|
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear Members
I hope you are settling down to a more normal routine and getting a bit more sleep now that the FIFA World Cup is over with. Without labouring the point, I would like to wish final congratulations to the All Whites for remaining the only unbeaten team in the competition. Remember that this was only the warm up for the main event next year; the Rugby World Cup 2011 hosted by New Zealand. There is a lot to look forward to and we have started to plan some exciting events for it so watch this space for further information.
Now that the dust has settled on the turmoil of the past few months, attention is returning to the issues that were of concern earlier in the year. The delays in resolving the Map Ta Phut issues are frustrating for everyone. It looks like it could be two months before the government releases the final list of harmful activities that would be subject to intensive health and environmental assessments and public hearings. It is understandable that the government wants to make sure it gets it right this time and that their attention has been distracted by recent events. Even so, the delays are not helpful in attracting badly needed investment in this country.
On a brighter note, Thailand appears to be inching towards 3G technology with progress being made in the issues of converting concessions to spectrum licensing. Introduction of full 3G services will undoubtedly enhance the competitiveness of Thailand. Many countries around the world, including New Zealand, have struggled with the problem of deregulation of the Telecoms market and it is not easy; however all who have managed to work their way through have reaped the rewards in the end.
It was very disappointing but understandable when the Beachhead conference meeting planned for May was cancelled due to the unrest at that time. As events unfolded, this proved to be a prudent step. We are really pleased that this event has now been rescheduled for 6th August and many thanks to New Zealand Trade & Enterprise for their efforts in ensuring its return to Bangkok. I highly recommend participating in this event since it offers the opportunity to meet with some keen business minds from around the region.
Although the NZTCC team we fielded for the JFCCT joint Chamber and Embassy golf day did not come away with the silverware, we all had a fun day. The next activity on the Chamber golfing calendar is 27th August when the Australian and New Zealand Chambers take on the British Chamber. We would love to hear from golfers willing to take on the British Chamber in this fun (but competitive) day.
This month we are delighted to be collaborating with the Thai Canadian Chamber of Commerce for our Corporate Knight. This is part of our ongoing program to provide a diverse range of networking opportunities for our members. With their relaxed, easygoing attitude, we have much in common with the Canadians so this should prove to be a great evening.
Many thanks to Doug Ozanne from the Sheraton Grande’s Starwood Privilege program for their sponsoring of this month’s Corporate Knight. The Sheraton Grande has been a terrific supporter of the Chamber over the years. We would also like to thank Baker Tilley Thailand for their sponsorship of the Canadian Chamber for this event. We look forward to your company at our networking evening on 29th.
Kind regards,
Nikki Cox
President
UPCOMING CHAMBER NETWORKING EVENTS
Joint Chamber Networking Event
with
Thai Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Thursday, 29th July 2010 6.30pm @ Sheraton Grande
NZTCC & TCCC Members: 300 baht, Non-Members: 500 baht
Kindly sponsored by
Starwood Privilege is the official loyalty membership program for Starwood Hotels and Resorts thru the Asia/Pacific region giving members discounts on Food & Beverage at over 100 Hotels and Resorts plus room and Spa discounts at all participating properties.
5 Star service and quality at 3 Star prices……….
Baker Tilly Thailand is an independent member of Baker Tilly International which has risen to become the 8th largest accounting network in the world.
Baker Tilly Thailand is a full service accounting practice, offering Corporate Advisory Service, Statutory Audit and Internal Audit Services, Tax and Investor Advisory Service.
Beachhead Conference Cocktail Reception
Friday,6th August 2010 6:00pm
@ Four Seasons Hotel
The New Zealand-Thai Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise and has the pleasure of inviting you to a Cocktail Reception at the Four Seasons Hotel on Friday 6 August 2010.
The cocktail reception is to welcome members of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s Southeast Asia Beachhead Advisory Board return to Bangkok.
To attend please register at our website where you will also find more details.
NZTCC members 300 baht, non members 700 baht.
KIWI CORNER
Some recent Kiwi Snippets and Kiwis in the news:
The Picture Says It All
New Zealand, ranked No78 by the folks at FIFA, emerged as the only unbeaten team from the recent Football World Cup.
CAPITAL OF COOL BACK ON TOP FOR WINTER
The New Zealand Traveller Survey, released by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand, found that Wellington was the preferred New Zealand destination for a winter holiday, followed by Christchurch and Auckland. Queenstown and Nelson rounded out the top five.
Positively Wellington Tourism Chief Executive David Perks says news the inaugural destination of choice back was on top was timely, with the tourism industry currently in the midst of its annual international showcase.
“New Zealanders are incredibly important to Wellington’s tourism industry and clearly Wellington is just as important to New Zealanders – that’s a great message to be able to share with international trade as consumer trends continue to shift towards visitors wanting to travel like locals rather than tourists.”
Domestic commercial guest nights in the city have increased 73% to 1.3 million over the past decade and the local market was pivotal to the capital’s visitor numbers holding strong throughout the economic downturn, Mr Perks says.
Wellington was once again the country’s favourite destination despite the pull of the ski fields near Queenstown and Christchurch in winter.
THAI & NZ TEAMS TRIUMPH AT DESIGN AWARDS
Students from Kasetsart University's Faculty of Engineering and a team of Auckland University engineering students have both won prizes in the Software Design Category at the 2010 Microsoft Imagine Cup , the world's biggest student technology competition with more than 325,000 other students from more than 100 countries competing.
The winning teams were announced at the awards ceremony in Warsaw, Poland.
Kasetsart University's Team Skeek, consisting of four students in software engineering - Kirthee Siristh, Pichai Sodsai, Thanasunn Dilokpinitnun, Nonthawat Srichad - came first in the software design category at the 8th Annual Imagine Cup World Finals.
The team's project, eyeFeel, is intended to aid people with hearing problems. It uses a number of technologies, including speech and facial recognition systems and a text-to-sign language translator, to facilitate real-time conversations with someone who is hearing impaired.
Auckland University Team OneBeep consists of engineering students Vinny Kumar, Chanyeol Yoo, Kayo Lakadia and Steve Ward took out third place the best result Kiwis have ever achieved at the prestigious event in Poland.
Their entry in the software design category aimed to improve education in poverty-stricken regions by allowing the reception of digital learning materials using a radio, as opposed to a phone line or internet connection.
DESIGN AWARDS PROGRAM
New Plymouth-based medical bed manufacturer, Howard Wright, has won the 2010 Australian International Design Award of the Year for its M8 Intensive Care bed.
The Australian International Design Awards is a division of Standards Australia and one of the world's most renowned design assessment programs, recognising product design and innovation excellence. Winners were announced in Sydney.
Howard Wright's M8 Intensive Care was recognised for its outstanding design, attention to detail and innovation. The M8 is cleverly designed to reduce patient handling and risk of injury by allowing for a wide range of medical procedures to be performed without the need to transfer the patient from the bed.
Unique design features include the ability to convert the bed into a full cardiac chair and the inclusion of a fully radiolucent deck enabling X-ray imaging capability without moving the patient.
The Design Awards judges were impressed by the attention to detail given to all aspects of the bed, from the aesthetics, materials choice and functionality through to the safety and comfort considerations for all users including patients, health practitioners and hospital staff.
"Superb functionality, soft-touch surfaces and inviting aesthetics are the culmination of a ground-up, human-centred approach to design. For a low production run product, the M8 Intensive Care bed represents the work of an exceptional company driven to lead by design," said the judges.
"The Australian International Design Awards recognises product design and innovation excellence available on the Australian market. To win the Australian International Design Award of the Year, a product needs to demonstrate outstanding design across six criteria including innovation, functionality, visual appeal, manufacturing quality, ergonomics and safety, and environmental sustainability. The M8 Intensive Care exceeded all the criteria," said Stephanie Pemberton, Program Director of the Australian International Design Awards.
Ms Pemberton added the judges were impressed by Howard Wright's commitment to design as integral to the company’s business growth strategy.
THAI DAIRY INDUSTRY EYES NZ ASSISTANCE
 A proposal to further develop the Thailand dairy industry is being presented to a Thai delegation visiting Waikato Innovation Park.
The group is visiting the park and AgResearch's Tokonui research farm – the culmination of four years of discussions.
The proposal has been co-ordinated by Michael Grayson, a partner of Grayson Law, based at Waikato Innovation Park, and includes input from Wintec for possible training opportunities and Leith Pemberton, who was involved in setting up Fonterra's first dairy farm in China.
Mr Grayson has liaised directly with various Thailand government agencies over the past four years to develop the proposal, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Department of Livestock Development and Thailand's state-owned milk processor, the Dairy Farming Promotion Organisation of Thailand.
Mr Grayson said studies had shown there is considerable room for improvement by adopting the pasture-based production and pasture management methodologies in Thailand.
He said the proposal covered three fronts: creating demonstrator farms in Thailand, training on-farm workers and managers, and commercialisation of research to improve profitability.
"There has been years of discussion and study around this," he said. "We're saying it's time to put something into practice."
CHAMBER UPDATES
We would like to welcome the following new member to the Chamber :
 Allied Pickfords (Executive International Movers)
Business Type: Relocation Services
Chamber Representative: Ms Lisa Anaman
Tell KEA about your plans for Rugby World Cup 2011 in NZ and you could be in to win...
KEA are conducting a members survey about Rugby World Cup 2011 on behalf of Tourism New Zealand and Covec, an independent Auckland company specializing in research, forecasting and public policy. The results will be used by these organisations for future planning and tourism development.
Everyone who completes the survey by Sunday 25th July will go in the draw to win a prize. Please click here to go to the survey.
2010 Ashes Golf Tournament
This will be held on 27th August 2010 at Thana City Golf and Country Club. 12:30PM shotgun start.
For more details please look at the web site brochure HERE. Sponsorship opportunities exist for Silver and Bronze sponsors.
|
Chamber News 
NEW ZEALAND THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
