Voyageur Magazine - April 2012

APRIL 2012 A publication of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce

04 / 2012

(See page 5 for details)

Corporate

Partnership

Premier Sponsors

Executive Sponsors

Calendar

Calendar of events: 2012/2013 TCCC Executives Patron:

His Excellence Ambassador of Canada

Officers:

President – Peter van Haren Vice President – Derek van Pelt Vice President – John Casella Secretary – Dr. Tim Cornwall Treasurer – Michael Howard

Executive Board: Ali Fancy Derek van Pelt John Casella John Stevens Neil Chiu Michael Howard Peter van Haren Ron Livingston Scott Coates Sranyoo Chanate Dr. Tim Cornwall Todd Switzer

Embassy Representative: Ping Kitnikone

Advisors:

Don Lavoie Geoff McIntyre Michael White Picharn Sukparangsee Raymond Bodemer Sam Cohen Surachit Chanovan

Executive Director: Randy Shockley

Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce 139 Pan Road, Sethiwan Tower 9th floor, Bangkok 10500 Tel: +66(0) 2266-6085-6 Fax: +66(0) 2266-6087 Email: tccc@loxinfo.co.th Website: www.tccc.or.th

The Voyageur is the monthly magazine of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, covering all Thai-Canadian business, legal and social news of interest to the members and others who are active in expanding Thai-Canadian bilateral trade.

Editor: Randy Shockley, Executive Director, Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce Publisher: Scandinavian Publishing Co., Ltd. 211 Soi Prasert-Manukitch 29, Prasert-Manukitch Rd., Chorakeabua, Ladprao Bangkok 10230 Tel: +66(0) 2943-7166-8 Fax: +66(0) 2943-7169 Design: Disraporn Yatprom Email: disraporn@scandmedia.com Advertising Contact: Mr. Finn Balslev, Marketing Director Scandinavian Publishing Co., Ltd. Tel: +66(0) 2943-7166 ext.116 or 08-1866-2577 Email: finn@scandmedia.com

TCCC

WHEN: Thursday, May 10, 2012; 11:30 pm – 1:30 pm WHAT: Speaker Luncheon - Ambassador Curtis S. Chin will talk on “Perspectives from the Frontlines of Business & Government WHERE: Eastin Grand Hotel, 33/1 South Sathorn Rd. (use sky bridge from Surasak BTS Station) PRICE: 700 baht – Members; 850 baht – Non Members WHEN: Wednesday, May 16, 2012; 6:30 pm – 8;30 pm WHAT: Canuck Connections Networking Night WHERE: d Bistro & d Bar – Sathorn Soi 1 Road PRICE: 200 baht – Members & Non Members WHEN: Wednesday, May 30, 2012; 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

WHAT: 16th Annual Business Excellence Awards (BEA) WHERE: Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Ballroom PRICE: Individual Price: Early Bird - 1,500 baht; Std.-1,750 baht Corp. Package Price: Early Bird -13,500 baht; Std.-15,000 baht WHEN: Wednesday, June 13, 2012; 11:30 pm – 1:30 pm WHAT: Joint AmCham, BCCT & TCCC Speaker Luncheon with Dr. Chérie Carter.

This Master Coach, Professional Speaker and International Best Selling Author will talk on “Negativity…what causes it & how to overcome it”.

WHERE: Eastin Grand Hotel, 33/1 South Sathorn Rd; (use sky bridge from Surasak BTS Station) PRICE: 700 baht – Members; 850 baht – Non Members WHEN: Wednesday, June 20, 2012; 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm WHAT: Canuck Connections Networking Night & Cocktail Reception WHERE: Eastin Grand Hotel, 33/1 South Sathorn Rd; (use sky bridge from Surasak BTS Station) Venue - Azure’s Pool Bar, 14/F PRICE: 200 baht – Members & Non Members WHEN: Saturday, June 23, 2012; 3:00 pm –10:00 pm WHAT: 145th Canada Day Celebration WHERE: British Club, Silom /Soi 18 PRICE: Adults (13 & up) 950 baht in advance/ 1250 baht at the door Children (4-12) 450 baht in advance/ 600 baht at the door Children (3 & under) 100 baht in advance/at the door Reserved Tables of 10: To ensure seating arrangements, tables of 10 can be reserved with an advance payment. Contact TCCC before Friday, June 15, 2012.

Upcoming events in the region:

CCBA

Vietnam: http://www.canchamvietnam.org When: May 19, 2012; 2:00 pm. – 6.30 pm.

What: CanCham DART Challenge Tournament Where: RED Lounge Restaurant Bar Price: VND800,000 for Member, VND900,000 Non-members.

Japan: http://www.cccj.or.jp When: May 28, 2012; 4:00 pm. - 6:00 pm.

What: After Olympus....What Do Foreign Investors Want Most From Japanese Companies?

Where: TMI Associates, 23rd Floor, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower Price: 5,000 Yen. From the total charge of 5,000 Yen, after covering its normal cost charge of 2,000 Yen CCCJ will donate 3,000 Yen to BDTI, which as a “social entrepreneur” needs support for its cause in its startup phase.

Hong kong: http://www.cancham.org When: May 31, 2012; 12:30pm - 2:00pm What: Keeping Pace with the Evolving Tax Landscape in Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Where: The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, 1301 Kinwick Centree, 32 Hollywood Road, Centra Price: HK$150 for members, HK$250 for non-members

Business News

Burma (Myanmar) Update New Developments Selected Documents On April 24, 2012, Canada eased Sanctions The measures implemented by the RegulaRegulations and Orders made under the the sanctions regime taken tions, as amended, include: Special Economic Measures Act: against Burma under the Special • a freeze on assets in Canada of any desig- • Regulations Amending the Special Econated Burmese nationals connected with nomic Measures (Burma) Regulations Economic Measures Act following the Burmese State, as well as prohibitions (SOR/2012-85): entered into force on positive steps towards reform in on several categories of transactions, serApril 24, 2012 (unofficial version) Burma. The measures announced vices and dealings involving property of • Justice Canada consolidation of the designated persons, wherever situated; Special Economic Measures (Burma) today in a statement by Minister and Regulations (may not reflect most recent Baird contribute to international • an arms embargo, including prohibitions amendments) efforts to recognize positive chanon exporting and importing arms and • Special Economic Measures (Burma) related material to and from Burma, on Regulations (SOR/2007-285): entered ges taking place in Burma, while communicating technical data related into force on December 13, 2007 (as continuing to pressure its governto military activities or arms and related adopted, see above for Justice Canada ment to make additional reforms. material, and on financial services related consolidation) The announced measures remove a number of prohibitions currently found in the Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations including: the prohibitions on import, export, investment, the docking and landing of ships and aircraft and the provision or acquisition of financial services. An arms embargo, covering the export of arms and related material to Burma as well as the providing of associated technical and financial assistance, and an assets freeze and dealings prohibition on designated persons remain in force.

Overview

On December 13, 2007, the Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations (SOR/2007-285) came into force in order to respond to the gravity of the human rights and humanitarian situation in Burma, which threatened peace and security in the entire region.

Positive developments since 2010 in Burma indicate a significant improvement in the democracy and human rights situation, in stark contrast with the situation in 2007.

Hundreds of political prisoners have been released, the government has entered peace negotiations and signed ceasefires agreements with most of the ethnic armed groups in the country, Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of her opposition pro-democracy party have been elected to Parliament and overall basic freedoms have improved.

However, some significant concerns remain, particularly with regard to remaining political prisoners and the ongoing conflict in Kachin state.

On April 24, 2012, Minister Baird made a statement announcing that Canada was making substantial changes to its sanctions against Burma with the aim of contributing to international efforts to recognize positive changes taking place in that country, while continuing to pressure its government to make additional reforms.

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to military activities or arms and related material.

The Regulations provide for certain exclusions to the above measures, including: • some payments required under contracts entered into before a party was designated under the Regulations; • dealings related to humanitarian or development assistance; • dealings required to move financial assets away from designated persons; and • certain protective or non-lethal military clothing and equipment when intended for use by media, humanitarian, human rights or other listed personnel.

A separate Special Economic Measures (Burma) Permit Authorization Order (SOR/2007286), made pursuant to subsection 4(4) of the Special Economic Measures Act, authorizes the Minister of Foreign Affairs to issue to any person in Canada and any Canadian outside Canada a permit to carry out a specified activity or transaction, or any class of activity or transaction, that is restricted or prohibited pursuant to the Regulations.

•

Special Economic Measures (Burma) Permit Authorization Order (SOR/2007-286): entered into force on December 13, 2007

Announcements related to the Regulations made under the Special Economic Measures Act: • April 24, 2012 statement by Minister Baird announcing an easing of sanctions against Burma: News Release

Links

Canada also has certain policy measures in place with regard to Burma. More information on these measures can be found at the following link: Canada’s Policy on Burma.

April 24, 2012 media backgrounder on the easing of Canada’s sanctions against Burma.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions relating to this page, please email: sanctions@international.gc.ca or call 613-995-1108.

Special Note on Myanmar (Burma)...

Regulation – Order amending the Area Control List On April 24, 2012, the Government of Canada finalized the regulatory process to amend the Area Control List (ACL). This amendment formally removes Myanmar (Burma) from the ACL, a list of countries to which the Governor in Council deems it necessary to control the export or transfer of any goods and technology. Exporters of uncontrolled goods and technology (items that are not listed on Canada’s Export Control List) no longer require an export permit issued under the authority of the Export and Import Permits Act in order to lawfully export those items to Burma (Myanmar). Please note that sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act concerning Burma remain in force.

Contact Information: Marie-Soleil Fecteau Policy Advisor, Export Controls Division (TIE) Dept. of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada 125 Sussex Drive Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2 Tel: (613) 944-1862 Fax: (613) 996-9933 E-mail: Marie-Soleil.Fecteau@international.gc.ca

Business News

Canada Eases Economic Sanctions Against Burma

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hanges to the Government of Canada’s unilateral economic sanctions on Burma were announced today.

The sanctions—known as the Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations, or the Burma Regulations—were imposed in 2007 in response to human rights violations in that country. These sanctions included comprehensive trade and investment prohibitions, as well as provisions relating to financial services, technical data, transiting and docking of ships and aircraft, and transactions with designated persons and entities.

Since that time, and particularly in the last year, there have been several positive developments with respect to basic rights and reforms in Burma. Hundreds of political prisoners have been released, most notably pro-democracy opposition leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, in November 2010, followed by significant releases of other political prisoners in October 2011 and January 2012. The Burmese government has entered peace negotiations and signed ceasefire agreements with most of the ethnic armed groups in the country. On April 1, 2012, Aung San Suu Kyi, an honorary Canadian citizen, and other members of her party were elected to parliament in a historic by-election that, while not perfect, was largely without the problems of previous elections.

Collectively, these are important milestones that are contributing to the palpable sense of optimism amongst the Burmese people.

After his historic visit to the country in March, Minister Baird pledged that Canada would be a leading supporter of Burma’s recent reforms. To that end, Canada is increasing its engagement with Burma and has made changes that ease sanctions against it. Prohibitions on imports, exports and investment have for the most part been removed, as have those related to technical data and financial transactions. However, a few prohibitions remain: trade in arms and re-

lated material is still forbidden, along with technical and financial assistance related to military activities. An asset freeze and prohibition on transactions also remain in place against designated individuals and entities. The list of designated persons will be reviewed and updated over the coming weeks in light of changes that have taken place in the Burmese power structure since the list was created.

The Burma Regulations were not the only economic sanctions in place against Burma. In 1997, Burma was added to the Area Control List, requiring that all those wishing to export from Canada to Burma obtain an export permit under the Export and Import Permits Act. As of today, Burma is removed from this list.

However, permit requirements for items included on Canada’s Export Control List remain in effect.

By significantly easing its sanctions, the Government of Canada is signalling its support for the reform efforts being undertaken by the Burmese government.

These changes to Canada’s sanctions will also allow Canadian non-governmental organizations, businesses and citizens to become more involved in Burma, to share their knowledge and experience, and to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity in Burma and in Canada.

Canada stands with the Burmese people in their hopes for a better, brighter future. Canada will continue to closely monitor the situation and will play a role in assisting the Burmese people with the transition to democracy. On the other hand, Canada stands ready to re-impose sanctions if progress is reversed and the situation in Burma deteriorates once again.

For further information, media representatives may contact: Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, 613-995-1874 or follow on Twitter: @DFAIT_MAECI

The16th Business Excellence Awards 2011 T

he Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce cordially invites you to attend its BEA gala to honor the winners of the 2011 business awards. This event recognizes excellence, innovation and success within the Chamber’s Thai and Canadian business community and provides an opportunity for winners to showcase their achievements. Event details follow:

Wednesday, May 30, 2012 Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Ballroom Time: 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

(Awards Ceremony: 7:00 p.m.

- 8:30 p.m.)

Dress: Business Attire Format: The BEA ceremony offers a great evening of recognition and business networking opportunities; event also features great jazz, free drinks (beer, wine & mixed drinks) and wide array of heavy appetizers.

Price: Individual Price: Early Bird - 1,500 baht; Std.-1,750 baht Date: Venue:

Corp. Package Price: Early Bird -13,500 baht; Std.-15,000 baht Corporate Package includes 10 tickets, 2 bottles of wine and reserved seating.

Please purchase your tickets by Friday, May 18th to take advantage of this year’s ‘Early Bird’ price.

April 2012

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Business News

Fund To Help Companies Invest In Developing Countries

Canadian companies with planned or existing investments in a developing country might want to consider leveraging the support of the Investment Cooperation Program (INC) of the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service.

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NC provides financial assistance to companies that contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in developing countries.

A broad range of projects across all sectors — whether it is a meat processing plant in China, a packaging facility in Cameroon, or a wind power project in Costa Rica — are eligible for support under the program. The proposal and applicant firm must meet the program’s eligibility criteria and program staff and their partners will carefully review proposals to ensure they meet both commercial and developmental objectives.

Projects must fall into one of four distinct types: • Productive (most manufacturing and service industries); • Extractive; • Professional services; or • Public/private infrastructure projects.

INC will share some of the costs a company would incur preparing and managing one or more phases of an investment’s life cycle. The program does not contribute to financing the investment itself. The phases are described as follows: • Phase 1: Investigating the commercial viability of a proposed investment; • Phase 2: Adapting and demonstrating a proven technology that would be critical to an investment project ; • Phase 3: Examining and planning initiatives to enhance the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the investment; and • Phase 4: Implementing the sustainability initiatives of the investment.

Projects may be eligible for support at just one phase or at multiple phases of an investment’s life cycle.

Successful applicants must be for-profit, Canadian registered private-sector firms that have been in operation for at least three years, are financially sound in relation to the size of the investment, and have at least $2 million in annual revenues in both the previous two years.

Following a detailed application and review process, applicants will receive a response within 40 working days in most cases.

For more information, including coordinates of INC program staff, a list of countries where projects would be eligible for INC support, the detailed Program Applicant’s Guide, and links to online prequalification and proposal systems, visit www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/ inc or email incp-ci@international.gc.ca.

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Business News

Canada earns No.1 country brand in the world… AGAIN! Tweet: #Canada ranked No.1 country brand in the world for second year in a row http://ow.ly/7ouBH #FutureBrand #tourism

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ANCOUVER, BC, November 10, 2011 — For the second year in a row, Canada has been named the No.1 most powerful country brand in the world by FutureBrand, a leading international brand and design consultancy. Canada holds its ground against its competitors as it extends the global reach of its tourism brand.

Today, at the 32nd annual World Travel Market (WTM) in London, England, FutureBrand announced that Canada keeps the top spot in its 2011 Country Brand Index (CBI), the most comprehensive global study of how travellers perceive countries around the world. The rankings are based on a global sample of online interviews of savvy leisure and business travellers. FutureBrand’s 2010 CBI assessed 110 countries through online interviews with 3,400 travellers from 13 countries, eight of which were markets where the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) invests.

According to the CBI, the most important factors that truly differentiate a nation’s brand are its associations and attributes: the qualities that people think of when they hear a country’s name, read or see images of a location, or plan a business or leisure trip.

Says the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism, “Canada’s continued rating at the top of FutureBrand’s Country Brand Index is a testament to our country’s global appeal. We have a wealth of compelling experiences for travellers, and our government is committed to sustaining this momentum by promoting Canada in innovative ways on the international stage. Through our recently launched Federal Tourism Strategy, we are continuing to position Canada’s tourism sector as an economic driver of jobs and growth.”

Recognizing the significant influence that Canada’s tourism brand has on perceptions of the country, the CTC includes Canada’s CBI rank among its own performance measures.

As a nation’s personal calling card, a country’s brand is a measure of international reputation. FutureBrand notes that a properly managed brand can inspire confidence in difficult times and boost the value of a country’s exports from people to product and entire corporations.

“While Canada’s tourism brand has

20,000 years under the ice, SEC member Jardin des Glaciers, Baie-Comeau, QC.

grown into a powerful cultural force and a marketing tool to inspire visitation, it also has largely untapped potential as a lever to drive trade and investment in ideas, education and business,” says Michele McKenzie, CTC President & CEO. “In this period of global economic turbulence, by showing the world that Canada is a dynamic, modern and cosmopolitan society, we’re not just inviting the world to visit us, we’re capitalizing on our positive reputation to open new doors and create new opportunities.”

After the CTC launched Canada’s revitalized tourism brand “Canada. Keep Exploring” six years ago, the country leapfrogged on FutureBrand’s CBI ranking from 12th place in 2006 to 6th place in 2007, and jumped again to the No.2 spot in 2008 and 2009, and finally clinched the top spot for the first time last year following the 2010 Winter Games.

Canada keeps the coveted premier spot this year, being recognized as the most powerful, engaging and vibrant country brand in an intensely competitive international tourism marketplace.

Background information about FutureBrand’s Country Brand Index (CBI): The CBI, now in its seventh year, is a comprehensive study by FutureBrand, a leading international brand and design consultancy with 25 offices worldwide, of more than 3,000 international business and leisure travellers.

The CBI identifies emerging global trends in the world’s fastest growing economic sector—travel & tourism—and examines how countries are branded and ranked in a variety of categories, such as best country to travel to, best country that showcases its historic assets, best place to extend a business trip

to, most environmentally oriented and most friendly locals.

The CBI incorporates global quantitative research, expert opinions and relevant secondary sources for statistics that link brand equity to assets, growth and expansion. The result is a unique evaluation system that provides the basis of rankings and insights about the complexities and dynamics of country brands. The full report is available on the FutureBrand Web site at www.futurebrand. com About the Canadian Tourism Commission: The CTC is Canada's national tourism marketing organization. Our vision is inspiring the world to explore Canada. With our partners in the tourism industry and the governments of Canada, the provinces and the territories, we advertise and market Canada in 11 countries around the world, conduct industry research and studies, and promote product and industry development. For regular updates on CTC initiatives, subscribe to CTC News, available through RSS feeds and by e-mail.

Become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel. For more information visit: www.canada. travel/corporate For further information, please contact: Margaret Nevin Senior Communications Advisor Canadian Tourism Commission Tel: 604.638.8406 E-mail: nevin.margaret@ctc-cct.ca

April 2012

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Member Profile

Lertlah offers Canadian Lertlah is not an international school; it’s a Thai-licensed school offering a full Thai curriculum in Thai, but through its 14-year accreditation program with Manitoba’s Ministry of Education it also offers the full Manitoba curriculum. The name Lertlah, by the way, loosely means “excellence in the universe”.

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ancouver-native Gary Smith is Lertlah’s Assistant Director and Associate Principal. He’s been with the school for nine years now and explains how it differs from other educational institutions, “International schools, in essence, are not international schools, the name is a misnomer; they are actually domestic schools operating in another country. A British school offers a British curriculum and an American school offers an American curriculum; they don’t offer a Thai curriculum.

“But Lertlah decided to bring the Thai and western curriculums together. By law, Lertlah has to offer the Thai curriculum, which it does, but it also has the right to offer an enhanced program in English. So Lertlah decided to integrate the Manitoba and Thai curriculums,

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and it is the only school in Thailand to do so.”

Lertlah has three campuses: Campus One located in Phetkasem Road the original campus, opened on 16 May 1994; Campus Two, located on Kanchanaphisek Road, opened its doors 11 years ago; and Campus Three on Kaset-Navamin opened up four years ago.

Lertlah has approximately 3,000 students spread over these three schools and 3% (100 students) are studying the International Program, 80% of which is taught in English, while 20% focuses on Thai language and culture; class size in this program is 16 students maximum. The other 97% of the students take the English Program, which is split with 50% of the course taught in Thai, and 50% in English. Class size in this program is maximum 25 students for kindergarten

and maximum 30 students for grades one through nine.

The school is run by a family of two brothers (Seri & Chalin Parndejpong) and two sisters (Wipawee Parndejpong and Acha Senglai). Seri, is the CEO and Director of Campus One. It was his idea to integrate the two curriculums after making a trip to Manitoba. He essentially copied Manitoba’s French immersion program, substituting it for English in Thailand.

How it works is a school like Lertlah applies to be accredited by and affiliated with the Manitoba Ministry of Education; it must then meet a rigid set of standards, and if it does it enters into an agreement with the Ministry whereby it can offer the Manitoba Curriculum, as long as its taught by teachers with a Canadian Bachelors of Education degree.

The Canadian Educational Accreditation programs are offered by all ten Canadian provinces. But the Manitoba program particularly fits Lertlah’s needs in Thailand as the Manitoba Education system is highly focused on second language Immersion.

The accreditation programs gives Lertlah exclusive rights in Thailand to use the Manitoba curriculum, access to the Canadian

Member Profile

Curriculum Bachelor of Education graduates from Manitoba Universities and access to exceptional education advice from experts in Manitoba.

In order to maintain the agreement annually, Lertlah must be inspected by senior Ministry officials every year. These officials ensure that Lertlah is properly offering the Manitoba curriculum with qualified Canadian Bachelor of Education teachers and through the use of the proper resources.

Lertlah expanded its Canadian Accreditation program in 2005, through an additional Accreditation with the province of Nova Scotia. This addition offered Lertlah students a broader opportunity to study in Canada through any of the Universities in Manitoba or Nova Scotia.

But Lertlah is one of the few accredited schools in the world that doesn’t graduate students; it only goes up to grade nine. Gary explains the problem is in finding capable teachers to teach grades 10-12 math and science, especially when Thai kids tend to be more advanced in these subjects than their Western counterparts.

Last year, Gary approached the University of Winnipeg about initiating a program whereby 20 student teachers would complete the final year of their B Ed, teaching at one of Lertlah’s three campuses for ten months. Individual professors fly in during the year and teach the student teachers their course work at night after these same teachers have taught kids during the day. The student teachers get their flights paid for and get a housing and leaving allowance as well; the visiting professors get their flights and accommodation taken care of. Luckily, many of these student teachers decided to stay on and begin their teaching career at Lertlah once they graduated – this makes Gary’s task of recruiting a lot easier. Today, Lertlah has 330 Thai and 100 foreign teachers.

Lertlah used to use recruiters from Manitoba, recruiting from Manitoba's three main universities however it no longer uses recruiters. Gary explains: “Our reputation is passed along through ‘word of mouth’ which, combined with our Practicum teaching program, generates a surplus of excellent

applicants annually. We focus on hiring those with a great ‘attitude’ believing that we can train anyone with a positive attitude, but we cannot achieve anything with someone who has a negative attitude.”

In the past 18 years, Lertlah Schools have provided teaching and learning methodology in the International Program and English Program by emphasizing learning English and Thai at the same time. Students are able to learn English in a natural style through a variety of teaching and learning techniques, using the “Immersion Methodology” for teaching English.

Foreign teachers teach the core subjects of English, Science and Math plus Lertlah has Canadian faculty teaching in the three specialty areas of Computer Science, Physical Education and Music.

Learning English at Lertlah is not the same as learning English in the old learning system.

Learning English using English immersion methodology encourages students to build skills and knowledge in English.

The majority of foreign teachers at Lertlah come from Canada. Therefore, Lertlah schools have become the biggest community of Canadian teachers in Thailand. The foreign

teachers provide instruction in English to develop the students’ language skills and competency to reach their full potential, while the school provides facilities that enables students to maximize their learning experience.

Modern facilities, resources and technology are provided to enable students to maximize their learning and personal development.

At Lertlah, there are a limited number of students per classroom, which benefits the quality of education dispensed. For example, there are no more than 25 kindergarten students per class, and no more than 30 students per class for primary and secondary students.

Each Lertlah school has its own canteens, amphitheatres, libraries, swimming pools, computer labs and play grounds to provide students with the best possible environment for their well-being and learning experience.

Providing a high-quality education and adhering to the curriculum are cornerstones in the Lertlah philosophy, and as such it was recognized as being an exemplary school and received the King’s award from His Majesty the King of Thailand.

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Chamber News

All Chamber’s Songkran

Kick-Off Party Sponsored By:

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n lieu of the TCCC’s traditional Canuck Connections networking night on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, the TCCC Executive Board elected to hold its first ever “All Chambers” Songkran holiday kick-off party just prior to start of Thailand’s New Year holiday. Given that the 3rd Wednesday came on the heels of this year’s Songkran break, it was certainly the right call and resulted in 218 chamber members and friends sharing in a fun-filled evening of Bloody Caesars, Canadian comfort food (Poutine), numerous networking opportunities, great entertainment and a festive atmosphere. In total, 5 chambers supported the “All Chambers” event including the American, Australian, British, Danish and Singapore chambers, as well as the Hong Kong Business Association, with a total of 73 attendees attending from these organizations.

The event was also held on the reported “World Poutine Day” and Andrew Clark ensured an endless flow of poutine throughout the night.

If you’re not familiar with Poutine, then please read the supporting side bar story. If you’re ever looking for a little late night Canadian comfort food, you’re always welcome to stop by Q Bar for a helping of Poutine.

Again, we thank David, Andrew and the Q Bar staff for hosting a great party!

Event Photos: We also thank TCCC member Mr. Brad Mol for serving as the event’s photographer

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The Poutine Story

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outine is a French-Canadian fast food dish of French fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce. Sometimes additional ingredients are added such as beef, pulled pork or lamb. The dish may also include lobster meat, rabbit confit, caviar, and truffles. Poutine originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada.

It is sold by national and international fast food chains, in small diners and pubs, as well as by roadside chip wagons (commonly known as "cabanes Ă patates", literally meaning "potato shacks").

International chains like McDonald's, A&W, KFC and Burger King also sell mass-produced poutine in Canada.

Recipe

In the basic recipe for poutine, French fries are topped with fresh cheese curds, and covered with brown gravy or sauce.

The French fries are of medium thickness, and fried so that the inside stays soft, while the outside is crunchy. The gravy used is generally a light chicken, veal or turkey gravy, mildly spiced with a hint of pepper, or a sauce brune which is a combination of beef and chicken stock, originating in Quebec. Heavy beef or pork-based brown gravies are rarely used. Fresh cheese curds (not more than a day old) are used. To maintain the texture of the fries, the cheese curd and gravy is added immediately prior to serving the dish. The hot gravy is usually poured over the cold cheese curds, so that the cheese is warmed without completely melting. It is important to control the temperature, timing and order in which the ingredients are added so as to obtain the right food textures which is an essential part of the experience of eating poutine.

Traditional Poutine sauces (mĂŠlange Ă sauce poutine) are sold in Quebec and Maritime grocery stores in jars or cans and in powdered mix packet.

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Chamber & Community News

Shrewsbury texts

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Bangkok Pattana Int