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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear Member
As we stride out into a new year I would like to extend my very best wishes to you all for a happy and successful 2009. With the financial turmoil of 2008 still reverberating I trust the Christmas break allowed some time to recharge batteries and prepare for the challenges in the year ahead.
Very recently I had the opportunity to attend a luncheon address given by Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva outlining the challenges for the country and what the new government plans to do to tackle these issues. It was encouraging to learn that a wide range of issues are going to be addressed in such a considered and pragmatic manner and that these include both longer term and very short term solutions for the damaged economy. Obviously we all look forward to the implementation of these initiatives and to the beneficial impact they need to have for the overall business environment in Thailand.
Our events calendar for the year started off earlier this month with the Tri-Nations BBQ held outdoor in the scenic grounds of the Sukothai Hotel. The South African, Australian and New Zealand Chambers put aside their rugby differences to jointly host a very successful evening with more than 250 guests attending. It was also pleasing to see many of our members present at the function and for me the high attendance on the night reinforced my view that in difficult economic times many people still see the need to continue to network and market their businesses.
We appreciate that in these times the role of the Chamber can become even more important and our response will be to ensure that throughout the year we continue to provide our core services to the best of our capabilities while looking for new initiatives that would be valuable for our members. In this respect we are currently investigating an opportunity to form an alliance with the NZ Chambers in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam as we see the potential for many shared benefits for companies doing business regionally in SEA or with NZ. More information will come out on this soon.
In terms of our social calendar, I would also like to remind everyone of the up-coming NZ Ball which is being held next month on Saturday 28th February. Even though we are in difficult financial times, 16 different sponsors have put their hands up to help support the Ball and we now need your support to help to fill tables and ensure it is another successful and memorable event. Tickets are now on sale and further details are in the newsletter.
Our first Corporate Knight networking evening for 2009 is on Thursday 29th January at the Sheraton Grande. Baker Tilly Thailand are kindly sponsoring this event, so many thanks to Warwick and his team for supporting the Chamber on this occasion.
We look forward your company on 29th
Kind regards
Cris Dunning
President
JANUARY CHAMBER NETWORKING EVENTS
CORPORATE KNIGHT NETWORKING EVENT
Thursday, 29th January 2009 @ 6.30pm
Sheraton Grande
Kindly sponsored by
Business Activities:
Corporate and Financial Advisory Services
Audit / Tax / Accounting
Baker Tilly Thailand is an independent member of Baker Tilly International, the 8th largest accounting and audit firm in the world, headquartered in London employing over 25,000 staff in 509 offices and in 110 countries. Very strong representation in the U.K., the U.S.A. and throughout Asia including Australia and New Zealand.
Baker Tilly Thailand Limited commenced operations in 2003.
Our Corporate Finance area has strong skills and background in M&A, Financial Due Diligence, IPO and corporate restructuring. We are licensed Planners with the Bankruptcy Court of Thailand and licensed FAs with the SEC.
Products and Services
Full service accountancy practice offering:
Corporate Finance/Financial Advisory
Accounting Services
Statutory & Special Audits
Tax Advisory & Corporate Services
Internal Audits and Risk Advisory Services
Executive Recruitment and Outsourcing
Ownership is a combination of Expatriates and Thais (all Thailand-based)
NEW ZEALAND BLACK & WHITE BALL FEBRUARY 28th 2009
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KIWI CORNER
Some recent Kiwi Snippets and Quotes:
Candy flocks baffle tourists
Staff at a popular attraction north of Auckland have been pulling the wool over tourists' eyes with a Christmas sheep stunt.
luorescent pink sheep appeared in the front paddock of Sheepworld, beside State Highway One near Warkworth, a few days ago - and tourists have been flocking to get the lowdown.
"They've been asking if that's their natural colour," said owner John Collyer. "They said: 'What breed are they?' We just told them people saw a spaceship land there and in the morning the sheep were pink."
Australians Thirsty For New Zealand Wines
Australians find New Zealand wines anything but hard to swallow according to a study by the Nielsen Company. New Zealand table wine (bottled red and white wine) contributed to the biggest growth in wine sales in Australia accounting for AUD $198 million in off premise sales and increasing its value share of the Australian market by three percentage points - an increase of $60 million in value over the year.
Air NZ's first step to environmental sustainability
Air New Zealand made international headlines when it successfully flew a test flight recently powered by second-generation biofuel, which was hailed it as a "significant milestone" in the development of sustainable fuels for aircraft.
The airline used a 50-50 blend of standard jet fuel and synthetic fuel made from the oil of jatropha plant seeds to power one of the engines on a Boeing 747 during a two-hour test flight.
It was the world's first test flight using jatropha biofuel and followed a Virgin Atlantic test flight earlier in the year using a blend including coconut oil and babassu nut oil..
Feathered stud of the forest turns 21
Koro''s steamy antics read like a soap opera a voracious sex life, one partner's untimely murder, father to 31 offspring, and all before celebrating his 21st birthday.
The kaka, who rules the roost at Wairarapa's Pukaha Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre, has cemented his reputation as the "stud" of the forest.
His exploits, which included taking on four wives, and becoming a granddad to numerous chicks, were just part of a complicated personal life, Conservation Department captive breeding manager Rosemary Vander Lee said.
100 years since Rutherford's Nobel Prize
It's just over one hundred years since New Zealand's greatest scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Ernest Rutherford, described as one of the greatest-ever New Zealanders and whose face adorns our $100 bill, received the award in 1908 for his work on radioactivity.
Lord Rutherford biographer John Campbell, a physicist at Canterbury University, says Rutherford's work changed history. "New Zealanders don't appreciate the international importance of, and immortality of Rutherford. He is to the atom what Darwin is to evolution, Newton to mechanics, Faraday to electricity and Einstein to relativity," he said.
His first major discovery, which earned him the Nobel Prize, was of radioactive decay and showed atoms could naturally change their structure. The technique is still used today to date anything from fossils to artefacts.
He made his second major discovery when he identified the structure of the atom and
his third major finding was in 1917 and built on his discovery of the nuclear model of the atom.
THAILAND REMAINS BEST VALUE FOR MONEY
For the third consecutive year, Thailand has emerged as the world's best "brand" in terms of value for money, the 2008 Country Brand Index (CBI) shows.
Such is the finding of a survey of 2,700 international business and leisure travellers from nine countries conducted by Future Brand, a leading global brand consultancy, in conjunction with public-relations firm Weber Shandwick's "Global Travel and Lifestyle Practice" report.
"Famous for its authentic culture, spectacular beaches and noteworthy nightlife, Thailand is also one of the most affordable destinations in the world," the report said.
"In today's difficult economic times, to be considered the best value-for-money destination is perhaps the best brand image Thailand could enjoy," said Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Phornsiri Manoharn.
NEW MEMBERS
We would like to welcome the following new member to the Chamber.
Royal Paragon Enterprises Co, Ltd.
Business Type: Exhibition and Convention Center
Royal Paragon Hall has its location on the 5th level of Siam Paragon, the "Shopping Paradise" of Asia. A stunning 12,000 square meter venue, enchanted with the most advanced technology facility, offers a multi-purpose space that attracts and pleasurably serves the needs of organizers for all arrays of events. In addition to this sophisticated design, professional service is provided as a top priority to ensure the success of national and international conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and special events..
Chamber representative: Mr Arun Theng
GLOBAL AVIATION GIANT ADOPTS NZ TRACKING SYSTEM
 Palmerston North-based satellite tracking solutions company Spidertracks announced it had reached agreement with Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, to have its new product distributed through Cessnas global aircraft support network.
Spidertracks uses GPS coordinates and the Iridium satellite network to track aircraft or other vehicles in real-time, enabling the whereabouts of an aircraft or vessel to be known at all times - wherever it is in the world. Spidertracks will be sold through Cessnas 360 parts and service centres worldwide.
Spidertracks was launched in 2007 to fill the gap in the market for an integrated GPS/satellite tracking system that wasnt limited to the cellular phone network and coverage. The company partners with the worlds most comprehensive satellite network Iridium, to bring clients an unparalleled package of technology and information delivery. Spidertracks develops and manufactures its tracking systems in New Zealand and ensures all components are manufactured to uncompromising standards. The simple, portable, accurate and cost-effective systems have been sold to clients from more than 28 countries across the globe who are looking for accurate flight, marine and vehicle tracking information to ensure the safety of their pilots and to increase the productivity of their businesses through improved tracking and planning.
LOOKING BACK AT THE NEW ZEALAND ELECTION
Keas independent, non-partisan Every Vote Counts campaign reached out to Kiwis overseas and encouraged them to vote in the 2008 General Election. The campaign directly reached well over 20,000 people and was responsible for initiating at least 7,000 voting enrolments.
Overseas voters in New Zealands 2008 election changed the outcome of two seats in Parliament, Kea New Zealands analysis shows. Votes by Kiwis based overseas were decisive in giving the Greens their ninth seat in Parliament, and took a seat away from Labour.
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Final result excluding overseas results |
Final result including overseas results |
| National |
58 |
58 |
| Labour |
44 |
43 |
| Green |
8 |
9 |
| All others |
12 |
12 |
This years tally was the highest overseas peacetime enrolment and vote in New Zealands history.
Even so, only about 12% of the estimated 500,000 eligible New Zealanders overseas enrolled to vote in 2008.
We will work with electoral officials and Parliamentarians between now and the next election to better understand, and address, barriers to overseas voting, says Kea Chief Executive Ivan Moss.
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Chamber News 
