Advance ~ January 2012

January 2012 1AustChamThailand Advance

AustChamThailand

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIA THAILAND BUSINESS COUNCIL

January 2012 www.austchamthailand.com

Chamber eventsOrganic Food Presentation and Phuket Sundowners

Chamber eventsChristmas Sundowners at the Australian Ambassador’s Residence

6 20 22

business brief Thai’s Trap and Introductionof Kangaroo Strategy

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In This Editionthai’s trap andintroduction of

Kangaroo strategy

business briefLooking Back and Looking Ahead for the Australian Dollar

austChamChristmas

sundowners

Inside Front Cover

Shrewsbury1/1

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Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok, providesoutstanding educational opportunities in a uniqueriverside setting for children age 3 to 18.

We nurture creative thinkers on a learning journeythrough Junior and Senior School and to life beyondat the world’s top universities.

Book your school visit now by callingPhilippa Arnold on 02 675 1888 ext 1110or email [email protected]

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Everybody’s Talking About…

smatsmigrationATSspecialist

mortgage

THAI

Steve [email protected]

Helen [email protected]

#07-08 Midlink Plaza, 122 Middle Rd, Singapore, 188973Thailand

pg 3

Minor1/1

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smatsmigrationATSspecialist

mortgage

THAI

Steve [email protected]

Helen [email protected]

#07-08 Midlink Plaza, 122 Middle Rd, Singapore, 188973Thailand

ContentsPatrOnhis excellency James WiseAustralian Ambassador to the Kingdomof Thailand

PresiDentJohn andersonMeinhardtPortfolio: Regional Links

viCe PresiDentsm.L. Laksasubha KridakonBaan Laksasubha ResortPortfolio: Alumni

belinda skinnerTop Talent AsiaPortfolio: Communications and English Teaching

treasurerLeigh scott-KemmisDBMPortfolio: Advancing Trade and Commerce

DireCtOrsDavid bellCrestcom – Ra-Kahng AssociatesPortfolio: Speakers and Talks

Khun Jurairat JammaneeHASSELLPortfolio: AustCham Ball

Warwick Kneale Baker Tilly Portfolio: Community Services

sam mizziMcConnell Dowell Portfolio: AFL and Eastern Seaboard Industry

Khun suganya ransiguttaTMFPortfolio: Business Awards

Charles WrightmanNatural Ville & LenotrePortfolio: Sponsorship

ben YongBaker McKenziePortfolio: Legal

saeed Zaki , Ph.D.dwpPortfolio: Breakfast Briefings

eX OffiCiOmaurine LamRegional Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, ASEAN

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22

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business brief 6 Janus 8 Thai’s Trap and Introduction of

Kangaroo Strategy

austCham business aWarDs 2011

12 AustCham Young Alumni Award

meet the bOarD14 AustCham Directors at Work

members aDvanCing19 Tilleke & Gibbins: Best Firm in

Thailand

Chamber events20 Organic Food Presentation and

Phuket Sundowners on Friday 25 November 2011

21 Chambers of Commerce Donate Baht 258,000 to ‘Naksuu’ Kids

21 Lunch with David Thompson on 15 November

22 Christmas Sundowners at the Australian Ambassador’s Residence on 7 December 2011

24 Thailand Floods: Social and Humanitarian Impacts

24 Flood Panel Forum Two: ‘Recovery and Outlook’

members’ Offers24 AustCham Members’ Offers

neW members25 AustCham’s New Members

frOm the Chamber OffiCe

26 Message from the Executive Director


FROM THE BOARD

COOrDinatOrsPaul WhyteNew Asia PacificESB CoordinatorEmail: [email protected] Paul WilkinsonCEA ProjectsESB CoordinatorEmail: [email protected] harry usherLady PiePhuket CoordinatorEmail: [email protected]

australian-thai Chamber of Commerce20th Floor, Thai CC Tower889 South Sathorn RoadBangkok 10120Tel.: +66 2 210 0216 Fax: +66 2 675 [email protected]

editorial CommitteeBelinda Skinner, Robert Taylor,Josh Hyland, Gregers Moller,Gary Woollacott

marketing & Production Scand-Media Corp. Ltd4/41-42 Moo 3, Thanyakarn VillageRamintra Soi 14, BangkokTel.: +66 2 943-7166/8 Fax: +66 2 [email protected]

advertisingFinn BalslevEmail: [email protected]

Contributions to Advance magazine are welcome. Please submit content to [email protected] by the first day of the month for publication in the following month’s magazine.

Opinions expressed in Advance do not necessarily reflect the views of the Chamber.

President’s message

the fees, which you will find are still very good value when compared with the cost of membership with other similarly large chambers.

The Annual General Meeting of the Cham-ber will be once again held in March. For those of you interested in joining the Aust-Cham board or a sub-committee we would like to hear from you now. The Aust-Cham board comprises of up to 12 per-sons who are elected to each serve a one year term. Each board Director takes on a portfolio and helps to provide direction to our Chamber. If you have any questions regarding either board membership or joining a sub-committee, I would be very happy to answer them, as I am sure would any of the other current AustCham Direc-tors. Board nominations will be called for in February, with the board election to be held at the AGM.

On 17 January I hope to see you all at the joint AustCham, South African, New Zealand Chambers of Commerce Braai. This is always a very pleasant evening and it will be once again held outdoors in the garden of the Sukhothai Hotel.

John AndersonPresident, AustCham Thailandwww.austchamthailand.com

I am hoping everyone managed to take at least a few days break over the Christmas/New Year period. My

family spent two glorious weeks in South Australia where we caught up with friends and relatives and enjoyed all the great things an Australian summer has to offer – hot lazy days, time at the beach, plenty of Aussie wine and food and a chance to catch up on some reading. These days it seems that reading is easier done on the iPad, not to mention the great ability to download and read news as it happens. The kids had a great time running around on a big lawn and playing in a garden. By the time you read this, I will however be back at work in Bangkok and we will be back in the swing of things!

So what lies ahead in 2012? For the Chamber it is going to be a very excit-ing year as we celebrate 60 years of Aus-tralian Thai diplomatic relations. We are already planning a number of special events as our contribution to that most special of relationships between our two great countries. Hopefully there will be a little bit more to celebrate this year in both Thailand and Australia, in the after-math of the floods that affected both our countries in 2010 and 2011. Some of my friends in the financial community predict that this could be a great year to invest in Thai publicly listed companies with some boldly predicting that the SET could rise to above 1300. I certainly hope so!

We have had a very good response to our call to sign up new and existing spon-sors. I thank all those companies for put-ting their trust in AustCham in choosing to become either Gold, Silver or Bronze sponsors in 2012. The AustCham team will be working hard as ever to deliver true value for your sponsorship investment. I believe there are still a few more oppor-tunities for those who wish to become a sponsor for 2012. Contact Mark at the office for further details.

Membership fees have been increased for the first time in seven years. Although we were reluctant to do this, the board felt that it was a necessary measure to ensure that the Chamber can continue to oper-ate without gambling its financial future on income from major events and to sup-port some of our new business focussed endeavours such as the very successful “Manufactures and Infrastructure Group”. There has only been a modest increase in

6 January 2012 AustChamThailand Advance

BUSINESS BRIEF

By Paul Gambles and Nick Morton, MBMG Group

Writing this a few weeks before the year end, 2011 has fulfilled our general expectations for the

Australian Dollar and economy and for the global economy. Although the Aus-tralian Dollar – high against the US Dollar – slightly exceeded expectations, our lim-ited hopes back in January have been almost exactly met.

What exactly did we expect this year? Overall a continued battle between risk-on and risk-off, with the start of the year still driven by the positive momentum of QE2, driving global risk asset markets higher, supporting commodity prices and weakening the US Dollar. All three of these factors are supportive of the Austral-ian economy, Australian equity markets (which are now dominated by resources and the banking sector to an unprece-dented extent) and the Australian Dollar.

However the events of Q3 this year (which had really started to surface almost six months earlier) showed us that what the carry trade gives it can also take away. The sharp snap back below parity was a stark warning of what can happen to the AUD when the problems that have dogged the global economy for over a decade finally flare up in a way that short term measures can no longer smooth over. This should be seen as a warning shot with downside risks of the Aussie sliding below 65 cents in extremis (although the jury is split as to whether that’s more likely in 2012 or 2013).

Further US and European QE and interest rate manipulation, such as the Fed’s much vaunted ‘twist’, undoubtedly bought more time, delaying the grim days of reckoning, whilst making the ultimate problems more severe. 2012 still seems the likeliest ‘red alert year’, although noted economist,

Professor Nouriel Roubini, believes that the central bank masters of the universe can buy another year before reality bites.

The challenges facing the global economy largely stem from the inefficient allocation of resources and wealth across developed economies as a whole over the last three to four dec-ades. This created the unprecedented debt bubble that hangs like a dark cloud over the global economy from America to Zimbabwe.

The most widely read economic book of 2010 was “800 years of debt, why this time will be different” by Reinhart and Rogoff. It mainly concludes that this time won’t be different – the bursting of the European, US, UK and Japanese debt bubbles will inevitably lead to severe global depression from which there will be few if any places to hide. The expectation is that debt crisis 2012-13 style will initially see the following result:

• A global depression• A collapse of global equity and property

markets• A liquidity crisis• A flight to US Dollar and US T-bills

A second phase of the crisis is likely to see the decoupling of economies like ASEAN which has low levels of external debt and healthy balance sheets as a result of the post-1997 period of adjustment.

The gorilla in their room remains China whose politicians have yet to decide how

to handle the imminent slowdown. Will they take pain on the chin and encourage a period of adjustment as a pre-cursor to further growth? Or will China’s politicians copy Western mistakes of ‘extending and pretending’ putting off the inevitable but making it much worse in the process. China, the last driver of global growth, holds all the aces in this round table discussion.

What we expect with a reasonable degree of certainty is that the onset of crisis will provoke the fall in AUD, referred to earlier and a sharp correction in the ASX, where a ‘three handle’ seems inevitable. We might even get there in the last couple of weeks of 2011. Any global slowdown will seriously depress commodity prices, further squeez-ing the Australian currency and economy.

A sustained correction in Australian prop-erty prices – now the singly most overval-ued property market – will take place over several years. Although the severity will vary from region to region we expect WA along with the Gold and Sunshine coasts to be the worst affected. Residential properties could ultimately see falls exceeding 30 per cent.

Australian currency, property and equity markets might not revisit recent highs again for many, many years.

JanusLooking back and looking ahead for the Australian Dollar, property sector, stock market and economy

The global economy, the Australian economy and global and Australian equity and currency markets are undergoing a seismic shift that has been coming down the line for over a decade.


BUSINESS BRIEF

This isn’t a typical, cyclical event – the global economy, the Australian economy and global and Australian equity and cur-rency markets are undergoing a seismic shift that has been coming down the line for over a decade. It’s been looming larger and closer since the credit crunch and Global Financial Crisis but it’s now inevi-table.

The only real questions are how quickly will each part of the world recover and what will the world look like afterwards? China’s longer term growth potential remains the key to Australia’s bright long term futures but for the next few years the lucky country’s resources-domi-nated equity market, overheated housing market and carry-dependent currency appear to offer meagre rewards in return for risk that goes off the scale. Expat Aus-sies with a range of international currency, investment and deposit choices can posi-tion themselves very nicely to make the most of the opportunities that will inevi-tably arise from such dislocations much

more easily than the countrymen that they’ve left behind back home. Expect periods when the best results come from staying well away from Australia’s equity and property markets, holding very little more than an emergency reserve in AUD and working in the faster recovering, less indebted markets of South East Asia. Aussies who can do that might turn out to the really lucky ones!

Established in 1995 to serve individuals, institutions and businesses throughout Asia, licensed fund management, finan-cial advisory, tax-planning, law, audit and accountancy practice MBMG Group cur-rently administers client assets exceeding AUD170 million from offices in Bangkok, Pattaya, Singapore and Mauritius. The group has received numerous awards including Finance Monthly’s “Financial Advisory Firm of the Year” for Asia in 2010 and ACQ Magazine’s “Investment Man-agement Firm of The Year”, “Financial Advisory Firm of The Year” and “Tax Advi-sory Firm of The Year” for Asia.

Paul Gambles is a regular speaker at events on market forecasting, financial planning, investing and legal issues and features regularly on Bloomberg TV and CNBC’s Squawk Box. Paul has written numerous articles for Advance and been a regular presenter at AustCham events on economic, taxation and investment matters since 2006, including hosting AustCham’s inaugural webinar. Paul can be contacted at: [email protected]

Nick Morton is one of Asia’s leading, Aus-tralian financial planning and tax advisory specialists, with many years professional experience in Australia before initially moving to Singapore and now Bangkok. Nick can be contacted at: [email protected]

This article reflects the current opinions of the authors but neither the authors nor MBMG Group accept any responsibility for the outcome of any actions taken or not taken as a direct or indirect consequence of reading this article.


BUSINESS BRIEF

By Khun Jak Leelathayphawan - Young Australian Alumni award winner and Department Manager, CP ALL Public Company

When dealing with Thai corporations we are very often TRAPPED by the answer ‘Yes’. Is that the ‘Yes-Yes’, ‘Yes-No’, or ‘Yes-Maybe’? Here are the ground

breaking rules that you need to understand.

rule no. 1. understand information flow – the source of successful agreement

The vast majority of Thai corporations are well set with quite solid organisational structures, where authority is assigned here and there and the actual purpose that the organisation has been formed is inevitably forgotten.

Fundamentally, the organisation is formed in order to enhance one person’s ability to perform better by having two or more people get-together as a team. The information flow within the organisation simply proliferates throughout with trust and commitment. Not only is better teamwork created both inside and outside the organisation, but greater organisational strategic alignment is also formed both horizontally and vertically.

These widely held beliefs are misused once the organisation gets bigger, especially ones that lack process focus. So-called ‘Silo’ which is embedded within the organisational chart shall involuntarily form and grow stronger per se specifically for the Thai that has never or rarely adopted rotation or cross functional management. For example, if an individual has put together a great proposal which is to be submitted to a big name manager in a company who could make a deal happen, the ‘Silo’ theory would see the employee shy from going directly to the relevant senior director involved for fear of stealing someone else’s victory and becoming the face of success of the deal instead.

thai’s trap and introductionof Kangaroo strategy

Teamwork vs Team

Teamwork ≠ Teamteamwork = cooperation, helpful and supportive attitudeteam = Small group of interdependent individuals, that should (1) have an effective combination of abilities and perspectives; (2) expertise, knowledge and skills to complete an assigned task; and (3) clearly defined roles and responsibilities among common vision and sense of purposes and collective accountability.

Approaching a deal by overstepping others in higher posiitions may result with others unexpectedly intervening during the deal and attempting to turn down the deal, because they have lost face during the process. If you want to achieve the answer ‘Yes’ with Thai corporate’s silo, the information should flow to the relevant parties/departments and senior staff should be acknowledged during the decision making process of your valuable proposal. You might only get the ‘yes’ you’ve been looking for at the beginning of the deal, but be told ‘no’ at the end of your journey.

Rule no. 2. Understand Power Flow – the truth of corporate momentum

It is easy to say that the power flow of Thai corporations comes from politics within the organisation. It unconsciously derives from the silo and past success of the company’s executives as well as personal friendships. A part of the corporate goal and direction, such ‘unconsciousness action’ in this matter is definitely the cause of unexpected movement on the direction and decision of day-to-day operation. Therefore the power of this action will absolutely turn your ‘Yes’ answer into a ‘maybe’ or ‘no’ at anytime of your transaction.

Lessons from Australian alumni’s experience with variance


Kreng-jai is being aware of other people’s feelings and showing politeness, respect and consideration towards them. It is also tied in with the Thai concept of not wanting to lose face; displaying kreng jai is one way in which one person can help another save face.

embryonic diapause is the ability of mother kangaroo to indefinitely ‘freeze’ the development of young embryo until food sources are replenished.

BUSINESS BRIEF

Rule no. 3. Understand Signs of a Trap

There are numbers of signs to identify the Thai trap.

1) A response of silence: It is commonly understood by the Thais that a silence response equals ‘no’, rather than ‘I’m thinking about it’.

2) More and more requested information: Most Thais choose to request for more information, rather than saying ‘no’. This action shows the ‘kreng-jai’ culture in Thai.

3) Referral Lover: You may often be referred to contact another person or to some various conditions, instead of being directly told ‘no’. For instance, they may say “this is pend-ing…’ or ‘waiting for this or that person to become available’ or ‘…come back from overseas’ or ‘there is another impor-tant project that is occupying their time’, and so on.

Introducing Kangaroo Strategy

Here is the simple ways to secure the ‘Yes-Yes’ and avoid or be well-prepared for the ‘Yes-Maybe’ and ‘Yes-No’.

Secure ‘Yes-Yes’

• strong back bone and hind legs – make sure that you have a concrete value proposal that really answers the top priority needs or even acknowledges the needs of your clients’ to acheive success before you visit them. Please do your home-work and make sure it is not a ‘product-out’ approach rather ‘customer/market-in’ approach.

• acute sensitive ears – be aware of who is really who within your client’ companies. It is always handy to establish a good relationship with someone inside or even outside your client’ companies who could comfortably and ethically provide you in-depth information and guidance to enrich your possibility to win the deal.

• Jumping capability – do not stick with only one single plan or contact person. Having your agility to jump forward to the new plan or person when it requires.

Avoid and prepare for ‘Yes-Maybe’ and ‘Yes-No’

• embryonic diapause – be ready to freeze your plan and action or pull out your resources when you receive signs of ‘trap’ from your client. And when the light shines, be set to jump in.

• Travel long distance with energy-efficient – always have a mindset of ‘operational efficiency’ when you deal with the Thais, as the road might go further than you expect.

Avoiding the ‘TRAP’ has never been easy to achieve, but understanding the above rules and putting the ‘Kangaroo strategy’ in action, using each vital strentgh, will assist in formulating your work into a positive equation. Similar to breeding a strong kangaroo with the power to tackle challenges head on and come out on top.

11 Ad. Page

Bangkok Bank1/1

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AUSTCHAM BUSINESS AWARDS 2011

austCham Young alumni award

AustCham would like to congratulate Khun Jak Leelathayphawan on being the successful recipient of the

2010 Young Alumni award. This award was given in recognition of his achievements in strengthening business, social and political bounds between Thailand and Australia.

During his time in Australia, Khun Jak worked with the Royal Thai Consulate General in Sydney and Tourism Authority of Thailand. His workload included ensur-ing the completion of the Thailand Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA), develop-ing the Australian business guide, brief-ing high-ranking Thai ministers and Thai officials during their visits to Australia and working closely with Thai and Australian counterparts within tourism industry such as Qantas Holiday, Thai Airways Interna-tional, Thai Hotels Association and Flight Centre and STA. He assisted in broadening Thai and Australian tourism businesses as well as promoting Thai tourism to the Aus-tralian market, especially during the years

after SARS and Tsunami incidents. Aus-tralian visitors to Thailand have now hit the highest number for two consecutive years.

To promote Thai culture and boost its pres-ence in Australia, Jak assisted coordinat-ing a number of major Thai cultural events including Loy-Kratong, Songkran, and Thai food festival. “These events directly have a big impact on promoting Thai cultures and export products to both Thai and Aus-tralian communities in Australia” Jak said. Coming back to Thailand, Jak has taken on the job of a Business Development Manager of the Australian Trade Com-

mission, successfully facilitating Austral-ian companies, such as Boost Juice Bars and Jetsar, in expanding their businesses to Thai market.

AustCham Thailand would also like to con-gratulate the runners-up, Khun Naroote Foo and Khun Saroth Oonwattananukool, and thank all applicants for participating in the award process. All the applications were of a very high calibre and conse-quently the independent panel of judges found the task very challenging.

To be eligible for the award, applicants are required to be Thai nationals under 35 years of age who have graduated from an Australian university or college. Applicants are required to demonstrate a successful contribution to the Thai community, a con-tribution to furthering Australian-Thai rela-tions or a contribution in their workplace.

Please see page 8 and 10 for an article by Khun Jak - Thai’s Trap.

austCham Young alumni award

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since 1951.

www.isb.ac.th


tralian Ambassador here who is very open, is good business-wise and is keen for us to work alongside all sections of the Embassy”.

“I feel that in the past AustCham may have lost its way a little as the focus always seemed to be on social events, and whilst we can make good money from these activities we need to grow more in terms of getting businesses in both countries to work closer together. That should be our focus”.

“So many companies try to do everything themselves when they decide to establish business in a foreign country or rely on young hires who speak the language but do not have the necessary skills. This is an impossible ask when entering into emerging markets. My advice is always to speak to professional lawyers and accountants. Don’t try to do it yourself! There are specialists here who understand company needs and potential pitfalls. We can pass much of this information initially through AustCham.

“As for community services we will, as always, follow the good work of Khun Sittipong and look for the most appropriate activ-ities that people need, not what we think they need. We will assess on a regular basis to ensure all our community services are relevant and fill any gaps that has been left untouched” he concluded.

M.L. Laksasubha KridakonAustCham Vice PresidentPortfolio: AlumniOwner and General Manager,Baan Laksasubha Resort, Hua Hin

Khun Lak, as she is fondly known, has a passion for everything she does… “otherwise it is not worth-while doing” she says. Her pas-sion meant that having 7 rai of land consisting also a family beachfront home at Hua Hin to share with her daughter and son for their school holidays has grown to become a ‘passion’ to share with hotel guests who she also calls friends. Everything about the resort is “Khun Lak”, from the all-white guestrooms to the Zanti Spa to the beachfront restaurant and more.

MEET THE BOARD

Warwick KnealeDirectorPortfolio: Community ServicesSenior Partner, Baker Tilly Thailand

Warwick, originally a banker has worked in senior positions in financial institutions in numerous areas and particular on distressed asset management and recovery. In 1999 he joined Ferrier Hodg-son Thailand a leading Australian accounting firm.

In 2003 Warwick, along with other partners, established Baker Tilly Thailand a specialist accounting firm offering clients the appropriate viable solutions in its Business Advisory Services, Corporate Advisory Services and its Audit, Tax and Risk Man-agement Services.

Warwick was a board member of AustCham in 2008 and at that time also acted as Treasurer. He has just returned as a Director to the Board this year.

So why the interest in rejoining the Board this time and what has been your focus?

“In the past I felt that perhaps there weren’t enough business type activities. When a personal friend Leigh Scott-Kemmis told me he would be standing for the Board this year and what the proposed President, he and other members wanted to achieve it was exactly the same as I had wanted for some time. Having the greatest respect for Leigh’s commercial understanding and financial background I agreed to stand”.

“My main interest in joining the AustCham Board this time is to promote business between Australia and Thailand. There are so many opportuntiies but few are taking up the challenge. At Aust-Cham we can assist and I believe put it all into perspective for future businesses wanting to do business in either country. Over 13 years we have had too few Australian investors in Thailand, in my view.”

“I am particularly interested in promoting the Free Trade Agree-ment (FTA) between Thailand and Australia and working closely with both Austrade, Australian Companies and of course the Australian Embassy. We are lucky to have a very active Aus-

This is the second in a series of articles that take a closer look at the ‘pilots’ of AustCham Thailand and their experience and motivation for sitting on the Board. In a Q & A session with Morning Talk’s Dr Valarie McKenzie, Directors discuss their vision for AustCham as well as what they do in their day to day business life.

austCham Directors at Work


MEET THE BOARD

Being a past student of Australia (her father was a former Minister Counsellor to Australia) and with both her children studying there, Khun Lak sees the future between the generations and the benefits associated with developing relationships for the Alumni and companies as a big plus for future and new initiatives.

Being “connected” she has certainly done well in “opening doors” for potential sponsors to support AustCham activities not only for Alumni but major events too. Given your interest in education in Australia was that the reason you decided to join the Board?

“I have been on the Board now three years and certainly it is one of the main reasons. I personally believe the standards of edu-cation in Australia are very high. It offers a very good experience at a high level, is a great place to study, safe, gives a balanced lifestyle and is value for money. Another benefit of course is that is not too far from Thailand so keeping the family unit close is another important issue for Thais.”

“I have a passion for the ever growing AustralianAlumni group too” she added “It offers so many opportunities both ways. I see great value in nurturing today’s younger generation, who will become tomorrow’s leaders. I wanted to rebuild the Chamber’s Thai-Australian Alumni group and was delighted when we were able to join our Alumni with the Thai Australian Association (TAA) where we have developed common goals. There are so many “stars” that have studied in Australia and are back in Thailand heading businesses, developing their entrepreneurial spirit (home grown of course!). Just look at Nikki Lohitnavy who is Thailand’s first oenologist running the Gran Monte wine business in Khao Yai and we also have leaders in the health food industry as well as the famous Kuppa restaurant – owned and run by Austral-ian educated students – and there are so many more. With the group coming together in leaps and bounds, it can be seen that they are a powerful tool to promote business between Thailand and Australia with other parts of the world as well, as providing future members and leaders for AustCham and potentially lead-ers for Thailand too in the next few years and years to come”. As for sponsorship Khun Lak added that her success was “having the right product to sell, matching the right sponsoring company and understanding the needs of both sides.” She did add that is helped if you were ‘well connected’.

Belinda SkinnerAustCham Vice PresidentPortfolio: Communications and English TeachingCountry Manager, Top Talent Asia

With a background in Human Resource Management, Belinda has worked for over 24 years in Australia and London before coming to Bangkok over six years ago. With her hard work and dedication she was recently

promoted to the position of Country Manager of TopTalentAsia. A part of the Capstone Recruitment and Consultancy Group, the company conducts executive search as well as specialised industry search alongside industry specialists.

With a passion for all things relating to AustCham, it would be hard not to find Belinda at one of the many functions held by the Chamber. She is very active and seems to “round up the troops’.

As if managing a recruitment firm and being Vice President of AustCham is not enough, Belinda is also actively involved with ANZWG – the Australian New Zealand Women’s Group and the Lighthouse Club both of which are very actively involved in fun-draising and charity work.

Showing her total community mindset, Belinda also was one of the very few “farangs” who made the effort to go out in the field (or should I say floods) and help Thais during the recent historic floods (see her article – “Humbled Beyond Belief” in December issue of Advance).

You are very active with AustCham. Are you achieving your objectives and are you happy with the AustCham focus now?

“I have a real passion for AustCham and what it can do for Aus-tralian Thai relationships both at a local and international level. I totally agree that we need to have a strong business focus but we must have a balance of business and social to keep our members happy. Different members need different things, so we should combine to maximise the services and activities that we offer. Australians are fun-loving people – that is one of our traits so we should not ignore the “social side”. We all need to relax and have fun as well. Australians do business with people they trust, more so when away in foreign countries, our networking and social events allow people to relax and get to know each other properly without having a business card shoved at you the minute they meet you. Once someone knows you and trusts you, they will approach you for business. This is the true Aussie spirit.”

“I really want to see some stability on the Board too with us all agreeing and committing to the focus we are taking, but at the same time being aware of the many and varied needs for good quality networking for our members. Currently we are all work-ing extremely well together and everybody now has a voice and can be heard – our Board is unique and a leading example of how Boards should be made up – it is a true reflection of diver-sity. Our Board is not run like a dictatorship. It is not a one man or woman show, we have much to achieve for AustCham which requires everyone’s participation.”

“We not only need to look at what we offer Aussie members but also Thai members too. As well as the expatriate commu-nity, Thai members want to be offered the opportunity for qual-ity networking, relevant forums where they can learn more about doing business with Australians and Australia and business talks of interest to both nationalities – including business procedures and how to strengthen and increase the Thai-Australian trade. I believe that improvement on this front will strengthen business relations between the two countries as well as strengthening


MEET THE BOARD

general business operations of our members and will show busi-ness diversity at all levels. We can all benefit from this.”

“I want to also encourage younger groups to join and enjoy what AustCham has to offer.”

“As Vice President I am known to ‘stick my nose’ into every area to ensure we are all on the same track and that when we do something it benefits the majority. I am involved in almost all sub-committees to some degree and often asked my opinion in other matters as I can see both sides to almost all situations. We cannot always please all members, but we try our utmost to please the majority and offer quality service. We are human, we make mistakes but we try to think everything through to the best of our ability. We are volunteers to the Board and also have high demanding daily jobs that we must attend to also. I think mem-bers tend to forget that sometimes”.

“Our communications program is going well and Advance, our monthly publication, continues to be well received. I have to say I really enjoy going out and helping young Thais with our monthly English Teaching programme which I have been doing for the past five years now and all our community services projects too. It is great to be able to ‘give back’ to the community,” she added.

Ben YongAustCham DirectorPortfolio : Legal (Former Port-folio: Chairman of the JFCCT Law Committee and Aust-Cham representative to Board of Trade)Consultant, Baker & McKenzie

Hailing from Melbourne, Ben has been working in Thailand for over 15 years . He joined the law firm Baker & McKenzie in 1995 and has worked both in its Bangkok office and Melbourne office. His specialty is in advising foreign investors on the pros and cons of doing business from a legal perspective and understands well the needs of the Thai govern-ment in terms of its legal and commercial requirements.

Working on company structures, foreign investment laws, merg-ers and acquisitions are just some of his specialties.

Ben has been on the Board since 2006 and has been reelected each year. He presented at a seminar on the new product liability and consumer cases laws in 2008. In addition he has also arranged an AustCham seminar on insurance issues arising from the 2010 protests where he arranged eminent speakers. In addition he pro-vides ongoing technical and legal assistance to the Chamber.

Why did you stand for election to the Board?

“Actually our legal firm has been involved with AustCham in Thailand since day one, so when I joined Baker & McKenzie I enjoyed attending Sundowners – AustCham’s renowned net-working event- and the regular business luncheons. I was able to meet more Australian and Thai businessmen and women and to gain an insight and firsthand knowledge into the issues busi-nesses face on a day to day basis”.

“Five years ago it was suggested that I become a Board Member and I enjoy the experience in both giving out specialist legal information as well as learning from the “longstayers” and “new players” from Australia entering business here in Thailand. Until recently I was Chairman of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Com-merce Thailand (JFCCT) Law Committee and was able to assist with bringing legal issues to the table for consideration both at the Chambers and Thai Government level as well as represent Chamber views back to Government departments. A highlight was actively working with the JFCCT, several embassies and lawmakers to submit proposals to the Thai Government regard-ing proposed changes to the Foreign Business Act that would have severely jeopardised foreign investment in Thailand. ”

“Having lived and worked in Thailand for over 15 years I believe I have much knowledge to impart - be it general advice at the many events held by AustCham or more formally in assisting companies from a legal perspective in establishing and conduct-ing business here.”

“As to the Chamber becoming more business focused, I com-pletely agree - given that when I first joined the Board over five years ago - that is what I wanted to help the Chamber achieve. The Business Awards are successful and getting a new focus so that will be good when it comes about too.”

AustChamThailand

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Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120 ThailandPhone: +66 2 210 0216 | Email: [email protected] | Website: www.austchamthailand.com SP

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Automotive sector mainly on the Eastern Seaboard, and food, packaging and other products spread throughout the 13 indus-trial estates and parks on which TICON has factories. Besides the industrial sector, Thai-land’s infrastructure has been improved to respond to the increase in demand and

Over the past 40 years Thailand has been one of the most successful countries in the region for attract-

ing industrial Foreign Direct Investment. This investment has been dominated by the Japanese, particularly in the electron-ics and auto sectors, but many other global companies have been using Thailand as their manufacturing base for the region in order to produce their products to supply both domestic and international markets. Thailand’s success lies in its central posi-tion in Southeast Asia, its relatively low cost with a good workforce, ease of doing business and being a popular overseas posting for expatriate managers. In this industrial expansion, TICON Industrial Connection Public Company Limited (TICON) has played an impor-tant role in supporting the industrial sector by providing standard factories for lease on many popular industrial estates throughout Thailand. With wide ranges of buildings’ sizes and specifications, the manufacturers can choose from the avail-ability units and start production quickly. TICON’s leasing activities are from var-ious sectors; Electrical and Electronic sectors mainly in the Ayudhaya area,

Thailand Industry and Logistics are more integrated with International Standard Factories, Logistics Parks and Facilities


requirement of the logistics industry. In order to enhance the country’s compet-itiveness, The Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) has promoted the devel-opment of Logistics Parks which comply with all activities and conditions specified by the BOI, to be legible for investment promotion. Similar to TICON, TICON Logis-tics Park Company Limited (TPARK), the wholly-own subsidiary company was established in 2005 and has become a leading logistics facilities developer. TPARK responds to the growth in demand for international standard logistics ware-houses. By developing warehouses in vari-ous sizes and specifications on the strate-gic locations before demand, TPARK is able to provide immediate solutions to the needs of the logistics operators. TPARK’s leasing activities are from various sectors; Retailing and consumer products sectors for example, Makro, L’Oreal, and Big C, Industrial sector for example, GM (Gen-eral Motors), DENSO, and ECCO, and Logistics Services Providers for example, Leschaco, DHL, and VIA.

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Leading Southeast Asian law firm Tilleke & Gibbins was named “Best Firm in Thailand” at the inaugural

Asia Women in Business Law Awards, held in Hong Kong on 8 December 2011. Representing Tilleke & Gibbins at the awards ceremony were the firm’s Co-Managing Partners, Darani Vachanavut-tivong and Tiziana Sucharitkul.

“We’re honored that our peers and clients recognise Tilleke & Gibbins’ commitment to the advancement of women in the legal profession,” said Mrs. Vachanavuttivong. “More than 50 percent of our attorneys are women, along with three-quarters of our management personnel. This award reaffirms Tilleke & Gibbins’ position as the market leader in Thailand for gender diversity.”

The awards, sponsored by Euromoney Legal Media Group, mark the culmina-tion of months of research throughout

Tilleke & Gibbins: Best Firm in Thailandachievements, Mrs. Vachanavuttivong was nominated as a leading practitioner in Asia in the “IP Litigation” category. And the firm was also nominated in the “Best Firm in Talent Management” category, recognising its ability to attract and retain the highest level of female talent among its attorneys and administrative staff.

“Our female lawyers and support staff play a crucial role at Tilleke & Gibbins,” said Ms. Sucharitkul. “We are proud to attract the top talent in the legal market—both male and female—and to have these lawyers grow with our firm through-out their careers. This unwavering dedi-cation to talent management puts us in a position to succeed and ensures that we provide the highest level of service to our clients.” For further information: Email: [email protected]: www.tillekeandgibbins.com

MEMBERS ADVANCING

the Asia Pacific region. Law firms were judged on several factors, including their commitment to gender diversity, talent management, and female leadership.

In addition to the national award for Thai-land, Tilleke & Gibbins was shortlisted for two Asia-wide awards. For her individual


Organic food Presentation and Phuket sundowners on Friday 25 November 2011

CHAMBER EVENTS

Managing Director of Pura Organic, Martin Smetsers, gave a talk on organic food in Thailand and the business challenges of this industry such as quality control, promotion, and distribution. This was a great opportunity to hear from a true industry leader - supplied by five farms in Thailand producing some 600kg of fruit and vegetables per week. Phuket sundowners featured fresh organic food produced courtesy of Pura Organic and Thanyapura sports club. Thanks must also go to Corporate sponsors Air Australia who’s continued support is most appreciated.


CHAMBER EVENTS

For the first time ever, the renowned Aussie-run Thai restaurant ‘nahm’ opened its doors for lunch service, when acclaimed chef David Thompson hosted a special AustCham lunch. David treated friends and guests to a talk on his intriguing life story – as they enjoyed the traditional Thai dish ‘ka nom jeen’ that he served. For mains, each person received a bowl of white rice noodles and each table given around 15 dishes to go with them. Hands were busy scooping fresh curries and selecting additional flavours from an array of pickled and fresh fruit and vegetables, grilled meats and boiled eggs. David explained the history of ka nom jeen and talked diners through how one might consider eating a dish such as this. Truly rare was the opportunity to hear of David’s culinary journey in Thailand and some of the factors that have lead to his great success. AustCham would like to thank David and nahm restaurant for a unique and enjoyable luncheon experience.

Lunch with David thompson on 15 November

Presenting at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel are (left to right) Ms Nikki Cox; President of New Zealand-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Mr Bobby Wills; representative of Changing Lives Forever, Mr Telea Fakaua; representative of Changing Lives Forever, Mr Sopo Fakaua; Academy Director of Changing Lives Forever, Mr Grant Signal, committee member of New Zealand-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Mr Andrew Lammont; Commercial Director of Thai Asia Pacific Brewery Co Ltd, Mr Gregg Hirano; Vice President and Country Manager of MasterCard Worldwide, and Ms Tiranaed Chariyavat of Irish-Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand including the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (Aust-

Cham Thailand), British Chamber of Commerce Thailand, Franco-Thai Cham-ber of Commerce, Irish-Thai Chamber of Commerce, and New Zealand-Thai Chamber of Commerce recently pre-sented Baht 258,000 in cash to NAKSUU Tigers (Thai word for ‘Noble Warrior’) with its Rugby programme “Changing Lives Forever” that works for underprivi-leged children in the slum communities of Bangkok. The money was raised through sponsorship of the Combined Chambers Rugby World Cup Series of Events. Changing Lives forever

The Changing Lives Forever rugby pro-gramme has been running for over a year and there have been more than 200 kids who have joined the programme (an aver-age of 100 children attend per week).

The kids get picked up and dropped off from four different slum communi-ties around the city of Bangkok. The club helps provide opportunities for them to

Chambers of Commerce Donate baht 258,000 to ‘naksuu’ Kids

achieve more – outside of their normal cir-cumstances and discover a passion for

the game off rugby and visualize their full potential for life.


The Australian Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. James Wise, and his wife Teresa once again kindly hosted AustCham and its members for Christmas

Sundowners at their residence. This was a great opportunity to celebrate the festive season before the New Year. Thanks must go to AustCham Corporate Gold Sponsor,

dwp, for sponsoring the event and for their continued support. Baht 13,000 was raised for the Chamber’s Community Services projects with a charity raffle

held on the night. Thanks to all those who participated.

Christmas sundowners at the australian ambassador’s residence on 7 December 2011

CHAMBER EVENTS

1) Saeed Zaki - AustCham Director/dwp; Khun Sarinrath Kamolratanapiboon - dwp; John Anderson - AustCham President/Meinhardt; Maurine Lam - Austrade; Richard Jackson - Resource Link Consulting Group; Brenton Mauriello - dwp. 2) Elias Bourtzis - Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering & Manufacturing (TMAP-EM); Mike Rausa - Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering & Manufacturing (TMAP-EM); H.E. James Wise - Australian Embassy; Jonathan Wei-Hun Lathleiff - Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering & Manufacturing (TMAP-EM). 3) Dr Valerie McKenzie - Thana Burin Asia Pacific; Rosanne Diamente - Dana Spicer; Michael Diamente - Dana Spicer. 4) Martin

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CHAMBER EVENTS

Hill - Parker Bridge Recruitment; Mike Smith - Sinclair Knight Merz; Adrian Apperley - Caelan Wright Asia. 4) Khun Sasiwimon Sadsakikraisorn - dwp; Jose Ramon Madayag Mercado - dwp. 5) Khun Supawadee Theeratrawatkul - Lang Suan House; Khun Monvipa (Ning) Dejivikai - Lang Suang House; Khun Poobsawat (Danny) Kattimongkol - Lang Suan House. 6) Natalie Herring - NIST; Khun Supranee Taecharungroj - NIST; Greg Lynn - Toll Logistics; Elias Bourtzis - Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering & Manufacturing; Khun Asa Chotchakornpant - Australian Embassy. 7) Nigel McKinnon - Boral Thailand Concrete & Quarries; Yan Chen. 8) Khun Pornpan Viriyaaksonsakul - dwp; Mark Carroll - AustCham Executive Director; Khun Sasiwimon Sadsakikraisorn - dwp; Khun Intiya Chakritthakul - dwp. 9) Mike Smith - Sinclair Knight Merz; Khun Nattaya Oracha - Natural Ville & LeNotre; Charles Wrightman - AustCham Director/Natural Ville & LeNotre; Sam Mizzi - AustCham Director/McConnell Dowell; Malinder Mizzi - McConnell Dowell. 10) Khun Katherine Aphaivongs - CIGNA Insurance; Gary Woollacott - Opus/Horton International; Judy Yoon - CIGNA Insurance. 11) Khun Nitchanan Hemwichienchai - Diment (Siam); Khun Suraphol Rujikarnchana - Dimet (Siam); Khun Wantana Tanya - The Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok.

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Save the Children has been working in Thailand for over 25 years, focusing on combating exploitation, abuse,and exclusion of children on the move. Following the flood disaster, the Australian arm of Save the Children took the lead in their social and humanitarian response, establishing Child Friendly Spaces in evacuation centres in Bangkok and six surrounding provinces, as well as providing food and non-food items to those most in need. Bringing together two experts from leading humanitarian organisations – Save the Children and World Vision, insight into the social and humanitarian impact of the flooding crisis in Thailand was given to around 30 attendees at the Foreign Correspondence Club Thailand (FCCT) on Tuesday, 22 November 2011. It was a pleasure for AustCham to have been able to support this event.

CHAMBER EVENTSCHAMBER EVENTS & AUSTCHAM MEMBERS’ OFFERS

Park PlazaOpen Kitchen Cooking ClassAustCham members can now enjoy a ten percent discount on our Thai Cooking Class! Choose a two or three course dish package and enjoy cooking in our interactive open kitchen. Offer Until: 31 March 2012Call: 02 263 5000Email: [email protected]

strategic migrationSpecial Rates on Australian Visa AssistanceStrategic Migration specialise in business and partner visa’s and can also assist other family members. In 20 years we have never lost an application. We offer a 10 percent discount to all AustCham members. Valid Until: 31 March 2012Call: +66 2 231 8138 Email: [email protected]

siam@siam Design hotel and spaMezzawine Membership BenefitsSign up Sign up for Mezzawine Membership

at Siam @ Siam and receive great benefits including a 20 percent discount at all hotel food and beverage outlets, spa treatments and wine purchases. You will also receive free wine tasting for two guests, complementary cake and sparkling wine for when you hold a birthday or anniversary celebration at Siam @ Siam AND one night’s free accommodation.Offer Until: May 2012Call: Khun Pongsak 081 8873978Email: [email protected]

President Park groupBest Avaliable RatesBook through President Park Group’s websites and receive a 10 per cent discount on food and beverage outlets and 15 per cent at Ananda Spa at President Solitaire Hotel & Spa, Sukhumvit Soi 31. Please use the promotion code AUSTCHAM when booking. Avaliable at:www.presidentpalacehotel.comwww.presidentsolitaire.comwww.grandpresident.comwww.royalpresident.com and www.presidentpark.com.Offer Until: January 31, 2012Call: (662) 651 1200 Ext. 3451Email: [email protected]

novotel bangkok fenix Ploenchit15 percent discount on dining and accommodation.Exclusively for AustCham members, Novotel Bangkok Fenix Ploenchit is offering a 15 percent off your food bill when you dine at The Square. We’ll also discount 15 percent when you book accommodation (Best unrestricted rate). Terms & conditions apply. Offer Until: 30 April 2012Call: 02 305 6000Email: [email protected]

swissôtel nai Lert Park bangkokThe complete meeting package at THB 999++For a successful and efficient meeting that is easy to budget, Swissôtel Nai Lert Park Bangkok offers a full day meeting package for local companies with a minimum 20 of delegates at Baht 999 per person inclusive of two coffee breaks, international lunch buffet, free use of meeting room and swimming pool, 20 percent discount off for additional breakout room and food at ISO and Noble House restaurant as well as at Amrita Fitness and Spa.Offer Until: 30 June 2012Call: 02 253 0123 or 02 8677000Email: [email protected]

On Tuesday, 29 November 2011, following-on from the highly-valued October “Flood Response and Recovery” event, AustCham was pleased to invite members and friends to a further panel discussion that was focused on the causes and effects of the flooding this year, the outlook for future years, and the practicalities of flood-recovery for businesses and households. Included on the panel was the distinguished Professor Dr Saree Supratid from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Rangsit University. His analysis of the floods has been televised daily, and became a crucial source of information for thousands of Thais and expatriates alike. Also present on the panel were Keith Loftus talking on techniques and services for cleaning flood-effected homes and offices, Christopher J Bottomley examining post-flood machinery and equipment rehabilitation, Stuart A Mintz discussing flood-related insurance issues, including loss adjustment and the outlook for flood-insurance, and Edward Strauss presenting on government measures to assist in commercial recovery such as tax relief. Many thanks to all speakers for their valuable contributions.

Flood Panel Forum Two: ‘recovery and Outlook’

Thailand Floods: social and humanitarian impacts


Regent Phuket Cape PanwaPacific Phuket Co., Ltd.84 Moo 8, Sakdidej Road, Tambon VichitAmphure Muang, Phuket 83000Tel: 076 200 804 Fax: 076 200 80321st Floor Two Pacific Place Building142 Sukhumvit Road, Klong ToeiBangkok 1011 Tel: 02 653 0555, Fax: 02 653 0123

Chamber Representatives

Mr. Brice Borin - General ManagerMr. Holman Fong - Director of Sales and Marketing

BackgroundA brand new luxury resort with a total of 105 pavilions, suites and pool villas, featuring their own private balconies, overlooking the secluded bay of Cape Panwa. Four restau-rants and bars,1650sqm spa, fitness center, children’s club, swimming pool and a private beach.

Products or Services• 22 Pavilions, 48 Suites and 35 Pool Villas• signature restaurants offering traditional

Thai to contemporary cuisine• Pool Bar and Lounge offering an exten-

sive menu of wines, cocktails and liqueurs• 1650sqm Regent Spa,, 8 private treat-

ment rooms open to the ocean breeze• Outdoor swimming pool with infinity edge• State-of-the-art Fitness Center• Tennis Court• Children’s Club

The St. Regis Bangkok Rajadamri Lodging Limited159 Rajamri Road, Bangkok 10330Tel: +66 2 207 7777 Fax: +66 2 207 7838Email: [email protected]: www.stregis.com/bangkok

Chamber Representatives

Mr. Giles Selves Mr. Holger Jakobs

Field of Activity• Hospitality - Hotel, Restaurants

Background The St. Regis Bangkok continues the St. Regis legacy in Thailand offering the pre-mier choice to reside with unrivaled luxury dimension, bespoke service and refined ele-gance on the prestigious Rajadamri Road in the heart of Bangkok, in close proximity to the prime commercial corridor, magnificent high-end shopping and Lumpini Park.

The St. Regis Bangkok offers 227 guest rooms including 51 suites with the renowned St. Regis Butler Service offering unparalleled personal attention to every guest at any hour. Epicurean experience abound at The St. Regis Bangkok which offers a wide range of dining venues and bars from Viu-Interna-tional grill with spectacular view, Jojo-Italian lifestyle experience with the culinary con-noisseur in mind, The Drawing Room offer-ing the enduring afternoon tea, Decanter wine bar to The St. Regis Bar guaranteed to please the most discerning and diverse of palettes. Unwind in Thailand’s first Elemis Spa which promises divine indulgence with exceptional results.

SMATS Group122 Middle Road# 07-08 Midlink PlazaSingapore 188973Tel: +65 6293 4148Fax: +65 6293 4332Email: [email protected]: www.smats.net

Chamber RepresentativesMr Steve DouglasMr Phil Stevens

Field of Activity• Financial Advice Consultant• Migration Services Consultants

BackgroundSMATS Group Began Operations in 1995 as the nehicle for specialist mortgage and Australasian Taxation Services Pty Ltd to formally attend to their clients living out of Australia.

AussieProperty.com (APC) provide the Aus-tralian Property Investor, Australian expa-triate or intended migrant the best quality of information on the Australian property market so they can make the safest and most rewarding investments decisions.

Changes of Company Address

American Axle & Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd.500/52 Moo 3, ThasitPluakdaeng, Rayong 21140Tel: +66 38 927 200 Fax: +66 38 927 299

Clough (Thailand) Co., Ltd.87 M Thai Tower, All Seasons Place23rd Floor, Unit R-06, Wireless RoadLumpini, PathumwanBangkok 10330, THAILANDTel: +66 2 627 9320 Fax: +66 2 627 9001 Email: [email protected]

Changes of Company Name

• PTIS International School has changed company name to be Traidhos Three Generation Community for Learning.

• IAG Insurance (Thailand) Ltd. has changed company name to be Safety Insurance Public Company Limited.

• Leblond Associates Co., Ltd. has changed company name to be NLP Top Coach.

• Antares Administration Limited has changed company name to be Bangkok Base.

Changes of Representative

• Mr Courtenay Smith, Manager Asia is a new representative of Intelligent Risks Asia.

• Ms Novielyn C. Acelar, Partner is a new representative of Jus Laws & Consult Co., Ltd.

• Gen. M.L. Vichai Chayangkura, Chairman is a new representative of Clough (Thai-land) Co., Ltd.

• Mr Wayne Ketter, Operations Manager Fabrication is a new representative of Clough (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

• Ms Sorraya Boonsongprasert, is a new representative of HNP Counsellors Lim-ited.

• Khun Suteechai Santivarakum, Chief Executive Officer is a new representative of Safety Insurance Public Company Lim-ited.

• Khun Somchai Supapiyodomsiri, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing is a new representative of Safety Insurance Public Company Limited.

• Mr Dorothy Valerio, is a new representa-tive of NLP Top Coach.

• Khun Angkana Tuam-uam, Senior Man-ager is a new representative of Binswanger Brooker (Thailand) Limited.

• Mr Nelson Hilton, Director of Marketing is a new representative of Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok.

• Mr Reto Moser, Director of Food & Bever-age is a new representative of Four Sea-sons Hotel Bangkok.

NEW MEMBERS AND MEMBERS’ CHANGES


We’ve identified five key performance areas. All activity in the office will go towards delivering in one or more of these categories. They are:

1. service to management – This is our responsibility to our managers. In my case primarily the advice and informa-tion I provide to the Board of Directors to assist them strategically direct the Chamber;

2. service Delivery – This is our respon-sibility to members and other stakehold-ers. It includes the activity of the staff in delivering outputs (particularly events and communications) and is aligned directly to the AustCham Director’s port-folios. This is obviously a crucial area as it is where our members receive much of their value from their membership;

3. Organisational transformation – This is our responsibility to move with the times. It refers to our efforts to transform the AustCham office into a best-practice business-focussed capability that is innovative, efficient and effective;

4. finance – This is our responsibility for ensuring the Chamber’s books look good; and

5. People – This is our responsibility towards on one-another. In other words, how we support our colleagues both formally and informally.

I’m excited about the new human capital framework because in the short term it will help us improve our effectiveness and ser-vice to members; and in the long term it will help ensure that gains made now endure – and continue to be possible – into the future. I think it’s a great way to kick-off 2012 and to ensure we are enthusiastic and effective in serving you, our members, in the year ahead.

Mark CarrollExecutive Director, AustCham Thailandwww.austchamthailand.com

FROM THE CHAMBER OFFICE

Calendar of eventsmessage from the executive Director

Kicking off January with an exciting start can set a positive trend for the whole year. So from a business perspective,

there is no better start for 2012 than becoming an AustCham Annual Corporate sponsor! We want to help your business and – to be up front about it – we also need your help. Membership dues do not cover AustCham’s full costs, and the amount of corporate sponsorship we are able to secure in December/January sets the tone for our ability to deliver for the remainder of the year.

Annual Corporate Sponsorship is a genu-ine win-win. Much of the value in sponsorship packages is returned in the form of Cham-ber membership, event tickets and the like. So while sponsors buy tickets to functions they would attend anyway, the Chamber has access to funds that allow us to put on the events! The other major plank of Annual Cor-porate Sponsorship is brand promotion. With 400 plus corporate members and a regular audience of more than 3,500 business people this is something we can deliver in spades. For both new and already established businesses there is no better way to ensure your brand is recognised in expatriate circles than to associ-ate it with AustCham.

Packages start at just Baht 100,000 and include Chamber membership (a value of Baht 18,000 in itself). Please don’t hesitate to contact me or anyone else in the office about sponsorship. Details can also be found through the links on our home page: www.austchamthailand.com.

Of course the new year is always a good time for planning, preparation and goal-setting. And that’s exactly what we’ve done in the Aust-Cham office. We’ve set ourselves an ambi-tious agenda for 2012. We will also pick up on a few initiatives that were delayed because of the floods in 2011 – particularly our Australi-anAlumni initiative and our first-of-its kind study into Australian business and business people in Thailand.

To set a new and productive tone for the new year, we’re introducing in January the initial ele-ments of a new human capital framework for the AustCham office. This has been developed with the assistance of Rob Bluett, Managing Director of Human Equity Systems. Until now most of our human resources processes have been ad-hoc and/or informal. My intention is to put in place a structured system for expecta-tion-setting, goal-targeting and evaluating per-formance. I want us to have a clearer idea of what we want to achieve, how we are going to achieve it, and how we know when we’ve succeeded.

ThANK YoU To ALL DECEMBER SPoNSoRS:

mOnDaY, 2 JanuarY AustCham Office Closed In lieu of New Year’s Day

tuesDaY, 17 JanuarY tri-nations brai18.00 – 21.00Venue: The Sukhothai

WeDnesDaY, 18 JanuarY boardroom brief: un at the sharp end – office on drugs and crimeGuest Speaker: Gary Lewis, UNODC Regional RepresentativeVenue: Servcorp Office, Zuellig House

Inside Backcover

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Documents

Advance ~ January 2012