Thai-American Business T-AB Thai- American Business Journal of The American Chamber Of Commerce In Thailand Volume 6/2017 VOLUME 6/2017 VOLUME The American Chamber Of Commerce In Thailand The American Chamber Of Commerce Outward Bound How Thai Companies are Flipping the Script and Investing Abroad at Record Rates In a Bid to Become a Global Lifestyle Brand, Sansiri Looks West Growth in Thai Foreign Direct Investment: A Look at the Numbers Managing Risk in Pursuit of FDI Opportunity Thai Union: 20 Years of Expanding Overseas The American Chamber Of Commerce In Thailand 1 2 Thai-American Business • Volume 6/2017 THAI-AMERICAN BUSINESS ISSN-T-A 0125-0191 Contents Volume 6/2017 | Covering November - December 10 AMCHAM 2018 Board of Governors 12 Outward Bound: How Thai Companies are Flipping the Script and Investing Abroad at Record Rates 16 In a Bid to Become a Global Lifestyle Brand, Sansiri Looks West 23 19 Growth in Thai Overseas Investment: A Look at the Numbers 21 Managing Risk in Pursuit of FDI Opportunity 23 Thai Union: 20 Years of Investing and Expanding Overseas 26 Honoring Thailand’s Best in the CSR Business 28 AMCHAM Thailand 2017 28 Committee Roundup Report REGULAR FEATURES 6 President’s Remarks 39 Legal Updates: Recent Legal Changes Affecting Business 40 Member News 41 Government Engagement 42 AMCHAM Executive Director’s Remarks 44 American Chamber Of Commerce In 41 Thailand Foundation 46 Events Roundup 52 Committee Meetings 55 AMCHAM Affinity Program 56 New Members and Changes 58 AMCHAM Membership: Why Join AMCHAM 44 46 49 Cover photo: ACE Award winners (holding trophies, from left) from Dow Chemical, IBM, and Western Digital with award presenters (from left) John DaSilva, Minister Atchaka Sibunruang, U.S. Ambassador Glyn Davies, and AMCHAM President Jeffrey Nygaard. 4 Thai-American Business • Volume 6/2017 The American Chamber Of Commerce In Thailand 5 PRESIDENT’S REMARKS ADVOCACY HONORARY CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD U.S. Ambassador Glyn T. Davies This year a large majority of the Cham- ber’s efforts focused on supporting AMCHAM BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2017 Thailand 4.0, the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), and Thailand’s quest to PRESIDENT boost growth by shifting the economy Jeffrey Nygaard, Seagate towards high-tech investments and the digital economy. AMCHAM continued to PRESIDENT EMERITUS support the Royal Thai Government’s ef- Brad Middleton, Chevron forts on these fronts along with providing VICE PRESIDENT forums for member companies to hear David Carden, FedEx about these initiatives and ways that they may take advantage of potential oppor- TREASURER tunities. Teera Phutrakul, JTFP At the beginning of the year, the Cham- SECRETARY Dale Lee, CoffeeWORKS ber brought on a Government Affairs Director, Khun Tomwit Jarnson, who has GOVERNORS actively reached out to the Royal Thai Parnsiree Amatayakul, IBM Dear members, Government and arranged appropriate James Amatavivadhana, Minor International Government meetings. Khun Tomwit Another year has come to a close and we also helped organize bi-monthly Govern- Herman Ehrlich, Conrad have wrapped up another great year at ment Affairs Council meetings to coor- Vira-Anong Chiranakhorn Phutrakul, Citibank the Chamber. dinate advocacy issues. This has served Ornkanya Pibuldham, Bank of America to strengthen the Chamber’s advocacy November and December are always efforts which was a priority for 2017. Steve Rich, Caterpillar busy as the Chamber office works hard to Jeremy R. Osterstock, Esso host a number planned activities before A number of very positive events in the the middle of December, when many of regulatory and business environment BOARD ADVISORS our members take off for the holidays. occurred over the past several months. David Lyman, Tilleke & Gibbins AMCHAM President in 1975, 1986 This includes recent improvements in This edition of T-AB Magazine focuses Harold Vickery, Jr. Prem Tinsulanonda customs laws, IPR protection and en- International School on outward bound Thai foreign direct forcement, and ease of doing business, AMCHAM President in 1984 investment. According to the U.S. De- which are all positive steps indicating partment of Commerce’s Bureau of that Thailand is committed to improving EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Economic Analysis, Thailand ranked as the business environment. Judy Benn the fastest growing source of foreign direct investment in the United States Earlier this year, Thailand announced that in 2016. Several Thai companies have the amendments to the Royal Thai Cus- Thai-American Business is published bi-monthly by recently invested in the U.S., and we toms laws were passed and the amend- The American Chamber Of Commerce In Thailand have a number of articles inside that ments came into effect in mid-Novem- with offices at: 7th Floor, GPF Witthayu Tower A 93/1 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330 highlight these investments along with ber. The new amendments allow for Tel: +66 (0)2 254-1041 Fax: +66 (0)2 251-1605 Thai overseas investment in other parts customs rulings that will be more trans- Email: [email protected] of the world. The internationalization parent, fair, and in-line with international Website: www.amchamthailand.com of Thai companies speaks well of their standards (although there is still room for Editorial Advisory Board: Judy Benn, Harold Vickery, Jr. ability to compete globally and we are improvement). The AMCHAM Customs & Communications Director & Editor: sure there will be positive effects on the Excise Committee deserves recognition Melinda Page domestic economy as these compa- for their efforts on this advocacy front. Email: [email protected] nies innovate and upgrade their local Artwork & Layout: Phaisan Nangnoi resources to support the growing glo- Also at the beginning of November, the Production: Scand-Media Corp., Ltd balization trend. World Bank Group’s latest Doing Business Tel.: +66 (0)2 943-7166/8 Fax: +66 (0)2 943-7169 report showed Thailand has moved up Email: [email protected] I am pleased to provide the membership from 48th place to 26th place among Any opinions expressed in articles in this magazine with the following review of the Cham- 190 economies around the world in the do not necessarily reflect the views of the Chamber. ber’s activities in 2017, covering the ease of doing business rankings for small T-AB Magazine welcomes story and photo Chamber’s main activities in Advocacy, and medium size enterprises. The report contributions from AMCHAM members. Articles may Membership Services, and CSR and Com- be reproduced with acknowledgement, except for munity Support. those taken from other sources. Continued on page 8 66 Thai-AmericanThai-American Business Business • •Volume Volume 6/2017 6/2017 The American Chamber Of Commerce In Thailand 7 PRESIDENT’S REMARKS also recognizes Thailand as one of the to highlight what U.S. companies do best: worthwhile education program. You can top 10 economies worldwide that have being good corporate citizens. read more about how you can participate improved most in the ease of doing busi- on page 45. ness in the last year. The report stressed I was delighted to participate in the an- that Thailand has made impressive nual AMCHAM CSR Excellence Awards The other two ATF programs, Adopt-a- strides, having adopted eight reforms in dinner on November 21 and hand out School and Fulbright English Teaching the past year, a record for the country in certificates to 59 member companies Assistants, were in effect during the year, a single year, and Thailand has now ris- who met the rigorous qualification but we have seen a declining interest en into the top 15 percent of countries standards for their CSR activities. This in these programs and we will evaluate globally in the ease of doing business – a event, which has become one of the whether or not they will be continued great achievement. Chamber’s signature programs, was next year. extremely well attended and you could At the beginning of December, follow- feel the buzz in the air as more than I wish to extend thanks to those who ing an out-of-cycle review by the US 500 attendees celebrated their CSR helped make it a good year at the Cham- Trade Representative office (USTR), successes for the year. We were also ex- ber in 2017: Thailand was moved from the special tremely pleased to have U.S. Ambassa- 301 Priority Watch List to the Watch List, dor Glyn Davies and the former Minister • To all our members for their support of after more than a decade on the Priori- of Science and Technology Dr. Atchaka the Chamber’s activities and events; ty Watch list. This improvement in Thai- Sibunruang with us for the evening to • To the 60-plus Committee leaders land’s IPR status is a result of the U.S. present special awards. You can read who devoted time to help shape the recognizing that Thailand has made more about the event on page 26 or Chamber’s committee programs and progress on a number of U.S. business in the insert included with this month’s assist the Chamber office in various ca- IP concerns including enforcement, magazine, which highlights individual pacities; patents and pharmaceuticals, trade- company programs. • To our Corporate Partners who provid- marks, and copyrights. ed financial support for the Chamber’s The Chamber’s own community engage- publications and sponsorship of spe- The Chamber will continue pursuing ad- ment programs, run through the Ameri- cial events; vocacy as one of the primary pillars of our can Chamber of Commerce in Thailand • To the AMCHAM team at the Chamber activities in 2018. Foundation (ATF) continue to support im- office who worked countless hours to proving education in Thailand. The main support the membership. MEMBERSHIP SERVICES focus of the ATF’s efforts is the Student Scholarship Program.