.

BANGKOK BU SINESS BRIEF

December 20 11

Briefs 17

www.bangkokbusinessbrief.com

BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF Mid-June/July 2012

The Chambers

General Inte

rest

Use your smartphone’s QR Code scanner or enter the short code to go directly to BCCT’s website.

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British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) 7th Floor, 208 Wireless Road, Lumphini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 (0)2 651 5350-3 Fax: +66 (0)2 651 5354 Website: www.bccthai.com Email: greg@bccthai.com

The first half of 2012 has been sues, to legal updates and general busy and productive for the British economic outlook Chamber of Commerce Thailand. • significant reductions on event enWe have held a series of business try fees for members and social events, and received high • programme of upcountry events profile guest speakers, from the UK in the Eastern Seaboard, Chiang State Minister for Trade and Invest- Mai and Phuket ment and Thai Minister of Industry, • on-line information and publicato the Secretary-General of ASEAN tions including reports on the Thai and the Lord Mayor of the City of economy, legal issues and specific London. sectors • marketing access for your prodThe Chamber also held a mem- ucts and services to 550 corporate bership feedback session where all members through exclusive access BCCT members were invited to to the on-line members database share their views on the services and operations of the Chamber. The Thailand is at the hub of south-east purpose was to identify how we can Asia and is well placed to offer a serve members needs better. gateway to the ASEAN and AsiaPacific markets, particularly with A number of areas were highlighted the ongoing developments in Myanand we will be working on mak- mar. Within ASEAN, Thailand’s ing improvements where possible. economy is in the top three in terms Some of these include: introduction of size and volume of international of new members to other members trade. Thailand is ranked at 17 from at networking events, events geared 139 economies in the World Bank’s towards young professionals and Ease of Doing Business report and women, and generally on keeping performs particularly well on two of closer contact with all our members the major indices – ranking 13th in in providing the services. Recom- investors protection measures, and mendations from the Membership 17th in trading across borders. The committee based on member’s feed- International Monetary Fund (IMF) back will be submitted to the Board recently released figures projecting for further consideration. Thailand’s economic growth at 5.5 and 7.5 per cent in 2012 and 2013, BCCT offers the following services respectively. It is well positioned as to our members: ASEAN moves towards forming the ASEAN Economic Community and • direct business introductions, re- a single free-trade area in 2015. ferrals and advice/assistance in dealing with bureaucracy There are particular opportunities • a unique programme of manage- for companies wanting to invest in ment development seminars of- Thailand: in engineering – particufered for members’ staff - in Thai larly machinery for various indusand English language tries including automotive, electrical • panel discussions, presentations appliances, electronics, moulds and by experts from the business dies; food and beverages; cosmetics and public sectors on a range of and pharmaceuticals; oil and gas – topics from industry specific is- particularly the upstream business;

http://goo.gl/Vav3Q

education and training – including business English training, bespoke corporate training and e-learning. As ‘partners in progress’ the Chamber remains committed to supporting and facilitating our members achieve greater commercial success in the Thai market. We adopt a partnership approach – with our members, with key Thai government agencies, and with the larger community through our various business and charitable initiatives. BCCT has linkages in Thailand, the UK and within Asia through a number of partner organisations. The Chamber will continue to develop alliances and engage with our partners for maximum business opportunities for our members. From the day we were founded back in 1946, up to today, our focus has been on promoting Thai-UK ties and facilitating business opportunities for our membership base – currently at more than 500.

Dr Surin Pitsuwan with guests at the BCCT Annual Lecture & Dinner

Forum discussion on developments in Myanmar

Participants at a training workshop offered by BCCT Management Development Group

BCCT members may write to the Executive Director to obtain details on any aspect of BCCT services at greg@bccthai.com Non-members wishing to join the Chamber may write to Sarinthorn@ bccthai.com for further information. All nationalities are welcome as BCCT members.

Membership committee deliberating members feedback

Upcoming event Third Thursday Networking Evening Thursday 21st June 2012 Venue: Manhattan bar, JW Marriott Events are added to our online calendar on a regular basis. Please visit www.bccthai.com

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Meeting our members and partners in ChiangMai

BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF

Briefs

The Chambers

15 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road Lumpini, Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 (0)2 309 5250 Website: www.beluthai.org Email: info@beluthai.org

http://goo.gl/EGpi8

Danish-Thai CC (Dancham) 34 C.P. Tower 3, 9th Floor Tower A, Phayathai Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 Tel: +66 (0)2 354 5220 Fax: +66 (0)2 354 5221 Website: www.dancham.or.th Email: contact@dancham.or.th

Franco-Thai CC (FTCC)

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Use your smartphone’s QR Code scanner or enter the short code to go directly to a Chamber’s website.

Malaysian-Thai CC (MTCC)

3601 36th Floor, Q Houses Lumpini Bldg., South Sathorn Rd., Tungmahamek, Sathorn Bangkok 10120 Tel: +66 (0)2 677 7393 Fax: +66 (0)2 677 7394 Website: www.mtcc.or.th http://goo.gl/Xqn32 Email: admin@mtcc.or.th

Netherlands-Thai CC (NTCC)

Tel: +66 (0)2 309 5250 Website: www.ntccthailand.org Email: info@ntccthailand.org

German-Thai CC (GTCC)

http://goo.gl/WaAzA

9th Floor, ITF Tower, 140/26 Silom Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Tel: +66 (0)2 634 3283 Fax: +66 (0)2 634 3004 Website: www.nztcc.org http://goo.gl/7IxHW Email: director@nztcc.org

Singapore-Thai CC (STCC)

25th Fl., Empire Tower 3, 195 South Sathorn Road Yannawa, Sathorn Bangkok 10120 Tel: +66 (0)2 670 0600 Fax: +66 (0)2 670 0601 Website: www.gtcc.org Email: services@gtcc.org http://goo.gl/KizCx

India-Thai CC (ITCC)

193/8 Lake Rajada Office Complex, 1st Floor Rachadapisek Road, Klongtoey, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66 (0)2 264 0680-4 Fax: +66 (0)2 264 0688 Website: www.singaporethaicc.or.th Email: marketing@singaporethaicc.or.th http://goo.gl/hwtqK

South African-Thai CC (SATCC)

http://goo.gl/j3q0Y

Irish Thai CC (ITCC) Maneeya Center Bldg, 7th Fl, 518/5 Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 (0)2 652 0848 Fax: +66 (0)2 652 0671 Website: www.irishthaicc.com Email: info@irishthaicc.com http://goo.gl/vTn6j

Japanese CC (JCC) 15th floor Amarin Tower, 500 Ploenchit Road, Kwang Lumpini, Khet Patumwan Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 (0)2 256 9170-3 Fax: +66 (0)2 652 0931 Website: www.jcc.or.th Email: info@jcc.or.th http://goo.gl/Ak9yr

10/143 (1503A), 15th Fl The Trendy Bldg Soi Sukhumvit 13, Klongtoey-Nua, Wattana Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66 (0)2 168 7416-7 Fax: +66 (0)2 168 7418 Website: www.satcc.net Email: satcc@satcc.net http://goo.gl/szwoZ

Swiss Thai CC (STCC) 36/9-10 Chaengwattana Road Kwaeng Thungsonghong, Khet Laksi Bangkok 10210 Tel: +66 (0)2 982 4896 Fax: +66 (0)2 982 4897 Website: www.swissthai.com Email: info@swissthai.com

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New Zealand Thai CC (NZTCC)

5th Floor, Indosuez House, 152 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 (0)2 650 9613-4 Fax: +66 (0)2 650 9739 Website: www.francothaicc.com Email: contact@francothaicc.com http://goo.gl/QmEcX

No. 13, Sathorn Soi 1, Thungmahamek, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120 Tel: +66 (0)2 287 3001 Fax: +66 (0)2 679 7720 Website: www.itcc.or.th Email: info@itcc.or.th

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