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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear Member
With our AGM in the spotlight this month we may well reflect on the last 12 months and realise just how quickly it has passed. Although 2008 hasnt always been an easy year to negotiate, it certainly has been a progressive and active year for the Chamber and we trust all our members have enjoyed being part of it.
Apart from our regular CK networking functions that were held, several other milestone events in both Bangkok and Jomtien were also hosted and it was very pleasing for the committee to see the good attendances recorded at all these functions. Our membership has again remained very strong with around 135 members paid up, and with forward subscriptions maintained at Baht 4,500 we are confident of improving on this figure next year. We look forward to your continued support of the Chamber through early renewal of your membership to enable the new committee to respond with the activities and services that are planned. Talking support, we would also like to offer a special vote of thanks to ANZ for providing such valuable assistance as our principal sponsor during 2008.
This year we have had a very capable and proactive committee on board. Unfortunately several members will be stepping down, so special thanks to John Pollard, Bronwyn Evans, John Vivian and Utain Pongprapas for the valuable contributions they have made to the Chamber over recent years. Being on the committee takes up a lot of personal time and effort and we would therefore also like to thank the new candidates who have made themselves available for next years committee.
We are again grateful to RSM Thailand for sponsoring the AGM and the networking function afterwards. Gareth Hughes and Mark Butters have been regular sponsors of this combined event for several years now and their continuing support is very much appreciated by the Chamber.
Last but not least, the CKs would not be as successful without the invaluable support we continue to receive from the Sheraton Grande. Many thanks are due to Richard Chapman and his management team at the hotel for providing the quality venues and services for the various events that were held throughout the year.
As a final comment, voting for the forthcoming general election in NZ on 8 November can be done at the NZ Embassy from 22 October during their normal business hours. Please refer to our website for further details on this.
We look forward to a good attendance of members at the AGM and to be able to meet up with you afterward at the networking evening.
Kind regards
Cris Dunning
President
OCTOBER CHAMBER NETWORKING EVENTS
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel from 6:30pm. sponsored by:
RSM Thailand is a member of the worlds seventh largest international organization of Accountants and Business Advisors.
RSM is represented by affiliate independent members in 64 countries and brings together the talents of almost 25,000 individuals in over 660 offices worldwide. The networks total fee income of US$3.06bn places it amongst the top seven international accounting organisations worldwide.
Affiliate member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base. RSM International is a member of the Forum of Firms. The objective of the Forum of Firms is to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide.
The core member firms of RSM International are RSM McGladrey (USA), RSM Bentley Jennison (United Kingdom), RSM Richter (Canada), RSM Bird Cameron (Australia), RSM Chio Lim (Singapore), and RSM Nelson Wheeler (Hong Kong).
Other Events
Bangkok Sevens Tournament
Police Stadium Viphavadi Rangsit Rd, 31st October - 2nd November 2008
Highlights this year include the return of the Grammar-Carlton and Linton Army boys from Auckland and Palmerston North respectively.
For more information contact David Dufall Mobile +66-8-1822 5932 or check out the web site www.bangkoksevens.com
New Zealand Food & Wine promotion
New Zealand food and wine promotion that will take place at Sofitel Centara Grand Hotel from 4 14 November 2008. New Zealand food and wines will be available at both Chatuchak Café and Don Giovanni.
KIWI CORNER
Some recent Kiwi Snippets and Quotes:
Rowles opens with Winston's favourite
John Rowles will open NZ First's election campaign with one of his old mate Winston Peters' favourite songs - a cover of Frank Sinatra's My Way. Rowles, 61, said he and Mr Peters, 63, had a lot in common. "We've got the same hair style - almost. Over the years I've gathered lots of confidence in what I do and Winston has that same aura about him."
'I can solve the financial crisis'
Russell Crowe has an Oscar and is co-owner of the Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team, during a US TV talkshow appearance, the New Zealand-born actor announced a plan to cure America's financial crisis. "I was thinking," Crowe said. "If they want to stimulate the economy and get people spending so they can look after their mortgage ... give everyone US$1 million."
Sonny Bill Williams most hated man in Australia
Rugby league deserter Kiwi Sonny Bill Williams recently edged out Bali bomber Amrozi to be named Australia's most hated person in a notorious annual poll the Zoo Weekly's annual "Top 50 People We Hate List"
British tabloids gaga over Hayley
British tabloids are clamouring to find out more about Kiwi dancing star Hayley Holt after the leggy blonde's debut on the BBC's equivalent to Dancing with the Stars. The News of the World has described her as the "blonde babe who is sexing up Strictly Come Dancing", and says that back home she and her All Black captain boyfriend Richie McCaw are New Zealand's equivalent of Posh and Becks.
One girl short of a picnic
The mystery of a deserted picnic that baffled police for a week has been solved it was abandoned after a failed attempt by a would-be Romeo to impress his girl. The picnic setting was found by a kayaker last Thursday set out under a tree near the shore of Rotorua's Lake Tikitapu.
New Zealand Freediver Dave Mullins 2nd world record in one month.
Wellington Freediver Dave Mullins has swum a total of 248m underwater on a single breath of air using a monofin for propulsion in the discipline known as Dynamic Apnea securing another world record.
Kiwis perform well in world schools' debating final
Don't pick an argument with Jennifer Savage The 18-year-old Wanganui Collegiate student - she is the best student debater in the world and won the title at the World Schools' Debating Champs. The New Zealand team finished second losing to England by 5-4, the closet possible margin in the final. NZ Schools Debating Council spokesman Christopher Bishop said he was very proud of the team."It's our best result at the world champs for 13 years".
TOURISM - BOTH COUNTRIES DOING WELL
New Zealand still a favourite in the UK
New Zealand has been voted the number one destination by travellers in the UK, Tourism Minister Damien OConnor said. The Condé Nast Traveller Readers Travel Awards 2008 (UK) showed New Zealand was the favourite country in the world amongst its readers.
This win makes 2008 the fifth year in a row that New Zealand has been ranked in the top five favourite countries by the publications readers.
Bangkok Rates as No 1 City
Travel+ Leisure's "10 Best Cities of the World for 2008," named Bangkok as the best city, beating New York and San Francisco, which came in at 8th and 10th place. Istanbul, the bridge between two continents (Europe and Asia) came 9th, and runner-up was Argentina's style-obsessed capital of Buenos Aires. Bangkok, also won top awards in more than one category in the recent Annual Travel Awards for 2008. It was named the Asia-Pacific regions Best Leisure Destination, and Phuket, Thailand, was second in the rankings for the same category.
The awards are based on votes submitted by readers of Business Traveller Asia Pacific magazine.
NEW MEMBERS
We would like to welcome the following new members to the Chamber.
 IRS International Recovery Services Ltd.
Business Type: Recovery Services
Service company involved in the consultancy and restoration of buildings and their contents, including plant and machinery following environmental disasters such as fire, chemical spills and natural disasters.
Chamber Representatives: Mr Don Sutherland and Mr Chris Haydock
The Big Chilli Company
Business Type: Publisher
The Big Chilli Company publishes magazines for expats living in Thailand our flagship publication is the monthly Big Chilli magazine. The magazine is not only distributed to key areas throughout Thailand, but also internationally. We include news of many different chambers including NZTCC and we strive to offer the reader a top quality magazine. Every month we offer a great mix of news, reviews, interviews, people profiles, features stories, extensive whats on guide and much more.
Chamber Representative: Mr Colin Hastings
2008 NZ GENERAL ELECTION
New Zealand's General Election will be held on Saturday, 8 November 2008.
 Pollsters full of beans
One very unusual and quirky coffee poll has proven so accurate in the past that at least one New Plymouth electoral candidate will be watching it in the run-up to the election.
The bean poll is not scientific, customers get to vote a bean every time they buy a coffee but it has been surprisingly accurate in the past..
The poll successfully picked the past two New Zealand election results and, on making its entry into Australia for their last election last, tipped Kevin Rudd's win over John Howard.
TRANSPARENCY RATINGS
 Transparency International has released its 2008 corruption perceptions index (CPI). CPI measures the perceived levels of public-sector corruption in a given country and is a composite index, drawing on different expert and business surveys. The 2008 CPI scores 180 countries (the same number as the 2007 CPI) on a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to ten (highly clean).
Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden share the highest score at 9.3, followed immediately by Singapore at 9.2. Bringing up the rear is Somalia at 1.0, slightly trailing Iraq and Myanmar at 1.3 and Haiti at 1.4. Thailand came in at #80 of the 180 countries a small improvement over 2007 where it was ranked 84 out of 180 countries.
You can see the whole table here at www.transparency.org
KIWIS QUEUE UP TO BECOME 'CRANIAL BILLBOARDS'
 Hundreds of people flocked to Victoria Square in Christchurch to watch daring Kiwis get their heads shaved and 'tattooed' for Air New Zealand's Cranial Billboards campaign.
The unique campaign, announced last week, has sparked headlines around the world including on CNN, BBC, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, media outlets across Australia and the Pacific Islands, and has even been discussed by Jay Leno on his hit US TV talk show, The Tonight Show.
The airline has been inundated with emails and phone calls around the world from people wanting to be involved, including several offers from keen travellers volunteering to fly to New Zealand to participate.
The first 'casting call' was today in Christchurch and will be followed by events later in the week in Wellington and Auckland to find up to 75 'cranial billboards' - men and women prepared to shave their heads and carry an advertising message on the back of their head for two weeks, and receive $1,000 for their efforts.
The message - "The End of the Domestic Check-in Queue Is Coming" - refers to the new simplified check-in experience that will be introduced at Auckland domestic airport in late October, followed by Christchurch and Wellington domestic airports.
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Chamber News 
