Dear Friends and Members of the Stcc
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SEPTEMBER 2015 | SWISS-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | E-NEWSLETTER #62 TOP NEWS SUPPORTED BY DFDL: Perspectives On AEC Interview: Stefan Buechler Member News: Buechi Company Report School News: New Leadership Team School News: Open House Info Session THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE DEAR FRIENDS AND MEMBERS OF THE STCC beginning to welcome back it’s usual rate of tourists who once again steadily filled Bangkok’s SERVICE hotel rooms, this unprecedent- ed and single worst attack seen STCC CALENDAR in Bangkok’s recent history, Thursday, 10th Sept 2015: dealt another blow to Thailand Swiss Life Presentation: and its tourism industry. Whilst “Altersvorsorge für national police chief Somyot PRESIDENT BRUNO G. ODERMATT Auslandschweizer (in German, Poompummunag was rightly 1h before STCC Stamm) at We are living in turbulent and telling the media that “whoever Amari Boulevard Hotel, 17:00 often chaotic times and some- planted this bomb is cruel and (registrierte Teilnehmer times when we begin to think aimed to kill innocent people”, erhalten einen Voucher an the worst is over another disas- many of us received inquiries den Stamm Eintritt) ter – a ‘Black Swan’ – may hit from friends and business col- Thursday, 10th Sept 2015: full force. leagues abroad with regard to STCC Stamm at Amari Bangkok’s safety situation. Boulevard Hotel, 18:00 On 17 August a bomb explod- ed at a popular place of wor- As we are saddened, heart- Thursday, 15th Sept 2015: ship in Central Bangkok during broken and even feel psycho- SSB Hoeck at Grottino the evening rush hour, killing logically unsafe after such a Restaurant, 18:00 20 and injuring more than terrible event, it reminded me More details for above events 120 people. In a neighbour- of the English poet Edward please wait for the invitation- hood full of five-star hotels Fitzgerald’s version of “Salo- mail or get it from www.swis- and luxury shopping malls, the mon’s Seal”, which describes a sthai.com, click on “events”. area around Bangkok’s Erawan sultan requesting of King Salo- Shrine is, at any given mo- mon a sentence that would al- ment, filled with hundreds of ways be true in good and bad tourists, office workers, wor- times. Salomon then respond- shippers, shoppers, and busi- ed: “This too shall pass away”. ness people. Just as Bangkok’s/ Even though it feels disheart- Thailand’s tourism sector was ening right now as the crime 1 SEPTEMBER 2015 | SWISS-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | E-NEWSLETTER #62 THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE SUPPORTED BY investigation as to who is re- recent currency policies. One sponsible for this brutal attack can hope that these tensions is still ongoing, this too shall will not prevail. pass and the City of Bangkok and its people will emerge In lighter news, Thailand’s lat- stronger and more committed est cabinet reshuffle should to keeping the spirit of this boost the country’s economy great city alive. and improve its government image in the eyes of the foreign In another unexpected event, community. 8 of the 10 newly China weakened its currency in appointed cabinet members are three consecutive days - one civilians with solid business ex- could also call it currency ad- periences and most have been justment or devaluation - and placed in key economic areas, global markets greeted it with which is a positive move. In alarm. Many investors and fi- replacing all economic minis- nancial commentators regarded ters and handing over the lead- the latest move by the Peo- ership of economic affairs to ple’s Bank of China (PBOC) as Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak, who is a sign of desperation Adhesiveover the well versed & and Sealant experienced in TechnologiesTRINA government’s fear of subdued economic matters, Prime Min- INTERNATIONAL economic growth and worsen- ister Prayud Chan-o-cha rec- ing financial fragility. The in- ognises that there is room for tervention of the PBOC created improvement in handling the some heavy turmoil in the cur- economy, a key part of the gov- rency, global equities, fixed in- ernment’s policy. One can fair- MS Hybrid Polymer come, and commodity markets. ly say that this will bode well It remains to be seen on how for Thailand’s economy and its best performing it will impact international global competitiveness. window, door trade flows. One can argue that the action of the PBOC comes Last but not least, I would like and facade at an inconvenient time since to urge you to join us in vis- SERVICE the volume of global trade iting the Metro Tunnel which sealant. has been in decline. China’s runs beneath the Chao Phraya MEMBER DETAIL exports have recently fallen River and is a part of the MRT SoutheastUPDATES Asia Link Co., Ltd. and the problem is that other Blue Line extension project. Dowww.seal-ast.com you have changes among countries, who have also suf- You will definitely enjoy this your delegatesT: 0 2732 or changes 2092 to fered export losses, may now excursion and will get a taste your e-mail, mobile, telephone, be tempted to follow China’s of what it means to work in an or fax numbers? lead. Some pundits raise con- underground tunnel project. Please send all updates to cerns that China is seeking a Our member Andre Meier or- [email protected] currency war, amongst rising ganized this exclusive visit and tensions between Beijing and as there is a limit to the num- other governments over these ber of participants allowed, so 2 SEPTEMBER 2015 | SWISS-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | E-NEWSLETTER #62 THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE please register early and be part *** of this really special event. Contact the President: Bruno G. Odermatt With this in mind I wish you President STCC lots of success in your business [email protected] in this challenging and eventful Tel: +66 2 652 1911 year. With the best wishes Bruno G. Odermatt President Business Consulting Adhesive & Sealant Technologies TRINA Start up – Business Registrations – Visa & Work permits INTERNATIONAL Recruiting Accounting Services including VAT, Tax, year-end closings, reportings MS Hybrid Polymer Insurance Solutions ONE STOP Medical Insurances (individual and staff / groups) best performing Car- , Bike- & Property Insurance Life Insurances window, door and facade TRINA Management (Thailand) Co. Ltd. Your reliable Partner 18th Floor, Unit 1802; Bangkok Business Center Building sealant. in Thailand #29, Sukhumvit 63 Road, Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Tel: 02 714 4177; Fax: 02 714 4179 Southeast Asia Link Co., Ltd. + Swiss Management + [email protected] www.trina-thai.com www.seal-ast.com Since 1996 Member of the Swiss & German Chamber of Commerce T: 0 2732 2092 3 SEPTEMBER 2015 | SWISS-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | E-NEWSLETTER #62 NEWS BY DFDL CRACKING DOWN ON CORRUPTION IN THAILAND On 9 July 2015, the Thai govern- Clear evidence of ongoing cor- out doing Indonesia, Vietnam, ment issued Amendment No.3 to rupt practices in Thailand has the Lao PDR, Cambodia and My- the Anti-Corruption Act BE 2542 been well documented under anmar among others. A report (1999) (Amendment No.3) to the Corruption Perceptions In- published by the Global Finan- comply with international stand- dex (CPI). The CPI is conducted cial Integrity Group at the close ards for the prevention and by Transparency International, a of 2014 entitled “Illicit Flows suppression of corruption. Thai- non-governmental organization from Developing Countries” re- land had previously also ratified that monitors and publicizes vealed that over USD35 billion the United Nations Convention corporate and political corrup- (THB 1.1 trillion) had been against Corruption (2003) on 1 tion in the international devel- drained from Thailand through March 2011. Even though the le- opment sector. The results of money-laundering, tax evasion, gal framework for combating cor- the latest index show Thailand crime and false trade documen- ruption has been in place since has risen 17 places from 102nd tation practices. the late 1990’s, enforcement of in 2012 to 85th in 2014. Ac- anti-corruption laws in Thailand cording to the index, within the Despite the improvements seen has been inconsistent since their ASEAN region, Thailand remains under the CPI, corruption is still inception. as the 3rd least corrupt nation, a prevalent practice in Thailand. 4 SEPTEMBER 2015 | SWISS-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | E-NEWSLETTER #62 NEWS BY DFDL Corrupt practices can largely be 2542 (1999), the Management explained by the patronage sys- of Partnership Stakes and Shares tem, which is dominant in Thai of Ministers Act BE 2543 (2000) social culture. Under this sys- and the Act Governing Liability tem, it is common for those in for Wrongful Acts of Competent positions of authority to extend Officers BE 2539 (1996). “favors” to their associates or relatives. These “favors” result There is no universal defini- in corrupt practices becoming tion of the term “corruption” as ingrained at all levels of polit- corrupt practices span a wide a person in power, especially a ical, bureaucratic and corporate range of illicit or illegal activi- public official, in order to in- hierarchies, both domestic and ties. However, almost all defini- duce him to do, not to do or de- international. tions share the common theme lay a particular action. However, of abuse of public power and a gift offered to a public officer To provide an example of a re- abuse of a public position for is not considered a bribe if it is cent well-documented corrup- personal benefit. A clear trend given in certain circumstances tion case, we refer to the dis- has been that anti-corruption and is valued under a certain missal of a high ranking public policies generally focus on pub- amount (THB 3,000).