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“Dear AustCham members and friends
Well the year is really moving on with Songkran just around the corner. I hope that you have had a great first quarter and that the rest of the year bodes well for you and your businesses. Your chamber has been rather busy during March with Sundowners events on the Eastern Seaboard and Phuket, plus a roundtable with our Manufacturing committee, and of course our Annual General Meeting held on March 7. We had one of the largest turn outs for voting at the AGM with 9 candidates standing for 6 positions, indicating a renewed vibrancy and engagement with the chamber by members. To the new board, I welcome you and look forward to working with you and your committees over the next year. To those who were unsuccessful, I hope you will work with some of our committees. With that in mind, I am keen to encourage more members to engage with the chamber and offer their insights and experience by contributing to one (or more) of our committees. If you have an interest in a particular area such as hospitality, alumni and education, advocacy, events management etc. then please do contact us. It is a key objective to have more of our members working with chamber directors to further these and other areas of interest for our members.
A highlight during March was the focus on the ASEAN-Australia Business Summit held in Sydney. Our Vice President, Charles Wrightman, attended several of the events representing AustCham Thailand and AustCham-ASEAN and, by all accounts,our contributions were very well received. Of particular note was the publication of the regional business survey to which AustCham members contributed. If you have not had a chance to look at the survey I do recommend you see it in the Chamber News below where the document can be found. You will note that the challenges we face in Thailand differ somewhat from other ASEAN members; it makes for an interesting read.
If the topic of Australia-ASEAN relations is of interest then I recommend you attend the next AustCham briefing to be held prior to the April Sundowners on April 4, 17:00 at Pullman G Hotel. We will be honoured to have H.E. Paul Robilliard provide a debrief on the ASEAN-Australia Business Summit, as well as Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels Group, provide insights as to why that Thailand-based company has invested in Australia, and Jock Tulloch, General Manager of Beston Global Foods on their ASEAN opportunities. This will be followed by a panel discussion providing further insights as to the business engagement between ASEAN and Australia.Thanks for the briefing must go to Susan Kahwati from Austrade and Khun Laddawan Tantisantiwong from the Department of State Development, South Australia, who have both assisted in preparing the members’ briefing.
Looking further into April, AustCham will again support those wishing to attend the ANZAC memorial services at Kanchanaburi on April 25. If you haven't been to the ANZAC day services – dawn and 11 am – I strongly recommend that you make the effort. It is a truly humbling experience and one that will stay with you. The day will also see the arrival of an Australian navy ship, and two of the Diggers who endured the hardships of Hellfire Pass will be attending the services. If you want to attend please contact the Chamber; we will provide information and arrange travel and accommodation as needed. I hope to see you there.
April also sees in the Thai New Year, Songkran – we at the chamber wish you all a pleasant break from work. But it is also a dangerous time on the roads in Thailand, so do be aware that it may just be a little more 'hectic' than normal.
Take care.”
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