A BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF THAI – ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DECEMBER 2011
Getting through the flood Photo by Dario Pignatelli
Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce PRESIDENT Mr. Lino Geretto – LGV Engineering Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 255 8717 Fax: +66 2 255 8716 Email: info@lgveng.com
President's Message
VICE PRESIDENTS Mr. Giacomo Mauri – River of East-West Harmony Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 81 814 5160 Email: gmauri11@gmail.com
Lino Geretto President Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Sawang Pracharktam – Thai Optical Group Plc. Tel: +66 2 440 0506-8 Fax: +66 2 440 0509 Email: sawang@thaiopticalgroup.com HONORARY TREASURER Mr. Chakrit Benedetti - Italasia Electro Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 261 7990-9 Fax: +66 2 261 8700 E-mail: italasia19@hotmail.com HONORARY SECRETARY Ms. Tiziana Sucharitkul – Tilleke & Gibbins International Ltd. Tel: +66 2 653 5555 Fax: +66 2 653 5678 Email: tiziana.s@tillekeandgibbins.com
Dear TICC Members and Friends,
DIRECTORS Mr. Federico Cardini – F. Infinity Chalon Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 207 8614 Fax: +66 2 207 2626 Email: fc@teakwoodburma.com
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Mr. Giancarlo De Santis – G.DS Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 391 4456-7 Fax: +66 2 391 0524 Email: info@gdscompany.com Fr. Giovanni Contarin – Camillian Hospital Tel: +66 2 185 1444 Fax: +66 2 185 1403 Email: cg_camillian@csloxinfo.com Mr. Luca Vianelli – MDA Consulting SEA Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 652 2447 Fax: +66 2 652 2448 Email: lvianelli@mda.it Mr. Pierre Nicou – Eurofood – The Commercial Company of Siam Ltd. Tel: +66 2 261 0245 Fax: +66 2 261 0243 Email: pierre@eurofoodthai.com Mr. Rene Okanovic – Berli Jucker Public Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 367 1092 Fax: +66 2 381 4541 E-mail: rene.okanovic@bjc.co.th, rene.okanovic@thaiscandic.com Mr. Renzo Ambrosini – Impero Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 664 4491 Fax: +66 2 258 1159 Email: info@giustorestaurant.com Mr. Romeo Romei – Quick Pack Pacific Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 367 1092 Fax: +66 2 531 6425 Email: romeo@quickpackpacific.com SECRETARY GENERAL Mr. Sandro Zanello Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce. 1126/2 Vanit Building II, Room 1601B 16th Floor, New Petchburi Rd., Makkasan, Rajdhevee, Bangkok Tel: +66 2 253 9909, +66 2 255 8695 Fax: +66 2 253 9896 E-mail: secretarygeneral@thaitch.org
The Informa is the bi-monthly magazine of the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce, covering all business activities and social news of interest to the members of the Thai-Italian community and others active in the expanding Thai-Italian bilateral relations. EDITOR: Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce Tel: +66 2 253 9909 Fax: +66 2 253 9896 E-mail: info@thaitch.org EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce President: Mr. Lino Geretto Chairman: Mr. Giacomo Mauri Directors: Mr. Chakrit Benedetti Mr. Rene Okanovic Mr. Sawang Pracharktham Secretary General: Mr. Sandro Zanello Italian Embassy Representative: Mr. Ubaldo Ciavaglioli Italian Trade Commission Representative: Mr. Vincenzo Calì Dante Alighieri Association Representative: Mrs. Jane Puranananda Scand-Media Representative: Mr. Gregers Moller TICC Staff: Ms. Sukanya Kerngfak: Marketing Executive Mr. Christopher Sella: Fellowship Researcher Mr. Stephen Johnson Farrell: English Editor PUBLISHER: Scand-Media Corp., Ltd. 4/41 Moo 3, Thanyakarn Village, Ramintra Soi 14, BKK 10230 Tel: +66 2 943 7166-8 Fax: +66 2 943 7169 Design: Disraporn Yatprom / Email: disraporn@scandmedia.com ADVERTISING CONTACT: Mr. Finn Balslev, Marketing Director Scand-Media Corp., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 943 7166 Ext: 151 Fax: +66 2 943 7169 Mobile: +66 81 866 2577 Email: finn@scandmedia.com - www.scandmedia.com Ms. Sukanya Kerngfak, Marketing Executive Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce Tel: +66 2 253 9909, +66 2 255 8695 Ext: 103 Fax: +66 2 253 9896 E-mail: pr@thaitch.org – www.thaitch.org
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s 2011 is coming to an end, one has to reflect on the hardship brought about by the severe flooding in vast areas surrounding central Bangkok. Although the city centre was spared, most businesses were nevertheless severely affected by the impact of the flood. Fourth quarter of 2011 was difficult for all. After the political and economic upheavals of 2011, all businesses could have used a good “business as usual” year in 2011. It did not happen. Let’s hope for better luck in 2012. One of the initiatives taken by the TICC to help cope with the aftermath of the flood was a Breakfast Seminar on the topic of insurance claims and labor law issues arising from the flood. The seminar was organized in cooperation with the French, Dutch and BelgiumLuxembourg Chambers of Commerce. The insurance and labor issues were addressed by experts from KPMG and Tilleke and Gibbins, respectively. The seminar was well attended and, I believe, was very helpful to the participants. TICC also strived to contact all members to learn about their needs during the flood and to help out as much as possible. Help was actually provided by TICC in a few instances, e.g. the supply of drinking water and packaged food to a member company, Quick Pack Pacific. In the fourth quarter of this year, TICC also conducted a members get-together entitled “Aperitivo Italiano”, shortly after the flooding subsided. It was well attended and appreciated. Also, at the end of October, our Secretary General Sandro Zanello and I participated in a general meeting of Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad, a meeting that generated new useful leads to additional business opportunities for TICC and its members. TICC has also handled most of the organizational effort for the December 15 “Bridge of Hope” fund-raising Gala Dinner for the St. Camillus Foundation which helps local children with severe handicaps and/or AIDS/HIV. This fund-raising dinner is a yearly event that is always well supported by our members and friends. For next year, I would like to bring just a couple of things to your attention, as follows: The Italian Embassy in Bangkok will initiate a new system for visas to Italy, starting in January 2012. It will be based on on-line applications and outsourced processing. Quicker and more efficient visa processing is expected as a result. Please refer to the corresponding article in this issue of INFORMA for details. A new initiative, entitled “Pesce Azzurro” will start with a Gala Dinner in February 2012. The initiative is to promote the import of fish from Sicily to Thailand. These imports have great potential, but have been negligible in the past. The initiative is expected to lead to new business relations in the food business and related logistics. On behalf of all the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce directors, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Arrivederci, Lino Geretto
Contents 8
Getting Your Through the Flood It is time to clean up and start producing again.
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The Embassy of Italy
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Dawei, Myanmar:
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Pesce Azzurro in Thailand
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Italian Pavilion at THAIFEX 2012
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Welcome to Bangkok
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TICC Events
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Fairs and Upcoming Events
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New Italy Visa Application Centre
The New Constantinople of the Fareast
Sicilian fish on the road
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A vibrant city, the heart of a fast growing economy
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Get-Together: Aperitivo Italiano
18 Member Area Welcome New Members
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COVER STORY
Getting through the flood It is time to clean up and start producing again. They have been tagged as “the worst floods in the last 50 years”. From late July to October, an enormous amount of water accumulated in the month and then descended on Thailand’s central plains, inundating 26 provinces out of 77 along with entire towns, industrial estates, farmland, historical sites and the Don Muang airport. It threatened for weeks to reach central Bangkok. The death toll surpassed 660. Mostly drownings and electrocutions.
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he government came into office as the crisis started to unfurl, has been widely blamed for its allegedly weak management of the emergency, from insufficient warnings and preparations to poor coordination with Bangkok’s municipal authorities, resulting in contradictory information to the public once the gigantic mass of water had turned the Chao Praya basin into a lake, affecting over 2 million people. In order to save the capital, which makes up 41 per cent of the GDP, authorities multiplied their efforts to drain billions of cubic metres of water making them flow to the east and west of Bangkok. This led to a widespread perception that the suburbs were unfairly sacrificed. As floodwaters crept towards central Bangkok, in 23 out of 50 districts of the capital residents received partial or general orders to evacuate. Agriculture and manufacturing activities were massively hit. Over 1,3 million hectares of farmland have been submerged, wiping out a quarter of the rice crop, while millions of farm animals perished. The automotive and electronic industries - from Japanese corporate giants to small manufacturers - have suffered huge disruptions, contributing to a global shortage of electronic parts, from hard drives - the kingdom accounts for 40 per cent of the world’s supply - to semiconductors. Production in many flood-affected plants will predictably resume only in the first quarter of 2012. Over 600,000 jobs have been temporarily lost. With the global news coverage contributing to a mistaken sense of a countrywide emergency, tourist arrivals in November and December have been affected too. Aside for the human toll, the true cost of the floods could take years in terms of working out the lost business to Thailand from investors who - fearing another emergency in future wet
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seasons - might now choose to relocate in other countries. The growth forecast for 2011 was recently revised down to 1.5 percent, from 3.5-4.0 percent. Insured losses could be in the double-digit billions of dollars. Much as PM Yingluck has been criticized during the emergency, experts agree that the disaster was a cumulative effects of aboveaverage rains, poor dam management and a progressive environmental degradation caused by forest clearing, filled-in water ways. With various regions of Thailand prone to seasonal flooding, the challenge will be to make sure that similar crisis don’t take place in the next rainy seasons.
The Aftermath of the Flood: Insurance claims and tax challenges By Nichalin Martina, Tax Manager, KPMG Thailand One of the major challenges company’s faces is filling an insurance claim for damage to assets or lost revenue/profits caused by the flooding. Forensic accountants can give among other things valuable support in quantifying the business interruption loss, capturing sufficient documentation (when financial data and other important records are damaged) to support the insurance claim and providing support and negotiating in arbitration. Notwithstanding the crucial engagements of insurance claims and settlements taxation may give some mitigation. Let’s take a closer look at the possible tax implications.
If a company incurs a loss of assets from flooding, can the company write off the entire residual value and treat it as a deductible expense in its corporate income tax computation? There are two scenarios for this situation. 1) In the case where the company has insurance If an asset is lost and a company is in the process of claiming compensation from an insurance company, that loss cannot be immediately claimed as a deductible expense in the corporate income tax calculation. The company will be entitled to a deduction in the year that the company receives the compensation from the insurance company. 2) In the case where the company does not have insurance The company can treat the total residual value of the asset as a deductible expense in the year that the loss of the asset occurs but the company is required to possess reliable records as proof of the loss (i.e. fixed assets register, notification to the police to obtain their report, purchase invoice, etc.). If the company receives compensation from an insurance company, is the company required to include the compensation received in its corporate income tax computation? In principle, if the damages exceed the compensation, the difference can be treated as a deductible expense for corporate income tax purposes. Conversely, if the compensation
COVER STORY
exceeds the damages, the difference shall be treated as follows. or the income received from the insurance company as compensation for damages from floods, storms, fires, or other natural disasters occurring in Thailand after 1 January 2011, such income, specifically the amount exceeding the residual value of the property after the deduction of wear and tear and depreciation, shall be exempted from the corporate income tax computation in the accounting period that the company receives the compensation from the insurance company. However, compensation for business interruption would not fall within the scope of the legislation. Therefore, companies will be required to include such compensation in the corporate income tax computation. For additional insights concerning the tax and accounting implications on insurance payments please check: www.kpmg.com
such cessation, for the entire duration of the period during which the employer does not allow each employee to work. In such situations, the employer must give prior written notice to both the employee and the labor inspection official, at least three business days before the halt of operations. Note that LPA refers to a significant event other than force majeure. What is force majeure? In Thailand, force majeure is defined much as it is in many other jurisdictions. This is addressed in the Civil and Commercial Code (CCC), which is a source of law of general application. According to the CCC, force majeure is defined as “any event the happening or
In Times of Calamity, Laws Governing Labor Get Tricky By Pimvimol Vipamaneerut and David Duncan Tilleke & Gibbins Thailand Ltd. Given the present flooding issues in Thailand, many people have concerns about employment issues. Put simply, “If my factory is flooded, must I keep paying my employees?” As with most legal questions, the answer is not so simple. The Labor Protection Act (LPA), the primary labor law in Thailand, contains a provision dealing with temporary shutdown of business operations. It provides that if a significant event, other than force majeure, affects the employer’s operations and the employer needs to temporarily halt its operations wholly or partially, the employer must pay each employee at least 75% of the working day wages an employee received before
pernicious results of which could not be prevented even though a person against whom it happened or threatened to happen were to take such appropriate care as might be expected from him in his situation and in such condition.” As a general matter, if an employer ceases operations because of force majeure, the employer need not pay wages to employees.
Thus, met with these sorts of events, the typical issue is whether a factory can shut down, and if so, whether the shutdown is really due to force majeure, or due to an event other than force majeure. In any case, it would not be sufficient to simply observe that there is flooding. Rather, one must look to the reason for the flood, the effect of the flood on the factory, and the extent to which the factory’s management attempted to mitigate the damage. For example, a flood due to a burst water pipe in a factory, which the management negligently failed to maintain, would not qualify as force majeure. Similarly, if a certain level of flooding happens on approximately the same month every year due to heavy rain, damage suffered by a factory which failed to take appropriate measures to mitigate the damage, would not constitute force majeure. Likewise, a lack of raw materials due to the management’s failure to reasonably source them would not constitute force majeure. There is not yet a Supreme Court decision that addresses employment in the context of flooding of this nature. Generally, however, it important to bear in mind that the courts take a conservative approach to force majeure, and thus construe it quite narrowly. If a factory’s situation does not constitute force majeure, then LPA Section 75 would be a possibility. Employers have used many different reasons to justify a temporary cessation under this section, such as cancellation of orders by customers,due to flooding. Improperly categorizing the reason for a temporary shutdown could result in claims by employees for back wages, or unpaid 75% payments, depending on the circumstances. As noted above, many factors must be taken into consideration, and circumstances may vary from factory to factory. Met with the same peril, one factory might be able to legitimately claim force majeure, while another
JFCCT sets up inter-firm flood relief website The interim JFCCT website at www.jfcctfloodrelief.org is a self help on-line presence to show the capabilities of firms in the JFCCT community which have goods or services relevant to flood relief (eg business continuity, business recovery, repair, instant wireless broadband, professional services). This is not a blog site or social networking site. The site is readily accessible on the web without having to join any social or professional network. Postings are done by e mailing adminsec@jfcctfloodrelief.org. Users can get in touch directly with the firm offering the service. If there is a service not listed, the request can be posted by emailing adminsec@jfcctfloodrelief.org. The site also contains some information about current relaxations and benefits. Commenting on the site, Mr Nandor von der Luehe, Chairman of the JFCCT said “The flood has affected so many businesses and individuals. We are concerned for the economy, the livelihood of businesses and the predicament of many individuals. The JFCCT is a partner, with government, in the economy. We will be making some detailed proposals for further relaxations and flood relief measures. At the same time, self-help is always needed. The site was an innovation from our committees and endorsed by the JFCCT Presidents’ Council”.
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COVER STORY with different circumstances might not qualify. In addition to the statutory issues outlined above, it would be necessary to consider provisions in work rules and regulations, employment agreements, and collective bargaining agreements, any of which might contain provisions addressing temporary shutdowns. The flooding will eventually subside, and most factories will eventually return to their normal operations, though some sooner than others. Thus, aside from purely legal considerations, employers should give thought to treating their valued employees well and maintaining relationships with them. This will be of considerable benefit, when business resumes. In addition, employers who suffered preventable losses should take this opportunity to reassess and consider how the situation might be better handled next time.
The BOI relief measure Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) At its first meeting under the new government, the Board of BOI (Thailand Board of Investment) approves additional emergency measures to help companies and entrepreneurs affected by the flood crisis. The new measures include 1. Permission for a raw materials imported that are completely damaged to be recognized as part of waste allowance and therefore relieved of tax burdens 2. Permission for companies to temporality outsource all of their processes to other manufacturers in order to maintain continuity in delivering their products to customers 3. A six-month extension of import tax exemption on machinery brought in to replace that damage by flooding. Prior to this, the BOI had introduced a number of measures to help investors. These includes 1.) Permission for BOI-promoted companies to move machinery or raw materials out of factories in emergency cases 2.) In cases where raw materials had been imported prior to the flooding for use in production for export and had been damaged by the floods, the materials can be written off as waste allowance and as such excluded from tax burden. 3.) The BOI permits companies to outsource temporarily some parts of the production process in order to maintain business continuity 4.) The BOI has also introduced additional measures to facilitate companies in bringing in foreign nationals to effectively help recover businesses in Thailand. Businesses however, must still advise and provide proof to the BOI that items have suffered unintentional damage or destruction in order to avoid imposition of VAT on deemed sale. If unintentional damage occurs, a company can request the BOI to extend the period of exemption.
Roo Su! Flood: The Best Video Explanation of Thailand's 2011 Floods An instant hit on social networks, Roo Su! Flood (Know & Beat the Flood) was the first clear explanation of Thailand’s floods to gain a mass audience, making its point with scores of big blue whales dropping on Thailand—and Bangkok. Within a week they released four episodes of five minutes each, in Thai with English subtitles. The first came out on October 24 and was watched 700,000 times overnight. Here, we speak to the clips makers, Kriangkrai “Ping” Wachirathamporn, and Tawatchai “Au” Sangthammachai, both 26. BK: Why did you create the clip? Ping: We went out to volunteer like making sandbags or packing stuff but I wondered, “Can’t we do something more than this?” We studied communication arts, we have potential help people who are drowning in a flood of information. Au: I helped the TPBS TV channel with the citizen news center for the floods. They said they had problems about the flood of information. They wanted to take this information and digest it for people to understand all the info easily but they had no time to do it. After I told Ping and my friends, we were really eager to volunteer our time to do this so we start working on our first episode on Oct 21, and released it on Oct 25. BK: What was the biggest challenge? Ping: Time. We have to work against time so we gathered more volunteers (about 20 by now) who can do animation to help us make more episodes. We planned to cover five points: make people understand flood situation, explain how to take care yourself, how to live with water, how to give to others and what is the effect from the floods. The clip actually came out quite late but we did our best. We stopped working when the water reached our headquarters in Ladprao. Au: Other important thing is to present the correct information with no bias. We only present facts to make people understand the whole situation in 5 minutes. People don’t have the patience to watch something longer than that. BK: Why chose a whale as the symbol of water? Au: It’s really hard to get people to see a clear picture of how much water is flooding us right now. Experts keep saying that it is 10,000 cubic meters, which is tremendous, but people don’t know how big that is. We saw this clip about the nuclear disaster in Japan where they used little turds. But we need something very big, like the Titanic or mammoths, but whales are the cutest—and it’s the biggest animal in the world. Ping: I thought of my mom, she doesn’t know what 10,000 cubic meters water. But the whale made her see it clearly. We didn’t expect that the whale would be so famous. At first, we just thought it’s a character to support the main character.
the lovely blue whale-the symbol of water Interview by Monruedee Jansuttipan, BK magazine NOV 03, 2011
For more information: www.boi.go.th
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EMBASSY OF ITALY
A ‘Picture’ of Italy Report on Tourism The first issue of ‘Report on Tourism’ has been issued. Strong and weak points have been highlighted to pave the way to winning strategies for Italian tourism industry.
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eriving from the joint efforts of the Bank of Italy, the National institute for Tourism Research (Isnart) and the National Institute for Statistics, the first ‘Report on Tourism’ issue has been recently presented to the Department for the Development and Competitiveness of Tourism. This report provides a much needed authorative point of reference in a system in which a very huge number of subjects do different kinds of research and diffuse data. Such a comprehensive analysis of the industry’s strengths and weaknesses will enable the industry and policy makers to plan the best course of action for the future and maintain a high level of competitiveness in a market where competition from neighboring Countries is very stiff. This milestone research comes following the application of Law 80/2005 for the promotion of incoming tourism by digital media and the efforts of the President of the National Observatory of Tourism Caterina Cittadino. The Italian tourism industry has an immense potential and can keep on achieving important results and fight the effects of this long-lasting economic crisis, which has affected all countries. At present Asia only accounts for 18% of world outbound tourism, compared to 59% for Europe but is already ahead of the Americas (17%), according to the Asian Travel Monitor.
In 2009 there was a 9% drop in outbound trips following strong growth in 2006 and 2007 and stagnation in 2008, reflecting how the region was impacted early by the world recession. Asian outbound growth showed strong growth of 15% in 2010, the Asian Travel Monitor found. Statistics show that tourism originating from Thailand and directed to Europe has been steadily growing in the recent years, reaching in excess of 480,000 travelers in 2010, signing an increase of 8,8% over the previous year. An impressive growth rate, considering that the same figure was around 280,000 in 2006. As a consequence of this trend, the flow of tourists heading to Italy has increased too: between 2007 and 2010 the number of visa requests submitted to the Italian Embassy in Bangkok has increased from 19,000 to over 23,000 and is expected to keep growing steadily in the coming years. Last year, Thai outbound travel reached 5,350,000 visits, up 18% from 4,535,093 trips in 2009 with an estimated spend of Bt115 billion. The Thai Travel Agents Association estimates that Thailand’s overall outbound travel growth is equal last year's figure of 5 million, down from an earlier prediction of 5-10% growth.
NEW Italy Visa Application Centre The Embassy of Italy in Bangkok is pleased to announce that from 5th of January 2012 will be introduced new procedures for Visa to Italy (Schengen). Under this new arrangement, the application should be delivered to the Joint Visa Application Center managed by VFS (Thailand) Ltd. at the following address. For further details, from 20th of December 2011 you are kindly requested to contact the call center or web site www.vfsglobal. com/italy/thailand CALL CENTER+66 (0) 2 2639101 Application Submission: 0830 to 1200 hrs and 1300 to 1600 hrs (Monday to Friday) Passport Collection: 1300 to 1600 hrs (Monday to Friday) Joint Visa Application Centre Mercury Tower, 9th Floor, Ploenchit Road, Lumphini, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330 Helpline: +66 22 639101 Email: info.itth@vfshelpline.com LONG STAY VISA. The request of any type of National Visa together with proper documentation should be submitted in person directly at the Visa Office of the Embassy as following. Monday 10-12:00 Wednesday 14:0016:00 – Friday–10:00–12:00; Applicants must pay the visa application fees to the Embassy plus a service charge of 500 baht (inclusive of VAT) to VFS.
**VFS (Thailand) Ltd. will be responsible only for accepting and processing applications and has no authority or influence over the outcome of an application. All applications will continue to be assessed by the Embassy of Italy. Timelines and turnaround of visas are as per the discretion of the authority.
Business Fast Track Through the JVAC service, trade partners and foreign staff of the member companies of the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce (TICC) receive benefits from facilitations in the visa application procedure on the basis of the agreement between the Embassy and TICC.
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REVIEW
Dawei Deep Sea Port : The New Southeast Asia is changing, the Dawei Deep Sea Port, a massive development project of $58 billion will radically reshape the logistics and the economic of the whole Indo-China region. Italian-Thai development Plc, Thailand’s largest construction firm, holds the key to this, after signing the contract for a 75 year concession in November 2010 with the Myanmar Port Authority. By Edoardo Maggini
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he city of Dawei is located on the southern shoreline of the republic of the union in Myanmar, approximately 350 km west from Bangkok. Its strategic location makes the city of Dawei a potential new gateway route connecting the south China sea to the Indian ocean providing direct access to it. Consequentially, Dawei is expected to become the major hub of trade in Southeast Asia and, of course, this will have a significant impact on the growth of the whole Great Mekong sub region (GMS) due to the new flows of goods from the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
The Author
The Dawei development project consists basically of three phases: First step - construction of a transportation corridor to Thailand, as well as roads and rail linking the public utilities and facilities in the industrial zone. Oil and natural gas pipelines will be laid parallel to the road and railway.
Edoardo Maggini Edoardo Maggini is an economic journalist expert in finance, emerging markets, sustainable development and commodities. He graduated in business administration in Rome. He started working in Africa with his father developing schools and water wells. He has worked for the Italian trade commission of Thailand and for Wall Street Italia. To contact the author: edoardomaggini@gmail.com
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Second step - building the deep sea port that will allow 25 vessels, ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 tons, to berth simultaneously at 22 wharfs with a total capacity of over 200 million metric tons per annum for service of liquid cargo, general cargo, containers and bulk cargo. Third step - develop 250 sq km of industrial estate complex. The project will include a coal-fired power plant that aim to generate 10,000 megawatts, a dam on the Dawei River that can store 219 million cubic meters of water and a purifying plant that can supply 975,000 cubic meters of water a day, oil & gas industries, a steel mill, fertilizer plant and pulp & paper industry. Once completed, the
estate will be divided into four different zones, namely: heavy industry zone, medium industry zone, light industry zone and township. The first and the second stage including the main infrastructures is expected to be ready by 2016 and the total project completion is expected by 2020. On completion, Dawei port will be 10 times bigger than Laem Chabang, Thailand’s largest port on the Gulf of Thailand, and it is expected to create a more efficient route for Asia exports to Europe and the Middle East. A key component of the development will be a 170km eight-lane highway and rail link from Dawei to the Thai border. This will eventually be extended through the Greater Mekong sub-regional southern corridor to Bangkok via Sisophon in Cambodia and Vung Tau and Quy Nhon in Vietnam. Logistics experts predict that the new port will represent a substantial alternative to the congested and dangerous Malacca Strait and will offer a “remarkable shortcut” between the Pacific and Indian ocean decreasing transit times up to 10 days, therefore lowering transportation costs. Italian-Thai Development is the main contractor holding 51% of the stake. ITD is seeking financial backers to contract out 49% of the development works. The Thai company announced that it will look for investors until the end of this year, then it will proceed with the start of the project in the 2012. Several national and international companies have shown their interest in the project such as Nippon Steel corp., PTT, Thales Group, Eni S.p.A., CMC, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding and many others. Also many Chinese companies are eager to become a major partner of the Thai firm but, reading between the lines, ITD is more western oriented in finding partners,
REVIEW
Constantinople of the Far East understandably to avoid the hegemony rise of the dragon in Southeast Asia. Although the embargo, put on the autocratic government of Myanmar by the European Union, concern only the trade of weapons, ammunitions and military equipments it seems so far that the European companies are still skeptical to get involved in the game due to this controversial situation. Even though what is legal is not always ethical and what is ethical is not always legal, investing in Myanmar in development projects can be considered legal and ethical at the same time. Isolating Myanmar, indeed, would not lead to a democracy, but it would worsen the living conditions of the people (e.g. Cuba). No wonder if all the sanctions, so far, have not delivered expected results. As the U.S. secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said: “ Clearly, the path we have taken in imposing sanctions hasn’t influenced the Burmese Junta. The United States are looking at steps that might influence the current Burmese government, and we’re also looking for ways that we could more effectively help the Burmese people.” Nowadays it may appear a paradox that Myanmar, ASEAN’s most reluctant country to open up to the world, is about to become the new Constantinople of the Far East after half century of isolation, despite the EU and U.S. embargo. Probably this underlying wind of change may represent the right time for responsible and accountable companies to have a role to contribute in the prosperity of Burmese
Dawei Deep Sea Port industrial estate, the new global hub, regional trading, manufacturing and logistics people and lead by example for an openness, for a shift, for a new start. Sustainable develop-
ment and social prosperity are two things that always come together.
Interview with Mr. Somchet Thinapong, Managing Director of Dawei Development project. 1. Who are the major financing companies? Major financing companies include key anchor developers and local banks. 2. Is Italian-Thai Development still looking for investors? Yes, we are still looking for a lot more investors.
Mr. Somchet Thinapong, Managing Director of Dawei Development project
3. There are any potential risks to invest so much money in a relative high-risk country as Myanmar? One can view Myanmar as a risk or as an opportunity country. Myanmar would go to reform as can be seen by some signals. Namely, Myanmar would open the country to host Asian Game in 2 years, to be the Chairman of ASEAN in 3 years, to join AEC in 4 years, etc. So, Myanmar keeps momentum of Democratization and Free Trade in due process. Also, opportunity can be constructed now.
4. Can you tell me in the specific what kind of agreement there is between ITD and the Myanmar government ? ITD is given concession of land to 250 sq. kilometers to build SEZ. And within that, there are components such as port, industrial estate, infrastructure and utility, these are agreements and concession is in 75 years. 5. Dawei deep sea port may trigger any practical or ethical threats for the Burmese population or are you confident that this project will rise only positive effects? Any project developments have both negative and positive views and opinions. It takes effort to explain to public the benefit to the country and the people, can derive as compare to the negative sides that they envision.
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Regione Siciliana - Fondo Europeo per la Pesca 2007/2013 - MISURA 3.4 - Sviluppo di nuovi mercati e campagne rivolte ai consumatori
Sicilian Fish on The Road “Sicilian Fish on the Road” will land in Thailand in February 2012. This phrase refers to a project aimed at developing new markets for the Sicilian fishing and aquaculture industry as good export opportunities to exist in Thailand the fish from the Mediterranean sea. By Federica Tonucci
F
or thousands of years island and coastal populations have followed a diet based on fish. The origin of aquaculture probably date back over 5,000 years. Evidence of the practice are found in the history of ancient Egypt, imperial China and Rome. In more recent years, both Italy and Thailand have developed a great seafood cuisines and effective fishing industries. According to the Associazione Piscicoltori Italian (Italian Fish Farming Association), there were around 800 fish farms in Italy in 2009. They employed around 15,000 workers, including those in related industries, and yielded a revenue of € 350 million. Thailand has a well-developed farming and processing industry that helps meet the local demand for freshwater fish and seafood that are strongly rooted in the traditional Thai diet. However, the Thai appetite for different imported fish is also substantial. The Thailand import statistics show that fish product imports from European countries to Thailand was worth almost 40 million Euro. Unfortunately, the Italian share of these imports is negligible. The Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce has estimated that there are almost 1000 Ital-
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ian restaurants scattered throughout the Thai territory, mainly in the metropolitan area of Bangkok and tourist district as Pattaya, Phuket and the islands of the gulf of Hua Hin. These data show how a real opportunity for the Thai market to become an important Sicilian blue fish importer. The Project The aim of the “Sicilian Fish on the Road” is to promote the export to Thailand of Sicilian particularly under-exploited species, found in abundance in Sicilian waters. Their utilization would help to reduce pressure on the stock of more heavily fished species. These species belong to the family known in Italian as pesce azzurro (‘blue fish’). It has been defined in various ways, such as ‘poor man’s fish’ or ‘forgotten fish’. They do not deserve such a designation as they are really delicious when cooked with proper recipes. They also have greater beneficial properties than other better-known fish, making it an ideal component of a healthy diet. Many of these types of fish can also be preserved, using traditional methods or innovative technologies, to make them available,
good and safe also in markets far from Italy. The promotional campaign involved the selection of 20 species and a data sheet was compiled for each one, with detailed information on the relative distinguishing characteristics, nutritional values and seasonality. During the event, special attention is dedicated to ‘blue’ fish recipes based on the great Sicilian cooking tradition. The 2011 Campaign During 2011 the campaign has been focused on various Italian and European cities (Milan, Turin, Verona, Parma, Rome, Bruxelles, Cologne, Copenaghen, Wien). In the center of these cities an ‘itinerant village’ has been set up, with areas reserved for tasting fish products and dishes, multimedia exhibitions, meetings and specialized studies to provide visitors with a wide range of information on Sicily and its bountiful sea. At each stage, visitors and sector operators have been able to learn about the various species in detail, thanks to special ‘theme trails’ and multimedia features that can be used through the different tools of information and communication available in the village.
TICC PROJECT
Launch of 2012 Campaign in Thailand On February 2, 2012 a Gala Dinner will take place at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit hotel in Bangkok to start promoting Sicilian fresh fish in Bangkok. All dishes will be fish-based: freshly-caught fish will be flash-frozen in Italy and shipped to Bangkok where it will be cooked just before the dinner. The main characteristics of the Sicilian blue fish will be explained during the event. There will be a cooking show, where dishes will be cooked by a Sicilian chef live before the guests will taste them. The Gala Dinner will be followed by an implementation phase through Sicilian operators and importers in February for the launch of new channels of distribution of Sicilian bluefish to hotels, restaurants and retail shops in Thailand. For further information about “Sicilian Fish on the Road” please visit the website www. sicilianfishontheroad.com. For additional information about the Gala Dinner and other initiative in Thailand, please contact Mr. Elia Righetti, tel. 02 255 8695-
104, e-mail trade@thaitch.org Web site www. thaitch.org/events/sicilian-fish-bangkok The European Fisheries Fund “Sicilian fish on the road” has been implemented with the support of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), which is the most important organizational fund for the fishing sector. It has the purpose of guaranteeing the stability of the fishing trade by maintaining a balance with
available resources and protecting marine life. Operations carried out in the context of the EFF have various objectives, including the promotion of a sustainable balance between resources and the fishing capacities of the Sicilian fishing fleet; the guarantee of the competitiveness of the operating structures and the development of companies involved in the fishing sector and the increasing protection of the environment and natural resources.
Figure 1 - Fish Import from Europe, CIF Value (in Baht) Thailand Fish Imports, CIF Value (Million Baht) Country of Origin:
2007
2008
2009
2010
Italy
4
6
2
1
France
90
222
265
275
Spain
320
874
863
943
Netherlands
280
285
571
302
9
37
76
44
UK
Source - Thai Customs Department
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TICC PROJECT
Italian Pavilion at THAIFEX 2012 T
HAIFEX – World of Food Asia, the largest and most important trade fair in Asia for food and beverage will take place at the Impact Exhibition Center in Bangkok from May 23 to 27, 2012. Riding on its consecutive success in the last nine years THAIFEX has established itself as the premier sourcing platform for thousands of food and hospitality trade buyers in Asia. With an expansion of exhibiting space to 52,000 sqm, the 10th edition of THAIFEX will bring together more than 23,000 visitors and 1,000 exhibiting companies from 25 countries. Exposition areas will focus not only on the main Food and Beverage sector, but also on hospitality services, food catering, food technology and retail and franchise. The trade fair will be open to the public on 26 and 27 May. The event will come with widespread coverage for advertising and public relations generated through the industry and media networks of the organizers: the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Export Promotion and Koelnmesse Pte Ltd. Statistics show a high level of decisionmaking authority among visitors: more than USD 24 million on transactions and USD 400 million on pending contracts were dealt during the 2011 edition. Thailand is home to many excellent food manufacturers and producers and aims at establishing itself as a central hub for Southeast Asia’s food and beverage extensive business network. This is not surprising, given that Asia is a leading exporter in several food segments. For instance, Southeast Asia accounts for half of the world’s seafood production. With more than 225 million Muslims in the region, South East Asia is fast becoming an important and competitive regional market for Halal products, catering to the rapidly growing number of Muslim consumers around the world. Thaifex – World of Food Asia continues to provide opportunities for players in this dynamic segment to further their reach in the region and globally. To boost networking opportunities and
increase awareness of the opportunities in the Halal market, Thaifex – World of Food Asia will feature a dedicated Halal zone which will gather Halal food producers as well as equipment and technology for Halal food production. Further capturing the vibrant landscape of the food and beverage industry in Asia, Thaifex – World of Food Asia will also feature events aimed at engaging Asia’s culinary talents. The annual Thai Chef’s Competition, as well as the Fruits and Vegetables Carving Competition will be back again, pitting the skills of industryleading chefs from across the region. Koelnmesse and the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce are proud the announce the opening of an Italian pavilion reserved for Italian brands, allowing exhibitors to enjoy the visibility and advantages provided by a themed and dedicated area. **Joining the Italian Pavilion will give you extra visibility and exclusive service at the standard price. You will have exposure in the TICC network before, during and after the fair and you will have access to service which only
the TICC can offer you, thanks to its upstanding activity in Thailand and in particular in the Food & Beverage sector. The Italian Pavilion is located in the Fine Foods section.
For more information please visit : www.thaitch.org/events/thaifex2012/ or contact TICC’s Trade Manager, Mr. Elia Righetti at trade@thaitch.org
Facts and figures • 1,012 exhibiting companies from 25 countries • 17 Country & Provincial pavilions • 1,079 top buyers from 57 countries • 145 media representatives from 10 countries
Five Thai SMEs on the process to NaTrue Certification Of 26 companies that submitted their candidacy, The SCRIPT Project team have selected five companies were selected as the finalists and will benefit from the advice of European experts on certification and from the EU fund in getting their products certified according to EU’s NATRUE standard for natural and organic cosmetics (the most neutral and well-recognized international standard).
These five finalists are: • By Ytsara Co., Ltd. (Ytsara) • I Plus Q Co., Ltd. • Prima Herbs (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Prima Herbs) • Puri Co., Ltd. (Panpuri) • Nature Touch Aromatherapy Co., Ltd. (Green Portion)
This project is funded by the European Union
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The NATRUE label will enable these companies to ease the EU market penetration and to create confidence to European consumers of their product’s quality. Once certified, their products will be displayed at an international health & beauty trade fair either in Thailand or in Europe in 2013. Funded by the EU, the SCRIPT project is dedicated to apply self-control and third party certification to Thai products and services in two particular sectors, silk and spa, by using an EU-inspired approach.
ADVERTORIAL
Your kitchen is you! AsiaCucina gets you first class. With thirty years in the business of home and commercial interior design, Khun Surisak Thawansakvudhi, director of HomePlan has branched off with AsiaCucina Handmade Kitchen Studio. From an initial consultation, through planning, 3D design, material selection, construction at his local factory and final installation; the results are first class. This is not mass production; ever ything is made by hand and to order. The complete in-house concept keeps the production time to usually less than thirty days.
S
ee the results at Khun Surisak’s showrooms at Thong Lor, The Promenade on Wireless Road, or in Phuket on Thepkasattri Road. Only the finest Thai and European materials are used. There is no compromise in achieving the desired results. “The care and attention to detail is highly appreciated by our clients.” claims Surisak. “The kitchen is the largest single investment that a homeowner makes in their dwelling, so why not do it right and build it to last?” he adds. “That is our aim. The cost of a quality kitchen over the years is less than an inadequate one which needs replacing.” Walking through an AsiaCucina showroom is an eye-opening experience in style and class. From Blum fittings, Miton, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Fisher & Pakel appliances; to stainless steel, fired clay or marble sinks. The appearance is more than built-in; it is built-up, modeled and molded into a design that speaks class. Designs and accessories from HomePlan / AsiaCucina have been featured in Living Etc., Decoration Guide and @Kitchen magazines. “We ask our clients about their lifestyle. On the move, family, retired? Then we suggest a design which best suits their needs. We offer modern, classic, and standard styles. For example, our New York style kitchen is for a family on the go. They may want to prepare the food, eat and watch
the news all in the kitchen. So we have a built in refrigerator, preparation area, seating, eating bar, as well as a television built into the wall. For a retired couple that loves cooking, it would require something of a different style.” With over 30 years experience, Khun Surisak is more than qualified to offer his assistance, but the client’s final word is what’s important. “We can build whatever the client sees, whatever they want to design, based on lifestyle and technology. And no project is too small,” he says. “For a young single or couple living in a smaller condo, the kitchen is no less important than in a six-bedroom home. It is a challenge because you must provide function, efficiency and practicality in a smaller area. But it ensures a higher quality lifestyle!” In support of homeowners in Thailand’s floodstricken areas, AsiaCucina has special offers on refurbishing or replacement of kitchens, furniture, and doors. “The kitchen is usually the worst hit room in a house during a flood. The appliances are heavy and unwieldy to move up to higher floors. Larger furniture items and the doors are immovable as well. We wish to help those that want to improve their lifestyle.” explains Khun Surisak. If you are looking for a kitchen with class, pay a visit to www.asiacucina.com.
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BUSINESS FOCUS
Welcome to Bangkok A vibrant city, the heart of a fast growing economy
With rising incomes, constant demand for new housing, changing in preferences, new infrastructure projects and the expansion of the mass transit systems, Bangkok will continue to be “a large and vibrant property market”. Mr. James Pitchon, Executive Director of CB Richard Ellis Thailand, shares his over 20-yearexperience with a complete overview, interesting insights and future prospects. By Narciso Podda Narcisopodda @ hotmail.it
W
ith an estimated population of over 12 million people, the Bangkok Metropolitan Region is home for 17% of Thailand’s total population. It is the Thai Capital and one of the most important cities in the region, a city that has seen continuous development and expansion over the last years. Several key trends in the residential market have been driving both the choice of housing type and location. Mr. Pitchon, what has shaped the city of Bangkok as we currently know it? Construction of mass transit systems has dramatically changed location preferences. The position of Bangkok’s city centre has been fixed by the location of the inner city mass transit systems whereas the centre had in the past moved over the years with the development of new buildings. Developers of offices, shopping centres, hotels and residential developments want to build close to or with direct connections to mass transit stations. Any new mass transit projects under development?
Mr. James Pitchon, Executive Director of CB Richard Ellis (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Over the last twenty years he has been responsible for the co-ordination of more than 1,000 multi-national corporation property transactions in Thailand.
CBRE, a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm. It has approximately 31,000* employees in over 300* offices worldwide (*excluding affiliates). CBRE established an office in Bangkok in 1988 and in Phuket in 2004. It is a leading real estate services provider in Thailand with over 1,000 staff.
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The construction of suburban lines, especially the Purple Line (from Bangsue to Bangyai, expected to be completed in 2014) has significantly increased demand for low-rise housing along these routes. The SRT (State Railway of Thailand) is also constructing the Light Red line which will run from Bangsue to Taling Chan and is due for completion in 2012. Work has also commenced on the MRT Blue line which will run from Bangsue to Tha Phra with completion around 2015. The existing BTS line will be extended from Wong Wian Yai to Bang Wa with completion in 2012. A number of other lines are also at the planning stage. Over 500,000 passengers per day use the BTS, over 250,000 the MRT, and about 34,000 people the commuter line of the Airport Rail Link. These numbers will grow as extensions are added, as will the importance of mass transit systems on determining future property development patterns in Bangkok. What are the buying trends? Are houses seen also as an investment? Most purchasers of houses and townhouses are buying the property to use as a home rather than as an investment and there is very limited trading in second-hand houses. This is positive for the sector as it means that almost all demand is driven by end-users and this limits the potential for a speculative bubble.
There is a greater range of buyers in the condominium sector with end-users, “buyto-rent” investors and speculators who buy off-plan and hope to resell prior to completion of the building. There is greater liquidity in the condominium sector with more trading of second-hand condominiums than the low-rise housing sector. In the residential market ownership is preferred and only those who cannot afford to buy at the low end of the market or expatriates on limited term contracts at the higher end of the market choose to rent. Do foreigners account for a big part of the market? There is only limited foreign participation in the Thai property market. Foreigners are generally not allowed to own freehold land and so most developers are Thai with some foreign participation in joint ventures. Foreigners are allowed to own up to 49% of the freehold saleable area of a condominium but all the money must come from overseas as foreign currency. The majority of foreign purchasers do not have the ability to borrow funds locally or overseas to fund a property purchase in Thailand and so the main market is for cash buyers. Currently over 90% of new condominium purchasers in Bangkok are Thai. What does the future for Bangkok’s residential segment look like? Looking forward we will continue to see the younger generation buying condominiums in downtown Bangkok and along the mass transit routes. There is going to be continued demand for new housing. Household sizes are shrinking with the move from the extended towards the nuclear family, incomes are also rising.
BUSINESS FOCUS
Prices are likely to rise as both land costs and construction costs increase. Developers of entry level lower price condominiums will have to continue to seek new areas with lower land costs to keep prices affordable. The townhouse and single detached house sector will be subdued over the next 12 months until purchasers become confident that government initiated flood prevention measures will be effective and developers roll out new designs that offer greater levels of flood protection. The impact of the flooding on the housing market will be significant and people will be cautious about buying homes in areas that have been flooded but it does not mean that there will be a wholesale shift to everyone wanting to live in a condominium.
Tourism plays a major role in the Thai economy. What’s the situation of the hotel industry in Bangkok?
What about the office market?
How are other major Thai cities positioned in the tourism sector?
Bangkok has a total office stock (excluding government occupied buildings) of 8 million square metres with an occupancy rate of 86.5%. There is only about 400,000 square metres of new office accommodation under construction that is due to be completed by 2014. Average CBD grade A building rents are 680 baht per square metre per month but recently completed new buildings such as Park Ventures on the corner of Wireless Road and Ploenchit are now achieving rentals of 820 baht per square metre per month for small units. The future level of rentals will depend on demand. We had seen an increase in demand in Q2 and Q3 of 2011 but this may become more subdued due to the current uncertainty in the global economy. We do not expect rents to fall but we will see rents start to increase as soon as there is an upturn in demand. As there is only a limited amount of new supply and high occupancy in the most popular buildings, tenants considering expansion or relocation need to plan ahead as there are limited choices available in the most sought after locations.
In the hotel sector the challenge is the amount of new hotel rooms that are being built. Tourist arrival numbers had been growing but this growth was interrupted by the floods. We are confident that arrival numbers will recover quickly as they did after the civil unrest in May 2010. There are around 30,000 hotel rooms in downtown Bangkok but that number is expected to grow by 35% to over 40,000 rooms by 2014. It will be a challenge to maintain occupancy and room rates with both this increase in supply and economic uncertainty in the European feeder markets.
Thailand’s resort property markets have grown dramatically over the last ten years focused on Pattaya, Hua Hin/Cha-Am, Phuket and Koh Samui. Pattaya and Hua Hin are mainly condominium markets with a mixture of both Thai and Foreign buyers whereas Phuket and Koh Samui have a mixture of both villas and condominiums and demand is mainly driven by foreigners. Thai tourism market is continuing to grow and the resort property market is driven by the overall tourism market. Pattaya and Hua Hin are seeing a range of new condominium developments whereas market in Phuket and especially Koh Samui have been far more subdued following the global financial crisis in 2008. All the resort markets will continue to grow but in terms of resort property some will grow faster than others. There will be a change in the type of resort property developers, the number of smaller entrepreneurial developers will fall as it becomes harder to get funding and new projects will be undertaken by larger developers with better access to local bank funding and with established track record of development.
With rising disposable income and a more powerful domestic demand we are also seeing the continuous opening of new department stores and shopping malls. What about this segment of the market? The Thai retail property continues to grow with two clear trends; the increasing number of brands with a presence in Thailand and the continued expansion of modern retail property formats outside of Bangkok. The opening of IKEA at Mega Bangna is an example of the growing number of brands in Thailand and the Central Group’s development of shopping centres in cities such as Chiang Rai, Surat Thani and Phitsanulok illustrates the growth of retail development outside of Bangkok. Thai retail developers are also expanding overseas. Thailand’s Central Retail Corporation bought the Italian department store chain La Rinascente which has 11 department stores across Italy in May 2011. Conclusions Over 100,000 new residential units were built in 2010, and there is now over 8 million square metres of office accommodation, and 5.5 million square metres of retail developments. Overall the Thai property market is reasonably healthy with only a few sectors such as hotels where we think there will be challenges caused by significant levels of new supply. Demand will not only be driven by what happens in Thailand but also by what happens in the global economy. A weak global economic outlook will reduce demand for all types of property in Thailand but we believe that most developers will adjust plans for new supply based on levels of demand which will mean that the Thai property market does not face the possibility of a bubble and subsequent hard landing.
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TICC EVENTS
The 20th World Convention Meeting of Italian Chambers Abroad
T
he main topic of this convention, held in Naples on October 22 to 26, was the search for new markets and export opportunities, focusing on ‘sustainable tourism’. The TICC President, Mr. Lino Geretto and TICC Secretary General, Mr. Sandro Zanello attended this event. The World Convention of Italian Chambers Abroad was a very important event for the consolidation of the network that links all actors promoting Made in Italy and for the internationalization of the Italian local and international enterprises as well.
Breakfast Talk - “How to Manage the Consequences of the Floods”
T
(From L-R) Mr. Francesco Formiconi, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Mrs. Raffaella Orsini , Secretary General of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapre, Ms. Mariagrazia Biancospino, Secretary General of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in South Africa, Mr. Davide Fantoni, Secretary General of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Mr. Franco Cutrupia President of the Italian Chamber in China, Mr. Manuele Bosetti, Secretary of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Mr. Sandro Zanello, TICC Secretary General.
Get Together - Aperitivo Italiano
his Breakfast Talk, organized in cooperation with Franco-Thai Chamber Legal Affairs Committee, BeluThai and Netherlands-Thai Chamber of Commerce, held on November 15 at the Sofitel Silom hotel, aimed at providing key information to help businesses to manage risk and minimize the impact of the flood. The speakers gave an overview of the relevant government policies and of the proactive steps you can take under Thai law as your company begins to recover. At the end of the seminar, the audience engaged the speakers with numerous questions.
1
O
n Tuesday December 6, the "Aperitivo Italiano" Get Together event was held at Il Tartufo restaurant in it charming and secluded courtyard. Despite being postponed by several weeks due to the flooding, more than 70 guests attended the informal dinner and enjoyed a buffet of pasta, meat and finger food and desserts matched by Italian wines and Spritz cocktails. The event was sponsored by IWS and Italasia who provided the cocktails and wine respectively, and Kim Chua Group which offered a selection of Italian cheese for our guests to enjoy.
2
Photo by Kim Chua Group 1. Mr. Federico Cardini, TICC Director, Fr. Giovanni Contarin, Chef Francesco Cantiani, Il Tartufo Restaurant, Mr. Andrea Speronello, First Secretary General of the Commercial section of the Embassy of Italy, Mr. Giacomo Mauri and Dr. Sawang Pracharktham TICC Vice Presidents. 2. Kim Chua Group offered a selection of Italian cheese for our guests to enjoy. 3. Il Tartufo restaurant's charming and secluded courtyard. 4. Galbani featured foods were preparing by Il Tartufo’s chef to keep your mounth watering.
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4
3
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TICC FAIR & UPCOMING EVENT
International Trade Fairs in Italy (January - February 2012) Exhibitions In Italy
Detail
Date
Venue/Website
79° PITTI Immagine Uomo
International Fashion Exhibition
11 – 14 Jan.
Florence / www.pittimmagine.com
Motorbikeexpo
International Motorcicle Exhibition
21 – 23 Jan.
Verona / www.motorbikeexpo.it
BIT
International Tourism Exhibition
18 – 21 Feb.
Milano
International Trade Fairs in Thailand (January - February 2012) Exhibitions In Thailand
Detail
Date
Venue/Website
Chemexpo Thai
Chemicals and chemical equipment fair
12 Jan.
IMPACT
PP&DFA 2012
Asia's largest technical conference on pig, poultry and dairy
8 – 10 Feb.
QSNCC
ILDEX Bangkok 2012
International livestock and aquaculture exposition
8 – 9 Feb.
QSNCC
Upcoming Events January - March 2012 Date
Event
Location
16th Mon.
EABC Public Lunch
To be confirmed
16th -18th Mon.-Wed.
Technical Meeting under the SCRIPT project
18th Wed.
JFCCT
Swissotel Nai Lert Park
2nd Thu.
Pesce Azzurro
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit
7th Tue.
Technical Meeting under the SCRIPT project
To be confirmed
January
Februry
March 15th Thu.
Launch Italian Wine Appreciation Course
To be confirmed
Directory 2 0 1 1 Business Directory of the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce
2011
A BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF THAI – ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DECEMBER 2011
TICC Business Directory 2011 now comes out Getting through the flood Photo by Dario Pignatelli
The TICC's Business Directory 2011 has come out. This issue features different topics. The company profiles from TICC members, an economic outlook, list of fairs and exhibitions in Thailand and Italy, the Chamber’s activities, plus contact information of important private and public organizations in both countries.
Member: Free of Charge / Non Member: 800 baht Please contact the TICC office by e-mail (pr@thaitch.org), Tel: (+66 2 255 8695) or by fax (+66 2 253 9896) for further details or to purchase.
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INFORMA Distribution Request: To request free copies of INFORMA magazine for distribution in your hotel, restaurant, or company, please send an e-mail to Ms. Sukanya Kerngfak (TICC Marketing/PR Executive) at pr@thaitch.org.
MEMBER AREA
Welcome New Members G-Four International Co., Ltd. Mr. Mr. Davide Contu Salis G Floor, 186/7 Soi 39 Sathupradit Road, Tel: 02 674 0836 Fax: 02 6740838 E-mail: davide@gfour.co.th Website: www.gfour.co.th
iStyle Cuisine Co., Ltd. L'ULIVO Italian Cuisine Mr . Danilo Aiassa (Chef Patron / Director) 25 Soi Sukhumvit 4, Sukhumvit Rd., Klongtoey, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 Tel: 02252 5790 Fax: 022525791 E-mail: danilo@istylecuisine.com Sector: Restaurant
Ognibene India Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Gaudino Alessandro Plot. No. A-13, Talegaon MIDC, Village Ambi, Navlakh Umbre, Taluka Maval, Talegaon Dabhade, Pune-410507 Tel: +91 2114 660300 Fax: +91 2114 660391/308 Email: gaudino.alessandro@ognibene.com Website: www.ognibene.com Sector: Manufacturing
Individual Member Mr. Pierfrancesco Blotta E-mail: info@dominoeste.com Mr. Vincenzo Chirenti E-mail: vincent-za.chirenti@ubs.com
TICC’s members and Camillian Home to the Aid
Mr. Romeo Romei (middle) receiving water and food supplies from TICC’s members and Camillian Home
T
he flood crisis which is currently hitting Thailand has affected the operations of many companies, some of which are members of our Chamber. Staff from TICC delivered food and water to Mr. Romeo Romei, TICC Director and the Managing Director of Quick Pack Pacific, whose factory has been damaged by the flooding. The supplies, donated by TICC members and Camillian Home, will go to the families of the firm’s workers and the neighboring community.
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Cafe Europe Danish/International Restaurant in Bangkok
Open everyday 12.00 - 01.00
We offer you delicious European food with low prices and great service. On the menu we have everything from Danish Smørrebrød, lobster soup and a whole lot of other delicious choices. Everything is of course homemade and fresh. 64/1 Sukhumvit Soi 20 - Klong Toey - Bangkok 10110 E-mail: anita@cafeeuropebkk.com 27
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