2 The Link Issue 4/2015

BCCT Board of Directors 2015

CHAIRMAN

Simon MatthewsManpowerGroup Thailand T: 02 2634 7273

[email protected]

VICE CHAIRMEN

Viriya (Boyd) Chongphaisal GlaxoSmithKline (Thailand) Limited T: 02 659 3000

[email protected]

Simon LandyColliers International Thailand T: 02 656 7000

[email protected]

Christopher ThatcherAnglo-Thai Legal Co., Ltd. T: 081 803 7377

[email protected]

DIRECTORS

Ali AdamArcadia (Thailand) Co., Ltd. T: 02 108 1822

[email protected]

Billy ChomsakornBritish Airways PLC T: 001 80044 15906

[email protected]

John ChristieEk-Chai Distribution System Co., Ltd. T: 02 797 9000

[email protected]

David CummingONYX Hospitality Group

(Amari Watergate Bangkok) T: 02 653 [email protected]

Stephen FrostBangkok International Associates Ltd

T: 02 231 6201/[email protected]

Andrew McBean Grant Thornton T: 02 205 8222

[email protected]

Kelvin TanHSBC

T: 02 614 [email protected]

Hugh VanijprabhaRolls-Royce (Thailand) Ltd. T: 02 263 0500

[email protected]

HONORARY TREASURER

John SimPKF Tax and Consulting Services (Thailand) Ltd.

T: 02 108 [email protected]

Contents

This Edition

10 Free Trade Agreements: is Thailand out in the cold?

18Expert view on TPP prospects for Thailand

20Nations face new community challenge

24The AEC: lots of ambition, just no institutions

26Research leads race to sustainability

32New register aids investors

20

10

30

26

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Issue 4/2015

British Chamber of Commerce Thailand7th Floor, 208 Wireless Road Bangkok 10330, ThailandTel: 02-651 5350/3 Fax: 02-651 5354Website: www.bccthai.com Email: [email protected] Watkins, Executive Director

The Link is published by the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand.

Advertising enquiries:Greg Watkins Email: [email protected]

Editor: Dale LawrenceEmail: [email protected]

Front cover design: GSBI

Production: Scand-Media Corp., Ltd

The views expressed by individual authors are not necessarily those of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand or of the publisher. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand is strictly prohibited.

Contents

Every Edition

6 Chairman’s Message

8Executive Director’s Message

34Chamber News

36Member News

54By the Numbers

58Chamber events

68Comings and Goings

76Final Word

58

40

44


Simon matthewS

Chairman’s Message

Sustaining Partners

I N T E R N A T I O N A L S C H O O L B A N G K O K

This is the last issue of The Link in 2015 and, with Christmas and the New Year fast approaching, we held our final T3 event of 2015 which was attended by more than 100 members and guests.

We also had the great pleasure of listening to British Ambassador Mark Kent as he addressed business dinner gatherings in Phuket and on the Eastern Seaboard. We recently held a networking event in Hua Hin as part of our continuing commitment to be the British Chamber of Commerce of Thailand and for Thailand - not just for Bangkok.

We are now in the midst of our final burst of events, including the Joint Foreign Chamber of Commerce Prime Minister’s address luncheon, the BCCT Christmas luncheon at the Amari Watergate Bangkok and the Joint Chambers Eastern Seaboard Christmas networking at the Amari Hotel in Pattaya.

We have received encouraging feedback on our events this year. This, coupled with our sound financial status, prompts me to declare that 2015 has been a successful year for the BCCT and I take this opportunity to thank our members, our Board of Directors, our Executive Director Greg Watkins and all the staff at the Chamber HQ in Wireless Road for their support.

The Overseas Businesses Network (OBN) has also had a successful year - meeting all the KPIs as well as providing a quality service to clients. We did have concerns that, with the cutbacks in UK public spending, our government grant would be removed. However, it appears now that it will be reduced gradually and that the OBN will also be able to offer flexible pricing on its services. The steering committee is working on an action plan to cover these scenarios and, once again, I express my sincere thanks to the committee members, to Greg Watkins and the OBN team for their support in 2015.

Plans for our 70th anniversary in 2016 are starting to take shape. Major events planned so far are the Life & Style Garden Party at the British Ambassador’s residence, the BCCT Big Chilli Business Awards and the BCCT Annual Lecture. I am confident that 2016 will be memorable year for the Chamber and for our members.

Please note that the Chamber’s Annual General Meeting takes place on 28 January when we shall be presenting reports on our activities, our financial status and sharing more details about plans for the Chamber’s 70th anniversary. This is also the date when a new Board of Directors is elected and your vote is important – so please find time in your busy schedules to attend the AGM.

Finally, I extend my thanks to our 2015 Sustaining Partners, namely Tesco Lotus, Ophir, GlaxoSmithKline, Property Care Services, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, Pattana School and Brighton College; to our Airline Partner British Airways, and to all our supporting partners.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


GreG watkinS

Airline Partner

Supporting Partners

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Executive Director’s Message

It is hard to believe that we are in the last month of 2015. This year the BCCT has grown in terms of membership, with more than 120 new members and fewer resignations/cancellations than in 2014. We are now

very close, as I write this message, to the 600 members mark with close to 3,000 representatives.

Jina and her membership team have worked very hard to secure new members, retain current members, chase late payers and also to develop our website and publications’ advertising offers.

Our upcountry outreach continued with four events in the Western Seaboard (Hua Hin), five events on Phuket, three in Chiang Mai and 16 in total on the Eastern Seaboard. Thanks to RJ and her events team, ably supported by Vice Chair Chris Thatcher and his Events Group, for their continued efforts in organising approximately 130 events during 2015 – a herculean task!

BCCT continues to lobby for change to regulations and for greater market access for members. We lobbied bilaterally as the BCCT, notably through Vice Chair Simon Landy’s position on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trade of Thailand. We lobbied multilaterally with other foreign chambers such as AMCHAM, AustCham and the Franco-Thai Chamber. We also play an active role in the European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) and its ten advocacy groups. BCCT Honorary Treasurer John Sim is also EABC Treasurer.

BCCT is now regarded as one of the leading overseas Britchams in the Overseas Business Network initiative with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). Although three staff left us during 2015, Khun Laddawan and Khun Pattra are working very hard to assist British companies seeking top quality business support. The opening of the British Business Centre (BBC), the installation of technology upgrades and access to support work for member services companies are some of the features that are already benefiting BCCT members. Fully equipped, and in the centre of Bangkok, the BBC is available for any BCCT member to use.

Next year, 2016, we celebrate the BCCT’s 70th Anniversary and it promises to be a hectic year. In addition to our major annual events - The Life & Style Garden Party; Lecture & Dinner and the Christmas Lunch - we will be working with BigChilli on the 1st International Business Awards & Dinner. Furthermore we will be hosting Thai-UK 2016, a celebration of Britain in Thailand, at BITEC in September. BCCT is also planning an upcountry roadshow to Korat, Buriram and Khon Kaen in 2016. This is in addition to the 120+ events that we routinely organise.

By now you should have received your annual membership fee renewal invoice. We send next year’s invoice now so that those members who wish to pay this year may do so. Please settle this at your earliest possible opportunity. We will shortly announce a special offer for early payers but if you would like to discuss how your company can benefit more from your membership please feel free to contact me. Please do not ignore the invoice. The more time that BCCT staff have to spend chasing fees, the less time they have to provide services to members.

Big thanks to the BCCT board under Chairman Simon Matthews’ leadership and thank you for your continued support in 2015. Please remember that, in almost all cases, BCCT membership is corporate and any of your employees may attend events or receive information. If you are receiving emails from BCCT please forward them to your colleagues who may be interested in participating. I wish you a happy and prosperous 2016.


CovEr story

is Thailand out in the cold?

Many of us also recognise that Thailand still lacks free trade agreements

with many other countries, no-tably the USA and the countries of the European Union. So if free

trade agreements do really mat-ter, then there seem to be as many blocked walls as windows for Thai-land’s traders. Our trade specialists have recognised these obstacles for quite some time, but since we are

presently governed by happy sol-diers rather than mournful politi-cians, the Americans and Euro-peans don’t want to talk with us, or grant us those privileges of free trade that they are granting to such

There is a lot of talk about free trade agreements these days. The much-anticipated ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is at the point of implementation. We are all familiar with the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA), even if many of us still don’t really know what it means. Some of us have even heard of the Thailand Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) and its New Zealand equivalent.

Free Trade Agreements:

By Christopher Bruton

The Link Issue 4/2015 11

CovEr story

highly democratic countries as our ASEAN neighbour Vietnam.

Despite having the words ‘free trade’ firmly lodged in our thoughts it came as a bit of a shock when, on October 4, 2015, bleary-eyed and visibly exhausted Trans Pa-cific Partnership (TPP) negotia-tors staggered out of their confer-ence room in Atlanta, Georgia, announcing that they had finally reached agreement to form the long-awaited Trans Pacific Partner-ship. The surprise arose because the negotiations had been going on for so long. There had been such stri-dent objections from some of the countries involved, that there was a growing belief that the discussions would never end, and the Trans Pa-cific Partnership deal would never emerge. Negotiators enjoy negoti-ating but maybe even this hardened group had finally got tired of the comfortable hotels, good food and, no doubt, peripheral activities that negotiations involve.

The TPP negotiations effectively started ten years ago, in 2005, when a previous trans-Pacific agreement began to be broadened by bringing in possible new members. The chorus originally consisted of just Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. But, as time proceeded, the USA, Australia, Peru and Vietnam joined the party - followed by Malaysia, Mexico, Canada and Japan to cre-ate a concert party of twelve member countries.

So where was Thailand all this while? Whenever Thailand has a problem, the solution is to appoint a commit-tee. The committee then appoints sub-committees which then appoint academics who write reports, refer-ring back to the sub-committees, which then refer back to the commit-tees. Meanwhile there will have been a coup (in this case two coups), a few elections and a succession of bureau-cratic musical chairs every October of each year. In this particular case the Department of Trade Negotiations led the song-and-dance routine,

along with the Department of Intel-lectual Property and a whole succes-sion of academic and advisory bodies. And they are still researching, report-ing and talking - even when the party appears to have ended.

Are we too late?

It does rather look as if we are still de-ciding whether to buy a ticket when the train has already left the station but this is not really the case. Firstly, the TPP is designed to be an open door, accessible to additional mem-bers, provided that they conform to, or are exempted or deferred for a period from the provisions of the agreement. It was always difficult for Thailand to join TPP during the negotiating period, because all negotiations were secret, no drafts were available, and there were known to be major chal-lenges impeding Thailand’s entry, some of which remain in the final text.

Secondly, the supposed October 4, 2015 agreement is not final since each of the 12 countries has to gain approv-al from its own legislature. This may not be so easy. The two largest TPP negotiating parties, the USA and Ja-pan, will have particular problems be-cause big business may feel that mar-ket entry provisions and privileges are not sufficient. Labour unions may feel that less developed countries will gain too many advantages. In several coun-

tries, agriculture-related lobbies may fear excessive competition.

With the TPP agreement text now published, with all thirty chapters ex-posed at last to scrutiny, Thailand now at last has something concrete to talk about. With the ratification process likely to require a couple of years in at least some member countries, Thai-land will have time to appoint more committees, sub-committees and commission more research report.

If the military government survives long enough the soldiers may even simply decide to join, sign up and ratify, crossing fingers and hoping for the best. Soldiers don’t always ask questions: sometimes they just shoot.

Are there alternatives to TPP?

If one is contemplating marriage, it is always attractive to have the option of several marital partners. Better still if one does not have to make a choice but may marry them all. That is Thailand’s happy situation in the case of free trade agreements.

Beckoning on one side is TPP, attrac-tive enough but a bit tough in char-acter and with a few features that are distinctly unbeautiful. However, waiting in the wings is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partner-ship (RCEP) with perhaps a bit less in

President Obama and recently re-elected Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong (right).


CovEr story

dowry but a much more flexible char-acter. Finally, one is already married to the ASEAN Economic Community as well as having flirtations on a bilateral basis with India, Pakistan, Turkey and a few other playmates plus hopefully yet another tryst with the European Community once one changes one’s military boots for dress shoes.

In fact, marital life in the free trade abode can be quite complicated. In-cluded in TPP but not in RCEP are Canada, USA, Mexico, Peru and Chile. Included in RCEP negotiations but not in TPP are all the ASEAN countries plus China, India, Indo-nesia, Philippines, South Korea and Thailand. Countries that are already in TPP and also involved in RCEP are Australia, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Viet-nam. For Thailand itself, the only TPP countries with which Thailand does not already have trade agreements are Canada, Mexico and the USA.

Thailand does not have to choose between TPP and RCEP since it is possible to marry up with both without getting saddled with incompatible features. However, there are differences. In terms of GDP size, the presence of the USA ensures that TPP is larger, at over US$28 trillion, compared with US$23 trillion for RCEP. That means that TPP has a world share of 38 percent, compared with RCEP’s 29 percent. In terms of population, the

position is reversed, with TPP having 800 million (11 percent of world population), compared with RCEP’s 3.5 billion (49% of world population and growing faster).

Advantages and disadvantages of TPP for Thailand

In making the decision about wheth-er to join TPP, one has to consider four basic factors. Firstly that this is a long-term, not a short-term commit-ment. Even at the earliest timeframe, it is unlikely that Thailand would be able to become part of TPP much be-fore 2018 or even 2020. The decision to apply to join has not yet been made and might take a year or more of con-tinuing deliberations - by which time an elected government might be in

place and ready to start rethinking the whole process. Meanwhile the 12 existing members will be deliberat-ing their own commitments to their negotiators’ decisions on their behalf. There is particular concern in the USA. The presidential election is less than one year away (in early Novem-ber 2016). TPP is a hot election issue, not only between Democrats and Re-publicans, but also within the respec-tive parties and among their respec-tive presidential candidates.

If Thailand does decide to seek TPP membership, it will be necessary to negotiate with each one of the exist-ing member countries. These coun-tries may at that time be still in the process of deciding whether they themselves want to join, renegotiate,


CovEr story

or pull out of TPP. Thailand would then have to submit a formal appli-cation and await approval from each of the members.

While it seems unlikely that any of the existing TPP members would re-ject Thailand’s entry, the bureaucracy will move slowly and there will be many parties to meet. By that time, Thailand’s negotiators will no doubt also be busy negotiating with the Eu-ropean Union on a Thailand-EU free trade agreement.

Secondly, there is the issue of the advantages and any disadvantages for Thailand’s foreign trade of joining the TPP. Already there is a realisation that foreign trade is a risky business, with declines in Thailand’s exports. A greater emphasis is being placed on growing the domestic economy rather than relying upon export growth. However foreign trade will remain vitally important although the direction of that trade may be changing towards new markets, some of which we not in TPP.

Most studies do indicate that trade with countries having free trade agreements tend to grow substantial-ly and more rapidly than with coun-tries without such agreements. That has certainly been established with AFTA, TAFTA and other bilateral trade agreements.

There is a need for some sort of free trade agreement with the USA, wheth-er on a bilateral basis or as part of a multilateral agreement. That could ap-ply whether the Thailand / USA trade relationship is governed by a multi-lateral or a bilateral agreement. The same problems could then arise over pharmaceuticals, intellectual property and agricultural-related issues. With Vietnam and Malaysia inside TPP, and Thailand outside, there could be sig-nificant competitive disadvantages for Thailand in respect of trade with other TPP countries, if not joining TPP.

Thirdly, the decision to join or not to join is also related to investment and industrial location as well as trade in

goods. Investors may choose alterna-tive locations rather than Thailand, causing Thailand to lose part of its attractiveness as a hub for productive enterprise. Thailand is already losing some industrial activity to neighbour-ing countries. Some Thai companies are moving production capacity be-yond borders. Accession to the TPP will not prove a total solution to this trend because it also relates to labour and other costs. But if Thailand is to become more sophisticated, relying increasingly on higher value-added to ensure export attractiveness, then it will increasingly need the benefits of free trade agreements to secure and retain competitiveness.

Fourthly, in considering entry to the TPP, Thailand will need to consider positive and negative impacts of the TPP broader requirements. This is where the TPP is likely to differ from RCEP and other bilateral trade agreements. Many free trade agree-ments have concerns which affect domestic markets. In negotiating TAFTA, Australia pursued hard bar-gaining over dairy products, result-ing in a phased opening of markets in Thailand for Australian products. In the case of a European Union agree-ment, there will certainly be similar arguments relating to such products as wine and cheese. The Indian free trade agreement is held up by issues

of Indian human resource entry into Thailand employment markets.

The TPP is much more intrusive into the domestic market than a conven-tional trade agreement. Provisions require that countries conform to high standards of practice, which may be normal and acceptable in developed countries, but raise ques-tions regarding the conventional practices and malpractices of Thai economic activity.

Much higher standards of intellectu-al property conformity are required. Pharmaceutical patents would se-verely restrict generic products which currently give access to medicaments otherwise beyond the affordability of most Thai people. There would be limitations on compulsory licensing for pharmaceutical products.

Some of the restrictions imposed un-der TPP are already taking effect be-cause of Thailand’s need to meet the standards and requirements of other countries. These include sustainable fisheries management and related fishery practices, as demanded by the European Union.

Stricter enforcement of obligations under the Convention on Interna-tional Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)


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would also be a requirement. This is already observed, after a fashion, by Thailand, but there remain flagrant abuses. Such abuses are often per-petrated by influential people, with connivance by those who are sup-posed to ensure enforcement.

Perhaps the greatest and most evi-dent impact of TPP membership for Thailand might be in the area of human rights and labour relations. Thailand is not a signatory or ratifier of some international conventions concerned with human rights and la-bour abuses. But even where conven-tions are already in force, there are often flagrant abuses. These arise es-pecially in such areas as human traf-ficking, forced and slave labour, and non-observance of local labour laws.

In many cases, TPP would require more effective enforcement of many existing laws. More stringent en-forcement, backed by threats of trade sanctions, would be a massive step forward for social justice in Thailand. Such issues form the stick behind the carrot of greater market opening.

Should Thailand join the TPP?

On the assumption that the twelve signatories of TPP do succeed in ratifying the agreement, which then comes into force, Thailand will have to decide whether to join the party. Several other countries are also con-sidering adherence, such as South Ko-rea and Indonesia. More may follow.

Given that joining TPP is not an is-sue of either/or as between TPP and RCEP, entry may be considered purely on the advantages and disad-vantages of TPP membership. Since there are already free trade agree-ments with all the existing TPP sig-natories except the USA, Mexico and Canada, it would mainly be a ques-tion of whether parallel, bilateral agreements might be signed with these countries as an alternative to joining TPP.

Trying to finalise an agreement with the USA might well be more onerous

than joining TPP and it would take a lot of time to finalise.

Independent studies to date have suggested that there are significant net benefits for Thailand to be gained by joining TPP: more bilateral trade, more competitiveness, more oppor-tunities for innovation. Furthermore, the more committed a country is to best practices, the more likely it is to support adherence to TPP.

However there are certainly con-cerns relating to tighter intellectual property enforcement, especially in pharmaceuticals and agro-industry, which need to be addressed. Argu-ments that TPP is simply a device designed by foreign big business to obtain a stranglehold over foreign markets have to be taken seriously into consideration. The net overall advantages may be with TPP. How-ever such net advantages will not mean benefits across the board and in all sectors. There will be winners and losers.

Nevertheless, generally TPP would be an excellent device to oblige Thai-land and other regional countries to get their houses in order, reach in-ternational standards, and eliminate irregular practices. It needs a strong, uncompromising policy, as has hap-pened in the fishery sector, to oblige

both government and the private sec-tor to adopt acceptable standards. These will be to the benefit of every-body in the long run but will cause in evitable hardships in the shorter term, requiring government support and possibly subsidies to cover hard-ships suffered by the losers.

Thailand should aim to join every-thing in sight: TPP, RCEP, a Euro-pean Union Free Trade Agreement and every other trade pact that may emerge. World experience indicates that the more open the society, the more prosperous the country along with its citizens. Thailand should certainly be among such prosperous societies.

Christopher Bruton is a Director of DataConsult Ltd., 54 Soi Santipharp Nares RoadBangkok, Thailand 10500Tel: + 66 (2) 233-5606-7Fax: +66 (2) 236-8143Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]

New Zealand PM John Key (left) and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Fulfilling Potential

Residential visits form an integral part of our curriculum for allstudents from Year 3 upwards.

Since 1957

These enrich learning, bolster personal and social developmentand promote the important attributes of open-mindedness,inquiry and informed risk-taking in our students.

643 Lasalle Road, Bangna, [email protected]+66 (0) 2785 2200

Bangkok Patana School is an IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC

Not Every Lesson is Learnedin the Classroom

angkok Patana’s Residential programme is an integral part of the curriculum for students in both the Primary and Secondary Schools. From Year 3 onwards, the carefully plannedResidential visits provide unique possibilities for students to dev-elop through experience; one of the main aims is to involve themin activities and situations which they may not have previously experienced.

Each visit, whether it be to Kanchaburi for three nights or an outdoor adventure week in Pak Chong, is designed to enhance the mainstream curriculum and provide opportunities for personal and social development.

As students’ progress through the school, the experiences they gain on Residential visits support increasing indepenence and cover the following personal and social skills:• independence and self-discipline• initiative and problem solving • confidence and self-esteem• leadership • development of sound relationships among students• the ability to enjoy the environment without destroying it• flexibility and consideration for others• ability to work with others in a team• development of sound relationships between students and staff• communication

But who better to tell you about the benefits of these visitsthan one of the students? Here Tia, currently in Year 10, reflects on what makes the Residential programme so unique:

““How was your Residential?” A question asked hundreds of times by eager parents, at crowded airport terminals or thefront of school. But for every one of us, there were hundreds of answers we wanted to give; answers that ranged from camping underneath the stars to mountain biking for the very first time, each one a new experience, a new surprise.

Answers that led to amazement from parents when they

B

heard that we had achieved things of which we never thought we were capable. Residentials are more than just a week’s vacation from school work, parents and uniforms. The trips are full of adventure, interacting with people around us, team-work and responsibility.

They are more than just a time when we can stay up late, take loads of photographs and stock up on bags of candy. They are places where you discover a side of you that you never thought existed, where you suddenly divulge qualities and skills you never knew you possessed. In the midst of it all you find yourself by losing yourself.

You leave for the Residential visit as one person and return another. An alter-ego, a new personality. A quiet, hard work-ing introvert found himself to be an outgoing, wild and care-free adventurer. A first class traveller found herself loving anight in a cramped tent.

Every trip is a new treasure of memories - a new journey of discovery; of diverse places and people, of bonding and exploration, of confidence and courage. Every year we add a new dimension to our personality, a new facet to our chara-cter. Without realising it, right from Year 3 in Primary through to Senior Studies, Residential visits teach us what no textbook ever could. They prepare us for what lies ahead.”


Expert view on TPP prospects for ThailandAt a recent meeting of Dataconsult’s Thailand Regional Forum, Dr. Rachda Chiasakul (pictured right), Director at Bolliger & Co (Thailand) presented in detail Thailand’s situation in respect of joining the Trans Pacific Partnership. The following are her conclusions on the agreement and its specific advantages and disadvantages.

TPP Key Features

Comprehensive Market AccessThe TPP eliminates or reduces tariff and non-tariff barriers across substantially all trade in goods and services and covers the full spectrum of trade, including goods and services trade and investment, so as to create new opportunities and benefits for our businesses, workers, and consumers.

Regional approach to Commitments The TPP facilitates the development of production and supply chains, and seamless trade, enhancing efficiency and

Topics Advantages Disadvantages

Trade in Goods • IncreaseopportunitytopenetrateUSmarketforcertainproducts• Intermediateproducerscanimportmaterialsatlowerprice

• Thaiproducersmayfacehighercompetition

Drug patent / Chemical Patent

• Createincentivesforforeignpharmaceuticalcompaniestodevelopnewdrugs • Slowdownmarketentryprocessfor‘genericdrug’• RaiseconcernaboutCompulsoryLicensing(CL)• ThaipharmaceuticalcompaniescannotuseClinicalTrialtoregisterasagenericdrug

Patents of Plants and Animals

• Createincentivesforfarmersandothersectorstodevelopnewplantandanimalspecies

• ThailandhastoexpandPatentsonPlantsandanimalsinordertojointheUPOVconvention

• Practicesoflocalcommunitiesmaybeaffected• Possibilityfor‘Bio-Piracy’

Geographical Identification

• Value-addedforlocalproductsoriginatinginThailand • CouldbeexploitedbyforeignproducersincasetheyimproveThaiproductsandregister them as their own products

• Possibilitytocausedisputesfromtheuseofgeographicalidentification

Trade in ServicesandInvestment

• Attractmoreinvestmentfromoverseas• Consumersgetcheaperpricesandmorevariedproducts• Opportunitytoexpandtradeinservicesandinvestmentabroad

• Thailandproducersfacehighercompetitivenesslevel• Possibledamagetothestateduetoinvestor-statedisputes

Financial Services

• Servicepricedecreases• Lowercostsforcapitalaccess• Moreaccesstoknowledge,technology,andfinancialinnovation

• Highercompetitivelabourmarket• Thaiworkersareincapableofcompetinginlabourmarketduetothelackof

expertiseandeconomiesofscale

Telecommunica-tions

• ServicePricesDecreasebutQualityIncreases• EnhanceEntrepreneurEfficiency• IncreaseSocialwelfare

• Domesticinvestorsmayfacehighercompetitivenesslevels• Increasedriskformonopolybyforeigninvestors

Competition Policy • PutPressureinImplementingCompetitionLaws• EnhanceInvestmentEnvironment• IncreaseInvestorConfidence

• LimitSOE’soperations

Labour • IncreaseOpportunitytoCreatetheBestWorkingEnvironmentforAllTypesandallNationality of Labour

• Maybeeasilyusedasatradebarrier• Losecompetitiveadvantageduetolowlabourcosts

Environment • EnhanceEnvironmentProtectionSystem• SupportProductionandExportofEco-FriendlyProducts

• Increaselimitationonseafisheries• Increasepossibilityfordisputesfromtheimplementationofconventions;inwhich

Thailand is a member but other countries are not• BeingforcedtoparticipateinsomeconventionsofwhichThailandhasnotyet

been a member

GovernmentProcurement

• IncreaseMarketAccessOpportunity• AbletoJoinProjectsofwhichthresholdislowerthanthatinGPAAgreement• IncreaseTransparencyinGovernmentProcurementProcess

• Thaiinvestorsmayfacehighercompetitionlevel

ElectronicCommerce

• Clarifysomesensitiveissues;suchasTaxation,DigitalContent,andSoftware• ImproveConsumerProtectionLawsandRegulation• Fosterthedevelopmentofinformationsystemsecurity

Possible effects for Thailand

supporting our goal of creating and sup-porting jobs, raising living standards, en-hancing conservation efforts, and facili-tating cross-border integration, as well as opening domestic markets.

Inclusive TradeThe TPP includes new elements that seek to ensure that economies at all levels of development and businesses of all sizes to benefit from trade. It includes commit-ments to help small-and medium-sized businesses to understand the Agreement, take advantage of its opportunities, and bring their unique challenges to the at-tention of the TPP governments. It also includes specific commitments on devel-opment and trade capacity building, to ensure that all Parties are able to meet the commitments in the Agreement and take full advantage of its benefits.

New Trade ChallengesThe TPP promotes innovation, produc-tivity, and competitiveness by addressing

new issues, including the development of the digital economy, and the role of state-owned enterprises in the global economy.

Platform for Regional IntegrationThe TPP is intended as a platform for regional economic integration and de-signed to include additional economies across the Asia-Pacific region.


IGCSE & A-LEVEL – 2015 EXAM RESULTS

We are now accepting applications for entry into our Senior School (Years 7 – 12) in August 2016.Please contact Ms Ilka Hodapp for a school tour by calling on 02 675 1888 ext. 1110 or email to [email protected]

Exceptional People • Outstanding Opportunities • Academic Excellence

www.shrewsbury.ac.th

Your pathway to

Exam Success Your gateway to the world’s

Leading Universities

70%Versus 21% UK average

56%Versus 26% UK average

GRADE % CUMULATIVE

A* 26.1 43.0 26.1 43.0A 30.2 27.0 56.3 70.0B 25.7 18.6 82.1 88.5C 9.3 8.7 91.4 97.2D 7.1 2.2 98.5 99.4

other 1.5 0.6 100 100

A-LEVEL – SUBJECT HIGHLIGHTS – % EXAMS WITH TOP A*/A GRADE

Biology

Physics

Maths 69%

60%

60%

76%

78%Futher Maths

Economics

IGCSE – SUBJECT HIGHLIGHTS – % EXAMS WITH TOP A*/A GRADE

Mandarin

Biology

Physics

100%

91%

99%

93%

93%

Art

Chemistry

IG

CSE

A-LEVEL

43%

6 TIMES UK AVERAGE

A*26%

3 TIMES UK AVERAGE

A*

A-LEVEL IGCSE

EXAMSSCORED

A*/A

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Nations face new community challengethe Association of southeast Asian Nations (AsEAN) is intensifying efforts to realise the AsEAN Economic Community (AEC) and implement initiatives to achieve a single market and production base, allowing the free flow of goods and a freer flow of services, investments and skilled labour; and greater movement of capital across the region.

With over 600 million people, ASEAN’s potential market is larger than the European Union or North America. Next to China and India, ASEAN possesses the world’s third largest labour force, characterised by its youth and dynamism. Furthermore, with an ever-growing and diverse consumer market, coupled with a combined gross domestic product of US$2.4 trillion, ASEAN will be the fourth-largest economic region in the world by 2050, according to research conducted by McKinsey Global Institute. The growth of the region’s various economies and its rising middle class speak volumes for the future as companies can tap into expanding opportunities.

With a population that is young, entrepreneurial and increasingly cosmopolitan, labour productivity is sure to increase if education and skills training are adjusted properly to meet the needs of an integrated marketplace. The availability of skilled labour and the ease of doing business and getting investments going will be crucial for foreign companies to invest in ASEAN. Foreign direct investment (FDI) last year in the five largest

ASEAN economies – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – totalled US$128 billion, exceeding China’s FDI of US$117 billion.

On its 40th anniversary in August 2007, ASEAN adopted the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint, which advanced the completion tar-get to 2015 from 2020. Four pillars define the AEC: (1) creating a single market and production base, (2) in-creasing the region’s competitiveness, (3) promoting equitable economic de-velopment, and (4) further integrat-ing ASEAN with the global economy.

In November 2007, ASEAN leaders also approved the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Strategic Framework and Work Plan (2009-2015), which is meant to bridge the perceived development divide between the older and economically more advanced members, known as the ASEAN-6 (Brunei, Indonesia,

Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand), and the four newer ones - Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

Equally significant, under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, the Common Effective Preferential Tariff scheme has brought down tariff rates on goods coming from ASEAN members to virtually zero for the ASEAN-6. The four new ASEAN members have until the end of this year to reduce their tariffs.

From automobiles and parts to natu-ral resources, the variety and quality of products and services traded has made ASEAN the fourth-largest ex-port region in the world. Even more so, the launch of export-processing zones across ASEAN has increased interaction internally and externally. Further advances are expected once the AEC in 2016 allows for greater movement of goods, services, skilled labour and investment. However, im-


provements are required for intra-re-gional trade to reach its full potential, since some countries still have some tariff and nontariff barriers in place.

Notable progress has been made on the AEC’s first pillar, which is funda-mental to developing a single market and production base in goods. Tariffs have been reduced substantially, with more than 70 percent of intra-re-gional commerce in ASEAN enjoying zero tariffs, and less than five percent of goods being subjected to tariffs of more than 10 percent. These develop-ments will encourage intra-ASEAN trade in manufacturing and agricul-tural goods. Although progress has been made with the signing of mu-tual recognition agreements in seven professions, realisation of the trade in services agreement is much slower.

Nonetheless, slow yet steady progress has been seen in attaining the goals of liberalising investment and capi-tal flows. The signing of the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agree-ment in 2012 was an important step in building a better business envi-ronment for the private sector in the region. Moreover, to enhance trade facilitation, the National Single Win-dow (NSW) programme currently is observed by the ASEAN-6.

Modest achievements are visible re-garding the second and third pillars of the AEC. Among the highlights are the adoption of the ASEAN Intel-lectual Property Rights Action Plan 2011-2015 to strengthen intellectual property institutions in the region; the adoption of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity to enhance the region’s transport connectivity and en-ergy security; and the actualisation of the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) Development, which aims to give guidance on the flagship projects and other SME initiatives in the re-gion to promote inclusive growth.

Meanwhile, the implementation of the fourth pillar has progressed well over the past decade. ASEAN not only has emerged as the hub of free trade agreement (FTA) activity in the Asia-Pacific, but also has assumed a leadership role in negotiating trade rules for connecting Asia to the rest of

the world. FTAs have been concluded with ASEAN’s six dialogue partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.

Moreover, negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), covering ASEAN and its dialogue partners, were launched in 2012. If signed and put into action, the RCEP will become the world’s biggest trade bloc, covering 40 percent of global commerce, and will provide significant economic gains to members.

When compared with China and India, the AEC is the best alternative for inves-tors. Through the vertical and horizon-tal integration of ASEAN’s individual national economies, it will stimulate intra-regional investment, trade and business connections, thereby benefit-ing both foreign and local firms.

Challenges remain in the elimina-tion of NTBs such as a single channel for imports, price control measures, natural resource subsidies and pref-erential treatment of state-owned enterprises. Indeed, many of the re-maining challenges to achieving the goals of the AEC are tied to ASEAN’s ability to harness cooperation and

commitment, and address the devel-opment divide among its members.

According to the business survey ‘Re-drawing the ASEAN Map’, sponsored by Baker & McKenzie and CIMB, companies are increasingly managing the ASEAN region as one economic entity rather than ten separate economies.

Some 76 percent of MNCs operat-ing in south east Asia now have a strategy that is tailored specifically to the ASEAN bloc. And while the countries of south east Asia remain deeply diverse and different, they are gradually growing more alike. This is enabling companies to be more re-gional in their strategy.

The report reveals that 64 percent of companies believe their customers across ASEAN are becoming more similar. As a result, 62 percent of com-panies are standardising the products and services they offer across ASEAN. Moreover, MNCs already have multi-cultural environments and employee exchange policies in place within their organisations, putting them in a much better position to recruit talent from ASEAN countries.

While larger companies seem ready for the AEC, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are less prepared. According to a survey by the Asian Development Bank, less than one-fifth of ASEAN firms are ready for the transition. This is despite the fact that small to and medium-sized businesses generate approximately 90 percent of ASEAN jobs and 30 to 50 percent of GDP.

The abundance of resources as well as lower manufacturing costs will as-sist SMEs increase their productive capacities. A certain level of compe-tition is always healthy for any busi-ness, and this will spur on SMEs to perform better and improve their op-erating procedures.

Plus, being viewed as a single large market also encourages integration which, in turn, will lead to greater economic proficiency for ASEAN as it meets the challenges of other big markets in the vicinity, such as China and India. However, elevated

Secretary-GeneralofASEANisLeLuongMinh.HewaspreviouslyDeputyMinisterforForeignAffairsinVietnam.

TakehikoNakaoisPresidentofADB.


competition also means some SMEs may be left behind.

The ability to identify the risks and benefits of the AEC and to take ad-vantage of this new marketplace may not come easily to everyone, which means not every business will be able to grasp the opportunities as well as they should.

For Thai SMEs, the best trade and in-vestment prospects are Indonesia and the CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myan-mar, and Vietnam) group. Without a doubt, the AEC will open a window for Thai SMEs to engage in more trade and commerce, like selling consumer goods or construction materials, and operating small retail businesses.

Thai goods and services already are well known and have a good reputation within neighbouring countries as products from Thailand are preferable when compared to goods from China in terms of quality.

Regarding the ASEAN Comprehen-sive Investment Agreement, the ac-cord is not an investment catch-all that any business type or investor can profit from, and it contains pre-cise definitions of authorised invest-ments and investors.

An investor under the ACIA can be either a natural or juridical person. A natural person is defined as a na-tional, citizen, or permanent resident of an ASEAN member state.

A juridical person is defined as any legal entity under the applicable laws of an ASEAN member state whether for profit or non-profit, or private or government owned, and can be a corporation, trust, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship, associa-tion or any other legal business entity.

A very important feature of this definition is that a juridical person in ASEAN member state controlled by a third country national also is defined, with some caveats, as an allowed investor.

The overall goal of the ACIA is to es-tablish a freer, open, transparent and integrated investment regime for do-mestic and international investors

throughout the ASEAN region The ACIA’s benefits include investment liberalisation, non-discrimination, transparency, investor protections and Investor-State Dispute Settlement.

For ASEAN to be a truly competitive region, infrastructure development is crucial. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has estimated that ASEAN requires an annual infrastructure investment of US$60 billion annually until 2020.

To this end, the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund was created in 2011, comprising equity contributions from ASEAN member countries and co-financed by the ADB, to address the region’s critical infrastructure development needs.

Another priority area is labour mo-bility, particularly of professionals, that will require careful consultation and collaboration. This issue is rec-ognised in the AEC Blueprint. When investing or expanding in the region, companies may want to use a mix of manpower from headquarters as well as the local work force or have local talent trained elsewhere in the region.

In such scenarios, the movement of labour will be critical. Similarly, financial integration is essential but it will be imperative to manage the risks of liberalisation.

Actually, infrastructure development among the ASEAN countries, encom-passing the development of hard in-frastructure such as roads, ports and

airports, as well as soft infrastructure such as human resource development and training are being concentrated.

The harmonisation of technical stan-dards, with the objective of ‘one stan-dard, one test accepted everywhere’, is an initiative in facilitating trade. Likewise, mutual recognition agree-ments (MRAs) enable companies to produce more standardised products and pool skilled labour effectively.

Upon closer examination, a more inte-grated market could lower transaction costs. In particular, it could bring down inventory costs by reducing the number of specialised products that companies need to keep in stock and by minimis-ing the chances of goods arriving after customers need them. Standardisation is important for multinationals, which have global networks. However, small and medium enterprises, too, will find harmonisation useful.

An update on the AEC’s progress was provided at the 26th ASEAN Summit, held in Malaysia in April 2015. The meeting’s statement noted that the AEC Scorecard – which assesses the degree of target actualisation in the AEC Blueprint – stood at 90.5 percent out of 506 measures. Even though the figure can be debated, there is con-sensus that forward momentum does exist and a realisation that integration will help increase ASEAN competi-tiveness vis-à-vis China and India.

* A longer version of this article first appear in the BOI online newsletter.

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the AEC: lots of ambition, just no institutions As we approach the end of

2015 and the opening of the ASEAN Economic Commu-

nity (AEC), it’s worth taking a little trip to Perugia, located on the banks of the River Tiber, in the very centre of the Italian peninsula.

This Umbrian city of around 160,000 people seems to me as the perfect place to start. Like many other nearby towns, it spent centu-ries being shifted from state to state in the constant battle of dukes, kings and popes. Then, in 1860, it became part of one of the most ambitious common market projects ever – the union of a hotchpotch of territories, dialects, systems and vested interests that became known as Italy.

Perugia also happens to be the birth-place of Paolo Cecchini, the econo-mist tasked by the European Com-mission over a century later to write a report on the economic benefits of a European single market. His 1988 Cecchini Report demonstrated how the European Union’s economy would expand with the successful removal of national regulations and practices which artificially inhibited the provision of services, as well as the movement of labour, capital and goods across borders – a goal which coincides with that of the AEC.

The Report estimated that the move to a single market would lead to a one-off increase in EU output of between 2.5 percent and 6.5 per-

cent. Whilst GDP growth went up by just under three percent between 1993 and 1994, the lasting legacy of the removal of barriers wasn’t men-tioned – but that is more important. According to World Bank data the 12 countries which were already EU members when the single market began in 1993 experienced an aver-age annual GDP growth of over three percent right up until the GFC took hold in 2008.

As GDP covers whole economies, whose performances are reliant on a huge range of internal and external cir-cumstances, it’s difficult to prove that this economic expansion – and the po-tential growth of the ASEAN equiva-lent – is due to the opening of markets.

What we can do though is take one sector which has been greatly affect-ed by the EU single market and look at how it could change in the AEC – financial markets. In 1985, the EU’s UCITS framework first appeared, allowing investment schemes autho-rised in one EU country to be offered in another. UCITS is currently in its fourth (soon to be fifth) iteration of legislation and given that around £6 trillion of assets are under man-agement, accounting for around 75 percent of all collective investments by small investors in Europe, the sys-tem is clearly popular. In fact, you could say that it’s a victim of its own success – as attempts to apply this passporting principle to other areas, such as merging funds across bor-

ders, has apparently become costly, resource-draining and is complex as fund managers need to consider the tax implications in different coun-tries.

Whilst the principle of UCITS is to allow authorised financial products based in, say, Copenhagen, to be of-fered to an investor in Rome, the real-ity is that there is now a concentration of management firms in the jurisdic-tion which offers the best conditions regarding tax treatment, accessibility, regulation and investor protection. In other words: Luxembourg.

In August 2014, ASEAN announced that the offering of cross-border collective schemes between Thai-land, Singapore and Malaysia was now permitted under its ASEAN CIS Framework. It appears that schemes must receive their home regulator’s approval to be offered in the home market first before seek-ing the host regulator’s permission to be offered within one of the other two CIS countries. By September 2015, eleven funds had been granted such home approval; although none of them appear to have yet received the green light from either of the two host countries.

It’s now up to the three ASEAN juris-dictions that have already rolled out the CIS framework to take advantage of their head start and provide the best conditions for managers and in-vestors to do business.

By Paul Gambles


However, where UCITS differs sig-nificantly from CIS is that, in the former, only the home regulator’s authorisation is required. This ex-poses a gap in the system – and in the whole AEC plan for that mat-ter. Whilst the different UCITS laws have passed through legislative pro-cesses, such as consultation, hear-ings in the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, such mechanisms do not exist in ASEAN. For the CIS framework, the rules were drafted and those national reg-ulators who agreed signed up. That’s why a cross-border CIS is possible in only three of the nine member states and approval on both sides is required.

Sooner or later the practical question will arise: what if a national regulator and national government combine to restrict the agreed freedoms? In the EU, another state or individual can complain to the European Commis-sion and/or take the case to the Eu-ropean Court of Justice (ECJ). As I write – just a few weeks before the AEC is due to open its doors – such a structure doesn’t exist. In other words, there is no-one to regulate the regulators.

If regulators are really serious about an ASEAN environment where in-vestors can buy properly regulated financial products with the peace of

mind which meaningful protection can give, there has to be a suprana-tional regulator and dispute settle-ments system in place.

This institutional gap is not limited to investment funds – it’s true with all the freedoms the AEC wishes to establish. What if a company, en-tirely owned by Singaporeans but incorporated in Malaysia, is told it cannot enforce a contract in Singa-pore? Under whose laws do Viet-namese nationals, working tempo-rarily in Thailand, come under? Can a company set up in a low minimum capital requirement jurisdiction be blocked from doing business in a country with higher requirements? All these questions have been an-swered at the ECJ but there is no ASEAN equivalent.

Right now, the only way the AEC could solve this is through agreements between governments, which repre-sent countries with widely different systems and priorities. Unanimity may prove elusive; some governments may sign up, while others do not. It could all be highly confusing.

Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam was right when he stated that the AEC will not be the same as the EU ; yet the goals are the same. The AEC as a whole, and the CIS in particular, are based on com-mendable objectives which may not automatically bring about greater prosperity in Southeast Asia but could well enable it. I hope the proj-ect works, but right now it looks like we’re still some distance away from it being practicable.

Paul Gambles is co-founder of MBMG Group – an advisory firm that assists expatriates and locals in south east Asia. Tel: +66 2665 2536e-mail: [email protected]: MBMG GroupTwitter: @MBMGIntlFacebook: /MBMGGroup

Please Note: While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained herein is correct, I cannot be held responsible for any errors that may occur. My views may not necessarily reflect the house view of MBMG Group. Views and opinions expressed herein may change with market conditions and should not be used in isolation.

New energy efficiency plan for thailandThailand’s National Energy Pol-

icy Council has approved the Energy Efficiency Plan (EEP),

to be implemented from 2015 to 2036, aimed at reducing Thailand’s energy intensity by 30 percent.

The EEP comprises several measures including the use of high energy-effi-ciency equipment and buildings. The

measures are expected to reduce do-mestic energy consumption by more than Baht 8.5 trillion over the course of the next 20 years.

The National Energy Policy Council also approved criteria for the price structure of electricity to ensure that electricity rates would be set appropriately, based on the real production costs.


research leads race to sustainabilityMost countries, regardless of

their level of income, now see research and innova-

tion as key to fostering sustainable economic growth and furthering their development. This is one of the conclusions of the UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 launched in November.

“In the wake of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals to 2030 by the United Nations General Assembly, the UNESCO Science Report clearly shows that research is both a motor for eco-nomic development and a corner-stone in the construction of societ-ies that are more sustainable and more respectful of the planet,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

The report’s first lesson is that, de-spite the economic crisis that hit in-dustrialised countries in 2008, gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) increased globally by 31 percent between 2007 and 2013, rising from US$ 1,132 bil-lion in 2007 to US$ 1,478 billion in 2013. This increase was more rapid than that of global gross domestic product (GDP) during the same pe-riod (20 percent).

The USA still leads, with 28 percent of global investment in R&D, fol-lowed by China (20 percent), Euro-pean Union (19 percent) and Japan (10 percent). The rest of the world represents 67 percent of the global population but just 23 percent of global investment in R&D. Never-theless, research investment by coun-tries such as Brazil, India and Turkey is increasing rapidly.

Cuts in public investment

The increase in R&D spending owes a great deal to the private sector, which has compensated for frozen or

reduced public spending in a number of industrialised countries such as It-aly, the United Kingdom and France. This trend is particularly apparent in Canada (whose world share of R&D


spending dropped from 2.1 percent in 2007 to 1.5 percent in 2013) and Australia, where significant cuts were made to research funding and ap-plied sciences were prioritised to the detriment of basic research.

Moreover, say the authors of the re-port, basic research does not only generate new knowledge; it also con-tributes to the quality of higher edu-cation. In the long term, the balance of funding between applied and basic research can also affect the pace at which knowledge spreads. The Green Revolution, which enabled a signifi-cant increase in global agricultural output starting in the 1950s, drew almost entirely on research by public sector laboratories and universities. The picture is very different today, with advances in genetics and bio-technology largely coming out of pri-vate companies that are much more protective of their knowledge.

If global spending on R&D has in-creased despite the economic crisis, it is largely because it has been iden-tified as a key factor in promoting economic growth and development. As a result, a great many countries, regardless of the size of their income, now see research and innovation as a way to keep up in a highly competi-tive world or find their place in it.

This is the case in Africa, where there is growing recognition that the develop-ment of modern infrastructure, such as hospitals, roads and railways and a more diversified economy require investment in science and technology as well as the constitution of a skilled workforce. Kenya, for example, devot-ed 0.79 percent of its GDP to R&D in 2010 compared to just 0.36 percent in 2007. R&D spending is also increas-ing in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique and Uganda.

In the context of increased R&D in-vestment, technologies fostering sus-tainable development are an emerg-ing priority for a number of countries which fits with the Sustainable De-velopment Goals adopted by the United Nations in September 2015. This is especially the case in Latin America where 19 countries have ad-opted policies in favour of renewable

energy. Uruguay intends to generate 90 percent of its electricity from re-newable sources by the end of 2015. Chile and Mexico have significantly increased their wind and solar energy production capacity.

Similar projects are being undertak-en in the Arab States. Morocco, for example, inaugurated Africa’s largest wind farm in 2014 and is develop-ing what could turn out to be Africa’s biggest solar farm. In 2015, Saudi Arabia announced a programme to develop solar energy.

More scientists, greater mobility

The investment in research also translates into an increase in the number of scientists, estimated at 7.8 million worldwide, which is up by more than 20 percent since 2007. The European Union has the most (22% of the world share), followed by China (19%) and USA (16.7%).

There has also been a parallel explo-sion in the number of scientific pub-lications, which have increased by 23 percent since 2008. In 2014 there were around 1.27 million per month. Europe also leads in this field (34% of world share), followed by the USA (25%), although their respective shares have seen a slight decrease.

The number of publications coming out of China has almost doubled in five years, achieving nearly 20 per-cent of the world total, compared to five percent ten years ago. This dem-onstrates the maturity of the Chinese research system in terms of invest-ments, number of researchers and publications.

As well as being more numerous, scientists are also more mobile. De-spite the development of the Internet and the multiplication of online net-works, doctoral-level researchers still feel the need to travel. The increasing mobility of PhD students in turn in-fluences the mobility of researchers. “This is perhaps one of the most im-portant trends of recent times,” say the authors of the report.

Students from the Arab States, Cen-tral Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and

Western Europe are the most likely to study abroad. Europe and North America are still the preferred desti-nations for students. The USA alone receives almost half (49%) of inter-national students enrolled in doc-toral science or engineering courses. The United Kingdom comes second (9%), followed by France (7%) and Australia (4.6%).

Since the economic crisis of 2008, Europe and North America have lost some of their attraction. Meanwhile, students who wish to study abroad now have a wider choice. South Af-rica hosted about 60,000 interna-tional students in 2009. Cuba is one of the most popular destinations for students from Latin America, attract-ing 17,000 from the continent, com-pared to 5,000 who study in Brazil and 2000 in Chile. Another example is Malaysia, which expects to become the sixth most popular destination for international students by 2020. From 2007 to 2012, the number of international students in Malaysia almost doubled to 56,000.

Even countries suffering from brain drain are now attracting researchers. Sudan, for example, lost 3,000 re-searchers who went to neighbouring countries where conditions are bet-ter, notably Ethiopia, between 2002 and 2014. But Sudan also became a host country for students from the Arab world and Africa.

Research is still a very male world

While, globally, women have achieved parity at Master’s level, their share diminishes at PhD level to 43 percent of all doctoral graduates. The gap continues to widen after this, as women only represent 28.4 percent of the world’s researchers. They also have more limited access to funding than men and are less well represent-ed in prestigious universities. They remain a minority in senior posi-tions, whether on faculty boards or at the higher levels of decision-making in universities.

The regions with the greatest number of women researchers are south east Europe (49%), the Caribbean, Cen-tral Asia and Latin America (44%).

Community Relations Are Our Licence To Operate


Interestingly, in the Arab States 37 percent of researchers are women, which is a higher proportion than in the European Union (33%).

A number of countries have put in place policies to reverse this trend. In 2013 Germany, for example, intro-duced a 30 percent quota for women on corporate boards of directors. Ja-pan’s selection criteria for large uni-versity grants also seek to increase the representation of women among teaching staff and researchers.

Investing in research and develop-ment – some difficult choices

“Formulating a successful national science and innovation policy re-mains a very difficult task”, conclude the authors of the report. This will re-quire simultaneous action on several fronts, whether it is education, basic research, technological development

TheUNESCOScienceReportisprepared by a team of international experts.Itpresentsapictureofthe trends in global research and development,basedonawealthofqualitativeandquantitativedata.Thereportisdividedintochaptersfocusingondifferentregions,*presentingnewinsights

or indeed private investment in R&D. The 2008 economic crisis, which made many industrialized countries tighten their budgets, has rendered this task even more difficult.

While most R&D takes place in high-income countries, innovation is now occurring in a large number of countries, whatever their income level. Some innovation is occurring without any R&D activity at all. The authors of the report therefore en-courage policy makers not to focus exclusively on designing corporate incentives for R&D, but also to target innovation, in the form of technol-ogy transfer and the acquisition of machinery, equipment and software, which are all key elements in the in-novation process.

While most science policies advo-cate stronger links between the pri-vate sector, universities and public

intosomecountries**andessaysonspecificthemes,suchastheroleofindigenousknowledge.TheUNESCOScienceReportispublishedeveryfiveyears.

*ArabStates,CentralAfrica,CentralAsia,countriesborderingtheBlackSea,EuropeanUnion,LatinAmerica,

research institutions, these commit-ments often come to nothing, the re-port observes, quoting a 2013 survey carried out by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics in 65 countries. The report encourages policy makers to draft strategies to try to reverse this trend.

The UNESCO Science Report also emphasises the importance of good governance for innovation-driven development. Corruption in the uni-versity system is an obstacle to the education of qualified graduates. It is also a disincentive for the private sec-tor. Companies will have little inter-est in investing in R&D if they cannot rely on the justice system to defend their intellectual property.

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/loginarea/natural-sciences/science-technology/prospective-studies/unesco-science-report/usr-media-corner/

Member States of the Caribbean Community(CARICOM),SouthernAfrica,SouthAsia,SoutheastAsiaandOceania,WestAfrica.

**Brazil,Canada,China,India,Iran,Israel,Japan,Malaysia,RepublicofKorea,RussianFederation,UnitedStates of America.

Coal-firedpowerstationsintheUK,suchasDraxinnorthYorkshire,areunderpressuretoreducecarbondioxideemissionsbyburningbiomass.


Are you developing your leaders for tomorrow?

For individuals to develop lead-ership competencies, three elements are needed: ac-

tion, learning and reflection. Action means actually doing something and seeing the impact this has. Learn-ing means to have new views and insights brought to our attention. Reflection means to compare one’s thought frameworks with those of others and with the feedback from the environment.

Leadership development approaches often address two but rarely all three of these elements. Training pro-grammes allow to learn and reflect, but action is often absent. On-the-job work acts on company issues, but learning and reflection are left to chance. Team building allows to learn and reflect about oneself and others, but this temporary ‘high’ quickly disappears back at the office. Coach-ing combines all three elements, but helps one person at a time and is very investment intensive.

What is Action Learning?

What if an organisation could (1) address real business challenges, de-velop options and implement solu-tions, (2) have leaders practice their competencies continuously and (3) do this with a whole team? Action learning is a problem solving process that does exactly that, and that by de-sign integrates taking action, learn-ing and reflection. A team works on a real and current business issue, not a case study. Asking questions about the problem, rather than jumping towards solutions, allows you to ex-plore all aspects of a problem and of-ten leads to innovative solutions not yet thought about.

An Action Learning team typically

tioning allows the team to find the root of the problem and explore solu-tions. At the end of an Action Learn-ing session, everyone has actions to implement, and there is reciprocal commitment for follow up. Action Learning is a team-based process and works very well in cultures where people are more at ease working in small groups. Training and certifying internal coaches can be done quickly and the organization becomes inde-pendent to maintain and further de-ploy the Action Learning approach.

works together for three hours, ev-ery one or two weeks. At the end of each session, team members commit to actions and implement these be-tween sessions. The following session builds on the results of the actions and team members continue to peel the onion until the problem is solved in a satisfactory way. During each session, members practice and de-velop their leadership, listening and team working skills.

The perfect fit for Thailand

A study by Jean-Francois Cousin (ICF MCC) concludes that the big-gest challenges for leadership de-velopment for Thais are problem solving, expressing ideas and taking initiative. The Action Learning pro-cess is the perfect answer for these developments. Action Learning deals with real problems the organization is facing, and the focus is not on find-ing the best answer, as in a brain-storming session.

Asking questions creates a safer envi-ronment than when one is supposed to come up with the answers. Ques-

By Peter Cauwelier

Contact the World Institute for Action Learning – Thailand (www.wialthailand.com) to find out how Action Learning can help your teams solve critical business challenges and develop their leadership skills, at the same time. [email protected] or 0819397833.

Powerfulquestions

Action

Reflection

Sharing andteaming

Activelistening

Action Learning

Group and individual

development


New register aids investorsA new Financial Services Regis-

ter makes it easier to find in-formation on firms, individu-

als and other bodies that are, or have been, regulated by the PRA and/or the FCA.

The new Register has one search field to help you find a firm, individual or collective investment scheme by looking up its name, reference num-ber or postcode.

You can also search for certain in-vestment exchanges. You can filter the search results or click on a name for further information like contact details, the permissions a firm has or whether it is covered by the Finan-cial Ombudsman Service and Finan-cial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

The new Register also includes clear-er language and help text to explain some important financial, technical and regulatory terms.

Unauthorised firms

Firms that we have been told are pro-viding regulated products or services without the required authorisation – or are knowingly running a scam – are included in the Register for the first time.

These firms are highlighted in search results by red text and a warning symbol to make clear that we think you should avoid dealing with them or any individuals involved.

Further information on unauthor-ised firms includes the different de-tails being given out and whether

The Mutuals Public Register and Regulated Covered Bonds Register are not included in the new Financial Services Register. You can continue to search these registers separately.

More details at: http://www.fca.org.uk/news/warnings

they are falsely claiming to be from a genuine, authorised firm.

Consumer credit firms

Search results on the new Financial Services Register include consumer credit firms that have interim per-mission, so you don’t have to search the Consumer Credit Interim Per-mission Register separately.

Areyouplaguedbyunsolicitedcallsfromso-calledfinancialadvisorswiththatirritating‘helloJohn,howareyoutoday’openinglinefromacompletestranger(andlikelyillegalalieninThailand).

It’sveryimportanttopre-qualifybeforedivulginganypersonalinforma-tionsoherearefiveessentialtips.

1. Askforthecompany’sregistrationdetailsandthelistofdirectors.How long has the company been operating in Thailand?

2. IfthecompanyclaimstohaveUKconnections,checktheFCAweb-site that lists dodgy companies under suspicion. http://www.fca.org.uk/news/warnings

3. Ifthesalespersonisusingamobiletelephone,askforthecompanylandlineandextensionnumber.RefusaltocomplyprobablymeansheorsheiscallingyoufromaSukhumvitbar.

4. Insistuponameetingatthecompany’soffices.Iftheofficeistem-porarilyclosedfor‘redecorating’it’stimetoendthecall.

5. Askforacopyofthecaller’sworkpermitandNon-Imm-Bvisa.Moreoftenthannot,it’s‘inprocess’.Hangupnow.

Five tips to avoid the boilerhouse blues


The British Chamber of Commerce Thailand, the oldest and one of the largest foreign

chambers in the country, celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2016. To mark this momentous occasion an anniversary logo has been commissioned. The special logo will be used to promote an exciting programme of anniversary events including the Thai-UK 2016 exhibition, Taste of Britain 2016, The ‘Life and Style’ garden party and The Annual Lecture and Dinner.

The current BCCT brand was de-signed by local branding consul-tants GSBI Company Limited. Ste-ven Gravelle, Managing Director of GSBI, describes the brand marque as ‘a very immediate and approachable graphic representation of the link be-tween the British and Thai business communities.

It represents clearly an organisation that is about people and equality.

Chamber launches anniversary logo

It can confidently be applied as a brand masthead to underpin busi-ness conferences and communica-tions, as well as comfortably endors-ing informal networking evenings and social events’.

BCCT Chairman Simon Matthews said, “Our priority was to maintain the key message in our current logo of the UK and Thailand working together and GSBI has playfully integrated the party balloons into our people ‘paper chain’.”

ChAMbEr NEws

We wish all our contributors and readers a very Merry Christmas and a very happy, successful and prosperous New Year.

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MEMbEr NEws

New learning centre at NIstOver a hundred NIST parents,

teachers and students joined together on Thursday, 8 Oc-

tober 2015 to celebrate the opening of The Mechai Learning Commons, an educational space created to support information technology, online learn-ing, tutoring, exploration, content cre-ation, reading and study. The facility, made possible through the generous funding of Khun Mechai Viravaidya and family, builds upon the more tra-ditional library model. In addition to standard reading materials, it also includes a community café, mini-am-phitheatres and reading nooks—all designed to facilitate shared learning.

During the opening ceremony Head of School James MacDonald recog-nised not only Khun Mechai’s gener-ous contributions to NIST academi-cally and financially over the years but also to the growth of NIST’s com-munity during its formative years.

Khun Mechai served as the Chairman of the NIST International School Foundation from 1993 to 2002 and again from 2005 to 2009. He is also celebrated for his advocacy in family planning and rural development and still serves as the founding chairman of the largest non-profit in Thailand:

the Population and Community De-velopment Association.

Khun Mechai’s work includes a strong focus on the need to support disadvantaged communities and children, particularly those in Thai-land’s rural regions. His passion for helping others strongly impacted NIST’s own mission and values, lead-ing to the creation of many of the school’s community initiatives. These programmes, student-initiated and

driven, include Dreams We Believe In, the NIST Development Bank, FairNIST Coffee and the Maeramit Development Group. Each of these have allowed poor communities to access NIST’s facilities and resources, share and learn from NIST students and staff, and grow through educa-tional and financial support.

Through the vision, inspiration and generosity of the Mechai family, NIST has not only been able to sup-port continued academic and per-sonal excellence for its students, but also extend this mission into the sur-rounding community, empowering and enriching others.

Brett Penny, Head of Elementary - NIST International School, said, “Three key words that are taken from our philosophy statement are pro-voke, extend and enrich. We feel that these words can truly be attributable to Khun Mechai as, when teaching and having conversations with our elementary students, he always pro-vokes inquiry from the students and helps extend their thinking and even-tually our students go on to enrich other people’s lives.”

MQDC (Magnolia Quality Development Corporation) has been displaying new ways to save energy and protect the environment at the recent ‘360 Save the World Expo’ in Bangkok.

KhunMechaiViravaidya


A new International Business Report published by Grant Thornton examines Thai-

land’s prospects for business growth. The report, ‘Thailand: the business growth landscape’ looks in depth at the last 10 years in Thailand and some of the key challenges it now faces in growing the economy.

The report notes that Thailand, over the past decade, has seen 11 Prime Ministers in office (including caretak-ers), 10 Finance Ministers, many dead-ly street protests, two coups, an airport shut-down and an economically dev-astating flood. ‘Given this it is almost surprising that Thailand has managed to eke out an annual average growth rate of 3.13 percent over the last 10 years - albeit the lowest in the region.

Compare that with our neighbours in ASEAN during this same period; Sin-gapore – one Prime Minister and 5.17 percent growth; Philippines – two Presidents and 5.43 percent growth; Malaysia – two Prime Ministers and 4.86 percent growth; Indonesia – two Presidents and 5.7 percent growth and, finally, Vietnam which has had only one Prime Minister and enjoyed six percent growth. Stability with prosperity is key to growth in this rapidly changing and challenging environment.

The report adds that ‘the lack of sta-bility over the last 10 years will play a key role in shaping the future eco-nomic fortunes of Thailand. There are several substantial systemic issues which will start to act like an anchor on the long-term health of the econo-my. Even with substantial action now,

it will take several generations for this anchor to be lifted and the Thai econ-omy able to sail strongly again’.

The Thai population is ageing dra-matically. By 2040 a quarter of the population will be over 65. The Na-tional Economic and Social Develop-ment Board recently said that this will lead to a highly dependent population after 2040, with a workforce not able to sustain the rate of consumption. This will have the double negative ef-fect of reducing the working popula-tion whilst at the same time incurring higher bills for healthcare. This bur-den will be absorbed by not only the people in part but also by the national and local Thai governments.

Wage increase outstripping productivity

Ian Pascoe, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton in Thailand, com-

mented, “This is like two ends of an elastic band. In the middle of that band is reduced competitiveness in a region which is becoming more competitive. Radical changes in the education system including greater technical education and a focus on advanced vocational training to pro-mote increasing levels of productivity are not even being discussed. Even if this were to happen at this moment, it would be one or two generations before there would be a measurable enough contribution to efficiency.”

Thailand is attempting to move up the manufacturing ‘value tree’ and away from low-cost labour intensive manu-facturing towards a knowledge-based economy. However, key ingredients of moving towards such an economy are not present: R&D spending, IP protection and investments in science and technology. Thailand’s world-wide university rankings continue to decline and, remarkably, levels of English competency are in decline in the younger generation of students. Even a high-speed internet, which is a major key to this, is severely lacking. This absence of digital infrastructure further contributes to even more ba-sic challenges: business, banking and government transactions are still too paper-based, thus encouraging a lack of transparency while incurring high-er expenses for all involved.

“These systemic issues are against a backdrop of considerable global turmoil. When the world was grow-ing a tremendous amount of capac-ity was built for what was seen then as preparing for demand from a fast

Grant thornton report highlights thailand’s major challenges

MEMbEr NEws

Ian Pascoe


Manpower Ad.artwork from Directory

waiting scandMedia

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growing world. Instead demand has dropped markedly however over-ca-pacity remains,” added Ian Pascoe.

“The world is also in a long deflation-ary cycle which can exacerbate the effects of debt given that the present value of the debt remains the same or greater. Meanwhile, China’s GDP continues to grow but that growth is coming from the services sector. Non-services related growth, which Thailand used to be able to feed with manufacturing, is in decline.”

Accelerating growth in GDP

Thailand can accelerate growth us-ing three main levers including more household spending, more exports and a substantial increase in govern-ment spending. The first two levers are already too hot to touch. Household spending has been declining whilst household debt has increased dramati-cally at the fastest rate in south east Asia over the last six years. The prog-nosis for exports is also not strong. As

mentioned earlier Thailand has not made the necessary adjustments to its education programs to improve pro-ductivity but instead has been fortu-nate that in the past the world econo-my and its major trading partners have been growing. That is no longer the case. Our neighbours in the region are also competitive in this area. Thus the halcyon days of strong export growth are no longer sustainable.

Government spending is a possibility and is starting to happen with the large infrastructure projects that have been announced. The government’s bank balance can certainly support these projects. However, history has taught us that the government is generally slow to actually spend funds while fast profligate spending can also encourage corruption, which the government is at-tempting to prevent. This environment essentially paralyses the government from making any meaningful decisions for on the one hand the bureaucrats are scared of making decisions for ma-jor projects and on the other hand, are

waiting for an environment better suit-ed to making those decisions.

Ian Pascoe concluded, “We expect stability in Thailand during 2016 however a continuation of relatively depressed economic growth. Robust tourism numbers will remain a bright spot and we also believe there will be a modest increase in private consump-tion in 2016. However with global growth stunted and some sizeable sys-temic issues looming in the economy, the net effect of this will be a projected GDP rise of 3.6 percent in 2016 and four percent in 2017. Only stability with action towards prosperity will be able to assist with this in these eco-nomically challenging times.”

A separate IBR from Grant Thornton takes an in-depth look at the cru-cial Asia Pacific region. ‘The future of Asia Pacific’ shows comparative results of thousands of surveys with business leaders in the region and explores the opportunities and chal-lenges for the region


shrewsbury proms night attracts record numbersThe 2015 Last Night of the

Proms at Shrewsbury Interna-tional School attracted nearly

600 guests. The event, sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover, featured a wide range of music from Shrewsbury’s symphony orchestra and choirs un-der the direction of Director of Music Ken Haggarty and Director of Choral Ben Hur. UK music ensemble Ex Ca-thedra also took part.

The 15-piece programme including works by Edward Elgar to Andrew Lloyd Webber. However, the perfor-mance of Karl Jenkins’ Benedictus marked a particularly special point in the evening, as Year 13 music scholar Khun Gun Chaikittiwatana was handed the baton. Gun heads to Oberlin College in America in 2016 to continue his musical studies. John Moore, Director of Music at Shrewsbury School in England brought proceedings to an end with Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Bri-tannia and Jerusalem.

MEMbEr NEws

Grant Thornton launched its ‘Hotels 2020: Welcoming Tomorrow’s Guests’ report at a well-attended seminar in Bangkok. The report, which addresses how technology is changing experiences and expectations of hotel guests, was presented by Gillian Saunders ( far left), Grant Thornton’s Head of Hotels and Tourism. The panel members taking part in the discussions included Tony Chisholm (pictured right), General Manager of the Pullman Bangkok G hotel in Silom Road.

Happy shopping!


MEMbEr NEws

The office supply in prime CBD locations remained un-changed q-o-q in Q3 2015, ac-

cording to property specialists DZT.On a y-o-y basis, total office stock increased by 5.2 percent to 1.79 mil-lion sq m. The most recent comple-tion was Bhiraj Tower at Emquartier in Q2 2015.

Future office supply in the CBD area will be limited throughout 2016 and 2017. Developers are seeking to build new offices in non-CBD or fringe CBD areas, especially adjacent to the existing BTS and MRT lines. DZT ex-pects to see more office developments in non-CBD areas. Leasing activity in the office sector continues to grow while supply is limited. Total occupied office space in Q3 2015 was recorded at 1.60 million sq m, an increase of 0.4 percent q-o-q and 23.1 percent y-o-y.

The occupancy rate in Q3 2015 reg-istered at 89.4 percent, up from 89.0 percent in Q2 2015 but down from 91.2 percent from the same period last year. Average office rental levels in the CBD in Q3 2015 remained un-changed at THB 775 per square me-tre/month despite an active leasing market in the prime CBD locations. Retail

Retail supply in the downtown mar-ket was negative in Q3 2015. With the demolition of 5,000 square me-tres of retail space in City Viva, the total retail stock in the downtown, as of Q3 2015, was 1,317,493 sq m, decreasing by 0.4 percent q-o-q, but increasing by 4.4 percent y-o-y.

The midtown market saw an expan-sion of stock in Q3. Total retail stock increased to 755,599 sq m, an in-crease of 4.4 percent q-o-q and 14.7 percent y-o-y. This was due to the

launch of five new retail malls with a total of 32,143 sq m of retail space.

The average occupancy rate in the downtown market in Q3 2015 in-creased slightly to 92.0 percent, from 91.5 percent in Q2 2015. The increase in the occupancy rate was largely due to the movement of tenants into The EmQuartier shopping mall. DZT an-ticipates that the occupancy rate will remain stable in Q4.

The average rent in downtown loca-tions in Q3 2015 remained unchanged at THB2,630 per sq m per month. The rents increased by 3.1 percent when compared to the same quarter last year. The average rent in the mid-town in Q3 2015 remained unchanged at THB1,560 per square metre/month despite the completion of new stock. Residential

The condominium development ac-tivity in the CBD remained robust. Thailand’s prominent condominium developers continued to launch their new projects in Q3. A total of 2,294 units from six condominium proj-ects were launched in Q3 2015, about 125 percent y-o-y from a total of

1,834 units in Q3 2014. The major-ity (63.3%) of the new condominium supply in the CBD emanated from the Sukhumvit area. This was followed by the Silom-Sathorn area (36.7%).

The supply of Grade A units (proper-ties with average unit selling prices ranging between THB120,000 and 169,999 per sq m), dominated the CBD market. Grade A units accounted for 63.3 percent of the total supply in Q3 2015, followed by Grade B (24.7%) and the luxury segment (12.1%). The average unit selling price reached THB200,000 per square metre in Q3 2015, increasing by 1.5 percent q-o-q and 27.0 percent y-o-y. It is an-ticipated that the average unit selling price in all CBD areas will continue to moderately increase in Q4.

Resale values of condominium units in Bangkok’s CBD continued to in-crease in Q3 2015. The resale price index in Q3 2015 settled at 122.53, increasing from 121.08 in Q2 2015. The average asking price of resale condominium units was recorded at THB101,700 per sq m, representing an increase of 1.2 percent q-o-q, and 14.3 percent y-o-y.

office supply holds firm in prime CbD locations


Fromlefttoright:PanaJanviroj,PresidentofInternationalBusinessAffairsofNationGroup;KukuChaiBukuk,JurairatSirisambhand,StanleyLo,ResidentManagerofDusitThaniBangkok;YangXun,CuiZhi’an,FengXuewen,andSuthichai

Yoon,AdvisortotheNationMultimediaGroupeditorialboard.

CallumwasgreetedbyHarrowheadmasterMickFarley(aboveleft).

Dusit International joined the 40th anniversary celebra-tions of Thai-Chinese diplo-

matic relations that culminated in an art exhibition entitled ‘Thailand through the Dragon’s Brushes’.

Ten Chinese artists were commis-sioned by The Nation newspaper, China Daily Asia Pacific and The Chinese Culture and Arts Association to visit some of Thailand’s most pop-ular cities, including Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and then create works of art inspired by these places in their own style.

In support of this event, the Dusit Thani Bangkok and DusitPrincess Chiang Mai hotels hosted the artists in Thailand. As a gesture of apprecia-tion, five of the artists collaborated on one painting called ‘Beautiful flowers around the Moon’ - created on the

auspicious day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The painting was present-ed to Khun Jurairat Sirisambhand,

Dusit International’s Group Director of Partnerships and Corporate Ad-vertising.

Dusit joins Chinese-thai celebrations

MEMbEr NEws

Harrow Bangkok has wel-comed cyclist Callum Fairhurst during the Thai-

land leg of his round-the-world jour-ney. Callum is raising funds for the Liam Fairhurst Foundation, set up to help young people affected by cancer, disabilities and illness, as well as lo-cal charities, too.

Liam, Callum’s brother, died of can-cer in 2009 and during his life he was responsible for raising £340,000, and a further £7million by heading

round the world cyclist drops in at harrow

a campaign for charity.Harrow Bang-kok students, inspired by Callum’s

dedication, have been raising money for the charity appeal.


Jobs boost as tesco Lotus opens distribution centre

MEMbEr NEws

Tesco Lotus has opened its sec-ond regional distribution cen-tre (DC) in Surat Thani as a key

distribution hub for southern Thai-land. An estimated 800 new jobs will be created and the company is fore-casting that some 14 tons of carbon tons will be eliminated each month.

Monchai Intarapornudom, Distri-bution Director of Tesco Lotus, said that “The opening of our regional distribution centre in Surat Thani is another significant milestone in our continued efforts to elevate the qual-ity of the products and services we of-fer to our customers. The DC, worth an investment of Baht 2.5 billion, will allow Tesco Lotus to be able to bet-ter serve customers in the south and help stimulate the local economy. Approximately 800 jobs will be gen-erated, most of which will be filled by people in the surrounding areas.

“In addition to the direct employ-ment, the regional DC will give local SMEs that don’t currently have the capacity to transport their products to our central DCs to send their goods here instead, thereby giving them ac-

cess to Tesco Lotus customers in the south of Thailand and throughout the country. The presence of this DC will help small vendors and suppliers save on long distance transportation costs.”

The new Tesco Lotus DC in Surat Thani is one of the most advanced and energy efficient in Thailand. With a service area of 55,000 square metres the DC is located on 190 rai of land in Surat Thani’s Punpin district.

It is also one of the fully integrated distribution centres in the Thai mod-ern trade retail sector which can store fresh and ambient products under the same roof. The DC has the capac-ity to handle 30,000 pallets and 3.5 million packs.

The DC uses green innovations and energy-saving technology includ-ing motion sensor LED lighting, hot water generated by coolers for basket washing, ceiling fans thatwork with natural wind directions to ventilate the room-temperature storage area, double doors preventing air condi-tioning leakage, floor insulation to cool down the rooms, and voltage stabilisers to regulate electrical cur-rents and enhance the efficiency of electrical equipment.

The DC will serve almost 190 exist-ing Tesco Lotus stores in 14 provinces across southern Thailand.

Tesco Lotus operates six distribution centres in Wang Noi, Bangbuathong, Sam Khok, Lamlukka, Khon Kaen and Surat Thani that service almost 1,800 Tesco Lotus stores across the country.

CBRE staff have been taking part in an exercise to clear rubbish from Bang Tao beach in Phuket. The clean-up activity was part of the company’s ‘Green Week’. Participants cleared a substantial quantity of rubbish, helping restore the beach’s natural beauty. The activity was led by Nicholas Franklin, Associate Director of CBRE Phuket.


MEMbEr NEws

Jobs remain at risk in Air France reviewAir France Chairman and CEO

Frédéric Gagey has presented a progress update on the air-

line’s Perform 2020 plan in which compulsory redundancies ‘cannot be ruled out’. Facing the impossibility of signing agreements enabling the implementa-tion of productivity measures to restore long-term profitability, Air France is now forced to launch a restructuring plan of its long-haul network.

Air France’s long-haul capacity should decline by around 10 percent between 2015 and 2017. At the level of the Air France-KLM’s passenger network business, capacity should fall by around two percent between 2015 and 2017, compared with a previous expectation of around three percent growth. The plan currently foresees the clo-sure of five routes and the cancel-lation of 35 weekly frequencies by 2017. The schedule modifications will focus on routes where losses are

mainly be made via the accelerated retirement of Airbus A340s which will not be replaced by Boeing 787s as had been initially planned.

In 2016 and 2017, the related capex reduction could reach up to €200 million. This reduction in activity will result in estimated overstaffing of 2,900 people, comprising approxi-mately 300 pilots, 900 cabin crew and 1,700 ground staff. In segments where consultation/negotiations enable the achievement of the Perform 2020 tar-gets, the adaptation in staff will take the form of voluntary departures.

In the other segments, compulsory re-dundancies cannot be ruled out. The restructuring charges will be recorded once the pace and conditions for these departures has been determined.

The targeted reduction in the Air France network, focused on the most loss-making routes, combined with a reduction in fixed costs and cost-sav-ing measures across all Air France’s businesses and the Group as a whole, will enable the enduring turnaround in the Group’s results to be pursued.

highest, serving principally Asia and the Middle East.

The impact on the commercial foot-print of the Group will be minimal thanks to, among other, the numerous partnerships in the relevant markets.

Air France’s long-haul fleet will be scaled back by 14 aircraft to 93 by summer 2017. This adjustment will

Harrow School in Bangkok has taken to the airwaves. The new station is run entirely by student DJs, producers and station managers. Using professional-standard equipment, the station crew meet at lunchtimes and on Tuesday afternoons to plan, record, and produce the radio shows. Programmes include ‘My Jam’ which features guests talking about their favourite music.


MEMbEr NEws

New world order emerges in regional city rankingsAsia Pacific’s three established

world cities risk being out-shone by emerging cities in

the region over the next decade, ac-cording to new research from global real estate consultancy JLL in con-junction with The Business of Cities.

Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong make up half of the ‘Big Six’ estab-lished world cities and, along with London, New York and Paris, attract world class corporations, talent and more than one fifth of global real es-tate investment.

However the report, Globalisation and Competition: The New World of Cities, reveals that a number of cities in Asia Pacific could challenge their dominance. Sydney and Seoul are identified as the most likely cities to break into this elite group. Mean-while Shanghai and Beijing are con-sidered nearly-emerged, with Shang-hai already one of the world’s top 10 financial hubs.

Rosemary Feenan, director of Global Research Programmes at JLL, says: “In order for the ‘Big Six’ cities to maintain their dominance, they will need to execute bold and ambitious urban transformation projects to ac-commodate growth and stay globally competitive.

“Our research shows that a new world order of cities is evolving, with several emerging cities ready to break from the pack. In Asia in particular there are strong challenges to the old order from agile higher-value emerg-ing cities like Bangalore, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.”

Singapore and Hong Kong remain the most business-friendly cities in the world, along with having strong

education, innovation and infra-structure credentials. Tokyo, mean-while, is the world’s third biggest real estate investment market and has re-cently seen a record-breaking num-ber of tourist arrivals, thanks to visa deregulation and the weaker yen.

But in the new era of city competition the rigid hierarchy is breaking down as more cities than ever ‘go global’. The increasingly globalised urban world is changing the geography of commercial real estate and is offer-ing new opportunities and niches for cities outside the old order, says the report.

Alastair Hughes, Asia Pacific CEO of JLL, says: “As emerging cities in Asia Pacific move to the next phase of their evolution, the real estate sector will play an increasingly important role in creating a ‘sense of place’ and mak-ing them more liveable and sustain-able. This will have wide-ranging im-plications for citizens, governments, corporations and provide some great opportunities for investors.”

Chris Fossick, Managing Director of Singapore and Southeast Asia at JLL, says: “Over the last few years, emerging Southeast Asian cities have made significant progress and in-creased their presence in the global scene. Jakarta and Manila’s domes-tic market size and strong economic growth have caught the attention of global investors.

Kuala Lumpur has and will continue to strengthen its position as a major city in the fast growing Southeast Asian region, and will be further en-hanced with the eventual opening of the High Speed Rail connecting to Singapore. Singapore’s transparent and business-friendly environment, and it becoming an information-led economy, should cement its position as an innovation hub.”

Taipei, for example, is identified as an emerging world city, a growing finan-cial centre with strong infrastructure and excellent governance. Kuala Lumpur is also considered a com-petitive megacity, acting as a gateway to the regional markets in Southeast Asia, with its strategic location and dynamic labour markets.

Jakarta and Manila are among the emerging cities making the fast-est progress across key indicators, currently seen as ‘high potential, but weakly governed’. These cities, along with Mumbai, are attracting investment and outsourcing activi-ties, although they face a number of challenges relating to infrastructure, governance and quality of life.

Among the emerging world cities, Bangkok ranks 9th in leading indices and 6th for human capital and inno-vation. It is also listed among manu-facturing leaders.


CBRE has fully let a new 32-unit apartment building, the Philo Residence, on Sukhum-

vit Soi 24 within three months of completion. The eight-storey devel-opment has achieved an average rent of over THB 800 per square metre per month – one of the top rental rates achieved for apartments (sin-gle-ownership) or condominiums (multi-ownership) in an area where rents are on average only THB 500 per square metre per month.

This is because the apartments matched expatriate tenant require-ments in terms of size, layout, speci-fication and furniture, according to Theerathorn Prapunpong, Director of Residential Leasing Services at CBRE.

“CBRE closes about 400 leases on average for expatriates every year and by studying requirements and trans-action data in our comprehensive database, we are able to analyse the market and have a good understand-ing of where expatriates want to live, what they want and, most impor-tantly, what they can afford to pay,” said Khun Theerathorn.

New condo complex suits expat requirements

Many expatriates still receive a hous-ing allowance and are willing to spend all of it – but not more. They are not willing to top up the allow-ance with their own funds.

Developers want to maximise the rent per square metre, but there is a limit on how small a unit tenants are willing to accept, so the developers cannot simply shrink the unit size to increase the per-square-metre rent. The attractiveness and efficiency of the layout are critical and the right design can produce an optimum size for each type of unit that will lease

quickly and maximise per-square-metre rents. CBRE estimates that there are more than 80,000 expatri-ates with work permits in Bangkok, an increase of 8.55 percent compared to 2014. However, there are only about 11,000 apartment units in the popular expatriate areas with about 300 new units that will be completed by the end of 2016.

With such a limited supply and the continuing renovation and refurbish-ment of older apartments, CBRE be-lieves that the rental price per square metre will further increase.

MEMbEr NEws

More accreditation for Charter schoolCharter International School

now enjoys additional inter-national accreditation as a re-

sult of recent visits by the Council of International School (CIS), Western Association of Schools and Colleg-es (WASC) and the Thai Office for

National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA).

The CIS Accreditation Service, upon completion of its evaluation procedures, awarded accreditation to the new programme. CIS accred-

itation is now afforded to the entire school, from Nursery to Year 13. Further details of Charter Interna-tional School may be found at www.charter.ac.th or by calling 02 726 8283.


MEMbEr NEws

Directors, staff and pupils at the Regent’s School were honoured to welcome HRH

Princess Soamsawali to the Rama 9 Campus on 27 to 29 October.

The Princess, along with 80 other performers, rehearsed intensively at the grand auditorium for the upcom-ing Cixi Taihou, The Musical Gala, organised by the Old England Stu-dents Association.

The Rama 9 campus was selected as the rehearsal venue largely due to its purpose-built facilities, efficient staff and convenient location. HRH Princess Soamsawali also had meals prepared by our school staff at the Knights Room during the rehearsal

evenings. We have been inspired by the dedication and wisdom of HRH

and are forever grateful for her royal kindness to the school.

regent’s school campus celebrates royal visit

student showcase talents at Emporium bangkok

Six students from Regent’s, aged between six and 11 years old, have performed at the Kid’s Ex-

traordinaire event held at Bangkok’s Emporium.

The performances ranged from play-ing the violin, a vocal performance, a song and dance route and martial arts choreography.

Rachel Perkins, the school’s Head of Primary, said, “They are fantastic school ambassadors and they han-dled the event with enthusiasm and professionalism.”


MEMbEr NEws

school launches sports channelHarrow International School

Bangkok has launched a sports channel. Called H-

Sports, the team is made up of our students working as producers, pre-senters, editors and camera opera-tors. Using equipment provided by the Friends of Harrow, the team aims to reach same professional produc-tion standards seen on the BBC and Sky Sports. The team is filming sport-ing fixtures and plans to air one show each week on Harrow TV which is shown on screens around the school and online.

harrow opens learning centreThe Harrow International

School Bangkok community has been celebrating the of-

ficial opening of its brand new Sixth Form hub, the Rayleigh Centre. Gov-ernors from Harrow School in the UK were present to mark the occa-sion and the ribbon was cut by Ed-ward Gould, Chairman of Harrow International Schools Limited.

With views over Harrow Lake, the designated Sixth Form centre

provides a light, spacious com-mon room for students to work and relax alongside plenty of col-laborative learning spaces to meet the needs of over 250 sixth form students.

Head Master, Michael Farley, said, “This combination of flexible teach-ing and learning spaces ensures that our school will continue to provide outstanding facilities for our students within a caring environment.”

Virapan Pulges (centre), Managing Director of TICON Industrial Connection Plc. (TICON) together with Johannes Suriadjaja (left), President Director of PT Surya Semesta Internusa Tbk (SSIA) and Eiichi Tanabe (right), General Manager of 2nd Overseas Business Development Department, Urban Development Division - Mitsui have revealed details of the company’s new joint venture. The newly-established firm aims to expand its business as a leading developer of international-quality warehouses and factories for lease in Indonesia.


MEMbEr NEws

It’s a Pink october at NIstThe annual Pinktober event at

NIST International School has raised over THB 190,000.

The funds will be used to support the school’s cancer awareness pro-gramme and the cost of annual health screens for female support staff at NIST.

Now in its fifth year, Pinktober is an important occasion in the school cal-endar. This year’s fundraising event was organised by the school’s par-ent-teacher association (NIPTA) in partnership with the Physical Edu-cation department, with numerous fun events and activities taking place throughout the day.

Tesco Lotus has unveiled its contemporary art themed New Year hampers. To en-

hance convenience for customers, the retailer is extending its chan-nels to include online marketplace Lazada.

Corporate Affairs Director Salinla Seehaphan said, “Tesco Lotus ham-pers come in five collections, namely nature, celebration, classic, modern and luxury, each reflected in the ma-terials of the baskets as well as the products they contain. With a grow-ing trend in health and fitness we are pleased to offer our health-conscious customers a ‘healthy’ range of bas-kets, some containing OTOP prod-ucts.”

Prices of these new Tesco Lotus hampers range from THB 288 to THB 3,488.

New hamper themes from tesco Lotus

shrewsbury hosts awardsShrewsbury International School

Bangkok has hosted the annual Outstanding Cambridge Learn-

er Awards for Thailand. Dr. Ben Schmidt, Regional Director for south east Asia and the Pacific, described winning a Cambridge Outstanding Learning Award as ‘a ticket to a jour-ney that will take you further’.

Two of Shrewsbury’s 2015 graduates that secured Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards in AS Geography and Economics have now embarked on Ivy League degree courses. Khun Nannapin (Pearl) Banjurtrungkajorn will study at University Pennsylva-nia (Wharton Business School) and Khun Thanachaporn (Mind) Apiv-essa will be at Cornell University.

Headmaster Stephen Holroyd said,

“Our mission is not merely focused on the qualifications and awards – important though they are – but

also on the qualities to ensure that Shrewsbury students will thrive be-yond the school gates.”

Ian Barrow (second from right), General Manager of the Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, hosted a series of Italian Renaissance Dinners in Scalini restaurant that also featured art and opera. Special guests at the preview night included tenor Yves Baron ( far left), artist Saverio Lucci (third from left) and celebrity Pawarisa Penchart ( far right).

MEMbEr NEws

Knight Frank Thailand co-hosted a forum with TISCO Wealth and Forbes Thailand to promote offshore property investments and the ‘super prime’ condominium market in Bangkok. Nicholas Holt, Head of Research at Knight Frank Asia Pacific placed spe-cial emphasis upon London’s proper-ties and the prime residential market which remains highly sought after by international investors. Pictured are: Phanom Kanjanathiemthao, Managing Director, Knight Frank Chartered, (3rd from left), Oranuch Apisaksirikul, CEO of TISCO Group (middle), and Krisda Sawamiphakdi, CEO of Forbes Thai-land (2nd from right); Frank Khan, Executive Director, Head of Residential Department, Knight Frank Chartered, (2nd from left) and Nicholas Holt.


Chamber Events

by the Numbers

Director, Dataconsult Ltd.Chris bruton

Dataconsult

Thailand Growth stays positive

As year-end approaches, growth prospects remain at better than 2.5 percent, and could reach the heady heights of 2.8 per-cent. The weak spot is Thailand’s former strength, namely exports, heading for a decline of at least 5 percent in the full year. But most other countries in the world have fared worse than this, so Thailand gains the accolade of minimal decline. Real pri-vate consumption, though displaying pos-itive growth, will not come to the rescue. It will be real public investment that keeps Thailand afloat, and it can only be hoped that the present government’s official anti-corruption drive ensures that the money spent goes in the intended directions. For

2016, the outlook appears brighter. GDP growth is projected at 3 to 4 percent and even exports should be back into positive territory.

IMF Prospects for the Region

Every April and October, the IMF reas-sesses the world outlook. The poorer the country, the better the growth prospects, so Myanmar and Laos, closely followed by India and Cambodia lead the charge for maximum GDP growth. The IMF envis-ages Thailand growth at 3.2 percent for 2016, with an annual range of between 3.2 and 3.6 percent through 2020. That could result in Thailand slipping by 2018 from its current ranking as second larg-est ASEAN economy, behind Indonesia, to third position, behind Malaysia. Thai-land already slipped behind China in per capita GDP in 2011, and, if the IMF is to be believed, will enjoy little more than half the per capita GDP of China by 2020.

Ease of Doing Business: nothing to be proud of

If Thailand’s GDP growth is unspec-tacular, its ease of doing business rating appears to have taken, comparatively, a

disastrous hit, falling from 26th position out of 189 countries in the 2015 World Bank survey, to 49th position in the 2016 ranking. Meanwhile Singapore, at 1st position, and Malaysia, at 18th posi-tion, have remained at the same rank-ing. Thailand seems to be good at just about nothing, although it is one of the best when it comes to insolvency. That should be consoling to those bent on go-ing broke.

Foreign Direct Investment: staying strong

Despite Thailand’s relatively poor over-all ratings, foreign investors still love us, although we remain behind Indonesia (and, of course, Singapore). Thailand is well ahead of other ASEAN countries in terms of foreign investment inflows and stocks. Although nowhere near to Singapore or Malaysia in flows or stocks of outward investment Thailand is also becoming a major player in overseas investment too. When statistics on out-ward investment in 2015 become avail-able, Thailand may become even more significant, with many Thai firms ven-turing both into the Mekong Region and further afield.

2014 actual2015 f 2016 f

Average Range Average Range

Major AssumptionsExogenous VariablesAverageEconomicGrowthofMajorTradingPartners(percenty-o-y) 3.6 3.5 3.3-3.8 3.7 3.2-4.2

DubaiCrudeOilPrice(USD/bbl) 96.6 53.0 48.0-58.0 57.8 52.8-62.8

ExportpriceinU.S.dollar(percenty-o-y) -1.0 -2.3 -3.3 to -1.3 1.1 0.1-2.1

ImportpriceinU.S.dollar(percenty-o-y) -1.9 -9.8 -10.8 to -8.8 1.6 0.6-2.6Policy VariablesExchangeRate(BahtperU.S.dollar) 32.49 34.2 33.7-34.7 36.50 35.5-37.5

RepurchaseRate(PolicyRate)atyear-end(percenty-o-y) 2.00 1.50 1.25-1.75 1.75 1.25-2.25

Fiscal-YearPublicExpenditure(TrillionBaht) 3.20 3.40 3.38-3.42 3.70 3.66-3.74

Number of International tourists (million persons) 24.8 30.15 29.7-30.7 34.2 33.2-35.2

Projections

EconomicGrowthRate(percenty-o-y) 0.9 2.8 2.6-3.1 3.8 3.3-4.3

RealConsumptionGrowth(percenty-o-y)

-RealPrivateConsumption 0.6 1.8 1.6-2.1 2.5 2.0-3.0

-RealPublicConsumption 1.7 3.4 3.2-3.7 3.0 2.5-3.5

RealInvestmentGrowth(percenty-o-y)

-RealPrivateInvestment -2.0 0.8 0.3-1.3 6.1 5.1-7.1

-RealPublicInvestment -4.9 21.7 20.7-22.7 8.0 6.0-10.0

ExportVolumeofGoodsandServices(percenty-o-y) 0.0 0.6 0.1-1.1 4.1 3.1-5.1

ImportVolumeofGoodsandServices(percenty-o-y) -5.4 0.0 -0.5 to 0.5 5.1 4.1-6.1

TradeBalance(billionU.S.dollar) 24.6 32.0 27.8-36.3 25.2 17.4-33.1

-ExportValueofGoodsinU.S.dollar(percenty-o-y) -0.3 -5.4 -6.4 to -4.4 3.2 1.2-5.2

-ImportValueofGoodsinU.S.dollar(percenty-o-y) -8.5 -9.8 -10.8 to -8.8 7.5 5.5-9.5

CurrentAccount(billionU.S.dollar) 13.4 26.7 22.5-31.0 18.7 10.9-26.6

- Percentage of GDP 3.3 6.8 5.9-8.0 4.8 2.8-6.9HeadlineInflation(percenty-o-y) 1.8 -0.9 -1.2 to -0.7 1.8 1.3-2.3CoreInflation(percenty-o-y) 1.4 1.0 0.8-1.3 1.0 0.5-1.5UnemploymentRate(percentageoftotallaborforce) 0.7 0.9 0.8-1.0 0.8 0.7-0.9

Economic Projections for 2015 and 2016

Source: Fiscal Policy Office, Ministry of Finance: October 2015


Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020China 5,059.72 6,039.55 7,492.53 8,461.51 9,490.85 10,356.51 11,384.76 12,253.98 13,173.59 14,272.35 15,620.71 17,100.06

India 1,365.37 1,708.46 1,843.02 1,835.82 1,875.16 2,051.23 2,182.58 2,384.73 2,607.41 2,846.16 3,131.95 3,443.60

Indonesia 577.539 755.256 892.59 919.002 912.502 888.648 872.615 875.75 950.438 1,021.23 1,103.29 1,193.91

Thailand 281.575 340.924 370.608 397.472 420.167 404.824 373.536 393.019 411.266 432.409 454.082 473.997Malaysia 208.914 255.024 297.961 314.443 323.342 338.108 313.479 350.992 392.439 437.428 487.731 544.418Philippines 168.485 199.591 224.143 250.092 271.928 284.618 299.314 330.232 366.753 407.942 454.796 507.251

Singapore 192.406 236.42 275.37 289.941 302.246 307.872 293.959 308.716 328.299 348.796 370.063 394.977

Vietnam 101.634 112.771 134.598 155.565 170.565 185.897 198.805 214.75 229.845 247.415 265.987 287.257

Myanmar 38.065 49.628 56.002 55.609 56.699 63.135 65.775 71.275 79.046 87.474 96.408 106.221

Cambodia 10.391 11.232 12.818 14.057 15.362 16.551 17.714 19.198 20.86 22.765 24.83 27.089

Laos 5.582 6.842 8.062 9.4 10.788 11.681 12.548 13.444 15.02 17.097 18.842 20.713Brunei 11.893 13.707 18.527 19.047 18.092 17.104 11.636 11.853 13.038 14.551 17.129 19.1

Country FDI Inflows FDI Outflows

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

SEAsiatotal 46,134 105,151 93,535 108,135 126,087 132,867 41,533 55,476 54,854 50,717 67,172 80,061

Singapore 23,821 55,076 48,002 56,659 64,793 67,523 26,239 33,377 24,490 15,147 28,814 40,660

Indonesia 4,877 13,771 19,241 19,138 18,817 22,580 2,249 2,664 7,713 5,422 6,647 7,077

Thailand 4,854 9,147 1,195 9,168 14,016 12,566 4,172 4,467 6,106 10,487 12,122 7,692

Malaysia 1,453 9,060 12,198 9,239 12,115 10,799 7,784 13,399 15,249 17,143 14,107 16,445Vietnam 7,600 8,000 7,519 8,368 8,900 9,200 700 900 950 1,200 1,956 1,150

Philippines 1,963 1,298 1,852 2,033 3,737 6,201 359 616 339 1,692 3,647 6,990

Cambodia 928 1,342 1,372 1,835 1,872 1,730 19 21 29 36 46 32

Myanmar 27 6,669 1,118 497 584 946 - - - - - -

Laos 190 279 301 294 427 721 1 1 1 0 44 2

Brunei 370 481 691 865 778 568 9 6 10 422 135 -Timor-Leste 50 29 47 39 50 34 - 26 33 13 13 13

Country FDI Inwards Stock FDI Outwards Stock

1990 2000 2012 2013 2014 1990 2000 2012 2013 2014

SEAsiatotal 61,640 657,603 1,319,479 1,553,205 1,687,452 9,471 84,563 596,075 720,413 845,669

Singapore 30,468 110,570 682,396 837,652 912,355 7,808 56,755 401,426 497,880 576,396

Indonesia 8,732 25,060 205,656 230,344 253,082 86 6,940 11,627 16,070 24,052

Thailand 8,242 30,944 159,125 185,463 199,311 418 3,232 52,561 58,610 65,769

Malaysia 10,318 52,747 132,400 144,705 133,767 753 15,878 120,396 133,996 135,685Vietnam 243 14,730 72,530 81,702 90,991 - - - - 7,490

Philippines 3,268 13,762 31,027 32,547 57,093 405 1,032 8,953 13,191 35,603

Myanmar 285 3,752 11,910 14,171 17,652 - - - - -

Cambodia 38 1,580 8,413 9,399 13,035 0 193 423 465 484

Brunei 33 3,868 13,302 14,212 6,219 0 512 699 134 134

Laos 13 588 2,483 2,779 3,630 1 20 9 14 -Timor-Leste - - 237 230 316 - - - 83 86

Econom

Ease of Doing Business Rank Starting a

Business

Dealing with Construc-

tion Permits

Getting Electricity

Registering Property

Getting Credit

Protecting Minority

Investors

Paying Taxes

Trading Across

Borders

Enforcing Contracts

Resolving Insol-vency

2015 2016

Singapore 1 1 10 1 6 17 19 1 5 41 1 27

Malaysia 18 18 14 15 13 38 28 4 31 49 44 45

Thailand 26 49 96 39 11 57 97 36 70 56 57 49

Brunei 101 84 74 21 68 148 79 134 16 121 113 98

China 90 84 136 176 92 43 79 134 132 96 7 55

Vietnam 78 90 119 12 108 58 28 122 168 99 74 123

Philippines 95 103 165 99 19 112 109 155 126 95 140 53

Indonesia 114 109 173 107 46 131 70 88 148 105 170 77

Cambodia 135 127 180 181 145 121 15 111 95 98 174 82

India 142 130 155 183 70 138 42 8 157 133 178 136

LaoPDR 148 134 153 42 158 66 70 178 127 108 92 189

Myanmar 177 167 160 74 148 145 174 184 84 140 187 162

Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Myanmar 5.144 5.345 5.591 7.333 8.428 8.465 8.499 8.397 8.339 7.952 7.673 7.7

Laos 7.502 8.131 8.04 7.898 7.968 7.424 7.538 7.955 7.488 7.206 7.371 7.357

India 8.48 10.26 6.638 5.081 6.899 7.286 7.259 7.455 7.541 7.646 7.695 7.743

Cambodia 0.087 5.963 7.07 7.313 7.428 7.004 6.95 7.176 7.183 7.341 7.26 7.26China 9.2 10.6 9.5 7.748 7.685 7.3 6.813 6.3 6 6.1 6.333 6.333Vietnam 5.398 6.423 6.24 5.247 5.421 5.984 6.5 6.4 6 6 6 6

Philippines 1.148 7.632 3.66 6.684 7.055 6.132 6.002 6.3 6.51 6.507 6.51 6.512

Malaysia -1.514 7.528 5.294 5.473 4.713 5.993 4.7 4.5 5 5 5 5

Indonesia 4.702 6.378 6.17 6.03 5.579 5.025 4.66 5.1 5.5 5.8 6 6

Thailand -0.738 7.507 0.834 7.323 2.809 0.866 2.494 3.207 3.571 3.403 3.32 3.177

Singapore -0.603 15.24 6.207 3.414 4.443 2.918 2.202 2.923 3.216 3.161 3.239 3.246Brunei -1.819 2.652 3.744 0.913 -2.125 -2.344 -1.158 3.195 3.757 5.458 11.246 5.04

Gross Domestic Product at current price (total value) (countries ranked by 2015 size) (US$ billion)

Foreign Direct Investment Inflows and Outflows 2009 - 2014 (Million US Dollars)

Foreign Direct Investment Stocks: inward and outward (1990, 2000, 2012, 2013,2014) Southeast Asia (Million US Dollars)

World Bank: Ease of Doing Business Survey 2016 (Ranking based on 189 countries)

Gross Domestic Product at constant prices (growth) (countries ranked by 2015 size) (Percentage change year-on-year)

Source: World Bank Group June 2015

Source: UNCTAD, World Investment Report 2015

Source: UNCTAD, World Investment Report 2015

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook Database, October 2015


Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook Database, October 2015

Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Singapore 38,577.17 46,569.40 53,122.37 54,577.80 55,979.76 56,286.55 53,224.27 55,509.40 58,664.98 61,941.66 65,311.27 69,276.45

Brunei 31,288.36 35,437.25 47,097.43 47,640.77 44,540.15 41,460.17 27,759.05 27,817.65 30,110.10 33,069.94 38,311.89 42,043.99

Malaysia 7,439.44 8,920.47 10,252.58 10,652.70 10,796.94 11,049.28 10,073.17 11,090.07 12,192.38 13,362.93 14,650.56 16,079.97

China 3,791.47 4,504.07 5,560.94 6,249.09 6,974.87 7,571.54 8,280.09 8,866.00 9,481.88 10,219.41 11,126.81 12,117.35Thailand 4,205.56 5,062.68 5,479.29 5,849.00 6,152.06 5,896.36 5,426.30 5,697.49 5,952.22 6,250.29 6,557.07 6,839.29Indonesia 2,464.96 3,178.13 3,688.53 3,744.53 3,667.35 3,524.08 3,415.83 3,383.87 3,625.06 3,844.82 4,100.12 4,379.64

Philippines 1,851.48 2,155.41 2,379.44 2,610.56 2,789.45 2,862.38 2,951.15 3,192.15 3,475.67 3,790.20 4,142.67 4,529.88

Vietnam 1,181.45 1,297.23 1,532.31 1,752.62 1,901.70 2,051.17 2,170.88 2,320.70 2,458.09 2,618.59 2,785.99 2,977.62

Laos 890.638 1,069.75 1,236.24 1,414.46 1,593.59 1,693.28 1,785.09 1,876.90 2,057.80 2,298.72 2,486.12 2,681.93

India 1,159.06 1,429.60 1,513.85 1,476.93 1,488.99 1,607.65 1,688.38 1,820.80 1,964.97 2,117.05 2,299.37 2,495.35

Myanmar 771.565 998.384 1,117.58 1,100.36 1,112.19 1,227.85 1,268.68 1,364.02 1,501.50 1,649.85 1,806.14 1,977.24Cambodia 734.655 781.912 877.635 945.702 1,018.22 1,080.82 1,139.69 1,216.90 1,302.74 1,400.66 1,505.14 1,617.79

Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Myanmar 2.246 8.222 2.766 2.829 5.711 5.908 12.17 11.76 9.2 7.7 6.95 6.6

Indonesia 5.047 5.14 5.344 3.981 6.413 6.395 6.812 5.435 4.65 4.5 4.3 4.097

India 10.604 9.534 9.443 10.249 9.991 5.927 5.378 5.52 5.424 5.064 4.892 4.94

Laos 0.034 5.984 7.581 4.259 6.371 5.5 5.3 1.533 2.3 2.7 3.1 3.3Malaysia 0.597 1.72 3.174 1.664 2.105 3.143 2.4 3.8 3 3 3 3Vietnam 6.72 9.21 18.68 9.1 6.6 4.08 2.2 3.05 3.75 4.1 4.55 4.9

Philippines 4.213 3.784 4.718 3.171 2.933 4.174 1.885 3.378 3.46 3.5 3.489 3.518

China -0.7 3.3 5.4 2.646 2.624 1.988 1.5 1.8 2.2 2.5 3 3

Cambodia -0.663 3.997 5.478 2.925 2.955 3.852 1.065 1.799 2.929 3.042 2.918 3.165

Singapore 0.597 2.823 5.248 4.576 2.359 1.025 0.038 1.836 1.931 1.909 1.803 1.804

Brunei 1.043 0.216 0.142 0.108 0.382 -0.24 0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.098 0.1Thailand -0.85 3.28 3.809 3.015 2.185 1.895 -0.856 1.456 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2

Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Singapore 16.819 23.663 21.993 17.167 17.894 19.09 20.816 17.964 16.682 15.517 14.613 13.753

Thailand 7.776 2.94 2.402 -0.377 -0.924 3.313 6.212 5.44 3.674 2.053 1.153 0.797

Philippines 5.012 3.598 2.518 2.778 4.186 4.443 4.979 4.504 3.99 3.478 2.98 2.501

China 4.808 3.938 1.816 2.546 1.562 2.121 3.055 2.81 2.03 1.375 0.961 0.557Malaysia 15.04 10.082 10.894 5.166 3.483 4.276 2.212 2.098 1.79 1.306 1.238 1.099Vietnam -6.502 -3.792 0.173 5.957 4.541 4.919 0.675 -0.871 -0.218 0.127 1.499 2.469

India -2.796 -2.813 -4.241 -4.802 -1.728 -1.342 -1.392 -1.562 -2.009 -2.398 -2.499 -2.513

Indonesia 1.84 0.702 0.189 -2.657 -3.191 -2.952 -2.242 -2.146 -2.048 -2.011 -1.863 -1.677

Brunei 41.588 43.973 38.788 29.56 29.424 28.349 -3.068 -2.135 4.822 9.786 14.758 12.465

Myanmar -1.164 -1.095 -1.898 -4.176 -5.221 -6.099 -8.92 -8.271 -7.681 -7.464 -7.005 -6.677

Cambodia -6.917 -6.847 -10.166 -11.003 -12.237 -12.247 -11.128 -10.58 -9.966 -8.695 -7.869 -6.272Laos -22.146 -20.105 -17.284 -30.191 -27.837 -27.758 -28.294 -22.736 -20.231 -17.808 -16.803 -14.813

Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Singapore 61,604.06 70,598.10 74,949.24 77,023.02 80,442.89 83,065.59 84,900.80 87,809.15 91,641.99 95,883.50 100,513.27 105,356.69

Brunei 77,667.20 79,302.82 82,567.71 83,492.21 81,741.78 79,890.18 78,475.63 80,614.11 83,742.77 88,698.15 99,221.02 104,779.97

Malaysia 19,020.95 20,335.81 21,498.37 22,736.32 23,848.75 25,145.35 26,141.13 27,180.13 28,551.16 30,083.19 31,734.25 33,470.40

Thailand 12,183.02 13,181.29 13,505.89 14,692.95 15,275.22 15,578.56 16,081.22 16,759.37 17,631.31 18,582.19 19,596.90 20,639.34China 8,271.15 9,215.40 10,249.94 11,191.93 12,188.40 13,224.00 14,189.52 15,183.53 16,290.05 17,547.26 18,964.96 20,493.82Indonesia 7,943.14 8,432.70 8,973.56 9,554.34 10,112.04 10,651.34 11,111.82 11,664.87 12,359.33 13,172.59 14,082.24 15,052.22

Philippines 5,184.11 5,550.36 5,772.51 6,167.03 6,593.82 6,973.67 7,318.39 7,717.58 8,199.30 8,737.48 9,322.04 9,944.26

India 4,084.95 4,494.01 4,801.36 5,032.61 5,396.53 5,808.43 6,209.48 6,664.02 7,196.77 7,803.56 8,475.19 9,207.21

Vietnam 4,123.42 4,395.52 4,716.98 5,003.44 5,305.15 5,655.79 6,019.51 6,413.76 6,845.43 7,328.52 7,854.82 8,417.53

Laos 3,467.15 3,719.08 4,022.07 4,336.88 4,671.68 5,005.83 5,334.63 5,718.78 6,137.54 6,589.79 7,094.46 7,635.52

Myanmar 3,245.74 3,434.94 3,672.22 3,980.14 4,347.90 4,752.40 5,164.10 5,620.06 6,148.80 6,726.32 7,350.07 8,034.94Cambodia 2,331.44 2,462.23 2,646.49 2,841.96 3,056.97 3,275.67 3,485.43 3,724.09 4,001.15 4,318.32 4,662.54 5,033.37

Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Singapore 99.684 97.035 100.979 105.498 102.117 98.572 98.705 95.77 92.685 89.86 91.049 92.269

India 72.527 67.458 68.096 67.451 65.813 66.073 65.26 63.89 62.801 61.722 60.526 59.337

Laos 63.204 62.095 56.902 62.191 60.127 62.49 63.386 66.503 68.814 69.629 71.764 73.26

Vietnam 45.167 48.084 46.54 48.611 52.59 57.188 61.215 63.719 66.095 67.12 67.889 68.118Malaysia 51.124 51.94 52.636 54.552 55.894 55.163 55.558 53.63 51.781 49.665 47.257 44.458Thailand 42.378 39.859 39.137 41.927 42.205 43.525 43.526 42.588 42.203 42.024 41.955 41.469

China 36.119 36.012 35.603 37.051 39.419 41.144 43.2 45.981 48.273 50.037 51.037 51.448

Philippines 44.343 43.462 41.412 40.609 39.245 36.404 35.875 33.903 32.037 30.316 28.76 27.338

Cambodia 29.146 29.367 30.298 32.051 33.002 33.877 34.256 33.93 33.251 32.433 31.504 30.309

Myanmar 54.961 49.522 49.309 43.067 34.773 31.597 33.429 33.382 33.611 34.061 34.675 35.141

Indonesia 26.483 24.525 23.106 22.96 24.903 24.959 26.545 26.706 26.868 26.695 26.429 26.123Brunei 1.11 1.113 2.129 2.101 2.209 2.307 3.168 3.09 2.814 2.526 2.145 1.934

Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020China 1,334.50 1,340.91 1,347.35 1,354.04 1,360.72 1,367.82 1,374.96 1,382.13 1,389.34 1,396.59 1,403.88 1,411.21

India 1,178.00 1,195.06 1,217.44 1,243.00 1,259.35 1,275.92 1,292.71 1,309.71 1,326.94 1,344.40 1,362.09 1,380.01

Indonesia 234.3 237.641 241.991 245.425 248.818 252.165 255.462 258.802 262.185 265.613 269.086 272.604

Philippines 91 92.6 94.2 95.8 97.484 99.434 101.423 103.451 105.52 107.631 109.783 111.979Vietnam 86.025 86.933 87.84 88.762 89.691 90.63 91.578 92.537 93.505 94.484 95.473 96.472Thailand 66.953 67.341 67.638 67.956 68.297 68.657 68.838 68.981 69.095 69.182 69.251 69.305

Myanmar 49.334 49.708 50.11 50.537 50.979 51.419 51.846 52.254 52.645 53.019 53.378 53.722

Malaysia 28.082 28.589 29.062 29.518 29.948 30.6 31.12 31.649 32.187 32.734 33.291 33.857

Cambodia 14.144 14.365 14.605 14.864 15.087 15.313 15.543 15.776 16.013 16.253 16.497 16.744

LaoP.D.R. 6.268 6.396 6.521 6.646 6.77 6.898 7.029 7.163 7.299 7.438 7.579 7.723

Singapore 4.988 5.077 5.184 5.312 5.399 5.47 5.523 5.562 5.596 5.631 5.666 5.701Brunei 0.38 0.387 0.393 0.4 0.406 0.413 0.419 0.426 0.433 0.44 0.447 0.454

Gross Domestic Product per capita (countries ranked by 2015 size) (Current prices US$)

Inflation: average consumer prices (countries ranked by 2015 size) (Percentage change year-on-year)

Current Account Balance (countries ranked by 2015 size) (Percentage of GDP)

GDP Purchasing-power-parity per capita (countries ranked by 2015 size) (Current US$)

General Government Gross Debt (countries ranked by 2015 size) (Percentage of GDP)

Population ASEAN+2 (countries ranked by 2015 size) (million persons)


CAMBODIABritish Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia British Chamber of Commerce, Cambodia (BritCham)Office: British Embassy, #27-29 Street 75, Phnom Penh, CambodiaTel: 855-1232-3121E-mail: [email protected]: www.britchamcambodia.orgChairman: Darren ConquestExecutive Director: Olivia Widen

INDONESIABritish Chamber of Commerce in IndonesiaWisma Metropolitan 1, 15th Floor, Jl. Jend, Sudirman Kav 29-31Jakarta, Indonesia 12920Tel: 62-21-522-9453Fax: 62-21-527-9135 Email: [email protected]: www.britcham.or.idChairman: Adrian ShortExecutive Director: Chris Wren

MALAYSIABritish Malaysian Chamber of CommerceE04C1, 4th Floor East Block Wisma Selangor Dredging 142-B Jalan Ampang 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: 603-2163-1784 /1786

Fax: 603-2163-1781Email: [email protected]: www.bmcc.org.myChairman: Dato Larry GanGeneral Manager: Nik Tasha Nik Kamaruddin

MYANMARBritish Chamber of Commerce MyanmarHintha Business Centre Floor 3, 608 Merchant Street (corner of Merchant & 31st) Pabedan TownshipYangon, Myanmar Mobile: +95 (0)9250423475Email: [email protected] President: Antony PiconExecutive Director: Stephanie Ashmore

PHILIPPINESBritish Chamber of Commerce ofthe Philippinesc/o The British Embassy Manila120 Upper McKinley RoadMcKinley hill, Taguig City 1634Metro Manila, PhilippinesTel: 632-858-2255/858-2372/858-2373Fax: 632-858-2390Email: [email protected] Website: www.bccphil.comChairman: Roger LambGeneral Manager: Chris Boughton

Britain in South East Asia (BiSEA)

SINGAPOREBritish Chamber of Commerce in Singapore138 Cecil Street, #11-01 Cecil CourtSingapore 069538Tel: 65-6222-3552 Fax: 65-6222-3556 Email: [email protected] Website: www.britcham.org.sg President: Mr. Hugo WalkinshawExecutive Director: Brigitte Holtschneider

THAILANDBritish Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT)7th Floor, 208 Wireless Rd., LumpiniPathumwan, Bangkok 10330Tel: 66-2651-5350-3 Fax: 66-2651-5354Email: [email protected] Website: www.bccthai.com Chairman: Simon Matthews Executive Director: Greg Watkins

VIETNAMBritish Business Group VietnamHo Chi Minh CityG/F 25 Le Duan Blvd, District 1Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel: 84-8-3829-8430 Fax: 84-8-3822-5172Email: [email protected]: www.bbgv.orgHanoi193B Ba Trien, Hai Ba Trung DistrictHanoi, VietnamTel: 84 4 6674 0945Chairman: Nick HolderExecutive Director: Wai Kit Ho


Ploenchit Fair 2015Enjoy this photo montage of yet another successful and highly enjoyable Ploenchit Fair. Once again, this popular annual fixture in the Bangkok calendar has raised a bumper sum for charities and people in need.

Chamber Events


Chamber Events


Chamber Events

Thank you to our sponsors.

BCCT Two-Day Workshop 1 & 2 September 2015

Joint Evening Presentation on Myanmar7 September 2015

Phuket Business Dinner3 September 2015

BCCT/British Embassy Briefing9 September 2015

Neil Stoneham, Managing Director of Voxtree, facilitated BCCT Two-Day Workshop on “Write to Sell”. This workshop was held at Hilton Sukhumvit on Tuesday 1 September to Wednesday 2 September.

BCCT with support from TCCC and ITCC held the Joint Evening Presentation on “Myanmar Investment: Where Are We?” at the British Business Centre, BCCT Office.

BCCT in collaboration with NTCC, GTCC, and FTCC held the Joint Chambers Phuket Business Dinner covering the topic “Phuket’s Tourism Future – Public and Private Sector Plans” held at Amari Phuket. The event was highly successful and attended by more than 100 attendees.

Members from BCCT on Wednesday 9 September attended “Meet the Embassy” briefing held at The Queen Vic on the British Embassy compound. Issues addressed during this briefing included an overview of Consular assistance and other services for British Nationals in Thailand.

- Neil Stoneham (standing), makes his presentation to workshop attendees. Pictured from left- Dr. Punlop Singhasenee, Phuket Vice

Governor- Khun Anoma Vongyai, TAT Phuket

Director

- Guest speaker Gary Biesty, Partner of South Asia Law and Chairman of BCCT Myan-mar Group, addressed more than 45 guests on the night.

- UK expats enjoyed meeting British Embassy consular staff.

- Dale Lawrence, SKAL Thailand President- Grenville Fordham, Image Asia Managing

Director- Nick Porter, Movenpick GM - Chris Thatcher, BCCT Vice Chairman


Chamber Events


BCCT Two-Day Workshop 10 September 2015

BCCT Lunch Boardroom Briefing15 September 2015

BCCT After Hours11 September 2015

Third Thursday Networking Evening17 September 2015

“Selling in Challenging Times” workshop was held Thursday 10 to Friday 11 September at Mode Sathorn Hotel Bangkok. Member and non-members were facilitated by Laurie Smith, Director of Advance Learning & Development.

Justin Barnett was guest speaker for BCCT Lunch Board-room Briefing on Crisis Management. This briefing was held on Tuesday 15 September at the British Business Cen-tre, BCCT Office.

MahaSamutr Country Club Hua Hin hosted BCCT ‘After Hours’ at MahaSamutr Membership Pavilion in Bangkok on Friday 11 September.

Amari Boulevard Bangkok kindly hosted BCCT Third Thursday Networking Evening on Thursday 17 September.

- BCCT Two-Day Workshop always attract good support from BCCT members. Pictured from left:- BCCT Business Development Manager Jina Phenix- MahaSamutr Country Club Estate

- Justin Barnett (right) gives his briefing on Crisis Management. Pictured from left - BCCT Chairman Simon Matthews- Amari Boulevard GM Alexandre Frenkel

Manager Charles Barker- BCCT Chairman Simon Matthews - BCCT member Howard Bryant

- BCCT Director David Cumming - BCCT Vice-Chairman Chris Thatcher


Chamber Events

BCCT Boardroom Briefing 22 September 2015

BCCT Boardroom Briefing 29 September 2015

Two-Day Thai Language Workshop 24 September 2015

BCCT Eastern Seaboard After Hours30 September 2015

On Tuesday 22nd September, Paul Westover, Head of Corporate at Stephenson Harwood’s Hong Kong Office, was guest speaker at BCCT Boardroom Briefing on “Managing Legal Risk”.

Cristiano Sant’ Anna, Senior Manager at Pricewaterhouse-Coopers Consulting (Thailand) Ltd, was guest speaker for BCCT Boardroom Briefing on “How to Combat Fraud” on Tuesday 29th September at British Business Centre, BCCT Office.

BCCT Two-Day Thai Language Workshop on “SpeakPro” Presentation Skills” was held on Thursday 24 to Friday 25 September at Aloft Bangkok – Sukhumvit 11.

BCCT headed down to Pattaya on Wednesday 30 September to organise our first Eastern Seaboard ‘After Hours’ at Jameson’s The Irish Pub.

- Pictured left is guest speaker Paul Westover with BCCT Director Stephen Frost. - This session was facilitated by Pachara Yongjiranon (first row, fourth from left), Corpo-rate Trainer & Presentation Coach at SpeakPro Training.

- Cristiana Sant’ Anna from Pricewaterhouse-Coopers Consulting. - The After Hours informal gathering in Pattaya.



Chamber Events

BCCT After Hours 1 October 2015

BCCT Boardroom Briefing8 October 2015

BCCT Evening Panel Discussion 6 October 2015

BCCT Boardroom Briefing12 October 2015

Hosted by Regus Centre Thailand, in conjunction with the grand opening of EmQuartier Business Centre on Thursday 1st October, the event allowed BCCT members to experience Regus’s business centre and take in Bangkok’s skyline view from the 30th floor of Regus Bhiraj Tower.

Members and non-members joined BCCT Boardroom Brief-ing on “Locating in Southeast Asia - Weighing up the Head-quarter Options” on Thursday 8 October.

On Tuesday, 6 October, BCCT Evening Open Panel Discussion on “Taxation in Thailand” allowed BCCT members and non-members to share questions, observations and knowledge about Thai taxation with a selected panel of experts from the BCCT Tax and Legal Committee.

Arcadia (Thailand) kindly sponsored BCCT Myanmar Briefing on “Myanmar’s Politics and Upcoming Election” held on Monday 12 October at the British Business Centre.

Pictured from left - BCCT Chairman Simon Matthews- Regus Centre Thailand Country Manager

Christoph Hodapp

Pictured from left - John Casella, PKF Tax and Consulting

Services- Tatiana Bespalova, KPMG Thailand- Teerakarn Noichiaum, Bangkok

- David Sandison, International Tax Consultant at Grant Thornton, was guest speaker for the briefing.

Pictured from left - Arcadia Managing Director Wiriya

Pienchob


- Bhiraj Management Client Services Manager Navasorn Bisonyabut

- Regus Centre Thailand Area Director Wimolnit Lertpitakkit

International Associates- Damian Norris, Mazars- Stephen Frost, Chairman of BCCT

Legal & Taxation Group

- UKTI Rangoon Director Lisa Weedon - BCCT Director/Arcadia Director Ali Adam


Chamber Events

Tourism & Hospitality Presentation 13 October 2015

Phuket Business Dinner 22 October 2015

Third Thursday Networking Evening 15 October 2015

BCCT Lunch Boardroom Briefing 27 October 2015

BCCT Tourism and Hospitality Evening Presentation on “Thailand’s Hotels Readiness to Deal with Serious Security Related Incidents” was held at The Landmark Bangkok Hotel on Tuesday, 13 October.

BCCT, in collaboration with Netherlands, French and Ger-man chambers of commerce hosted the Phuket Business Din-ner on “Hospitality Investment in Asia” by Richard Intrator, of Hathor Group, and “Entrepreneurship in the Tourist Indus-try” by Christopher Gordon, of The Village Coconut Island.

BCCT Third Thursday Networking Evening was kindly hosted by Amara Bangkok Hotel on Thursday 15 October. More than 70 guests experienced the newly opened hotel chain from Singapore and tasted their signature dishes.

On Tuesday 27 October, Laurie Smith, Director of Advance Learning & Development, was guest speaker at BCCT Lunch Boardroom Briefing on “Winning Business in Challenging Times”. This event is kindly sponsored by Lucy Electric (Thailand) Limited.

Pictured from left - Managing Director of The Winning Edge

Bert van Walbeek- Business Development Manager of

Securitas Rob Scarr

Pictured from left- Amara Bangkok Assistant Director of

Sales-Leisure Patrick Eger- BCCT Director Carl Sellick- Amara Bangkok Director of Sales &

- This event was kindly sponsored by APCWL Lifestyle Expo, Paul Poole (South East Asia) Company Limited, The Village Coconut Island and The Phuket News.

- Laurie Smith (standing) shares his expertise with guests at the Boardroom Briefing.


- Senior Vice President Engineering- Safety & Security of Onyx Hospitality

Group Geoff Fordham- General Manager of Marriott Executive

Apartments Sathorn Vista Daryn Hudson

Marketing Kussarin Amonthakonsuwet - Amara Bangkok Assistant Director of

Sales-Events Nannaphat Jiemrugeekul


Chamber Events

BCCT ESB Dinner 30 October 2015

BCCT Lunch Boardroom Briefing 4 Wednesday 2015

Harvard Business School case study 2 November 2015

Joint Chambers Luncheon 9 November 2015

British Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Mark Kent, was guest speaker at “BCCT Eastern Seaboard Dinner with the British Ambassador” held at Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa. This event was kindly sponsored by Regents International School Pattaya, BMW Manufacturing (Thailand) and Savills Thailand.

Alain Goudsmet, Top Executive Coach, Trainer and Keynote Speaker from Mentally Fit Institute addressed BCCT guests at our Lunch Boardroom Briefing on “The Power of Action – Closing the Knowing-Doing Gap”. This event was held at our British Business Centre on Wednesday 4 November.

The third Harvard Business School case-study for this year was held on Monday, 2 November at the British Business Centre.

BCCT in partnership with the American, Australian and Netherlands Chambers of Commerce welcomed Khun Sugree Sithivanich, TAT, at the Joint Chambers Luncheon on “TAT Moving Forward and What it can do for Thailand” held on Monday 9th November at The Okura Prestige Bangkok.

Pictured from left are - MBMG Managing Director Graham

MacDonald- Regent International School Pattaya

Principal Iain Blaikie

- John Wagner, Director of Powa Technologies Limited, covered the “Samsung’s Dilemma” case study in two sessions to groups comprising BCCT members and non-members.

- Alain Goudsmet during the briefing session - Khun Sugree Sithivanich, Deputy Governor of TAT, was guest speaker.


- British Ambassador H.E. Mark Kent- BCCT ESB Chairman Mark Bowling- Savills CEO Robert Collins - BMW Manufacturing CEO Jeffrey

Gaudiano


Chamber Events

BCCT Wine Evening 10 November 2015

BCCT Boardroom Briefing12 November 2015

BCCT/British Embassy Briefing 11 November 2015

Joint Chambers WSB Networking13 November 2015

Pernod Ricard Thailand kindly hosted BCCT Wine Evening on Tuesday 10 November at their head office’s private bar Le Cercle. Guests enjoyed several Jacob Creek wines and gained insight into techniques of proper wine tasting.

On Thursday 12 November, Dang The Duc (pictured), Man-aging Partner of Indochine Counsel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was guest speaker for BCCT Boardroom Briefing on Investment in Vietnam.

Members from BCCT on Wednesday 11 November attended “Meet the Embassy” briefing on the Visa sector, held at The Queen Vic on the British Embassy compound.

The last Joint Chambers Western Seaboard Networking Evening for the 2015 year was hosted by Hot Property Hua Hin on Friday, 13 November, at Red Piano Restaurant in Hua Hin.

- Many thanks to Pernod Ricard Thailand for a most enjoyable and entertaining evening. - BCCT members always enjoy the opportunity to meet staff at the British Embassy in Bangkok.

- Mr Dang The Duc makes his presentation. - Marten Ruge (Ferrostaal), John Hocking(Cliff Premiums), Anthony Kelly (Hot Property), Richard Vine (Hua Hin Sailing Club) and Jina Phenix (BCCT staff).


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Aigroup, Russia3Rd, Frunzenskaya, 5Building 1, Office 1Moscow 119270, RussiaTel: +7 495 777 2577Email: [email protected]: www.aiGroup.ru

representative:Mr. Kim Waddoup, Director

Background: The aiGroup is a Russian company based in Moscow. Our Presi-dent has 22 years experience in working in Russia and understands the complex-ity of operating in the former USSR. Our major specialities are the organisation of specialised exhibitions, publishing, market-ing and consultancy. We are especially well positioned to assist and advise Thai companies looking to enter the vast Rus-sian marketplace.

Bamboo Labs Co., Ltd.6th Floor, Unit 6G29 Vanissa Building, Soi ChidlomPloenchit Road, Bangkok 10330Tel: +66 (0) 2655-5242Fax: +66 (0) 2655-5245Email: [email protected]: www.bamboolabs.com

representatives:Mr. Martin Rennie, Managing DirectorMr. Samir Sukhadia, CEO

Background: What do we do? Bamboo Labs provides consulting and outsourced services to companies, cus-tomized to improve their ROMI.

How do we do it?Our team of experts brings together all aspects of developing and implementing a successful online strategy.

Whom do we do it for?Our clients are companies with forward-looking management who see that the fun-damental rules and execution of marketing have changed. They see that Social Media is the new norm and want to get out ahead of their competitors.

What value are we bringing?We connect the critical components of strategy, design, and implementation to leverage various social media tools from LinkedIn to Facebook to YouTube and beyond. Our clients determine their objec-tives with our guidance and we deliver the results – increased revenue, improved brand awareness, an improved professional network, attracting new talent, and more.

Be And Become Co., Ltd.152 Wireless Road, 5th FloorKian Gwan House III, LumpiniPathumwan, Bangkok 10330Tel: +66 88 399 0935Fax: +66 (0) 2650 9739Email: [email protected]: www.bblifecoaching.com

representative:Ms. Amelie Yan-Gouiffes, Certified Life and Leadership Coach, Public Speaker and Trainer

Background: Be and Become® dedicates to help people and companies to take their life and work to new heights, through coaching, counseling and training. Be and Become® is present in Bangkok, Mumbai and Singapore. Services are provided in English, French, Spanish and Thai.

Benham and Reeves Residential Let-tings (Singapore) Pte Ltd.230 Orchard Road, 05-230AFaber House, Singapore 238854Tel: +65 6463 6026Fax: +65 6463 6026Email: [email protected]: www.brlets.co.uk

representative:Ms. Lynne Geeves, Director

Background: Benham and Reeves Residential Lettings strive to do their best for London property owners. For over 50 years, we’ve been dealing exclusively with rented accommodation in prime Lon-don locations. With 14 offices in central London and 5 overseas offices including Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Dubai and India, your property could not be in better hands.

BMRS Asia Co.,Ltd.10th Floor, 42 TowerSoi 42 Sukhumvit RoadPrakanong, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110Tel: +66 (0) 2713-6070Fax: +66 (0) 2713-6074Email: [email protected]: www.bmrs-asia.com

representative:Mr. Andy Gower, Managing Partner & Director of Research

Background: With full-service offices and experienced researchers in both Thai-land & Cambodia, Business & Marketing Research Solutions (BMRS) Asia was founded in 2004 by partners with more than 20 years experience as research directors in the world’s largest market research companies.

We provide professional marketing re-search and consultancy services to a wide range of multinational and local Clients. Our streamlined and efficient operations allow us to provide our clients with a more personal and customised approach to un-derstanding the local marketplace and its consumers, whilst maintaining international standards of quality and work ethics. Our policy is always to have a native English-speaking Expat Research Director in daily charge of each project, to ensure that all aspects of the project completely fulfill our client’s requirements and objectives. We also manage online surveys as part of company CRM programmes.

Comings and GoingsThe British Chamber of Commerce Thailand welcomes the following new members:


Chapman Taylor (Thailand) Co., Ltd.153/3, Goldenland Building, 3rd Fl., Unit A3Soi Mahardlekluang 1, Rajdamri RoadLumpini, Prathumwan, Bangkok 10330Tel: +66 (0) 2652-2270-3Email: [email protected]: www.chapmantaylor.com

representatives:Mr. Sheldon Parent, Associate Director, South East AsiaMr. Jon Grant, Director, South East Asia

Background: Chapman Taylor is an inter-national practice of architects, masterplan-ners and interior designers operating from 19 regional offices and with experience of working in over 90 countries around the world. The practice was established in the UK in 1959 and developed an early reputation as the designers of many pres-tigious office and residential developments in Central London, as well as working on the masterplanning of some of the major London estates.

During the 1970s and 1980s the practice was at the forefront of the dramatic expan-sion of the retail sector in the UK and de-signed the majority of the many successful shopping centres built at that time. In the early 1990s Chapman Taylor commenced its growth internationally, designing many projects outside the UK and opening its first offices on mainland Europe. The first decade of the 21st century saw the con-solidation and expansion of the practice to encompass projects and offices in three continents.

Chapman Taylor’s success has been principally due to the quality of its people and their ability to be able to produce high quality design together with an understanding of what makes the building successful commercially, operationally, environmentally and socially.

It is our objective to continually evolve as an architectural practice, always striving to find new solutions to traditional challenges and to provide the best possible service to our clients and the community.

Chapman Taylor ThailandBangkok is our most recently opened office and was established in July 2011, where we have been specializing in mixed-use developments, retail, residential and Hospitality projects in both Architecture and Interior Design.

Coastal Property Services Co., Ltd.216/62, Moo 10, Soi 13Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150Tel: +66 (0) 38 421 580Email: [email protected]: www.coastalrealestatepattaya.com

representatives:Ms. Angie Turton, Development & Admin ManagerMr. Kevin Mattson, Managing Director

Background: Coastal Real Estate was founded with one goal in mind: Make buying, selling, and renting real estate a simple, hassle free process for everyone involved. Drawing on eighteen years of ex-perience in real estate markets in the U.S. and Thailand, this goal was realized when Coastal Real Estate opened the doors to its Pattaya, Thailand location in 2010.

At Coastal Real Estate you are not looked at as just another customer. We will listen to your needs and tailor a plan to fit. Whether you’re in the market for a place to call home, an investment property, or are looking for a responsible, competent firm to manage your existing property, we will exceed your needs and expectations. The same care is given to clients who are looking for that perfect place to enjoy a dream vacation or extended stay in Pat-taya. Coastal Real Estate’s clients are its number one asset and are treated accord-ingly. We realize your time is valuable and will only show you properties that meet your requirements.

Consultancy AcademyPreees Green, Shropshire SY132BNTel: +66 (0) 2512 2957Email: [email protected]: www.consultancyacademy.com

representatives:Mr. Andrew Sloan, Country ManagerMr. Glyn Cartwright, Director

Background: The Academy was de-veloped, was to integrate the academic communities with practitioners, bringing

“…research into practice…” and “…prac-tice into research…”. The Academy is an independent organisation which sees itself as both academic and practice based. Its ‘independence’ comes from the fact that the Academy is not ‘in the pocket’ of a University; nor is it a subsidiary of an exist-ing consulting company. As such, it can bring the best of both worlds, to achieve its raison d’etre, which is to bring about “…good thinking in practice!”.

Creditreform (UK) Limited4 Park Road, MoseleyBirmingham B13 8ABTel: +44 (0)121 442 5330Fax: +44 (0)121 442 5340Website: www.creditreform.co.uk

representative:Mr. Sean Hemmings, Director

De Group90 Map Ya Road, Map Ta PhutMuang, Rayong 21150Tel: +66 (0) 38 682 334, 682 341Fax: +66 (0) 38 682 463Email: [email protected]: www.degroup.th.com

representative:Mr. Aekkorn Sunthornviphartphoom, Managing Director

Background: DE Group has more than 45 years of experience in the fields of in-dustrial applications. We are the country’s leading supplier of Mechanical equipment, Electrical equipment, Instruments, and Controls for various industries in Thailand. The company’s main focus is to provide highly reliable engineering products and quality services to meet and to exceed each of our customers’ specifications and requirements.

We are proud to be one of pioneer compa-nies in Thailand, having served the coun-try’s industries from the initial development stages of the oil & gas, petrochemical, and power industries. For almost five decades the company has gained trust and built long-term relationships from many of our valued customers in various industries across the world. We aim to continue to foster new relationships, while maintaining and strengthening our current relationships for decades to come.


G.W.H. Trading Co., Ltd.The Sportsman Bar and RestaurantUnits 10/22 and 10/47 Trendy Condo,Sukhumvit Soi 13, North KlongtonWattana, Bangkok 10110Tel: +66 (0) 2168-7242Email: [email protected]: www.sportsbarbangkok.com

representatives:Mr. Paul Hatch, DirectorMr. Joseph Veriato, Director

Background: We are a British pub but our customers come from all over the world. We always have a manager on duty as custom-er service is very important to us. We pride ourselves on our huge selection of local and imported selection of drinks and foods. We can show almost any sport from anywhere in the world. If it is on TV somewhere then there’s a good chance we will show it. Just drop us an email if interested in any sport or if a venue is needed for your works party or for any other reason.

Good Spirit Co., Ltd.201, Choke Chai 4, Soi 54Lad Prao 53, Bangkok 10230Tel: +66 (0) 2539-1477 / 87 328 2090Fax: +66 (0) 2539-4987Email: [email protected]: www.goodspirit.co.th

representatives:Mr. Brice Laval, Managing DirectorKhun Pakdee Tawapura, Co-Owner

Background: Good Spirit would like to offer you a remarkable selection of French wines imported directly from local winemakers. Working closely with these producers, we have come to know their winemaking methods, appreciate their passion for quality, and are, therefore, able to source the best wines possible. Each choice product envelops a specific blend of authentic aroma and taste, recalling its unique “Terroir” of origin. Managing the entire process of importation ourselves, we, at Good Spirit, are able to offer to our valuable customers, a quality product at an affordable price.

Harrow CollegeLowlands Road, Harrow, Middx HA1 3AQTel: +44 208 909 6000Email: [email protected]: www.harrow.ac.uk

representatives:Ms. Afshan Baksh - Associate Director, International DevelopmentMrs. Admira Kijac - International Develop-ment Officer

Background: Harrow College provides choice and opportunity. Your success is our priority! Our vision is to strive for excel-lence in all we do and to seek to develop new learning opportunities for all. Harrow College has over 100 years of experience in vocational and academic programmes and provides choice and opportunity for students, international students and commercial training for businesses and their employees. The College currently has almost 8000 students. Harrow College has excellent facilities for teaching and learning across four campuses and offer a broad range of facilities and resources such as art and design studios, IT facilities, hair and beauty training salons, 11 sci-ence labs, sports facilities, lecture theatre, conferencing facilities, business incubation hub and Enterprise Centre.

As well as providing high quality education and training in the UK, Harrow College has an extensive and robust international port-folio. We have delivered successful British Council projects, worked with employers on commercial contracts, developed skills of teachers and education leaders and worked with governments and ministries in a number of different countries including Thailand.

Hua Hin Golf Tours Co., Ltd.2/136 Nabkahards Road, Hua Hin, Prachuabkirikhan 77110Tel: +66 (0) 32 530 476-8Fax: +66 (0) 32 512 085Email: [email protected]: www.huahingolf.com, www.huahingolfvilla.com

representatives:Mr. Jason Swain, Marketing Manager

Background: Hua Hin Golf Tours was founded in 1992 and is Thailand’s first registered golf tour company. We offer golf packages, hotel, green fees and all

transportation, all over Thailand, but we specialise in Hua Hin, as this is where we are based.

ICPA (Thailand) Limited191 Silom Complex, 21st Floor, Suite A2Silom Road, Silom, BangrakBangkok 10500Tel: +66 (0) 2632-1287Fax: +66 (0) 2632-1539Website: www.icpa.com

representative:Mr. Tony Rodriguez, Managing Director

Background: ICPA has been providing global companies with executive recruit-ment services since 1992. Our consult-ants have years of experience recruiting in their specialties. Whether you need a very senior professional or are hiring mid-career staff, our consultants have established contacts and are ready to quickly help you. Our industry groups are focused on finding you candidates in these industries:

Software, Consulting, Finance, Insurance, Systems Integration Telecomm and Net-working, Sales and Marketing, Accounting

IDG SecurityHouse L21, FMI City, Hlaing Thar Yar TownshipYangon 11401, MyanmarTel: +95 (0) 168 7920Email: [email protected]: www.idg-security.com

representative:Mr. Nigel Wells, Director

Background: IDG was formed in 2001 in Singapore by Iain Gordon (ex Assistant Commissioner Singapore police GC, and ex 7 Gurkha rifles) the MD to provide a quality security service utilizing ex Gurkha servicemen from the British Army, Indian Army and the Singapore GC.

We operate in many locations globally providing security services to many Inter-national organization’s including the UN and EU.


Ipsos Business Consulting21st, 22nd Floor, Asia Centre Building, 173 South Sathorn RoadThungmahamek, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120Tel: +66 (0) 2697 0100Fax: +66 (0) 2697 0200Email: [email protected]: www.ipsosconsulting.com and www.ipsos.com/

representatives:Mr. Colin Kinghorn, COOMr. Natee Ruengjirachuporn, Head of consulting, Thailand

Background: Our goal since 1994 has been to help businesses worldwide, like yours, reach their goals using market based facts. Ipsos is the only global mar-ket research agency to offer an integrated business consulting division. With us hav-ing your back you will have unprecedented access to the unique combination of market research and business consulting all within the same firm.

Ipsos Business Consulting is a global strat-egy consulting firm, focused on helping your sales and marketing leaders as they Build, Compete and Grow in emerging markets. With over 20 years of experience and consulting hubs in 17 countries on five continents, Ipsos Business Consulting is the specialist global business unit of Ipsos that is focused on strategic consulting. We offer our clients the knowledge, insight and guidance they need to pursue their growth plans with confidence. Ipsos Business Consulting works with a wide variety of multinational, regional and local clients as they seek to build, compete and grow in both developed and emerging markets.

Jameson’s the Irish Pub80/164 Moo 9, Soi Sukrudee (Soi A.R.), Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260Tel: +66 (0) 38 361 873-4Fax: +66 (0) 38 415 309Email: www.jamesons-pattaya.comWebsite: [email protected]

representatives:Mr. Kim Elvin Fletcher, The LandlordMs. Pornthip Luanoi, Office Manager

Background: Jameson’s The Irish Pub, Bar & Restaurant - Established 2004,

opened January 17th 2005 and still going strong.

If you are looking for a good night out in Pattaya, Thailand look no further than Jameson’s The Irish Pub, Bar & Res-taurant. It is undeniably a great place to hang out for locals, expats and Thais. The visitor and holiday maker on their quest to find the cameraderie and friendship often missed in a new and foreign town and country, will find a warm welcome here.

Jameson’s the Irish Pub - Bar & Restau-rant is the place to visit when you are looking for a great time, want to follow the latest sporting events or simply want to relax and read a book or the recent local newspaper. The many different pub sections provide for any entertainment preference; may this be the library with its comfortable Chesterfields to sink into and de-stress from a hectic day or the sports ‘arena’ with its Big Screen TVs and sturdy tables to pound on should your favorite team miss a shot.

Jentana & Associates Languages Consultant Co.,Ltd.5/8 Sukhumvit Soi 31Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey-NeuaWattana, Bangkok 10110Tel: +66 (0) 2260-6138-9Fax: +66 (0) 2259-8580Email: [email protected]: www.thai-lessons.com

representatives:Ms. Jentana Ngamkhiaw, Managing DirectorMr. Bruce Hemmingsen, Consultant Advisor

Background: Speaking Thai with ConfidenceFor over 20 years Jentana & Associates (J&A) has been successfully teaching foreign visitors and expatriates working in Thailand the art of speaking, reading and writing the Thai language. The students of Jentana & Associates benefit from a tried and true system of learning that combines:

• A personal teacher assigned to every individual student or group;

• Lessons at home or office at a time most suitable for the student;

• An interactive Question and Answer approach to learning;

• Private study books authored person-ally by Jentana

Using the J&A Thai language method of learning, most students who take the course can feel confident speaking and understanding basic Thai language after only 20 lessons.

The J&A syllabus is comprised of 6 distinct sections that ensure students who apply themselves to their study, progress quickly and easily through the basics to a more advanced level of ability and understanding.

The study guides authored by Jentana provide a structured approach to each and every lesson so that students can pace out their learning with their own ability and time commitments.

LF Asia (Thailand) Limited12th Floor, Maneeya Center BuildingPloenchit Road, LumpiniPathumwan, Bangkok 10330Tel: +66 (0) 2257-3510Fax: +66 (0) 2257-3511Email: [email protected]; [email protected]: www.lfasia.com/en/, www.lifung.com

representatives:Mr. Bruce Hemmingsen, Senior Vice President - HealthcareDr. Nara Decharin, General Manager

Background: LF Asia (Thailand) Limited (A member of Li & Fung Limited) has more than 40 years of experience and now ranks amongst the leading Asian Health-care & Consumer distributors in Asia. We provide a comprehensive array services for our clients in Pharmaceuticals, Nutritional Health and Consumer products. Our in-depth channel coverage includes Govern-ment and Private hospitals, Clinics, Drug Stores, Hypermarkets and the Modern and General Trade.

LF Asia has long standing and successful partnerships with multinational and local clients. Our services include regulatory, sales and marketing, logistics, customer service, merchandising, secondary repack-aging and supply chain management. We also have vast experience in launching and reviving mature brands with proven suc-cessful outcomes.

The London School of English Thailand#1 Empire Tower, 6th Floor,Unit 601A, 601B (EM Space) South Sathorn Road, YannawaSathorn, Bangkok 10120Tel: +66 (0) 2670-0888Fax: +66 (0) 2670-0405Email: [email protected]: www.londonschool.in.th


representatives:Mr. Chalermchai Mahagitsiri, CEOMs. Ausana Mahagitsiri, COO

Background: The London School of Eng-lish (LSE) is the oldest officially accredited private English language school in the world, and has been welcoming clients since 1912. Outside the United Kingdom, LSE has language centres in Tbilisi, Doha and Jeddah, with its latest centre estab-lished in Thailand in 2015. LSE Thailand Centre is operated by PM Learning Centre, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PM Group.

LSE Thailand offers a wide range of courses, including Business English, General English, Examination English and English for University, as well as a number of other specialised programmes, to suit almost every need. Whether for your work, study or just to feel more confident with the language, The London School of Eng-lish Thailand can help you accomplish your goals faster and easier than you would think or expect.

We have excellent, qualified, native-speak-er trainers and small class sizes, of course, but we know that a good language centre is about more than the course itself. We offer a personalised service and help you accurately assess your requirements, evaluate your capabilities and select the right course and duration so you can achieve your goals.

Market Support Co., Ltd.29, Vanissa Building, 18th FloorPloenchit Road, LumpiniPathumwan, Bangkok 10330Tel: +66 (0) 2655-1855Fax: +66 (0) 2655-1856Email: [email protected]: www.marketsupport.co.th

representatives: Mr. Steven Britton, Deputy Managing DirectorMs. Saismorn Punkrasin, Managing Director

Background: Founded in 1995, Market Support is a well-established local Thai-land based independent market research firm that provides local understanding and expertise at an international standard.

Our mission is to provide the best con-sumer understanding and help clients to cleverly use consumer insights to build strong brands and innovate successfully. A full service research agency, we have extensive experience and expertise in qualitative research, quantitative research, desk research, workshops and consulting.

We cover a wide array of market sectors including retail, HORECA, automotive, telecommunications, consumer banking, insurance, healthcare, travel & tourism, agriculture and services with a focus on consumer packaged goods. Our practices conform to the standards of ESOMAR (European Society Of Market Research).

Mentis Consulting LimitedLevel 17, Dashwood House, 69 Old Broad Street, London EC2M 1QSTel: +44 (0) 207 256 4068Fax: +44 (0) 207 256 4071Email: [email protected]: www.mentis.international/index.html

representative:Mr. Richard Brady, Chief Executive Officer

Background: Mentis specializes in world-class personality assessment, training, values/ culture change, coaching and management development programs - offering targeted solutions to meet your needs. Our services cover all organisa-tional levels, from designing and delivering graduate development to coaching and advising at CEO and Board level. It’s all about predicting performance and identify-ing potential. Mentis values long-term client relationships. We believe that with an in-depth understanding of your require-ments we can provide meaningful results. Our services are available throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East and AEC regions.

Nanfah Air Service Co., Ltd.60/1, Monririn Building3rd Floor, Suit B301,Soi Phaholyothin 8, Phaholyothin Road, Samsennai, Phayathai,Bangkok 10400Fax: +66 (0) 2616-6200Email: [email protected]: www.maldivianholiodays-asia.com

representative:Mr. Komkrich Jutakanon, Chief Executive Officer

Background: Nanfah is a full service travel company offering luxury corporate and leisure travel services and advisory, striv-ing for client satisfaction by providing the highest level of service delivering efficient detailed oriented travel planning while generating noticeable savings. We believe that the key of success lies in nurturing vendor, employee, partner, and client relationships and establishing a positive work environment conveying happiness for our team and clients all throughout. Our goal is to brand ourselves as providers of sustainable future for all stakeholders while becoming a one stop shop for every travel service available in the Maldives.

Paypoint Plc1 The Boulevard, Shire ParkWelwyn Garden CityHertfordshire AL7 1ELUnited KingdomTel: +44 1707 600 277Website: www.paypoint.com

representative:Mr. Andrew Walden, International Development Manager

Power System Services LimitedCarrwood Road, SheepbridgeChesterfield S41 9QBUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0) 12 4626 8800Fax: +44 (0) 12 4626 8811Website: www.pss-uk.com

representative:Mr. Paul Beauchamp, Managing Director

Background: Complete Package for the supply of Regenerative Airheater and Gas- Gas Heater spares and overhaul works.

Proseal UK Ltd.Adlington Industrial Estate, AdlingtonCheshire SK10 4NL, United KingdomTel: +44 (0) 1625 856 600Website: www.prosealuk.com

representatives:Mr. Stephen Malone, DirectorMr. Tony Burgess, Head of Sales & Control Systems


Rightmove Pattaya369/1, Moo 9, Units 8 & 9Pattaya Second Road, Nongprue,Banglamung, Chonburi 20260Tel: +66 (0) 38 361 212Fax: +66 (0) 38 361 212Email: [email protected]:www.rightmovepattaya.com

representative:Mr. Craig Turner - Managing Director

Background: Managing Director, Craig Turner is a British national who has a wealth of knowledge and experience dealing in the Pattaya real estate market. At Rightmove Pattaya, we specialise in providing professional and impartial advice regarding all aspects of the process of purchasing and renting property in Pat-taya, Jomtien and the surrounding areas. We market new developments, re-sale properties, rentals and also land. Our team strikes a perfect balance of local knowl-edge and in depth real estate experience. Our well trained staff are committed to achieving the best possible results, which is as a result of their in depth training in customer services. What Services are provided by Rightmove Pattaya?

We offer our clients the following services:• Residential properties for sale• Residential properties for rent• Land for sale• Renovation and decoration• Corporate re-locations• Investor services• Legal services• Financial services

Roomorama INC115 Amoy ST. # 03-00Singapore 069935Tel: +65 9457 6031Email: [email protected]: www.roomorama.com

representative:Ms Jia En Teo, CEO

Background: We are an online travel agent specializing in villas and serviced apartments, with 300,000 properties worldwide.All properties are profession-ally managed and of a high standard. You

can select a villa or serviced apartment yourself, or give us the details and we can search and select some properties for you to select from, based on your criteria.

Sasin Graduate Institute Of Business Ad-ministration of Chulalongkorn University254 Sasa Patasala BuildingChula Soi 12, Phayathai RoadPathumwan, Bangkok 10330Tel: +66 (0) 2216-8833Fax: +66 (0) 2215-3797Email: [email protected]: www.sasin.edu

representatives:Mr. Gong Rungswang, Deputy Director for Alumni and Corporate RelationsMr. Dean Outerson, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications

Background: Sasin was established in 1982 in a collaboration among Thailand’s leading university (Chulalongkorn Uni-versity) and two of the world’s foremost business schools: the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Sasin pioneered using world-class visiting professors, comple-mented by full-time faculty and other local experts. Sasin launched the first graduate management programs taught completely in English in Thailand.

Sasin is also the first business school in Thailand to have earned AACSB (Asso-ciation to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) institutional ac-creditation, and Sasin is still one of the few business schools in Asia with both accreditations.

School Portraits (Thailand) Co., Ltd.55/1 Bandon - Cherngtalay RoadCherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110Tel: +66 (0) 76 615 865Fax: +66 (0) 76 615 864Email: [email protected]: www.schoolportraits.co.th

representative:Mr. Stephan Bulawa,Founder & Managing Director

Background: Since 1999 the founder Stephan Bulawa offer under the trademark “Energy-Imaging” School Photography and Yearbook services in Germany. High qual-ity standards helps to sell more than 1 1/2 million yearbooks. In 2013 Stephan Bula-wa founded “School Portraits” in Phuket to offer International and Thai Schools School Photography and helping schools offering a high quality and cheap Yearbook. Under the trademark “ID-Card-Printing-Service” we design and print Employee-ID-Cards, Membership & Loyalty Cards.

Siam S & Grace Co., Ltd.1108/31, Sukhumvit Road,Phrakanong Sub-district, Klongtoey DistrictBangkok 10110Tel: +66 (0) 61 380 0798Email: [email protected]

representative:Ms. Masami Tsuchiya - Managing Director

Background: Siam S & Grace Co., Ltd. offers business consulting and training programs for organizational and individual development. We are partnering world class solution providers and make oppor-tunities be available in Thailand.

Singha Estate Public Company Limited968 U Chu Liang Building, 20th Floor, Rama IV Rd, SilomBangrak, Bangkok 10500Tel: +66 (0) 2632-4533Fax: +66 (0) 2632 4534-5Email: [email protected]: www.singhaestate.co.th Solvay Peroxythai Limited

representatives:Mr. Paul Elliott, VP Hotel & Convention BusinessMr. Methee Vinichbutr, Chief Financial Officer

Background: For the past 19 years, the Company has focused on the property for sale. It was not until September this year that the Company underwent the business integration by entire business transfer whereby businesses under the


Singha Property Management Group and Santiburi Co., Ltd. were entirely trans-ferred to Singha Estate Plc. This move, along with business expansion through the acquisitions of assets, has extended projects under the Company’s businesses from residential properties to investment properties and the hotel business.

Solvay Peroxythai Limited16th Floor, 55 Wave Place, Wireless RoadLumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330Tel: +66 (0) 2610-6470Fax: +66 (0) 2610-6469Website: www.solvay.com

representatives:Mr. Andrew Cumming - General Manager Asia- Pacific, Peroxides GBUMr. Anupong Rongluengaram - Managing Director-Solvay Peroxythai

Sussex Coast College HastingsStation Approach, HastingsEast Sussex TN34 1BATel: +44 (0)1424 458565Fax: +44 (0) 1424 716419Email: [email protected]: www.sussexcoast.ac.uk

representative:Mr. Jeremy Oughton, Head of International Business Development

Background: Sussex Coast College Hastings is an inspiring place to learn and has recently been inspected by OfSTED and graded as Good with Outstanding fea-tures. The college is housed in a fabulous new building in the historic seaside town of Hastings, in the South East of England.

Located in one of the most stunning and beautiful areas of East Sussex, the college is only 90 minutes train ride from London, on the shores of the English Channel with Europe on its doorstep, which makes Sus-sex Coast College Hastings an ideal loca-tion for international students to study the wide range of courses we have to offer, and at the same time enjoying the welcoming hospitality of the historic town of Hastings.

Hastings is located only hours away from Brighton and within easy reach of Ashford international station and access to Pairs in only 2 hours; Sussex Coast College Hast-ings provides incredible value for money in terms of study and accommodation in a truly cosmopolitan town, located on the English Channel. Our English language programmes run all year round and we offer the following programmes.

• General English 15 and 21 Hours • IELTS preparation

• Cambridge certificated examinations• Trinity certificated examinations Sussex

Coast College Hastings also offers the following wide range of programmes and academic courses and welcome interna-tional to apply to join these courses.

• International Foundation Year (IFY)• Higher National Diploma (HND/C) in

Engineering, Computing, Information Technology, Construction and Busi-ness/Management

• A wide range of A level programmes • Top Up and Foundation Degree pro-

grammes

The Village Management Co., Ltd.The Village Coconut Island Beach Resort51/7, Moo 6, T. Kohkaew, MuangPhuket 83200Tel: +66 (0) 76 352 144Fax: +66 (0) 76 352 145Email: [email protected]: www.thevillagecoconutisland.com

representatives:Mr. Chris Gordon, Managing DirectorMr. Thomas Gordon, Commercial Director

Background: The Village Management Co. Ltd operates The Village Coconut Island, a luxury 5 star resort and residence located on KohMaprao, just off of Phuket’s East Coast. The project began 9 years ago and the resort has grown and developed into one of the largest and most unique properties in Phuket.

Wharfe Beer Company LimitedUnit 4 Pool Business ParkPool Road, Pool in WharfedaleW.Yorkshire LS21 1FD, United KingdomTel: +44 (0) 113 284 2392Fax: +44 (0) 113 284 2176Email: [email protected]: www.wharfebankbrewery.co.uk

representatives:Mr. Martin Kellaway,Founder and Managing DirectorMr. Simon Briggs, Director

Zaiwalla & Co-SolicitorsChancery House, 53-64 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1QSTel: +44 (0) 20 7312 1000Fax: +44 (0) 20 7404 9473Email: [email protected]: www.zaiwalla.co.uk

representatives:Ms. Pavani Reddy - Managing PartnerMr. Sarosh Zaiwalla - Senior Partner

Background: Zaiwalla & Co is a Lon-don based law firm. The firm has been established in the City of London for nearly 33 years and continues to hold its niche market position of handling top quality international work whilst ensuring clients continue to receive quality work at reason-able cost. The firm is a specialist Arbitra-tion firm and since the firm’s inception in 1982, the team has been involved in over 1200 international arbitrations.

The firm has dealt with many ICC, LCIA and Gafta (Grain and Feed Trade Arbitra-tions) international arbitrations involving parties from Thailand, Far East and Asia.

We take care to offer pricing in line with in-ternational expectations. As an established fact of global business life, businesses are getting wise to what they do and do not need to maximise their chances of win-ning. We provide “the same service at half the cost”. Fair and realistic pricing are not only fair to the client but prudent for the London market.

The firm also has a proven track record of success for international clients, notably in turning around difficult cases through an innovative perspective. Our approach to cases is a willingness to think “outside the box”. Traditional law firms can sometimes be blinkered in automatically trying to apply conventional thinking to new and unconventional circumstances.

The firm benefits from the expertise of a strong team, including specialists in the laws of Russia, China, India and Iran. Many of our English qualified solicitors originally hail from regions as diverse as Ukraine, India, Canada and Iran. We also have various foreign qualified lawyers within our team. Our offices are located in Chancery Lane in the heart of the legal district in the City of London and close to the Royal Courts of Justice.

Mr. Graham Storey9A, Newton Tower, 13 Sukhumvit Soi 6, Bangkok 10110M: +66 (0) 85 656 8283Email: [email protected]


Background: Consultant in Corporate Finance & Investments

Mr. John Chown51 Lafone Street, London SE1 2LXUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0) 20 7403 0787Fax: +44 (0) 20 7403 6693Email: [email protected] Website: www.johnchown.co.uk

Background: John Chown was educated at Gordonstoun and Selwyn College, Cambridge (First class honours econom-ics, Adam Smith Prize and Wrenbury Scholarship) and is an Honorary Fellow of the College. He founded JF Chown & Company, (now Chown Dewhurst LLP) in 1962, as international tax advisers. Most of his career has been spent on professional tax work but he has always been actively involved in public policy issues in the UK, the EC and elsewhere.

In 1969, he and three friends founded the Institute for Fiscal Studies and he remains a member of the Executive Committee. He now devotes much of his professional time to international policy advice on taxation, regulation and the development of financial markets, including several projects in Russia and a 4 visit World Bank project in Thailand in 2000 on the taxation of financial derivatives. He now works closely with Jackie Newbury: her background is in investment banking. They began work on a capital market project in Thailand in 2008-9 but this was never finalised because of the political situation. They have been together on missions to China Kazakhstan Azerbaijan and Mongolia.

He is an active member of International Financial Services London, serving on the CIS, CEE and Pensions Committees and participates actively in his specialist capac-ity in inward visits and outward missions led by the Lord Mayor of London.

The firm, Chown Dewhurst LLP, brings to-gether lawyers, economists and account-ants to crack international tax problems. They are members of, and act as secre-tariat to, the International Tax Specialist Group.

Mr. Nick Thompson Level 23, Athenee Tower,63 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330T: +66 (0) 87 084 8635Email: [email protected]

Resignations & Cancellations

• AD Asia Consulting Co., Ltd.• American School of Bangkok, The• Avista Hotels and Resorts• Biorenewables Development Centre,

The • Bridgewater Worldwide Ltd.• Campbell Chambers Thai Company

Limited• Ceva Logistics (Thailand) Ltd.• Chaucer Foods UK Ltd.• CoGri Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.• Crown Agents• Destination Spa Management• Ecotrade Group• Hergest Designs Ltd.• Hollywood Movies Co., Ltd.• Imonit Trading Ltd.• Indian Host (Fine Indian Dining)• King Academy Co., Ltd.• King’s College London, University of

London• Lifestyle Automotive Limited• Membracon (UK) Ltd.• Narai Hotel Group• Nielsen Company ( Thailand) Limited,

The • Organix Brands Limited• Pandectum PTY Ltd.• Professional Portfolio International Ltd.• SALA Resorts & Spas• Secure Wealth Management• SmartCityPeople (Thailand) Recruit-

ment Co., Ltd.• Sulieman Neal Sullivan Group PCL• TAP Trading Co., Ltd.• Technical & General Guarantee Com-

pany S.A.• Witch’s Group• Yamira Company Limited

Change of company representatives

• Air France KLM, changed from Mr. Hervé Moulin, to Mr. Luc Delaplace

• Bangchak Petroleum Public Company Limited, The, changed from Mr. Kanet Visaruthaphong , to Mr. Chaiwat Ko-vavisarach

• Berkeley International School, changed from Mr. Micheal Godhe, to Ms. Lisa Johnson

• Cunningham Lindsey (Thailand) Ltd., changed from Mr. Gareth Davis Samp-son, to Mr. Jakkrit Khaosaard

• Finnair Oyj, changed from Khun Chan-tarat Vorapanya, to Khun Pinlawat Sriprachan

• FIRCROFT, changed from Mr. Damien A Lee,to Mr. Ary Pratama

• Grayling (Thailand) Co.,Ltd., changed from Mr. Justin Barnett, to Mr. Stephen Meng Yee

• Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, changed from Mr. David Ecija, to Mr. Ian Barrow

• ISS Security Services Co., Ltd. , changed from Mr. Glenn Liddell, to Mr. Abhijit Datta

• Kluber Lubrication (Thailand) Co., Ltd., changed from Mr. Stefan Kohl, to Mr. Patrick Kemper

• Millennium Hilton Bangkok (Krungthep Rimnam Ltd), changed from Mr. Dirk De Cuyper, to Ms. Heidi Kleine Moeller

• Reckitt Benckiser (Thailand) Ltd., changed from Mr. Reazul Chowdhury, to Mr. Narasimhan Eswar

• Savills (Thailand) Limited, changed from Mr. Mark Price , to Mr. Robert Collins

• Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok, changed from Mr. J. Edward Brea, to Mr. Phillip Couvaras

• Siam City Law Offices Limited), changed from Mr. Picharn Sukparang-see, to Mr. Chavalit Uttasart

• Venda Software Development Ltd., changed from Mr.John Wagner, to Ms. Jarichart Wankaew

Change of company name

• Aon Risk Services (Thailand) Ltd., changed to Aon (Thailand) Limited

• Global Investments (Far East) Ltd., changed to Global Consultants Limited

• ISS Security Services Co., Ltd., changed to ISS Facility Services Co., Ltd.

• Regent Phuket Cape Panwa, changed to Amatara Resort & Wellness

• Retail Outsourcing (Asia) Limited, changed to Retail Asia Ltd.

• Salamander Energy (E&P) Ltd., changed to Ophir Thailand (E&P) Lim-ited

Change of address

• Brighton College International School, Bangkok

Soi Krungthep Kreetha 15/1, Krungthep Kreetha Road, Huamark Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240• Comcon Services (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 370/10 Supattra Building, 5th floor, Rama9 Road, Bangkapi Bangkok 10310 Tel: +66 (0) 2719 7761 Fax: +66 (0) 2719 7762• Reckitt Benckiser (Thailand) Limited No. 89 AIA Capital Center, Room 2504 – 2507, 25th Floor, Ratchadaphisek Rd., Dindaeng Sub-

District, Dindaeng District, Bangkok 10400• Unilever Thai Trading Limited Unilever House 161 Rama 9 Road, Huai Khwang, Huai Khwang, Bangkok 10310


FINAL worD

Spare a thought for 74 year-old Betty Dickson. Betty is one of those wonderful lollipop ladies

that shepherd children safely across busy streets and roads as they walk to and from schools throughout the United Kingdom.

But this cheerful pensioner, so pop-ular with the children and parents at nursery and primary schools in Glasgow’s Cranhill district, has been banned from waving at the children.

In yet another example of potty lo-cal government bureaucracy, council bosses have warned Betty that her friendly greetings are a ‘breach of health and safety regulations’. Betty was told that waving at children breaks her concentration and puts children at risk. Council jobsworths have even sent a supervisor to check that Betty is following orders.

Heading home for Christmas? It’s time to contact your favourite car rental agency -

because travelling by train in parts of Great Britain is set to be a nightmare once again.

With four major rail networks spend-ing more than £120 million pounds on essential maintenance during the festive season, passengers departing major termini in London face more travel chaos. London Paddington, for example, which serves Wales and the West Country, is closed from 24 to 28 December to enable works to be car-ried out on the Crossrail scheme.

This petty meddling has angered parents. Janice Hamilton, 44, told local media that Betty was ‘the happiest woman in the world – but she’s not happy now’. “It’s disgust-ing. You could get a nicer person. The kids and parents love her”, she added.

Mums and dads at the local schools in Cranhill have now nominated Betty for an award in a bid to show solidarity.

Betty is employed by Cordia, a com-pany run by Glasgow City Council. A spokesman was quoted as stat-ing that ‘a member of the public ex-pressed concern about the behaviour of one of our school crossing patrol-lers. We had a chat with the patroller involved, provided further training and we’re satisfied the issue is now resolved’.

Last Christmas the overrun on engi-neering works, coupled with delays, disruptions and diversions, caused misery for tens of thousands of com-

TheviewsandopinionsexpressedonthispagebyEditorDaleLawrenceareentirelypersonalanddonotreflectofficialBCCTpolicy.

Council ban baffles Betty

On the wrong track

By Dale Lawrence

muters and for families visiting friends and relatives.

Network Rail admits that this year’s programme of engineering works is on a similar scale – but claims that there will be ‘less disruption’.

The unconvincing claim does not ex-tend to lines serving London’s two principal airports, Heathrow and Gatwick. There are no over ground rail services serving LHR on 27 and 28 December whilst passengers trav-elling to and from LGW are likely to experience frustrating delays for more than a week.

All the angles coveredWhen you enter unfamiliar territory, you want to get straight to the heart of your market.

Oxford Business Group reports shed light on what’s really happening on the ground. Our reports balance on-the-spot analysis with contributions from local and international experts.

Whether you’re entering a new market or already entrenched, OBG country reports are your indispensable guide.

“Vital information for anyone considering

working in the country” Financial Times

ALGERIA, BAHRAIN, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, COLOMBIA, CÔTE D’IVOIRE, DJIBOUTI, EGYPT, GABON, GHANA, INDONESIA, JORDAN, KENYA, KUWAIT, MALAYSIA, MEXICO, MONGOLIA, MOROCCO, MYANMAR, NIGERIA, OMAN, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, PANAMA, PERU, QATAR, SAUDI ARABIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SRI LANKA, THAILAND, THE PHILIPPINES, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, TUNISIA, TURKEY, UAE: ABU DHABI, UAE: DUBAI, UAE: RAS AL KHAIMAH

THE INSIDE EDGEwww.oxfordbusinessgroup.com

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bcct link magazine - issue 4 2015

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