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A publicat ion of t he Thai- Canadian Chamber of Commerce 12 / 2011
Corporate Partnership
Premier Sponsors
Executive Sponsors
Calend ar
The Voyageur is the monthly magazine of
the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce,
covering all Thai-Canadian business, legal
and social news of interest to the members
and others who are active in expanding
Thai-Canadian bilateral trade.

Editor:
Randy Shockley, Executive Director,
Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Publisher:
Scand-Media Corp., Ltd.
4/ 41-2 Moo 3, Thanyakarn Village,
Ramintra Soi 14, Bangkok 10230
Tel: +66(0) 2943-7166-8 Fax: +66(0) 2943-7169
Design: Disraporn Yatprom
Email: disraporn@scandmedia.com
Advertising Contact:
Mr. Finn Balslev, Marketing Director
Scand-Media Corp., Ltd.
Tel: +66(0) 2943-7166 ext.151 or 08-1866-2577
Email: finn@scandmedia.com
Calendar of events: TCCC
CCBA Upcoming events in the region:
WHEN: Wednesday, December 7, 2011; 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm
WHAT: Canuck Christmas Fest
WHERE: Bistro 33 Restaurant - 22 Sukhumvit Soi 33
PRICE: Standard Price - 2,500 baht; Kids 12 & Under 500 baht. Come spend a very cool
Bangkok evening in Bistro 33s beautiful gardens enjoying an All You Can Eat Christmas
buffet with free flowing beer, Bloody Caesars, wine, sparkling wine and house pouring
drinks, as well as live music, raffle and door prizes.
WHEN: Wednesday, January 11, 2012; 11:30 am 1:30 pm
WHAT: Speaker Luncheon: Khun Pimpaka Nichgaroon, Head Strategist for Thanachart
Securities Research Department will provide a Thailand economic and investment
outlook for 2012
WHERE: Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok
PRICE: 700 baht Members; 850 baht Non Members
WHEN: Wednesday, January 18, 2012; 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
WHAT: Canuck Connections Networking Night
WHERE: The Clubhouse Sports Bar & Grill - 21/ 1-3 Soi Sukhumvit 23 (02-664-1376)
PRICE: Members - 200 baht; Guests & Non Members 400 baht
WHEN: Saturday, January 28, 2012; 5:00 pm 9:00 pm
WHAT: The Great Canadian BBQ 2012
WHERE: Ambassadors Residence
PRICE: 1,600 baht per person; Kids 12 & under - 500 baht
Japan: http:/ / www.cccj.or.jp
WHEN: December 16, 2011; 6:30 pm 8:30 pm
WHAT: Annual Joint Chamber Bonenkai at Canadian Embassy 4F
WHERE: Canadian Embassy 4F
PRICE: 8,000 Yen for Members and 9,000 Yen for Guests
Hong Kong: www.cancham.org
WHEN: Thursday, December 15, 2011; 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
WHAT: Young Professional Committee Brings You: Christmas Cocktails & Movie Night
WHERE: JAM Solutions, Room 1002, 10/ F, Wellington Place, 2-8 Wellington Street, Central
PRICE: FREE to Young Professionals (28 and under)
Free of charge for members.
T
he event is inspired by the spirit of the Calgary Stampede with a down home
focus on great BBQ, cowboys, cowgirls, and picnic activities typical of such
events. Thanks to the support of Ambassador Ron Hoffmann and Andrea, the
2012 BBQ event will again be held on the lawn of the official residence.
For 2012, the BBQ will take place from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm and is organized
as a community get together to kick-off the New Year and enjoy the final days of
Bangkoks brief cool season. Cowboy & cowgirl attire is highly encouraged with
a prize for Best Stampede Outfit, so ladies and gentlemen its time to spruce-up
your western wear. This event also offers excellent live C&W music.
The ticket price includes all food and beverages (including beer & wine) offered
during the event. Adult tickets are 1,600 Baht and for children 12 and under, the
ticket price is 500 Baht. We ll also be serving Canadian beer and Bloody Caesars
while supplies last.
As seats are limited, please reserve your tickets today! If you are interested
in participating in this fun-filled annual event, please contact the Chamber at 02-266-
6085/ 6 or e-mail us at tccc@loxinfo.co.th to receive complete event details.
On behalf of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, we thank you for your
support.
THE GREAT
CANADIAN BBQ 2012
You are invit ed you t o share in t he f un
of t he Gr eat Canadi an BBQ
on Sat ur day, Januar y 28, 2012
2011/ 2012 TCCC Executives
Patron:
His Excellency Ambassador Ron Hoffmann
President John Casella
Vice President Ali Fancy
Vice President John Stevens
Secretary Dr. Tim Cornwall
Treasurer Michael Howard
Executive Board:
John Casella
Sranyoo Chanate
Neil Chiu
Dr. Tim Cornwall
Ali Fancy
Michael Howard
Ron Livingston
Geoff McIntyre
Alan Ng
Sukanya Rattanavadee
John Stevens
Derek van Pelt
Embassy Representative:
Ping Kitnikone
Advisors:
Raymond Bodemer
Sam Cohen
Surachit Chanovan
Zoltan Kosa
Don Lavoie
Niccolo Sozzi
Picharn Sukparangsee
Michael White
Peter Van Haren
Executive Director:
Randy Shockley
Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce
139 Pan Road, Sethiwan Tower
9th floor, Bangkok 10500
Tel: +66(0) 2266-6085-6
Fax: +66(0) 2266-6087
Email: tccc@loxinfo.co.th
Website: www.tccc.or.th
Dec em b er 2 0 1 1
3
Voyageur
4
Chamber News
Organic Geminated High-Gaba
a perfect fit for heath-conscious C
Khun Wisoot Srisuraphon helps with the planting of the rice.
Dec em b er 2 0 1 1
5
Chamber News
a Rice from Thailand
s Canadians
Thailand is fortunate to have vast
tracts of amiable land, perfect for
growing rice and other agricultural
products. Over half of the farm-
able land area in Thailand is
used for growing rice as it is
one of the main sources of food
and nut rit ion for Thais. Rice is
also Thailands main export and
Thailand is currently the worlds
largest exporter of rice.
W
ithin the Kingdom of Thai-
land, one of the main areas
of rice production is Isaan, in
the north-east of the coun-
try. Known as the rice bas-
ket of Thailand, Isan is famous for its sticky
rice and the high quality of its jasmine rice.
One of t he most popular and unique
blends of rice sold in Thailand and grown
in Isans Ubon Ratchathani is Sriwisoot Or-
ganic Germinated GABA Rice. Awarded the
Five-Star OTOP Products Award in 2010,
Sriwisoot Organic Germinated GABA Rice
has a unique blend of Jasmine 105 rice and
3 kinds of sticky rice. The ingredients are
carefully selected from only the best spe-
cies of highly nutritious rice grains, making
the rice aromatic, soft, tender and delicious.
This blend of rice includes many coloured
rice grains (red, purple, black) which contain
many vitamins, minerals, proteins, HDL (good
protein), and antioxidants.
The production of germinated brown rice
is a time-honored local tradition of Sakhon
Nakhons ethnic Phu Thai and local residents
of the northeast and has been part of the local
culture for hundreds of years. It is rooted in
the Thai tradition of using certain high nutri-
tion foods as medicinal alternatives. Germi-
nation of brown rice stimulates biochemical
reactions, resulting in a substantial increase
in nutrients, especially gamma-amino butyric
acid or GABA.
Germinated brown rice, better known
as GABA brown rice, results from a process
of bringing paddy rice to germination. This
involves soaking the paddy in water for 24
hours. The rice is then left for an additional
24-36 hours until rice germinates 0.5-1.0 mm
in length. The rice is then thoroughly steamed
in a bamboo container for 50 minutes, a step
that eliminates unwanted eggs from rice bugs
that might be embedded in the grain. The rice
is then dried in the sun for approximately 3
days before it is half-milled to remove only
the husks (the grains are not polished).
GABA brown rice cont ains nut rient s,
vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and is more
aromatic due to the rice grain being coated
with the aroma of the husk. Consequently,
GABA brown rice offers more nutritional value
than any other rice grains. It will keep you
healthy and helps maintain body balance,
strengthens the immune system, protects
against infectious diseases. Furthermore it
contributes to the prevention of metabolic
diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hy-
perlipidemia, high cholesterol, heart disease,
obesity, arthritis, premature aging syndromes,
kidney failure, neurological conditions, cere-
brovascular diseases, Alzheimers disease,
and cancers.
The owner and t he f ound er of t he
Sriwisoot Farm and the Organic Farmers
Association of Ubon Ratchathani is Khun
Wisoot Srisuraphon, who was presented
Continued on page 6
Harvested rice
being dried in the sun.
Sriwisoot Organic Germinated GABA Rice
Voyageur
6
GABA (gamma- amino butyric acid)
content in germinated brown rice is
15 times higher than in regular brown
rice, providing a number of nutritional
and health benefits including helping
maint ain proper func t ions of t he
cent ral nervous syst em, maint ain
b alanc ed f unc t ions in t he b rain,
relieve st ress and anxiet y, ensure
a good night s sleep, act as ant i-
depressants. It can also help prevent
Alzheimers disease, stimulate growth
hormones, create tissues to delay the
aging process, release enzymes that
eliminate toxic substances, control
blood sugar, plasma, and cholesterol
levels, lower blood pressure, improve
blood circulation, as well as stimulate
the release of bile from the liver into
intestines to break up lipid, prevent
c olon/ int est inal c anc er, and help
accelerate the release of a happiness-
inducing substance called adrenaline.
Good proteins effectively help repair
body t issues. There is no glut en
content that may give rise to allergic
reactions.
Dietary fiber in germinated brown rice
(GABA brown rice) is approximately
15- 20 t imes higher t han t hat of
regular white rice, resulting in a slower
digestion process. This in turn helps
delay glucose supply t o t he blood
stream and makes GABA brown rice
more filling. The result is that you will
be more satisfied after meals, which
help s keep your b od y weight in
check. Dietary fiber also helps in the
prevention and treatment of diabetes,
and improves the function of the excretory
system, absorbing and removing excess
fat and toxic residues from the body, and
preventing colon cancer.
High- density Lipoprotein (HDL): GABA
brown rice contains a lot of important
HDL (good protein), including oryzanol,
tocopherol, tricotrienol, phytosterol, vital
fatty acids, unsaturated fat, and omega-3
(which is not present in any other plants).
These will help lower fat in the blood
stream and vessels, bring down low-
density lipoprotein (LDL), and increase
high- densit y lipoprot ein (HDL). These
help prevent cardiovascular diseases,
suppress tumor cells, and destroy breast
cancer cells. In addition, GABA brown
rice also cont ains ant ioxidant agent s
that are six times as effective as those in
vitamin E. These antioxidants can prevent
melasma and reduce typical menopausal
symptoms in women such as hot flashes
and mood swings.
Highly active antioxidants in GABA brown
rice effectively help to eliminate cancer-
causing oxidants, protect against viral
and bacterial infections, prevent heart
disease, kidney disease, arthritis, gout,
premature aging syndromes, etc.
GABA brown rice also contains essential
vitamins that are needed to ensure proper
body functions. These include:
Vitamin B1: 4 times higher than regular
white rice, providing protection against
numbness and beriberi.
Vit amin B2: 2 t imes higher t han in
regular white rice, helping eliminate LDL
cholesterol and providing protection
against cheilosis.
Vitamin B3: 5 times higher than
i n regul ar whi t e r i c e, hel p i ng
mai n t ai n p r o p er f u n c t i o n i n g
of t he gast roint est inal syst em,
prevent ing exc essive st omac h
gases, ab d ominal d isc omf or t ,
nausea, vomiting, bloody stools,
confusion, and depression.
Vit amin B6 helps generat e t he
antioxidants and amino acids.
Vitamin D helps strengthen bone
and teeth, available only in rice and
sunlight.
Folic acid: 5 times higher than in
regular white rice, which assists in
the production of DNA and RNA in
red blood cells, new cells/ tissues to
replace the aging ones, promotes
t he growt h of t he reproduct ive
system, and helps prevent brain
disorders in embryos during the
early stages of pregnancy.
Rich cont ent in vit amin E helps
c i rc ul at e o xyg en t hro ug h t he
b l ood st ream, d el ay t he agi ng
process of body cells and tissues
resulting in healthier skin, prevent
calcium build- up on t he blood
vessel walls which makes them less
flexible and more fragile (particularly
blood vessels in the brain, whose
malfunction will eventually lead to
partial paralysis or paralysis).
GABA brown rice contains all the vital
minerals that are needed to ensure
proper body functions, including iron,
calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium,
phosphorus, manganese, copper,
iodine, selenium, cobalt, etc.
Nutritional information for GABA brown rice, according to the Institute of
Food Research and Product Development at Kasetsart University in Bangkok:
t he Out st anding Woman Award of Ubon
Ratchathani province recently for her contin-
ued efforts to promote organic farming and
the production of GABA rice. The Sriwisoot
Farm receives its certification from the Thai
Health Ministry and is regularly inspected by
government ministries.
Sriwisoot Organic Germinated Rice is
being marketed internationally by Genuine
Thai Products Ltd., which holds the exclusive
global export rights. The company has begun
to identify retail partners in North America and
Europe and can begin exporting immediately.
Expected export capacity is 25 tonnes per
month and can increase to approximately
300 tonnes per month by the end of the year.
Genuine Thai Products Ltd. is also developing
a range of dry products based on Sriwisoot
Organic Germinated GABA Rice.
For more information, contact Dr. Oldrich
Capek at drcapek@gmail.com.
Harvesting the Sriwisoot Organic Germinated GABA Rice.
Chamber News
Dec em b er 2 0 1 1
7
Du r i n g t h e Th a i - Ca n a d i a n
C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e s
September Speaker Luncheon,
we were honored to have author
and marketing expert, Mr. Steven
Van Yoder to talk about his book
Get Slightly Famous which offers
numerous tools and approaches to
assist businesses and individuals
in breaking free of the anonymity
trap to attract more business.
says Gottdiener. "It became easier to define
what I could do for them and their clients.
Now, my name gets passed around, and I' ve
developed a special reputation within that
market that makes getting business easier
than ever."
To Find a Niche: Focus!
Many entrepreneurs think that selling to the
widest possible market is the likeliest path
to success. The problem is that the "take all
comers" approach is not very effective be-
cause marketing becomes expensive when
everyone is a potential prospect.
Its harder to stand out when you have a
generic message. If you are a mere "manage-
ment consultant," or a nondescript "financial
advisor," you risk fighting it out over price with
competitors who offer identical services to
yours.
To rise above the fray, you need a com-
pelling business message aimed at the right
people. You need to cultivate your own Super
Niche.
Niche by Design
Niches are manageable. You can get your
mind (and wallet ) around t hem well and
avoid wasting time and money broadcast-
ing your message to a general population
that isn' t particularly interested in what you
have to offer.
Identify your ideal customers and the
communities they belong to. By targeting
the most favorably inclined prospects within
a niche, you can become your target market' s
vendor of choice-and if that market is large
enough, you will be a success.
Establish yourself as an expert in your
niche. When you cultivate a Super Niche,
you use the power of positioning to make
your business distinct, meaningful, and in-
dispensable. Like Mari, use your expertise
to communicate competence and industry
leadership.
By sharing what you know, cust om-
ers seek you out (instead of the other way
around). You can give away free informa-
t ionblog post s, podcast s and e- books
that make a difference to your prospects but
without overt sales pressure.
The more you become known as a source
of expert information, the more potential cus-
tomers trust you. You become part of their
world, a trusted advisor, and because people
like to do business with people they know, or
know of, you will be their first choice.
People will pay a premium for products
and services that address their special needs.
This provides you with profitable opportuni-
ties to create higher-end products and ser-
vices customized to your Super Niche.
As you est ablish yourself wit hin your
niche, you' ll develop a special reputation that
drives word-of-mouth through testimonials,
case studies, and specific results from others
like them.
When you cultivate a Super Niche, you ll
own the playing field. Competitive challenges
become a thing of the past. You' ll get more
business with less effort and you won' t be
competing with similar businesses solely on
price. The best part is that cultivating your
own Super Niche requires only time and at-
tention. Now, take action!
Getting Slightly Famous
A Strategy For Success
Steven Van Yoder is a marketing
consultant and author of Get Slightly
Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your
Field and Attract More Business
with Less Effort. Steven has helped
hundreds of businesses break out of
the anonymity trap and reach their
best prospects. Learn more at
www.getslightlyfamous.com.
John Casella, TCCC President presenting
Steven Van Yoder with a TCCC speaker
recognition gift
S
teve did an excellent job in tailor-
ing his presentation to meet the
needs of the TCCCs numerous
small and medium size busi-
nesses wit h many memb ers
deciding to linger around afterwards to seek
his counsel on their own personal situations.
As a follow-up to the luncheon presentation,
Steve was kind enough to provide the follow-
ing contribution the TCCCs December 2011
edition of Voyageur magazine. I think you ll
enjoy his advice and insights on creating a
Super Niche.
Your Own Super Niche: You Need a
Compelling Business Message
Mari Gottdiener started Outsource Solutions
a decade ago in San Francisco to help clients
improve credit scores and resolve identity
theft. A former attorney, she offered an alter-
native to high-priced and often unscrupulous
credit ' cleanup and repair clinics.' Aft er
months of networking at the local Chamber
of Commerce, she struggled to find clients.
Aft er conduct ing basic t arget market
research, Mari determined that mortgage
brokers had an ongoing need for her ser-
vices on behalf of their loan applicants. She
began networking at mortgage broker trade
associations, published articles about credit
repair in mortgage trade publications, and
gave workshops at mortgage offices and
conducted a webinar for a mortgage broker
website.
Wit hin a few mont hs, Mari made t he
mortgage broker industry her own "super
niche." Prospects from all over the country
sought her out, and she enjoyed a new ability
to charge more for specialized services.
"My decision to focus on being the person
who fixes credit problems for the mortgage
broker sector transformed my business,"
Chamber News
Dec em b er 2 0 1 1
9
Voyageur
10
Member Profile
St rong, reliab le, t rust wort hy,
and forward thinking: these are
the words thrown around when
discussing Manulife Financial,
a l ead i n g Can ad i an - b as ed
financial services group operating
in 21 count ries and t errit ories
worldwide.
F
or more than 120 years, clients
worldwide have looked to Manu-
life for strong, reliable, trustworthy
and forward-thinking solutions for
their most significant financial de-
cisions. Its international network of employ-
ees, agents and distribution partners offers
financial protection and wealth management
products and services to millions of clients
around the world. It provides asset man-
agement services to institutional customers
worldwide as well as reinsurance solutions,
specializing in life and property and casualty
retrocession.
Manulife focuses on personal life insur-
ance, whereby people insure themselves
against death, disease illnesses and acci-
dents. But its branching out. In May 2007,
Manulife Insurance Thailand announced the
launch of Manulife Asset Management Thai-
land (MAMT). The new asset management
company, which is wholly owned by Manulife
Insurance Thailand, offers a range of Thai-
regist ered, Thai- baht denominat ed funds
to both retail and institutional investors. The
following year, MAMT launched the Manulife
Strength Global Resources FIF, a feeder
fund that mainly invests in Manulife Global
Fund Global Resources Fund (Share Class
AA), the master fund. The fund offers inves-
tors access to three commodity sectors oil
and alternative energy, gold and precious
metals and raw materials.
The companys hist ory is int erest ing.
While no stranger to Canadians, Manulife is
nonetheless new to the Thai life insurance
industry. Its presence here came as a result
of a large- scale global merger bet ween
Canadian-based Manulife Financial Corpora-
tion and U.S.-based John Hancock Financial
Services, Inc. The merger, which completed
in April 2004, saw the emergence of Manulife
Financial Corporation as the major share-
holder of the company. In June of 2005, the
company started operating in Thailand as
Manulife Insurance (Thailand) Public Com-
pany Limited (the former company known as
Interlife John Hancock Assurance Company
was established 59 years ago).
The company offers client s a diverse
range of financial protection products and
wealt h management services t hrough it s
extensive network of employees, agents and
distribution partners. It operates in Canada
and Asia as Manulife Financial, and in the
United States primarily as John Hancock. In
terms of market capitalization, the company
is one of the largest life insurance companies
in the world. Funds under management by
Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were
US$498 billion as of 30 June 2011.
The company has continuously embraced
innovation as the means of maintaining its
leading-edge role in financial protection. Its
global portfolio of financial products includes
life insurance, pensions, mutual funds, annui-
ties, group benefits and long-term care. Put-
ting these products to work for its customers
through its dedicated global sales channels
has allowed Manulife to gain a strong market
share in every region in which it operates.
The company has 13 branches through-
out Thailand. These range from Chiang Rai to
Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Chai-
yapoom, Pitsanaloke, Nakhon Rachasima,
Pichit , Kampaeng Phet , Nakhon Sawan,
Chainat, Had Yai, and Bangkok (its head
office). With its quality products, good distri-
bution network, and capable staff, Manulife
delivers critically important financial services
t o t housands of people across Thailand.
Manulife Thailand has recently invested an
addition of approximately THB 200 million
to improve its local operations, upgrading IT
systems and renovating the Bangkok head-
quarters and branch offices.
Operating in Asia for more than 110 years,
Manulife has one of the most extensive Asian
operations of any life insurance company in
the world. Today, as a major player in the
Asian insurance market, Manulife Financial' s
Asian operations provide a wide range of
individual and group life and health insur-
ance, pension products and mutual funds
to customers in ten countries and territories:
Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam,
Good execution of its Asian
a competitive edge
Group photo of Manulifes Cancer Care 2011 runners
Dec em b er 2 0 1 1
11
Member Profile
Macau, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand. All of these compa-
nies are overseen from the Regional Head Of-
fice in Hong Kong, demonstrating Manulife' s
commitment to Asia.
With a full- time staff of approximately
6,980 and a powerful professional sales force
of more than 44,500 contracted agents as at
end of Q2 2011, Manulife is strongly com-
mitted to Asian growth and development (In
Thailand, there are 100 full-time employees
and 360 representatives).
Here in Thailand, Alan Ng was appointed
President and Chief Execut ive Officer of
Manulife in December 2010. Born, bred and
educated in Hong Kong, he earned a B.Sc. in
Physics from the Chinese University of Hong
Kong and then an MBA from the University
of Hong Kong. Before entering the insurance
business he worked in Hong Kong for Ogilvy
Mather as their Director of Client Service for
seven years.
Fittingly, he joined Manulife in Hong Kong
back in 1998 and stayed there in three key
positions until he took his posting in Bangkok.
When he joined the firm, he headed up the
Sales and Marketing branch of the Manda-
tory Profit and Funds (MPF) division, securing
second place in the Hong Kong market share.
In 2002, he moved to Individual Financial
Products as Head of Product Development
focusing on insurance products that would
fit the needs of Hong Kong consumers. He
launched Manulifes unit - linked product ,
whereby customers were able to manage
their own investment funds. He also launched
the Critical Illness Protection plan, which cov-
ers 48 critical illnesses.
From 2006-2010, he became Head of
Agency Training & Development. He showed
Manulifes insurance agents how to better
understand the products they were selling,
and then how to sell these products so that
they best matched consumer needs.
Alans priority here is Agency Develop-
ment. With the skills he learned in Hong
Kong, he aims to build and develop a more
professional sales force for Manulife Thailand.
He wants to continue to promote needs-
based selling instead of relationship-based
selling. He aims at further enhancing agents
comprehensive knowledge of the, so that
they can really offer packages that are best
suited for customers and their families.
For three straight years, Manulife Thailand
has won a Prime Ministers Insurance Award
for Outstanding Management Development
in the Insurance business in Thailand. Award
criteria is based on state of solvency and
healthy financial ratios, market share, legal
compliance, managerial efficiency, assets
management efficiency, marketing manage-
ment efficiency, and public service and public
charity.
In June 2010, Manulife Thailand also
earned the 2009 Best Professional Service
award from the Thai-Canadian Chamber of
Commerce, as part of the chambers annual
business excellence awards. The awards
recognize, promote and reward business
excellence based on key business principles
that are crucial for business success including
excellence in general business achievements,
entrepreneurial spirit, trade, technology, en-
vironment, community and social advance-
ments, and Thai-Canadian linkages.
Ed note: Manulife Financial Corporation
trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE and PSE,
and under 0945 on the SEHK. Manulife Fi-
nancial can be found on the Internet at www.
manulife.com
Giving Back to the Community
Manulife has a long history of giving back
to the communities where it does business
through its Corporate Social Responsibility
Program. In Thailand, its a no different as
the company is involved in many projects,
including the Cancer Care Run where last
year Manulife was responsible for 1,000
participants in the run (a mix of employees,
customers and friends). It also partnered with
the Chumchonthai Foundation, a Thai non-
profit organization that helps build awareness
of environment protection, to donate hun-
dreds of trees as part of a Plant Conserva-
tion Project in Samut Sakorn Province and
waste-water treatment systems to improve
the environment.
The company has donat ed t ime and
money to help improve the lives of children,
including orphans infected with HIV in part-
nership with the Childrens Life Foundation in
Lopburi province. It joined the Wishing Well
Foundation; a Thai non-profit organization
that helps to improve the quality of life of
children undergoing treatment for cancer, and
treated 20 children to a day at Siam Ocean
World in September 2009, under a program
entitled: Enjoy Your Life with Amazing Un-
derwater World. It also donated 29 used
computers to the Computers for Children
Project from the charity the
Mirror Foundation.
Manulife Thailand has also donated 5,000
protective medical face masks to the Bureau
of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department
of Disease Control in the Ministry of Public
Health, to help prevent and control of the
spread of influenza A (H1N1), commonly
known as Swine Flu in June 2009.
It organized CSR event for more than 80
people including management, staffs and
agents to bring clean sea water back with
1,000 Effect ive Microorganism Balls (EM
Balls) to help recovery and healing water as
part of the conservation of marine resources
in the area of Larn Island, Pattaya, Chonburi
Province in October 2010.
Manulife Thailand also organized a flood
donation event to donate rice, milk, drink-
ing water, cooked food, money and etc. to
Nakhon Ratchisima flood victims in October,
2010. It even organized a Lovely Valentines
Day, Happy Retirement program at Bann
Bangkae, a retirement home for the elderly
in Bangkok in February 2009, including a
special lunch and concert.
n strategies gives Manulife
Cancer Care Run 2011 Award Presentation
to Manulife Insurance Thailand: (L-R) Rainer
Stampler, Regional VP & GM Four Seasons
Hotel Bangkok. Alan Ng, President & CEO -
Manulife Insurance Thailand; H. E. Ron Hoff-
mann, Ambassador of Canada to Thailand.
Alan Ng, Ng, President & CEO - Manulife In-
surance Thailand (center) toasting Manulifes
best agencies during the companys Annual
Night 2011 celebration.
Voyageur
12
BOI News
Raw materials imported under section
36 (duty- free importation) that are still
useable can be transferred to another
BOI-promoted project that is still entitled
to section 36.
BOI- promoted companies affected by
flooding are allowed to outsource some
part of their manufacturing process on a
temporary basis to avoid business inter-
ruptions.
Permission for foreigners to report to
Immigration every 90 days via telephone
(02 209 1100), fax (02 209 1193), sms
(088 487 9797) and email visa.onestop@
gmail.com (no need to submit passports)
3) BOI Contact Points
The BOI has assigned the following contact
points for BOI-promoted companies affected
by floods that require assistance.
Agricultural and light industries
Ms. Warisara Phungtonglor
Tel: 0 2553 8274 Email: warisara@boi.go.th
Metal parts and machinery industries,
Ms. Anin Meksuksai Tel: 0 2553 8366
Email: anin@boi.go.th
Electronics and electrical appliances,
Ms. Tanavadee Khuvasanont
Tel: 0 2553 8167 Email: tanavadee@boi.go.th
Chemicals, paper, plastic, infrastructure
and services,
Mr. Wuttichai Pisatphen
Tel: 0 2553 8294
Email: wuttichai@boi.go.th
Visa and Work Permits
Ms. Krongkanok Managijonggol
Tel: 02 209 1166, 081 303 1337,
Email: krongkanoke@boi.go.th
Details of these measures can be
accessed at http:/ / www.boi.go.th/ index.
php?page=flooding_measure.
BOIs Flood Relief Measures
Incentive measures by the Office
of the Board of Investment often
play an important role in reviving
the economy in times of crises.
The current flooding has had
a severe impact on Thailands
industry.
T
he BOI has therefore approved a se-
ries of measures aimed at rehabilitat-
ing flood-affected companies as well
as restoring investors confidence.
These measures are as follows.
1) Machinery and Raw Materials
Machinery and raw mat erials can be
moved from the factory to another loca-
tion or exported in case of emergencies,
and permission can be sought from the
BOI later.
BOI- promoted companies are entitled
to duty-free importation of machinery to
replace existing machinery damaged by
flooding. Applications for this incentive
are required to be submitted by the end
of June 2012.
Raw materials imported under section 36
(duty-free importation) that are damaged
by the flooding can be counted as part of
the waste allowance and therefore there
will not be any tax burden.
2) Facilitation Regarding Visa & Work
Permits
Permission for urgently bringing in experts
to work in Thailand for not more than 30
days without non-immigrant B visa
- Applications and accompanying
documents can be submitted via email.
Facilitation in obtaining non- immigrant
B visa in the case of experts staying in
Thailand for more than 30 days and ex-
pedited process in approving the entry
and short-term stay of foreign experts
Expedited and relaxed process for issuing
documents replacing lost or damaged
ones (Tor Tor 4)
- A company letter can be accepted as a
replacement for the evidence from the
police station
Dec em b er 2 0 1 1
13
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BANGKOK (ALEX)
37/ 94 Ramkhamhaeng 184, Bangkok 10510
Phone/ Fax: 02-916 5531 Mobile: 086-088 6054 / 085-508 6911
CHIANG MAI (ASIYAH)
71 Kadklang Wiang, Radchadamner n Rd. , T. Sr ipoom, A. Muang, Chiang Mai
Phone/ Fax: 053-208 809 Mobile: 083-816 6003 Email: natir yasgaller ia@yahoo. com
HUA HIN (FABRICE ZUBER)
145/ 1 Petchakasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuabkhir ikhan 77110 (Offside to Village Market)
Phone: 032-533 525 Mobile: 083-312 0063
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Voyageur
14
Member news
B
angkok, Thailand - Novem-
ber 2011: Jiri Kobos, Vice
President Operations, Dusit
International, is delighted to
announce the appointment
of Alex Willats as General Manager of
the groups flagship hotel, Dusit Thani
Bangkok.
Prior to his appointment, Alex joined
Dusit Thani Bangkok as Resident Man-
ager accepting a dual role as the Acting
General Manager a tenure which he held
for the last six months. A British national,
Alex came to Dusit in October 2010 from
The Kingdom of Bahrain, where he was
Executive Assistant Manager with Radis-
son Hotels and also held a consulting role
for a luxury resort The Al Areen Palace &
Spa. He has more than 15 years experi-
ence in the hospitality industry and has
Thai l and f I ndonesi a f M al di ves f
Uni t ed Arab Emi rat es f Vi et nam
Embark on a j ourney
ri ch wi t h di scovery
at anant ara.com
Cal l +66 ( 0) 2476 0022
for enqui ri es and reservat i ons.
Emai l : bangkokri versi de@anant ara.com
Your journey begins
in t he hear t
of Bangkok
Tropi cal sereni t y i n an urban oasi s, t he Anant ara
Bangkok Ri versi de Resort & Spa wi l l add capt i vat i ng
new di mensi ons t o your di scovery of t he Thai capi t al .
Cocooned ami dst 11 acres of l ush t ropi cal greenery
overl ooki ng t he Chao Phraya Ri ver, t here s no more
t ranqui l base t o expl ore Asi a s Ci t y of Angel s.
Wi t h a choi ce of award wi nni ng rest aurant s pl us an
array of uni que Anant ara experi ences such as our
M andara Spa, Anant ara Crui ses, cul t ural t ours and
Thai cookery cl asses, t here i s no bet t er way t o di scover
t he best of Thai l and s ext raordi nari l y vi vi d, vi brant
cul t ure. We l ook forward t o wi shi ng you Sawadee .
New General Manager
at Dusit Thani Bangkok
held senior management positions in some
of the leading hotels in the UK, including The
Ritz and Claridges Hotel London.
Alex graduated with honors from the Na-
tional Center for Hotel Management, South
Bank University in London, UK, in 1995 with
a degree in Hotel Management, and was
awarded a scholarship to attend a Develop-
ing General Management Potential (DGMP)
course at Cranfield University of Management
in 2003.
Alexs wealth of experience has been
gained from having worked at some of the
leading int ernat ional hot els in t he world,
which will be a great asset to the Dusit Thani
Bangkoks ongoing endeavors to deliver to
its guests the richness of Thai culture and
hospitality through service excellence that
remains world class, said Mr Kobos.
Mr. Alex Willats
General Manager
since 1951.
w w w.i sb.ac.t h