Voyageur Magazine - December 2013

DECEMBER 2013 A publication of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Corporate

12 / 2013

Partnership

Premier Sponsors

Executive Sponsors

ISB Grade 2 - 1966

International School Bangkok Bringing out the passion in each of us since 1951. www.isb.ac.th

Calendar

Calendar of events: 2013/2014 TCCC Executives Patron:

His Excellence Ambassador of Canada

Officers: President – Peter van Haren Vice President – Derek van Pelt Vice President – John Stevens Treasurer – Michael Howard Secretary – Dean Outerson Executive Board: John Casella Surachit Chanovan Neil Chiu Kobsak Duangdee Nelson Hilton Michael Howard Ron Livingston Dean Outerson Jim Patterson John Stevens Peter van Haren Derek van Pelt

Embassy Representative: Ping Kitnikone

Advisors:

Sean Brady Sam Cohen Ali Fancy Don Lavoie Dusanee Promtan Picharn Sukparangsee

Executive Director: Alexandra Morrow

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: info@tccc.or.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: Alexandra Morrow, 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: WHAT: WHERE: PRICE:

Wednesday, January 22, 2014; 6:30pm – 8:30pm Canuck Connections Networking Night Location to be announced 300 baht – Members & 500 baht – Non Members; complimentary snacks provided

WHEN: WHAT: WHERE: PRICE:

Wednesday, January 29, 2014; 7:30am – 9:30am Breakfast Presentation – “Meet your Embassy” Renaissance Hotel 800 baht – Members & 900 baht – Non Members

WHEN: WHAT: WHERE: PRICE:

Saturday, February 1, 2014; 4:30pm – 9:00pm The Great Canadian BBQ 2014 Canadian Ambassador’s Residence Adults: 1,600 baht Kids 12 & under: 500 baht Final pricing to be announced via event flyer.

WHEN: WHAT:

Wednesday, February 12, 2014; 11:30am – 1:30pm Speaker Luncheon – “Education in a changing world” – Speaker: James MacDonald, Head of School, NIST International School Location to be announced 800 baht – Members & 900 baht – Non Members

WHERE: PRICE:

Upcoming events in the region:

CCBA

Hong Kong: http://www.ccbc.com/ WHEN: Four Monday Evenings – January 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2014 WHAT: Business Development Series: The Art of Persuasion: The Art of Selling Services, Concepts and Ideas WHERE: Council Chamber, Duke of Windsor Building, Hong Kong PRICE: Members $2,880 / Non-Member $3,180 Hong Kong: http://www.ccbc.com/ WHEN: January 13, 2014 WHAT: Natural Resources Committee Presents: Mines and Mineral Assets: Pitfalls and Issues for Mining M&A WHERE: CanCham Boardroom, Central, Hong Kong PRICE: Members $200 / Non-Member $300 Hong Kong: http://www.ccbc.com/ WHEN: January 15, 2014 WHAT: CBC Presents: Everything You Need to Know Before Sending Your Staff to Work in China WHERE: The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Central, Hong Kong PRICE: Members $200 / Non-Member $300

SAVE THE DATE!!

Please join us for our annual GREAT CANADIAN BBQ at the Canadian Ambassador’s Residence!

The Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce invites you to join us on Saturday, February 1, 2014.

Thanks to the support of Ambassador Philip Calvert and his wife Chantal, the 2014 BBQ event will be held on the lawn of the official residence.

The BBQ will take place from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm and is organized as a community get together to kick-off the New Year and to enjoy the final days of Bangkok’s brief winter season.

As seats are limited, please reserve your tickets as soon as possible.

Tickets can be purchased from the TCCC Office –contact us today!

Tel: 0-2266-6085-6 | Fax: 0-2266-6087 | Email: info@tccc.or.th On behalf of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, we thank you for your support.

Member Profile

From Roughneck to Seafood King

I

n the not-to-distant future, you might do a Google search for the word “perseverance” and Jim Gulkin’s face will probably pop up on your computer. The word epitomizes the career of the Managing Director of Siam Canadian Foods. He’s gone from being a backpacker and oil rig roughneck to running a company with offices in Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, China, India and Indonesia, whose sales last year were close to US$300 million.

And he’s done it all without a business degree, without a true business background and even without a business mentor of any sort. It’s a truly amazing story, and it just goes to show what one person can do when they set their mind to it.

Jim graduated from high school in 1975, and worked in chemical factory for a while, before becoming a bellboy at the Airport Hilton in Montreal of September of 1975. He managed to accumulate CAN$5,000 while working there, which he used to travel for 13 months through Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

He started his trip in June of 1976 when he landed in London, England, where his sister was studying at the London Film School (she’s now a film editor, based in Toronto).

From there he went to Holland, and Germany, where while in Munich he heard of a group of Iranians who were importing cars to Iran. So he joined a convoy and drove from Munich to Tehran in a Fiat. His route took him through Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey and then on to Tehran. He then hopped a bus back to Greece where while staying at a campground he had a fortuitous meeting with a young Brit who was teaching in Saudi Arabia. He told Jim about the oil workers in the Mid-East, who would work one month on, one month off, earn lots of money and then travel extensively: this lifestyle appealed to him.

In Montreal, he took a job in a men’s shop selling shirts and suits for a while, but he realized he wasn’t going to be able to save enough money to enable him to travel again.

So after a couple of months, he decided to have another go at the oil business. In February of 1978, he went back to Alberta, but this time he was tougher and better prepared. He stayed until December of that year, working on rigs in southern and central Alberta and saving lots of money.

Jim Gulkin

But first, he wanted to finish what he began – his backpacking journey. He traveled from Cairo to Cape Town stopping in the Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Rhodesia, Botswana, Malawi and Namibia along the way, spending almost eleven months in Africa.

Jim’s adventures in Africa are a whole other story, but let’s just say he saw and did things that few others have experienced.

In August of 1977 he returned to Canada.

He wanted to try working in the oil fields, so in September he set out for Alberta to work as a roughneck. But it was tougher than he thought it would be, and he hurt his back and elbow, so after a few months he headed back to Quebec.

This enabled him to take his next big trip: to Asia. He landed in Manila in January of 1979, stayed in the Philippines for six months, and then traveled to Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand. He ended up in Singapore at the end of the year with US$300 to his name.

He pounded the pavement, and with skyrocketing oil prices he eventually found work with Schlumberger in early 1980 as a production work-over technician. Based out of Singapore, he spent the next four years working in Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei. During his time off, he started traveling to and becoming familiar with Thailand. In 1984, he was posted to the Persian Gulf where for two years he worked as a technician in the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Pakistan and India.

In 1986, he took a year off, knowing he wanted to start laying the foundation for running his own business. He thought he would set up shop in Thailand; he just wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He eventually resigned from Schlumberger, and having spent seven years in the oil business he had some money saved, but he was a high school graduate with no business experience. His forte; he learns quickly.

He thought of starting a fast food franchise, so he enlisted a group of Chulalongkorn University students to conduct a survey for him in 1986. He soon realized he didn’t have enough money to make a go of it but what else could he do? Someone suggested selling Canadian products in Thailand? So he spent the first four months of 1987 in Canada, gleaning what he could about the import/ export business. Then a company called Morris National, based out of Montreal took a chance with and he started supplying them with canned pineapple and canned shrimp.

Jim returned from Canada with 16 million different product ideas - everything ranging from steel girders to wire rope. He founded the Siam Canadian Trading Co. in June of 1987, and focused on food because that business was quickly expanding in Thailand.

He quickly then went one further and zeroed in on seafood mostly shrimp but also fish and squid. It was a new industry, there was

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Member Profile

plenty of room to grow and the opportunities it presented were much greater. And as the value of the product was much higher, and the revenues wrought from a single transaction were also much higher. So Jim and his company focused on seafood and started exporting to Canada, the US and Europe, while opening offices in Vietnam in 1992 and Burma in 1996 along the way.

Then in 2002, the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) in the US brought an anti-dumping suit against Thailand, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Ecuador and Brazil. They won and not only did this suit force companies from those countries to pay an import tariff to the US, but US Customs also forced them to post a cash bond up front, based on their previous year’s imports. Then through a retroactive review process the companies are potentially subject to further tariffs if the Americans conclude they were still dumping. The Byrd Amendment provided a huge incentive for groups like the American Southern Shrimp alliance to bring these suits as now the money raised from the tariffs went directly to the plaintiffs, whereas before it went into the government coffers.

Jim realized that these tariffs could have a serious impact on sales and future growth.

He knew he had to diversify his business and expand his supply, product and customer range. He knew that putting a large percentage of his business in the hands of three or four companies and focusing on a certain geographical area was not the way to go.

So in 2002 he expanded to China, opening up an office in Zhanjiang in Guandong province.

Then the next year, he opened up an office

in India in Vishakatpatna in Andra Pradesh state, and in 2005 he opened another office in Jakarta, Indonesia. The company’s supply base quickly doubled.

Jim has actually been able to grow the business every year but this one. Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) has hit the shrimp aquaculture business in Thailand hard; it’s also affected shrimp growers in other countries such as China, Malaysia, Mexico and Vietnam. EMS affects the digestive tract and liver of the shrimp causing them to die young. But aside from the shrimp business, James’ other seafood interests are doing fine.

Let’s break down what products Jim makes in each of its plant: in India the biggest business on the east coast is shrimp, on the west coast it is shrimp too, but squid & cuttlefish as well; in China, the company specializes in shrimp & breaded shrimp, tilapia (an aquaculture fish), and cold-water fish from northern China; in Thailand, the focus is shrimp; Indonesia is shrimp as well as octopus, tuna & squid; in Myanmar the company focuses on freshwater fish geared for the south Asian market, Myanmar spawns a type of freshwater carp called rohu and katla, which is very similar to indigenous carp from Iraq, not surprisingly Siam-Canadian sends most of its Burmesestyle carp to Iraq. In Vietnam, the country does a lot of trade with aquaculture fish, fish that are raised in ponds or cages, particularly pangasius as well as shrimp, cuttlefish, octopus and various kinds of fish.

The main type of shrimp the company harvests in Thailand these days, about 98 percent of the market share, is “Vannamei White”, Thailand used to be a big supplier of

Black Tiger shrimp, but no more, Vietnam, India and Bangladesh are the big suppliers of Black Tiger today. Other big suppliers of Vannamei White include Indonesia (?% of its shrimp market), India (80%) and Vietnam (50%). Vannamei White originates from the Eastern Pacific along the west coast of Mexico and Central and South America; it was introduced to Thailand a decade ago and soon became the dominant species, as its faster growing and yields a greater volume.

Jim says he will do anything he can to promote the company’s name, and he says Siam Canadian stands for a company that is able to source product from across Asia, produces good quality in a high volume, while staying competitive and maintaining a proper packaging procedure. “We have reliable people on the ground who allow you to sleep at night,” he says. There are a number of shady operators on the Asian seafood scene, and Jim makes sure that his company and others stay clear of them.

Jim says that each country has a government body designated to look after the fisheries industry but enforcement varies from country to country, and some countries don’t even perform a proper export quality check, but Siam Canadian does. “The product we sell is inspected by us before shipment and during production.” Jim says his inspectors look at freshness, rating, and they look for signs of chemical abuse, dehydration or incorrect processing as well (e.g. shrimp that has been soaked in chemicals has a glassy appearance and a crunchy texture).

Continued on page 12 December 2013

5

Community News

The Flow House Bangkok – Experience it!!

Beat the heat and traffic with Bangkok’s only FlowRider® simulated wave surfing machine, located in Flow House Bangkok, the complex also features a bar, restaurant & plunge pool – you will get everything you need to chill and relax and get away from all the stresses of chaotic Bangkok in one easy-to-reach downtown location.

F

lowRider® was developed in San Diego, and there are around 100 machines worldwide, Bangkok’s FlowRider® was opened a year ago by Jay Bunnag and his two partners. “We wanted to do something unique and sporty with a positive vibe that could be enjoyed and accessed by a wide cross-section of people, either for sport or leisure,’ says Jay. “We also wanted to create a beach environment that could be enjoyed by families.”

“There aren’t many new activities in Bangkok, most are based around the shopping mall, traditional tourist attractions, or expensive sports clubs — there was nothing like Flow House or FlowRider® here before.”

At Flow House Bangkok, instruction and equipment are included in the fee, and though you do share the machine with others, Flow House only sells a maximum of twenty tickets an hour, so the queue is never too long and the instructors ensure that everyone gets an equal amount of time on the wave. “Basically, you just need to show up with your shorts and you are good to go,” Jay says. Entry to Flow House Bangkok is totally free and the rack-rate price is Bt750 per hour for access to the wave, there are a variety of passes and daily promotions

6 Voyageur

however that reduce the price considerably.

The company’s retail partner is Rip Curl, which has an official shop on site, and sponsors competitions throughout the year.

There are also FlowRiders® in Phuket, Kuala Lumpur (in a water park), Singapore, Saipan and they will soon open in Manila and Bali.

There’s even an Asian Flow Tour, so the sport is growing quickly.

Jay says most kids get the hang of FlowRider® very quickly, “it’s a perfect introduction to water and board sports, they can pick it up in an hour. We get a lot of positive feedback from parents too because their kids now have somewhere else to hang out other than the mall and something else to do besides staying at home watching TV or playing video games.”

How the FlowRider® works

The FlowRider® generates a thin sheet of water which flows over a hill-like shape in the form of a flawless ocean wave. The resulting wavelike shape and fast-running water gives athletes of all ages the thrill of surfing.

The FlowRider® is a unique innovation in water rides that is fun for everyone from kids to adults, but especially for that 13–29 age group; those who are so historically hard to

impress, but who become addicted to the thrill and challenge of riding the FlowRider®.

The FlowRider® appeals to a variety of board-sports athletes – surfing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, skimboarding, skateboarding – and the learning curve takes time, but is steep as riders progress from riding in a prone position on bodyboards, to standing up on flowboards, to doing ollies and flip tricks. The first ride on a FlowRider® can turn into a life-time addiction, as first-time riders become repeat riders, and repeat riders become lifetime loyalists.

What is Flowboarding

Flowboarding is a hybrid boardsport, which has been evolving since the 1980s. The sport combines the progression, maneuvers, and skills from the core action sports of skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding and to a lessor extent, wakeboarding and skimboarding. These boardsports have a strong influence on flowboarding’s direction, style, and energy. Amateur to top professional action sports athletes find flowboarding to be one more pumping board sport to fix their adrenaline needs, as well as an epic crossover sport.

Imagine not having to wait for swells or

Community News

perfect surf conditions--not having to wait in a lift line or for a winter storm to cover your mountain. And, one of the best benefits - there’s no more cement to cause the dreaded “road-rash.” Wave Loch’s FlowRider® provides an endless ride with the ability for athletes to perform a variety of skate tricks and carves.

• • • • • •

The disciplines of flowboarding include standup riding and bodyboarding. While the core followers may be 13-29 years old, there are rippers of all ages worldwide. It is truly a versatile sport for all ages that can meet the diverse needs of each of its participants.

While some of the more advanced riders are driven by adrenaline and trick progression, others find enjoyment in a ride grounded in exercise. From a kickflip to a rodeo flip, flowboarding is quickly progressing and gaining traction around the globe.

Mavericks Restaurant and Sports Bar – the Flow House restaurant

Children’s Parties

Flow House Bangkok is now one of the top destinations for kids birthday parties, the FlowRider can be rented out in either single lane or whole wave configuration so it is perfect for hosting small, medium and large groups of kids! There are also a variety of private rooms to choose from all backed up by professional catering and an in-house party organiser who makes every Flow House Bangkok kids birthday party an event to remember!

School Bookings

International and Thai Schools are now booking their students in for weekly FlowBoarding courses as part of their physical education programs during term-time; during the holiday season Flow House Bangkok also accepts group bookings for School Camps as well as offering an in-house school kids camp programme.

•

Professional Event Space

Flow House Bangkok provides a totally unique setting for professional planning and execution. If you need help putting together a surprise party, a BBQ with friends, a wedding celebration, an office party, or a specialized menu or banquet function, the experienced sales and F&B team take care of all the planning, preparation and execution leaving you to enjoy the party.

Flow House Bangkok is the ideal location for private groups and corporate bookings.

The unique environment creates the ideal board sport lifestyle experience; using the FlowRider® as a dramatic backdrop and the Flow House can create a dramatic backdrop and create unique events for you or your company.

Facilities include private & secure function room facilities, a private bar and dining areas, secure locker rooms, all fully air-conditioned and wired with full A/V & WiFi support. There is also a generous outdoor shaded recreational area that is perfect for challenging team-building exercises, cocktail parties and presentations.

Flow House Bangkok is perfect for: • Professional Meetings

Team Building Exercises Product Launches Press Conferences & Campaign Launches Exhibition Space Concerts and Fashion Shows Private Lunches, Dinner events and Cocktail Parties Wedding Parties and any party!.

The brand new Mavericks Restaurant and Sports Bar shows another side to Flow House Bangkok – delicious homemade Pizza, awesome prime beef Burgers, amazing Hot-Dogs and delicious Thai-Food.

On the second floor and offering an jawdropping view of the FlowRider is the Mavericks Sports Bar, multiple flat screen TVs show the latest live sports action from the EPL, NFL, NHL and F1, there’s also a games room featuring a Dartboard, Pool table and Foosball table.

Flow-Motion Flow House Bangkok’s main private activity room is available for hire for any private events from meetings & seminars space to Yoga and Dance classes.

Location

Flow House Bangkok is open every day of the year including public holidays. It is located downtown on Sukhumvit Soi 26 inside the A-Square community mall; opposite KVillage and Big-C. Hours are Mon-Fri 10ammidnight; Sat-Sun 8am-midnight.

Contact Info:

(+66) 81 348 3304 info@flowhousebangkok.com www.flowhousebangkok.com www.facebook.com/FlowHouseBangkok December 2013

7

Member Profile

Genesis Is Your Backstage, Preparing You For The World’s Runway With its sensational 360˚ panoramic vista of Lumpini Park, from its 9th floor office in the Dusit Thani Office Building, the Genesis Klinik provides you with a comfortable and warm environment to rejuvenate yourself and make you look younger and leaner.

T

he clinic which specializes in aesthetic medicine and body contouring, offers various aesthetic treatments for skin rejuvenation & tightening, laser hair removal, Botox, Filler, Total Rejuvenation using Placental Growth factor/ Stem cell, Plasma Factor, Thread 4D, RFAL for face and body contouring. It offers world-class services and cuttingedge technologies from the US, Germany and Israel. Excellence, privacy and personalized program are a priority at Genesis.

Medical Director Dr. Gene Rujirat Vongthongsri graduated in Dermatology from the Medical University of Vienna, and is American Board Certified in Cosmetic Laser Surgery and Esthetic Medicine, and she is also certified in Advance Botox and Filler from France.

Dr. Gene has been working as a dermatologist for the leading international hospitals in Bangkok such as BNH hospital and Bumrungrad for more than ten years.

The doctors in her team are highly qualified and have also been working as specialists in leading international hospitals in the country.

With its “Backstage” concept, Genesis will prepare and transform you before you step out onto the world’s runway.

Genesis was the recipient of the prestigious Business Excellence Award for “Best New Company” from the TCCC in 2011; this award is designed to recognize excellence, innovation, success and honor the achievement of the business.

The Klinik is geared towards expats and business travelers. Word-of-mouth and the doctor’s reputation are probably its best selling points. The clinic is conveniently located in the heart of Bangkok’s Central Business District, within walking distance of the Saladaeng BTS and Silom MRT stations.

GENESIS SIGNATURE PROCEDURES: Facetite/Necktite/Bodytite ZERO G2 by Facetite|Necktite Zero G2 by Facetite|Necktite, is a revolutionary procedure provides facial and neck lifting without the need of complex surgery.

Interestingly, as we age, Westerners tend to have problems with wrinkles, aging skin and

10 Voyageur

skin laxity, while Asians tend to have skin discoloration problems.

reduce sagging skin, fix droopy faces and double chins,” Dr.Rujirat says.

Facetite is a new facial contouring procedure that fights against gravity. When we age fat deposits tend to migrate downward in the face over time. Facetite will help skin lifting and tightening in the face and neck areas, redefine the jaw line and facial features and remove unwanted fat in certain areas such as lower cheeks, jaw line and double chin resulting in a more youthful look and a more V-shape face.

“Facetite is a one-time procedure that will last for many years. You don’t have to repeat it every year like other procedures. The preparation/procedure/post-treatment care for the procedure takes about 2-3 hours.

The procedure is far superior and more efficient compared to the well-known Ulthera/ Thermage,” Dr.Rujirat explains.

Radio Frequency (RF) energy is applied by a small canula (needle) through small needlesize punctures (2-3 mm.) to treat problem areas. Two-four small incisions are inserted on the side of the face depending on the problem area, for example, to treat the neck area two incisions will be made at the jawline, one on either side.

The procedure works by using Radio Frequency Assisted Liposuction (RFAL) technology to tighten the tissue from within, while at the same time removing excess fat with RF energy.

“This is the only procedure that can fix problems in the lower face and neck. It works from the inside compared to many other skin-enhancing techniques, which works from the outside-in. Facetite/Necktite helps

“Compared to the surgical face lift/mini face lift, Facetite is much more effective. It doesn’t cause scaring but induces natural skin tightening from the inside, not by cutting, but repositioning and stitching the skin. You will definitely have a natural look with this procedure and you will not have the exaggerated features we usually see from surgical face lift procedures,” Dr.Rujirat says.

There will be some swelling and redness after the procedure and the results of Facetite/ Necktite will be seen within one week after the procedure and the optimal results will be observed within 4-6 months. The result is long lasting and is much more effective compare to Thermage/Ulthera. The Facetite success rate of 70-80% is far superior compared to only 20-30% success rate of Thermage/Ulthera.

“Ulthera/Thermage helps in 20-30% of the

Member Profile cases with mild problems but it will not help if problems such as wrinkles, skin laxity and fat deposits are moderate to severe,” Dr.Rujirat explains.

GENESIS’ OTHER SERVICES: Fractional CO2 Laser Are you dreaming of a perfectly smooth and healthier looking skin? Discover this unique laser resurfacing treatment that will give your face and neck a complete rejuvenation.

Along with doing Facetite, Dr.Rujirat also suggests using surgical PDO thread to induce collagen remodeling, thereby giving the tightened face a better framework. And she recommends injecting plasma growth factor/ placental growth factor to stimulate stem cells and help revitalize the tissue thus producing an optimal outcome.

The latest breakthrough in laser resurfacing is particularly effective for treating wrinkles, large pores, acne scars, pitted scars, surgical scars, stretch marks and photo-damaged skin.

This new approach, which applies thousands of microbeams into your skin, stimulates collagen remodeling. This cutting-edge treatment is perfect for aging and photo-damaged skin. The downtime during the recovery period is 3-4 days.

Body D2 by Bodytite Bodytite is a breakthrough in body contouring that allows you to get rid of fate cells forever and redesign your body in the process.

This semi-invasive procedure is designed to remove stubborn fat while simultaneously re-contouring and tightening tissue.

With the use of RFAL technology, this procedure safely and precisely melts and removes excess fat and heats the soft tissue leading to body tightening.

litres. The fat will be melted and removed immediately during the procedure. And it is recommended that you stay in the hospital for one night after the procedure.

This is a one-time procedure, which is highly recommended for removing far accumulated in the tummy area just after giving birth. It can also be used to remove fat deposits from the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, and back as well.

The full recovery period from this procedure is about one week, though patients can slowly perform normal activities in the interim.

RF energy is applied by a small canula (needle) through small puncture (0.5-1 cm) to treat the problem areas.

Dr.Rujirat says, “The procedure works by using RFAL technology to tighten the tissue from within and removing excess fat with RF energy. It helps melt the fat and tighten the tissue without leaving skin looking wavy.

It doesn’t cause trauma to the surrounding tissue compared to conventional liposuction, Vaser or tummy tucks. There is no need any more to undergo surgery, which leaves big scars. Bodytite is the only procedure which helps tighten or shrink overstretched tissue and return it to its normal and youthful stage.

It naturally increases elasticity in the tissue.”

The key benefits of Bodytite are firming and tightening effects from RF, which makes it superior to other procedures. “The procedure will be done in an operation room in a JCI-accredited hospital with a whole team of doctors. It takes two hours for the problem area to be put under sedation, then another two hours for doing Bodytite in the tummy area (four hours for treating tummy and thighs areas).” Dr.Rujirat further explains.

The most popular areas for women to have this procedure done are the tummy, thighs and arms, while men want fat removed from their tummy, back and chest.

The amount of fat removed depends on the problem areas, but it ranges from 2-9

Results will be observed after the first session, however, a course of ongoing treatments is recommended for optimal results.

Thread 4D The latest instant non-surgical face-lift, Thread 4D is a non-invasive procedure using surgical PDO thread that will help restructure, revitalize and rejuvenate your skin. It will help remove wrinkles, increase elasticity and treat skin sagging.

With this procedure, improvement will be observed after 1-2 weeks but optimal results will be noticed 4-6 months down the road. It is the process of skin and tissue tightening and collagen remodeling that takes time.

The patients will observe that their tissue will become firmer after a few months.

The effects are anti-wrinkles, a defined jaw line, skin tightening and anti-aging. The results are immediate, natural-looking and long lasting. The lifting and tightening results of Thread 4D are far superior compare to the well-known Ulthera/Thermage.

For those who have had the Bodytite procedure, the percentage of who become overweight again is near zero because all their excess fat cells are all gone.

The downtime after the procedure is only 1-2 days depending on your skin, and immediate results can be seen. Total rejuvenation of the face and neck will be observed within 1-2 months.

So you can fit into your favorite pair of jeans and look fantastic again. Btw, you should make a reservation at least two weeks in advance if you want to do this procedure.

Dr.Rujirat says, “Thread 4D is popular because it is easy to do, it has instant and long-lasting results. The downtime is very short, only 1-2 days in average. Also we can combine it with other procedures for total rejuvenation such as Filler, Botox, Facetite, Plasma|Factor. The benefits of Thread 4D will last for 1-2 years.”

Plasma|Factor The latest breakthrough in skin regeneration, Plasma|Factor, uses a growth factor derived from platelets to promote tissue repair, angiogenesis and collagen production. Also known as the well-known PRP Hollywood Filling, this procedure is used to fill up folds in the face, the naso-labial fold especially.

Twenty cc of your blood is processed using a mechanical device to separate platelets from the rest of the blood making them highly concentrated (three to four times the normal level). This Plasma|Factor then helps reduce Continued on page 12 December 2013

11

Member Profile

From Roughneck to Seafood King Continued from page 5 “We test all the physical properties: we smell it, we cook it, we taste it,” Jim says, “and then we test all the commercial properties (the weight, the count, the packaging and the labelling, which can be very complicated and is very important.)”

The company also does a lot of trade between its offices, e.g. Indonesian shrimp into China, Indian squid into Thailand and Chinese fish into Indonesia. Siam-Canadian has also started an import business in Thailand bringing in products like Norwegian salmon. Jim says, “We still have room to grow, the seafood market is massive. We have customers in over 70 countries, our traditional markets (Canada, the US & Western Europe) are still key markets for us, but we have expanded into Eastern Europe, Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East & East Asia.”

Siam Canadian primarily sells to importers who may or may not be wholesalers, distributors and processors. It doesn’t do a lot of direct business with retailers.

There are 100 people in the company, 30 in Bangkok, and each location has its own manager who runs the business and Jim tries to get to each office at least twice a year, and every year there’s an annual meeting in Bangkok, which all the managers and senior people from each office attend.

In terms of dollar value from top down so far this year the Indonesian company has done the most sales followed by Vietnam, China, Thailand, India and Myanmar. This is anomaly

though because Thailand is usually head of the pack as it was last year followed by Indonesia, Vietnam, China, India and Myanmar.

In terms of volume of production this year its Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and India while last year it was Thailand, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Myanmar and India.

Summing up, Siam Canadian continues to expand, and the company spends a lot of time, money and effort on promotions at trade fairs, on advertising, and public relations, which is it backs up with good quality product and service. Word of mouth is also a key factor in expanding the company’s business. Jim, himself, is no longer involved in the day-to-day sales or procurement; he used to handle the biggest volume of sales for the company. Nowadays, he oversees the six offices; he trouble-shoots mainly, sifting through hundreds of e-mails a day looking for problems and opportunities, focusing on strategy for marketing and expansion.

He’s basically the glue that binds the offices together.

On the personal front, Jim only developed a stable home life after he left the oil field. When he first arrived in Thailand, he had a home/office on Sukhumvit 27 and as recounts “it was just a thrill for me to read the newspaper in my own home and sleep in own bed every day.”

He’s been married to Khun Jan for sixteen years now; she runs Penner-Madison & Co., Ltd., a marketing/public relations firm and the couple have a five-year-old son named Rylan.

Jim’s travels and his work on the oilrigs have forged him. The former gave him a military-

type training and discipline, and the later gave him self-confidence to try new things and complete projects he had initiated.

Ironically, he says that not having a business background or mentor helped him: “I had no preconceived notions about what was possible and what wasn’t and I soon realized that most things are possible. I made my own mistakes and learned from them.”

Jim Gulkin is a study in determination and perseverance. His can-do attitude and willingness to adapt to and try new things is a great example for young Canadian entrepreneurs to follow. He’s a model entrepreneur and one the Canadian community can be very proud of.

Btw, The Intrafish Industry Report for 2012 ranks Siam Canadian as one of the world’s top 30 farmed shrimp suppliers as well as one of Asia’s top 40 seafood companies. Not too shabby for a guy who when he started out in the business world really wasn’t sure of what he was doing, or where he was going.

And where did his seafood interest come from? Jim grew up liking lobster, swordfish and clams; he grew a taste for these when his family made road trips to New England and the Maritime provinces. He probably never guessed that he would play such a huge role in having so many others enjoy the pleasures of seafood too.

Contact Info: Off: +66-2-185-3311 Fax: +66-2-185-3317 Email: jim@siamcanadian.com Web: www.siamcanadian.com

Genesis Is Your Backstage, Preparing You For The World’s Runway Continued from page 11 wrinkles and fine lines, rejuvenating and inducing skin regeneration. This procedure can be done together with fractional laser, and Thread 4D depending on your skin condition.

Stem cell therapy helps regenerate, revitalize, repair and rejuvenate our body systems by awakening cells in the body. This procedure can be performed in several ways such as intramuscular or through intravenous.

Dr. Rujirat explains, “Plasma|Factor, or PRPHollywood Filling, will give you a total rejuvenation of the face and neck. For the ultimate rejuvenation you can do one session per month, three times. It is usually done along with Thread 4D, Fractional Laser or Facetite.”

PORCH by Genesis PORCH by Genesis stimulates internal prevention to optimize the body’s functions. With its holistic concept of ultimate rejuvenation, this procedure helps to revitalize and boost the whole body system using different assessments and procedures.

Mega-dose antioxidants that detox & rejuvenate your body, making your skin glow and look healthy. This induces collagen, boosts your immune system, protects, repairs and nourishes cells. It is recommended to have an ongoing treatment every two weeks for excellent results.

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PORCH Stem Cell

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PORCH Placenta The placenta is the most nutritious organ in the body. The high concentration in placental extracts has the ability to repair and regenerate damaged and malfunctioning cells and has anti-aging and rejuvenating benefits.

Contact Information Tel: 026363740-42 Email: contact@genesisklinik.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ GSocietybyGenesis

TCCC News

Recent TCCC events

December 2013

13

Business News

Thai Food Law A

s consumers we often do not think about the specific ingredients that go into the food that we purchase from retail markets.

Instead we assume that government agencies regulate and supervise the food production facilities to ensure that our food is manufactured under sanitary conditions, is free from contaminants, and is properly labeled so that we are provided with complete and truthful information about what is contained inside that box, bag, or jar. Are those assumptions well founded? Thailand has a number of pieces of legislation that regulate the domestic food production industry as well as the import of food products from abroad; as consumers this legislation should make us confident in the purchases we make in the market.

Licensing

The Food Act BE 2522 (1979) is the primary piece of legislation that regulates the production, sale, and import of food in Thailand.

Before being allowed to operate, a “Food Producer License” must be obtained from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A separate FDA license must be obtained by food importers. There are a number of restrictions that are standard in much of the world dealing with sanitation and the prevention of food contamination that must be adhered to by the food producer after receiving the FDA license.

Food production facilities must provide their employees with annual medical examinations to ensure a minimum standard of health, and issue medical certificates as evidence. The penalty for operating an unlicensed food production facility without FDA approval is a fine of 30,000 baht and/or imprisonment for up to 3 years.

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In addition to the FDA licensing, food producers must also obtain a Permit to Operate Hazardous Business from the jurisdiction in which they intend to operate as mandated under the Public Health Act BE 2535 (1992). Local officials are empowered to control the food production within their respective jurisdictions and can impose additional restrictions beyond those listed in the Act as deemed necessary. This permit to operate does not apply to the production of food in markets such as the a la carte sections of grocery stores, hawkers i.e. street vendors, food produced in restaurants (who are regulated under a different Act) or food for household consumption.

If it is found that the permit holder is in violation of one or more of the provisions of the Public Health Act, the administrative official has the right to suspend the permit to operate for the food production facility for a ‘reasonable period’ not in excess of 15 days.

Food Production

Under the Food Act, the FDA will conduct annual inspections of food production facilities, going so far as to test product ingredients, to ensure full compliance with the law. Food production facilities are required to obtain a certificate of approval from the FDA for each recipe which they intend to produce. If a manufacturer is found to have altered any of its recipes without authorization from the FDA, the responsible persons could face up to 2 years imprisonment and a potential suspension or loss of their food production licenses.

Genetically modified foods (GMOs) are a contentious issue worldwide due to their generally negative image as “frankencrops” and that the technology is so “state of the art” that the side effects of eating such foods are still unknown. The debate over GMO products has not yet made it to Thailand for one main reason: under Section 5 and 6(8) of the Food Act, genetically modified foods are illegal to produce, import, or sell in Thailand. The penalty for doing so is between 6 months and 2 years imprisonment, and/or a hefty fine.

Labeling

The labeling of food is regulated by both the Food Act as well as the Consumer Protection Act BE 2522 (1979). Labels must be approved by the FDA prior to use, and must include manufacturer contact information, and product registration number. Labels must be in Thai language, and must contain truthful statements about the material facts concerning the goods, and cannot contain anything they may mislead the consumer as to the contents of the product. Required information about the contents includes price, quantity, usage, recommendation, caution, manufacturing date, and expiry date. Failure to provide any of this information, or if false or misleading information is provided, can result in a financial penalty of up to 100,000 baht and/ or an imprisonment not exceeding 6 months.

A second ‘nutrition label’ is also required under the Food Act for specific other food products, such that manufacturers of these products are required to display certain nutrition information including the servings per package and “Recommended Daily Dietary Allowances for Healthy Thais”. In addition, the phrase “Should eat less and exercise for better health” must be stated on the food label in bold text and in a color in contrast with the label.

Angus Mitchell, Partner and Managing Director Thailand, Matthew Christensen, Legal Assistant, and Pavitra Sakulchaimongkol, Legal Intern – DFDL

December 2013

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invites you to our

Under the Sea Picnic Saturday 1st February 2014

͝Ǥ͔͗ Ƥ ͕͖Ǥ͔͗ Join us for a morning of delicious snacks, scavenger hunt, Ƭ Ǩ ͖͔​͔ ͖Ǧ͚Ǥ Ǩ

F Free Sh Shuttle ttl B Bus tto and d ffrom th the MRT att th the Th Thailand il d C Cultural lt l Centre, Exit 2.

Reserve your tickets today! Visit our KIS Facebook page for reservations and event schedule: http://www.facebook.com/kisinternationalschool Email: kim@kis.ac.th

Address: 999/124 Kesinee Ville, Pracha Utit Road, Huay Kwang, Bangkok 10320 For directions go to: www.kis.ac.th