Voyageur | Issue 1/2019 | January – March

a publication of CanCham Thailand

Sustainability Partner

Jan-Feb-Mar 2019 Issue

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Another year has come and gone – an eventful one indeed for CanCham. The chamber started the year with an objective of raising our membership, increasing attendance at events and focusing on activities and initiatives that create more value for our members. On all accounts I feel that our objectives were met. Membership has increased by 40% over 2017 numbers with close to 70 new members added; we have hit all-time attendance highs at such marquee events as Canada Day and our Women in Leadership conference; and new initiatives such as the Sustainability and Smart Business platform has created new linkages and opportunities for our member companies. Credit is due to Executive Director, Rose Swagemakers, and her team of Khun Jen, Khun Ben, Khun Pim, Scott Murray and intern Mary Anne for their operational prowess and dedication to continual improvement.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The year ahead kicks off with the Crystal Ball on January 16th followed by the Great Canadian BBQ and the third installation of our Women in Leadership forum in February. 2019 will be an eventful year for Thailand as the country prepares for elections and also serves as Chair of ASEAN. In tandem with the latter, The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC), to which CanCham is a member, will host its annual forum in Bangkok and CanCham looks forward to supporting this important event – which serves as a forum for trade promotion between Canada and ASEAN. One of the CABC initiatives, recently tabled at the November CABC discussion session, which hosted both Prime Minister Trudeau and International Trade Diversification Minister James Carr, is a multi-lateral trade agreement between Canada and ASEAN. CanCham is grateful to our annual partners, members and event sponsors – without your support the chamber would not be able to function. You will have now received your 2019 renewal letters – and thank you in advance for your continued support of our chamber.

I would also like to thank our dedicated group of board directors and advisors who champion our causes and volunteer significant time and resources. If you would like to become involved in CanCham at the board level, please consider running for a position at the March AGM. On a final note, I would like to thank Don and Daniele Lavoie for their long-term support and commitment to CanCham – stalwarts of the community! I was honoured to induct them into CanCham’s Hall of Fame at our recent Maple Leaf Ball.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2019.

John Stevens President | CanCham Thailand

CanCham Board Members & Advisors

2018-2019 CanCham Thailand Board Members Patron: H.E. Donica Pottie, Ambassador of Canada to Thailand Executive Board: John Stevens, President Derek van Pelt, Vice President David Beckstead, Vice President Dan McKay, Treasurer Lawrence Cordes, Secretary Board of Directors: John Casella Surachit Chanovan Caroline Kwan Ron Livingston Dean Outerson Sunny Patel Natasak Rodjanapiches Embassy Representative Michel Belanger Advisors: Claudia Anghel Peter Baines Yvonne Chin Marisha Shibuya Joni Simpson Nahathai Thewphaingarm Executive Director: Rose Swagemakers Publication Design:

Publisher / Advertising

Finn Balslev, Marketing Director Tel: +66(0) 2943-7166 Email: finn@scandmedia.com

CanCham Thailand 139 Pan Road, Sethiwan Tower 9th floor, Bangkok 10500 Tel: +66(0) 2266-6085-6 Fax: +66(0) 2266-6087 Email: info@canchamthailand.org Website: www.canchamthailand.org

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Dear Members & Partners, Happy 2019 everyone! Hope you have all enjoyed a lovely holiday season with family and friends, here in Thailand or in a beautiful home or far-off land.

In this first issue of Voyageur, we start the year off by putting some well-deserved spotlight on the significance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand. It is a growing and key business segment of which our membership is predominately made up.

The Office of SME Promotion (OSMEP) calculates SME statistics from data collected by the Thai National Statistical Office (TNSO) and other government agencies each year. These SME statistics are then published on an annual basis in OSMEP’s White Paper on Small and Medium Enterprises. This comprehensive report provides us with valuable information regarding the development of Thailand’s SMEs. The most recent report highlights the growth of SMEs from 1.6 million enterprises in 2002 to nearly 3 million enterprises today in this country.

At CanCham, we have also grown and developed significantly in 2018. CanCham’s membership base grew by 40% which means that we now have 145+ active member companies from various sectors in our midst. Our annual partnership base grew by 45% and our 54 (19 CanCham and 35 Multi-Chamber) events attracted over 5500+ attendees, providing ample opportunity for you to expand your networks.

We are confident that this growth trend will continue into 2019, but rest assure; we will always keep the needs of our members front and centre.

CanCham serves as a powerful platform to network and build a positive, vibrant and successful business community. We are 100% self-funded and we realize without your support we would not be able to sustain the many activities we carry out each year. Membership renewal information has been sent out to you but if you have any questions, or you have yet to receive yours, please do not hesitate to check in with us. We appreciate your support.

For those members interested in upgrading their membership to a tailor-made partnership for the coming year, I also welcome you to contact me to explore the possibilities.

I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.

Rose Swagemakers Executive Director | CanCham Thailand

No one couple is more deserving of the CanCham Hall of Fame honour than the inseparable duo of Don and Daniele Lavoie. Over the past three decades, they have given selflessly of their time and experience, helping to organize and manage countless Events for the Canadian community.

Don has been a stalwart in the Chamber since it started life as the Thai Canadian Business Association in 1988. He served as a faithful CanCham board member and advisor during the time in which he was Bombardier’s primary representative in Thailand.

For many years, Daniele went out of her way to help new Canadians and their families arriving in Thailand, including staff assigned to the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok, helping them adapt quickly and easily to life in Thailand. Don and Daniele were always available on short notice to help newcomers get adjusted and find their bearings.

Oftentimes, the Lavoies would be the first ones to arrive for an event they were helping to organize, and the last to leave, always cheerful, and ever-helpful. Danielle designed many of the backdrops, table settings and decorations at CanCham events, especially the Thanksgiving Ball.

The Lavoies were mainstays at all Canada Day parties as Don ran the volleyball and tug-of-war contests while Daniele manned the t-shirt booth, usually with Sumon Cohen. They always had a smile and warm word to say and made everyone feel welcome at the events they helped run.

Don and Daniele have been tremendous ambassadors for CanCham in so many ways; the irony is that Don is an American citizen, while Danielle is French. No matter, we recognize them as representing the ideals of what it means to be Canadian, and members of CanCham Thailand’s Hall of Fame.

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PARRISH JONES TAKES FASHION TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL Parrish Jones is unlike any other tailor store in Thailand; from its bar and barber shop to its 3D body scanning technology and a staff that want to make sure you get clothes that fit, the shop is the ultimate clothing outfit.

Jouni and Andrea spent a year looking for the location before settling on the spot where the shop is located on Sukhumvit Road, next to Soi 45. They wanted space — space for the bar, the barber shop, the 3D body scanner, the customer, the clothing and accessories. They didn’t want that cramped hemmed-in feeling you get in so many tailor shops. After some initial construction hurdles, they found a great contractor named I.D.E.A Solution Co., and opened a year after deciding on the location. As Andrea says, “a lot heart, blood, sweat, time, and dreaming” went into the shop as basically the whole site had to renovated and rebuilt.

Jointly owned by Calgary-native Andrea Parrish and Finn Jouni Heinonen, Parrish Jones has already hosted a CanCham Canuck Connections networking event, and plans to host a Flying Farang fashion show.

Andrea and Jouni first met in Thailand a decade ago when they collaborated on a sportswear project. Andrea was manufacturing and exporting sports apparel and accessories to Canada at the time, and she hired Jouni to help her design a women’s golf line. They realized they made a good team, so they started looking around Thailand to see what was missing fashion-wise. Jouni’s primary business back then was supplying uniforms to major hotels and his clients included Lebua at State Tower, the Sheraton, and Le Meridien.

Suzanne Beatch is Parrish Jones’ General Manager. An Alberta native as well, her job is to oversee general store management and employees, and make sure that customers have an exceptional experience saying, “We want you to feel how we want to feel if we go into a store shopping for clothes.”

Parrish Jones has a wide range of unique fabrics, and they are truthful about their origin. Products range from shirts and suits to sports jackets and accessories. The company recognizes that people are traveling here and going back to cold climates, so it offers nice wools and sports jackets. “We ask the client where are they going to wear their clothes,” says Jouni. “Are they traveling a lot? If so, they don’t want to buy an expensive wool suit because it will wrinkle.”

The idea for the tailor shop crystalized as Jouni became more and more frustrated with the clothes he was being “fitted” for by Bangkok tailors. Also, it became apparent that it was near impossible to get high quality accessories at reasonable prices. Could they find really nice garment and accessories producers in Thailand, and sell these items in one location?

“Because we are Western owned and Western managed, we have a pretty good handle on what people are looking for,” Andrea adds. “We try to understand the customer’s wants and needs, learn a bit about who they are, and where they plan wear their garments.”

The plan started to take shape when they launched the hIM collection accessory line five years ago, and then the hIM clothing wear line 3 & ½ years ago, which they sold out of two tailor shops in Bangkok, and another location in Calgary. They knew the one-stop-shop idea was exciting, but they also knew the key was to find a way to provide a truly unique shopping experience.

The dilemma: “How do they bring an honest, Western and fun concept to this type of retail?” While hIM Collection was showing signs of success, the selling platform wasn’t ideal. They soon realized they were either going to have to dissolve their brand and push the dream aside, or open their own shop in Bangkok.

They chose the latter.

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For its accessories line, Parrish Jones works with local suppliers, are very hands on when selecting products. There’s a lot of attention to detail, as Andrea says, “we know the origin of all our products, and we are very mindful about what we sell” We want people to come in and outfit themselves from head to toe with high-quality products at reasonable prices.

Andrea explains that 3D body scanners have been around for a number of years, but they were primarily used for two purposes: a company like Nike making a body suit that fits perfectly for a superstar athlete, or big box stores going into a new market measuring thousands of people to come up with a standard S, M & L size.

Parrish Jones is the first to use this type of technology for Bespoke Clothing in Thailand, and one of the first to extract data to create better fitting garments. Andrea says, “It gives us an advantage as we can see a bow in the back, a sloped shoulder, one leg slightly longer than the other. Other tailors can’t see these details. We can literally take 1,000 measurements in a few seconds. Everyone gets a scan, as that’s the first part of our measuring process. It helps us to really see your shape, and to get extremely accurate measurements. These allow us to better advise you on styles, and helps us to make great fitting clothes.”

“With our Scanning Technology, we hope to bridge the gap into the future as tailoring is a dying art. We still want to provide people with that traditional attentive service, but also realize that Bangkok has a transient population, especially for expats. So, when our online shop is up and running, you’ll be able to log-in, pull up your avatar — your body image — from wherever you are. You can scroll through our fabrics, styles, and design and virtually try on your own suit, shirt or pair of slacks. Once you are scanned, and are in our system, you will always be in our system. You can order from anywhere, and we’ll ship it to your doorstep” Andrea, Jouni and Suzanne are trying to create a casual approach to shopping, because let’s face it, many men don’t like to shop. So, the idea is to put them at ease before they make their fashion decisions.

When you come through the door, you’re greeted with a smile, offered and drink, and are free to stay a while.

Parrish Jones also offers a dry-cleaning service and is open from 10am-9pm Monday thru Saturday: to arrange a fitting, contact the store at bangkok@parrishjones.com or at +66 (0)2 091 0600.

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COMMUNITY SPIRIT HELPS MERCY CENTRE KIDS LEARN TAEWONDO Asked about the kids’ behavior in class, Don says, ” nobody needs to teach these kids how to fight, they fight all the time; they need to be taught disciple and focus. They are also willing to listen as long as we provide them with strong leadership.” Bryan notes, “These kids choose to be to be there, so automatically their attitude will be different than if they were forced to attend.”

Bryan got involved with the program because he was looking for an activity for his son Emmett to participate in during their time in Bangkok. Today Emmett is a 2nd blue belt, Bryan a 1st Dan Black Belt and daughter Abby is a green belt, who also trains with her father and brother at APTA four times a week. Bryan needs to do something physical in his spare time and taekwondo is a great stress reliever.

Once Emmett gets his red belt, he will be able to teach, which he very much wants to do. Don’s son, Ronnie (2nd Poom, Jr. Black Belt), who is nine, is already teaching, and Don jokes that he’s a better technical teacher than he is.

Petty Officer 1st Class Bryan Grass of the Canadian Embassy and his “EH” Team from the Spartan Race have joined forces with Don Ferguson of Asia Pacific Taekwondo Academy (APTA) to help kids from Father Joe’s Mercy Centre learn the martial art of Taekwondo.

Bryan’s GoFundMe goal is Bt100,000, which he hopes to raise by the end of February. All money raised goes to the APTA Mercy Centre Program to buy things such as uniforms, belts and safety equipment.

Doing something for others has always been important to Bryan as he was a member of the Lion’s Club for years, works with the Canadian Military Police Fund for Blind Children and has always promoted the importance of volunteer work, instilled in him by his Father - John.

The program has been going strong for over 11 years and until Bryan stepped up all monetary funding came from Master Don and his school. Don estimates the monetary value of what APTA has put into the Mercy Centre Program is over Bt30 million.

Any kid from the Mercy Centre can attend the program and ages range from 3½ - 16 years old. There are over 50 kids who arrive by songtaew from the Mercy Centre every Sunday for a one hour class at APTA (Gateway Ekkamai), where all five full-time APTA instructors attend and instruct.

Bryan will be here until next July. He’s also initiated food drives, and a bicycle donation campaign for the Mercy Centre. He’s done some great work with Don and APTA – let’s help them meet their GoFundMe goal (https://gogetfunding. com/team-canada-eh/).

One of APTA’s former Mercy Centre students, Sasothon Siwilai (Miss Bas), 24, is now a full-time instructor with a 3rd Dan Black Belt.

She serves as a great role model and is a terrific success story.

An orphan, she’s had a tough life and when she first showed up to APTA, she looked like a punk. But she quickly bought into the program, and today is totally self-reliant and full-fledged instructor.

She selflessly takes care of her grandmother and models her teaching style after Don’s no-nonsense approach. “She consistently puts the adult class to shame” says Bryan, when describing Miss Bas’ approach and technical ability.

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CANADA AND THAILAND: A LOOK FORWARD AT THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

By Andrew Doherty, Executive Director, Canada, Canada-ASEAN Business Council As Thailand prepares for the ASEAN chairmanship in 2019, CanadaASEAN relations are taking center stage in corporate, academic and political circles on both sides of the Pacific. I recently had the distinct pleasure of speaking on a panel at just such an event: the “Canada and Thailand: Lessons from the Past and Future Agenda” Seminar, held October 12th, 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. Organized by co-hosts, Victor V. Ramraj, Director, Centre for Asia Pacific Initiatives, University of Victoria, and Paul Evans, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, the seminar brought together leaders in Canada-Thailand relations to identify opportunities and constraints in strengthening relations between the two nations.

Secondly, the petrochemical industry presents a unique opportunity for trade between Canada and Thailand. The Canadian gas industry recently received uplifting news by way of the LNG Canada FID announcement. LNG Canada is light at the end of the tunnel for the desperately landlocked Canadian oil and gas market, offering relief in the form of tidewater access to international markets. LNG Canada will soon service a max production capacity of 26 MTPA to the resource hungry Asia markets.

Of further benefit, Canadian gas is “rich” in nature (C2 and greater molecules). Specific to Thailand, Canada’s rich gas offers a valuable input into the energy value chain for petrochemical manufacturing.

As construction and further development of Canada’s natural gas exports progress, the beginnings of a new trade relationship for Canada and Thailand may follow suit.

I spoke on the “Strengthening Economic and Commercial Ties” panel, alongside Mr. Ian Burchett, Director General for Southeast Asia, ASEAN and APEC, Global Affairs Canada, and Dr. Jingjai Hanchanlash, President, Thai-Canada Economic Cooperation Foundation. It was evident in our discussion that current economic relations suggest a strong baseline for growth and expansion; bilateral merchandise trade in 2017 totaled $4 billion, Thailand is Canada’s second largest trading partner in ASEAN, and the two nations share a rich history dating back nearly 60 years, rooted in a soft infrastructure development partnership.

New market development is also a seed worth cultivating in growing Canada-Thailand economic relations. Technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI), is a natural fit for further growth and collaboration between the two nations.

Canada is positioned as a global leader in the research and development of AI. Montreal and Toronto are world-leading incubators of AI research and the development of commercial applications. Montreal based Element AI, is one of the first Canadian AI firms to expand into ASEAN, having recently opened their Singapore office on November 13th, an event attended by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his visit to Singapore.

Further, the Canadian and Thai economies offer complimentary and equally strong sectors for collaboration that can be pursued in the immediate term. Agriculture and Agri-food, and the Petrochemical manufacturing sectors are one such starting point.

Agricultural and Agri-food products represent Canada’s top export category to Asia since 2008, and continued to represent the largest percentage of exports from Canada to Asia in 2017 at $18.6 billion (theasiafactor.ca). As published in The Canada Advantage report, authored by the CABC in partnership with the University of British Columbia, the Agri-food sector alone contributes more than $111 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product, and sales to Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia totaled $16.9 billion to 24 markets in 2015. For Canada, Thailand represents a market of nearly 70 million people with a growing middle class and thus meaningful target market for Canadian exports. From Thailand’s perspective as one of the few net exporters in the Agri-food sector, Canada represents a trading partner that can share expertise in technological advancements and processes in the agriculture sector while simultaneously exporting high demand product.

In turn, Thailand is clear in its position to digitize and transform its economy through its public commitments to Thailand 4.0 and the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The numbers tied to EEC alone are impressive. According to Thailand’s Board of Investment, the EEC has already attracted US$9.3 billion in promised FDI as of January 1, 2018. The Thai government expects US$43 billion in investment for the EEC over the next five years. Linking Thailand’s growing demand for AI commercial applications with Canada’s leading edge technologies is a gateway to developing a new pillar in economic relations.

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Our discussion on October 12th proved that a strong case exists for economic collaboration, but how do we foster these relationships?

ASEAN in 2019 to connect leading edge Canadian AI technology with innovative markets like Thailand.

From a broader trade perspective, the recent ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership is a meaningful first step in more fundamental economic ties between Canada and Southeast Asia. While Thailand is not a signatory to the agreement, it has expressed interest in exploring eventual participation. Next on the horizon is continued work towards a Canada-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which would naturally include Thailand. Advancing a CAFTA is of high priority on the CABC’s advocacy agenda, as demonstrated by our recent reports: The ASEAN Advantage and The Canada Advantage.

2019 is a promising and important year to advance these ties. As noted to above, Thailand assumes the chairmanship of ASEAN. Further, as demonstrated by HE Mr. Maris Sangiampngsa, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Thailand to Canada, at the October seminar in Vancouver, Thailand is educated and proactive in developing close commercial ties in the Canadian market. Ambassador Maris led his opening remarks by stating, and I paraphrase, it is now his government’s job to facilitate the development of the private sector and people-to-people ties. An inspiring and fundamental narrative that carried through the day’s discussions.

With stronger people-to-people ties, continued government support, complimentary goods and services, and advancements in trade agreements, the economic opportunity for Thailand and Canada relations is one of growth and technological advancement.

The CABC as an organization is working to facilitate private sector partnerships between Canada and ASEAN. On December 17th, 2018, in partnership with CABC Member Fasken, the CABC is hosting a Canada AI and ASEAN Market Opportunity event.

This event will explore the ASEAN market, identify market opportunities for Canadian AI in ASEAN, and outline a roadmap for Canadian firms to become export ready. Further, the December seminar will lay the framework for an AI mission to

(Photos courtesy of Canada-ASEAN Business Council)

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MAKING GOOD BACTERIA WORK FOR US

By Thomas Grimm

Perhaps without intention, humans have created numerous sustainability challenges that are threatening our planet and our health. Not the least of these is the ever-increasing toxic world we live in. The solutions to many of these problems are all around us if we look. For instance, bio-mimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s patterns and strategies(1) .

At the same time the surfactants are solubilizing the dirt, the bio-active ingredients (enzymes and bacteria) in InnuScience products go to work. Enzymes are bio-mechanical molecules that chemically breakdown organic matter into smaller components which improves the solubilization and also helps the bacteria.

The third, and key, ingredient are the live micro-organisms. Once the dirt and grime are solubilized and initially broken down by the enzymes, the “good” bacteria complete the process by digestion.

Bacillus Subtillus is a commonly occurring bacteria in soil and in some foods we eat. It is a non-pathogneic and non-harmful bacteria. In fact, studies have shown that the use of pro-biotic cleaners like InnuScience can lead to a reduction in the formation of pathogenic bacteria colonies on surfaces, without the use of chemical disinfectants(5) . In other words, the use of beneficial bacteria, can have positive and lasting affects in our homes and workplaces beyond simple cleaning.

In the last 50 years the use of chemicals has increased 3900 percent, from 10 million tons to more than 400 million tons annually(2) . In the US alone, 3.1 million tons of these chemicals are used for cleaning purposes(3) . Though chemicals provide many benefits in industry, manufacturing and healthcare, the use of toxic chemicals to clean our homes, offices and commercial spaces has reached alarming levels affecting our health and the planet’s well-being. It is time to look for better solutions.

Nature’s approach uses enzymes and bacteria to breakdown and transform waste materials into the basic components of life. This process is happening all around us on a continual basis. Several companies have taken note of this and have created biotechnology hygiene products that are sustainable and effective. One of those companies is Montreal, CA based InnuScience, formed 26 years ago by two molecular biology students.

InnuScience scientists use different combinations and concentrations of surfactants, enzymes and selectively chosen Bacillus Subtillus bacteria to create a wide range of products that can be used in every type of business or facility. In addition to cleaning, biotechnology excels at human waste and grease degradation, two growing problems throughout the ASEAN community.

Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop commercial products(4) . It utilizes three key ingredients to create safe, effective results – surfactants, enzymes and bacteria. All cleaning products contain surfactants, commonly known as soap. A surfactant helps the cleaning process by lifting dirt from surfaces and solubilizing it in water. Though surfactants are not biotech ingredients, they do have an impact on the environmental friendliness of the product. The key is biodegradability. InnuScience sources mineral and vegetable surfactants that are safe, and breakdown by 90% in less than 14 days.

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Here in Thailand, the hospitality and restaurant industries should be key users and beneficiaries of biotechnology cleaning products.

Much of Thailand’s tourism business is based on its natural beauty, but many resort areas are being negatively impacted by overuse and pollution. Hotels that switch to InnuScience products such as Nu-Kleen Smell and Nu-Bio Scrub general purpose cleaners help reduce toxic chemical impact on the surroundings. Another problem area which affects both tourist resorts as well as Thailand’s potable water systems is grease from restaurant and food factories. When these businesse use InnuScience Nu-Super Trap, they can safely degrade and digest their grease wastes right at sites, and prevent environmental and health problems that result when these wastes enter our rivers and oceans.

InnuScience products are certified by three international environmental organizations – EcoLogo, EcoLabel and Nordic Ecolabel – assuring complete environmental and human safety.

InnuScience biotechnology cleaning offers low cost in use, effective residual cleaning, superior human and environmental safety and a complete range of product options. Now is the time to switch and clean your home and business-like nature cleans.

It’s the better way! And it’s made in Canada!

Tom Grimm, President of Green Footprint Solutions, Ltd, has 30 years of experience marketing and applying environmentally sustainable technologies in the hospitality and commercial industries. Originally from New York, he has been based in Bangkok since 2013.

InnuScience is super-concentrated and has dilution rates up to 1:600. That means a low cost in use, but also less transportation costs and storage space requirements. Reducing toxic chemicals in your home or workplace supports a healthy environment and may even lead to reduced employee sick time and medical claims. And any reduction in the use of toxic chemicals has a positive effect on our global environment.

Green Footprint Solutions is the authorized importer for InnuScience products in Thailand and ASEAN. Companies interested in representing these unique products, or in partnering with Green Footprint, can contact us at 0-2102-4564 or info@greenfootprint.co.th. We are seeking resellers in various geographic areas and market segments.

And don’t forget, chemical cleaners often damage the very surfaces that they are being used to clean. In fact, it is the high and low pH formulations that enable chemical cleaning, but which also damage infrastructure and are health risks. InnuScience products are pH neutral (7.0) and hence cannot harm people or the surfaces being cleaned.

References: (1) From the Biomimicy.org website.

(2) “Make Bacteria Work for Us”, Waterfront, May 2015, Lindstrom, Ahlander & Nordin.

(3) “The Environmental Impact of Cleaning Products”, Facilities Net, May 2009, Ashkin.

(4) Definition from Wikipedia.

(5) “Reduction of the Microbiological Load on Hospital Surfaces Through Probiotic-Based Cleaning Procedures: A New Strategy to Control Nosocomial Infections”, Journal of Microbiology & Experimentation, Vol 1, issue 5, 2014.

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MAPLE LEAF BALL - OSCAR NIGHT Title Sponsor

On October 27, CanCham Thailand held its flagship Thanksgiving dinner, “The Maple Leaf Ball – Oscar Night” at the brand-new Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse. This annual gala event was once again a great success with over 240 fabulously-dressed members, colleagues, family & friends in attendance. Of course, the event could not have happened without the much-appreciated support of many, including the event’s title sponsor – Canadian International School of Thailand (CIST), as well as all other event & table sponsors, annual partners, prize donors, guests…. and of course the Maple Leaf ball planning committee.

Upon arrival at the hotel, guests strutted a bright red carpet while being surprised by the flashing lights of several paparazzi photographers, capturing every important moment. After some fun photos and videos were taken at the main backdrop… and with a variety of Canadian movie stars there, attendees moved into the cocktail reception area where they enjoyed beautiful art, delicious appetizers, popcorn and among other drinks, some nice cold Canadian Moosehead beer (supported by G-Four and Human Brands).

When it was time to enter the Grand Ballroom for dinner and doors were opened, energy-filled music by The Unicorn Band augmented the atmosphere of the beautifully decorated room which included round bouquets of red roses with gold Oscar statues on each table.

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From Oscar Red-Carpet Glam to Cocktails under the Stars….

A key highlight of the night was the honour that was bestowed on Don and Daniele Lavoie, CanCham’s fourth Hall of Famers.

Even though this lovely, humble couple does not technically own a Canadian passport, they very much embody the Canadian spirit with their incredible dedication to the Canadian Community since they arrived in Thailand over 20 years ago (see detailed tribute on page 5).

After a fun on-stage live auction and many bids at the silent auction tables (which housed a variety of fabulous prizes), the night ended with Cocktails under the Stars at Yao Rooftop Bar. Overlooking Bangkok’s skyline, which brought a nice cool breeze from the gulf of Thailand, guests enjoyed good conversations and laughs while ending the evening on a high.

As not to miss this highlight Chamber event of the year, please mark your calendars for Maple Leaf Ball 2019, scheduled for Saturday, October 12.

Event Venue

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ELERNITY CHANGING THE WAY WE VIEW EDUCATION This issue Voyageur takes a look at eLernity whose mission is to leverage the power of the Internet to improve education, by combining superior educational resources with advanced information technologies.

Another recent NetDragon acquisition is EDMODO (US$137 million), which has over 100 million people on its platform, including 10 million teachers, who put their lesson plans on EDMODO. So if a teacher in Thailand wants to teach say a 10th grade course in DNA, instead of having to research it on Google, all they need to do is type “best DNA course” into the EDMODO system and EDMODO will look at the work from its 10 million teachers, narrow it down to those who have lesson plans on DNA and then prioritize the top 20 lesson plans, for that particular age level and subject matter.

Larry Kessler, is the acting general manager of eLernity Thailand, a branch of NetDragon Websoft Inc. (HKSE: 0777). Larry, who has been in Thailand for 15 years, tells us NetDragon was started in 1999 as a gaming company, manufacturing adventure computer games about Chinese history for the gaming community in China.

Those games did quite well, but over time, NetDragon chairman Liu Dejian, the founder of the company, realized that wasn’t a good platform for long-term sustainable future, so in 2010 he developed eLernity, his own platform, similar to those developed

by Google and Apple and he sold the gaming business to BAIDU for US$1.3 billion.

Any Thai public school can have free access to eLernity’s system.

Right now, eLernity is trying to create a global community and they will monetize the platform later on when they have half-abillion users. Currently, there are 800,000 Thais using eLernity (students, parents & teachers), in about 5,000 schools across the nation. Teachers in remote areas can go online and download eLernity’s applications themselves.

Soon afterwards, NetDragon started acquiring education companies, one of the first being Promethean, a UK-based company (bought for US$130 million) that is one of the largest interactive panel companies in the world, combining a hardware and software solution, which includes its flagship interactive whiteboards ActivBoards, and software ClassFlow. For US$30.5 million, NetDragon also purchased Cherrypicks, a Hong Kong based company focused on VRAR (virtual & augmented reality).

Larry says for the “smart classroom” technology to work you need a good Internet connection and farsighted teachers who can see the benefit of using technology and are ready to embrace changes to the education system as we know it. eLernity has a product called Coding Galaxy which teaches kids at a young age the concepts of coding, or how to think logically, how to do things in the most efficient way and if they make a mistake, how to debug and change the error.

Larry says the value proposition is to take the knowledge of gaming over the last 20 years and integrate it those with stateof-the-art education techniques. In schoolrooms of the past, a teacher would broadcast a message, students would sit back and take notes and periodically they’d have quizzes and tests, which would evaluate what they learned. Today, you must teach kids in a way that is enjoyable for them while at the same time trying to discern if one child is understanding a concept while another is having trouble dealing with it. Teachers want to know immediately if their students are grasping the concepts they are teaching and interactive learning in real-time allows them to do just that.

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Edmodo’s mission is to connect all learners to the people and resources they need to reach their full potential

Larry stresses the concept of lifelong learning; in the not too distant future, there are going to tens of thousands of people out of work because of robotics and A.I. – what are they going to do? They are going to need to be retrained, so people need to learn how to learn and how to think critically. That’s the value an education should be able to give. Larry thinks there needs to a fundamental shift in the way the Thai education system views education if the country is to remain competitive in the global marketplace.

And that’s where eLernity comes in, “We have the total answer to the modern education conundrum as we can combine technology with education and make it fun,” Larry says. An example would be one of eLernity’s game School of Dragons whereby participants advance through the game by answering skill-testing chemistry and mathematics questions.

NetDragon has an on-going commitment to invest in lifetime learning that brings together technology and big data in a way that improves the overall user experience for all learners around the world while developing a game-changing education ecosystem at the same time (http://we.101.com).

(Btw, CanCham board member Natasak Rodjanapiches is also a member of the eLernity board)

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LANDMARK’S INDIVIDUALITY SETS IT APART Francis Zimmerman is mixing the best of Canadian and Thai hospitality as he manages one of Bangkok’s most prominent independent hotels, The Landmark. His moral and hospitality compass have been defined by his Canadian values and they mesh quite nicely with the world-renowned Thai hospitality and service standards.

He likens being the GM of a hotel to being the mayor of a city.

“There’s no boredom working in the hotel industry,” he says, “but it’s not for everybody, it’s hard work. In life, you have to find the one thing that makes you tick and motivates you and it didn’t take me long to figure out what I wanted to do. But you must be peopleoriented because in large hotels, you are dealing with thousands of people a day.”

A Vancouver native, who grew up in Calgary, Francis jokes that he became a hotelier by birth as his father Fred Zimmerman was a well-known executive chef for the Westin Hotel Group, based in Calgary for a quarter of a century. To spend more quality time with his sons he would bring Francis and his brother Andre to the hotel on the weekends and put them to work. Francis remembers dunking chocolate cherries for about five hours one Saturday when he was eight – the result, there was more chocolate on him than on the cherries.

Francis has run large-scale city hotels as well as resorts and notes that in many city hotels guests are traveling on a company’s expense but in resorts guests are mostly traveling on their own expense, so expectations are different.

Francis recalls that six months into his first overseas posting in Kota Kinabalu he had a “eureka” moment; he was starting to go crazy because he thought that the staff he was working with just weren’t getting it, but he soon realized that it was he who wasn’t getting it as they had been brought up in a different culture. Over time, he developed a system he calls the “50-50 approach” whereby going into any new culture or situation he brings in fifty percent of what he believes is important and dumps the rest, primarily preconceived notions, coming in with an open mind to learn how things work in this new environment and the best way to get the most out of his people.

As such, Francis early on learned a love and passion for the industry, as did his brother who also became a chef. Fair and honest, Francis’ father taught him a great deal about work ethic, and leadership skills. He was a tough, old-school chef who had immigrated to Canada from Switzerland (his mom had immigrated from Finland).

At one point, Fred was listed as number 32 of the 100 reasons why Calgary was so great. He became the first North American chef to win the gold medal of distinction at the World Culinary Olympics. He just turned 79, and was an active member of the Canadian Culinary Federation for more than three decades. .

Asked what’s special about the Landmark, Francis says, “The hotel is well-known, as we will soon be celebrating our 31st anniversary, I have never worked in a hotel that had such strong customer loyalty. Every day, I look at the arrivals and notice there’s at least 8-10 guests who have stayed here hundreds of nights. To those repeat guests, the Landmark is a second home: we have extensive histories on our repeat customers and we try and meet their needs and expectations well in advance of their arrival. Emotional connections provide the strongest memories and that’s what we hope to provide.”

Francis started in the kitchen, and then moved to the service side of the food & beverage industry. Honing his cooking skills early; they have won him many friends including his wife as he says, “Who doesn’t like to eat?”.

After graduating with a diploma in hotel and restaurant administration from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) he moved into the front office.

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“Our location, at the start of Sukhumvit Road, certainly helps and I give a lot of credit to the foresight of our own Managing Director Khun Jatuporn Sihanatkathakul of the Landmark Lancaster Hotel Group for building here.”

“Without a doubt, we have some great employees here, and that solid foundation, helps me sleep better at night. Having a pool of well-experienced hospitality professionals at this hotel is a huge benefit. It’s more difficult to recruit good staff these days because you must realize good Thai staff are not just coveted in Thailand but also in hotels and resorts all over the world.”

Future plans? “We have recently completed a renovation to all guestrooms and no food & beverage operation is successful unless there’s local patronage, so we are finalizing plans on a new unique and dynamic food & beverage concept for our ground floor and basement.”

Final thoughts? “We are a large independent hotel with a unique service offering, and we will work on building and fostering the Landmark name moving forward. We are called the Landmark for a reason, and we need to capitalize on that. We have tremendous momentum behind us, and a tremendous opportunity in front of us.”

How does being independent help you? “In the last 3-5 years, there’s been a tremendous consolidation in the hotel industry, and major chains have done a good job of integrating but what’s the sense of difference there? What truly makes them stand out?

Are you getting a unique experience by staying there?”

“Our staff are fast to act, the independence has created a true entrepreneurial spirit, they are not dependent on a hierarchy of approval.”

Francis Zimmerman, GM of The Landmark Bangkok www.landmarkbangkok.com

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SPACES, THE AMSTERDAM-BASED CREATIVE CO-WORKING HUB NOW OPENS IN THAILAND Hot on the global co-working trend, Spaces offers Bangkokians flexible working options Amsterdam-based creative workspace pioneer Spaces opens its first Thailand location in Bangkok’s Summer Hill community mall at BTS Phra Khanong today. The convenient location provides 1,260sqm of sleek and inspiring office space, including 334 desks and three meeting rooms.

The innovative Dutch concept at the forefront of the rapidly changing work landscape which has seen the number of flexible workplaces increase by 20 percent worldwide in the last 12 months and that number looks set to grow, with statistics from the 2017 Global Coworking Survey by SocialWorkplaces.co finding that 1.2M people worldwide have worked in a co-working space. The survey from Spaces also found that: - 69 percent of millennials will trade other work package benefits for a better workplace - 53 percent of professionals now work remotely for at least half their working week - 58 percent of business people prefer flexibility in the workplace - 84 percent believe flexibility in workplace improves productivity - 66 percent feel flexibility in the workplace can improve work-life balance - 55 percent believe flexibility in the workplace improves travel schedules Hot on this trend, Spaces is geared towards creating a dynamic, entrepreneurial community and offers a number of flexible working solutions: - Business Club is a sociable area for meeting new people, co-creating, idea-sharing and networking - Office space, which can be scaled and designed to fit company needs - Membership provides access to all worldwide Spaces locations starting from THB 4,620 a month - Meeting room space can also be rented out

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Moreover, the philosophy of Spaces is under the concept of Spaces’ Dutch design for a natural fit in Thailand - with chic whites, woods and tropical plants - are designed to inspire and to nurture the innovative and social working atmosphere of Spaces.

The open-plan, spacious design offers an inspiring workplace that’s further strengthened by one of Bangkok’s best-known cafes. Spaces has a café within the workspace to enable people to kick-start their days and to add fuel to their creative fires. The café also provides catering for the meeting rooms and for events.

Spaces Summer Hill, located on the 3rd floor of Bangkok’s newest retail hub, there is equipped with a variety of workspaces, and is ideal for those seeking an optimal work-life balance. As it is located just steps from BTS Phra Khanong and contains a stimulating mixture of residential and office buildings, Summer Hill’s convenient location, open-plan design and ample open space make it the perfect environment for city workers to feel inspired, and get their creative juices flowing.

In addition, Spaces’ second Bangkok location is already open in the heart of Bangkok at Chamchuri Square. Located on the 24th floor of this mixed-use building, the workspace offers stunning views of Bangkok. It also features a serene atmosphere, emphasized by relaxing blue hues that set the tone for sparking business ideas. This location provides 3,281 sqm of sleek and inspiring office space, including 597 workstations and two meeting rooms.

Spaces’ newest location at Empire Tower has already opened in the heart of Sathorn’s central business district. This third location features 2,974 sqm of office space including 373 workspaces and three meeting rooms. Both office spaces offer the ideal creative workspace for freelancers and entrepreneurs as well as anyone requiring a more flexible work environment in case of any future organizational changes. Spaces also plans to expand and to add two locations in Bangkok at M-9 Ratchada and Metropolis Samrong. For more information on Spaces, please visit www. spacesworks.com.

Ms. Noelle Coak, Country Head for Thailand, Taiwan and Korea of Spaces, says, “The workplace is rapidly evolving, and there are a number of factors driving this trend. New technologies enable us the freedom to be highly mobile, conduct business remotely and still be very ‘present’. Additionally, the nature of business is changing. We’re seeing more startups that are looking for flexible workplaces that allow them to scale up or down without having to sign a multi-year commitment. Multinationals with satellite offices also seek these flexible workspace solutions that allow for cost saving and operational efficiency. Another driver is the millennial worker, who expects a social and creative working hub – one that forward-thinking employers are happy to provide.”

About Spaces Spaces is a creative work environment with a unique entrepreneurial spirit. The dynamic workspaces help you think, create and collaborate – while the Spaces team makes sure you feel welcome. Spaces believe work is about people and ideas. Technology has created a modern economy, driven by empowered individuals. This informs the way it develops inspiring workspaces – with a love for design, and where its energetic team takes care of all the details so you can focus on developing your next big idea. Spaces’ culture is built on the energy of its community – interesting people doing exciting things. Say hello to someone new at our events, to help you connect with the buzz around you. It’s all geared toward expanding your networks and connecting you with like-minded members to link up and share ideas. Whether you’re a small business, entrepreneur or working for a corporation, Spaces provides more than just a place to plug in your laptop. What really makes Spaces unique is the community it has worked to cultivate – full of forward thinkers, innovators and game changers who love what they do.

Contact: Mr. Frederik Dhooge, Area Manager.

Email: frederik.dhooge@spacesworks.com Website: www.spacesworks.com

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TRADITIONAL WOOD, MODERN IDEAS

Faisal Malik is an old-school carpenter and woodworker who designs modern furniture from antique Thai wood. He shares his studio/workshop on Onnut Soi 11 with his wife Elodie who is a professional aerialist as well as sharing a love for wood.

Then in 2005, he moved to Pakistani Kashmir where he worked in Operations with the International Organization for Migration (IMO), collaborating with the Pakistani military, coordinating flights and air relief distributions during the earthquake of 2005, as well as supervising major road repair projects and managing aid distribution in high altitude areas. During this time, he worked with engineers, architects and woodworkers, so his building knowledge grew considerably. By the way, his father Yousaf is an engineer.

Pieter and Stefanie Compernol, founders of Ptendercool allowed Faisal to train and with their team in Bangkok while he developed his own work, and that is where he first learned about Thai woods, sanding, finishing techniques. He cites fellow Canadian Jeff Martin Joinery and Brit Adrian Swinstead as design influences while Father Giovanni Contarin of the St. Camillus Order has played a huge influence in his personal life.

Staying in Kashmir, he moved on to be Operations Manager of Samaritans Purse managing the logistics and construction of 2.5 million USD project of building 300 homes.

Faisal has led a fascinating live, born and raised thirty minutes outside of Montreal to Pakistani immigrants, he speaks English, French, Urdu and some Thai. Growing up, his parents ran a crafts and flower shop. He used to go around collecting old barnwood to make shelving units, his start in carpentry.

Faisal then decided he wanted to do volunteer work and originally sought to go work with underprivileged in India through a Canadian connection, but Indian authorities were suspicious of his military background and the visa was not forthcoming.

However he found a spot as a palliative care caregiver at the Camillian Social Centre in Rayong working with Fr.Giovanni. He stayed there for six months. Two years later, in 2009 he returned to Thailand to volunteer again with Fr.Giovanni at his new project in Bangkok for children with disabilities and life threatening illnesses. Whilst retaining his volunteer status he eventually became the managing director in effect of the Camillian Home for Children Living with Disabilities, a post he held from 2009-2014, when he left to start his own design firm.

From 2000-2003, he enlisted as an infantryman in the Canadian Forces, 1 RCR, based in Petawawa, where he specialized in mountain and cold weather operations and operated various munitions’ systems and advanced communications.

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Duties at Camillian included guiding and monitoring the overall workflow of the organization, coordinating fundraising initiatives, serving as the key spokesperson and media contact for the organization, and creating and implementing social development activities, child protection policies as well as developing many inclusive construction projects such as an aquatic therapy pool, community wheelchair accessible park, gardens and more.

During that time, he also managed to obtain a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and media studies from Bangkok’s Ramkhamhaeng University.

There’s a story in each of his pieces, example, in his Amber Wood Coffee Table, “the grain evokes global wind patterns as observed from space, radiating an incredible depth of amber and golden hues,” while you would be hard pressed to tell the surface of his Mercury Coffee Table and the surface of planet Mercury apart: both have mountainous ridges littered with pits and volcanic images.

But it’s not just the wood that’s interesting, the acrylic legs that Faisal uses are manufactured by a company that supplies NASA; they have beautiful optic qualities and are very strong, able to support 2,000 kg in weight.

Why is all this important? Because it has all helped to shape Faisal into the person and artist he is today.

Faisal cherishes his independence and calls himself a makerdesigner. He can spend up to 150 hours working on a piece and doesn’t mass produce items. He knows all his customers – again, old school. He estimates he spends five hours a day on carpentry, the rest goes to prepping, measuring, marking and, of course, the business side of things. One day, he hopes to get a large workspace with advanced German and Japanese machinery such as a 5 axis cnc, helical head planer, panel saw and much more but for the time being he’s content where he is.

When you talk with Faisal the occasional expletive depletive slips out – “army training” – and you get the sense that he doesn’t suffer fools very well, but that he also demands a lot of himself.

The attention to detail he learned in the Canadian army has served him very well in his work.

Faisal goes on reconnaissance work, scouring Thai coastlines in search of Makha and Padauk hardwood that was used in building old Thai fishing boats. Though not easy to find, once he does, he sands it down and reclaims it with a natural oil and wax finish.

Faisal says, “I hope my work is seen as a continuation, giving new life to old Thai timber, which carries the energy and history of the past, reincarnated into functional sculptures to be enjoyed for generations to come.” As reincarnation plays such a strong role in Buddhist belief it makes sense that Faisal would want to transform old pieces of wood and turn them into something usable today. “I want to harmoniously unite wood’s innate beauty and history with modern elements,” he says. Faisal is trying to preserve the spirit found in the original tree.

Most of Faisal’s customers come by word of mouth. He has supplied many private residences and high-end hotels including the Mandarin Oriental and the Park Hyatt. His large furniture items such as benches and tables aren’t cheap, with prices starting at THB 165,000, but his smaller handicrafts such as cutting boards, jewelry and cigar boxes and serving plates are quite reasonable and make for great gift items. Give him a call, or pay him a visit, to see if he can come up with that special gift for you or your loved ones.

Faisal can be reached at 085-396-9331, fmalikdesign@gmail.com, www.faisalmalikdesign.com

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THE DISRUPTIVE COACHING GURU

His father kept that list and some decades later showed it to his son. Peter could hardly recognize his own handwriting, but realized he had met all those goals plus much more. Peter learned to soak in his father’s teachings by sitting at the back of his management training courses absorbing the information he was disseminating.

Dr Peter Chee is a positive ball of energy who hurls himself at you in the attempt to get you to reach your potential and be the best possible you. A life coach and executive coach with a distinctive disruptive coaching program, his life’s mission is to transform leaders and change the world for the better.

First a little about his background: Peter was born and raised in Penang, Malaysia, near the beach area of Tanjung Bungah.

When he was young, he was very active in the Boy Scouts (today he’s is a Baden Powell Fellow of the World Scout Foundation, an honor bestowed by the King of Sweden). An avid water sports enthusiast, he trained on dragon boats and represented Penang in swimming at the national level. He joined debating teams and took elocution contests and speech courses hence his ability to speak so well in front of an audience. His family still lives in Penang and despite his globetrotting, he tries to get back to the island every weekend to spend time with his family.

Peter’s started his professional life at the bottom of the ladder, his first salary as a general assistant was only US$50 a month (barely enough to pay for his food & transportation) yet with time he built himself up to be the CEO of ITD World, a leading multinational corporation for human resource development.

Peter’s philosophy is to learn from the best and adopt their teachings using his own style. He has learned from many of the world’s top gurus including Marshall Goldsmith, John Maxwell, Ken Blanchard, Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield & Brian Tracy.

Anthony Robbins once told Peter, “success leaves clues”, look at people who have succeeded and learn from them, that will help accelerate your progress. Peter has adapted that to “go and learn from the best to be better than the best.”

Early on, Peter wasn’t very good in school, slightly naughty and acting out, his teachers told his parents that he was a poor student and lacked potential. But his parents didn’t believe them, they believed in Peter and started to coach him in a bid to unleash his potential. Peter’s father was the regional manager of an insurance company and was very active in training and public speaking. Noting special characteristics in his son, he told him to write his life goals to clarify what would motivate him in a bid to help unleash those talents. He did and those goals included having an MBA, a doctorate in management, being a trainer/ coach like his father, traveling the world, having a dream home by the beach, writing books, having a beautiful wife, being a famous author, and being an entrepreneur and CEO of his own enterprise.

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Peter’s father taught him early on that if you want to be successful, you must be able to communicate and influence people. Peter learned from Steve Jobs that if you are working on something you are passionate about you don’t need to be pushed, the vision pulls you. Peter says everyone is born and gifted in their own special way, it’s just a question of helping them to discover what that is.

“ Be joyful in the present moment, don’t worry about the past, and let go of your anxiety for the future.

Elaborating on his parents’ influence, Peter says, “My dad was more about achievement, my mom was more about loving, nurturing and caring for me in every way, that’s where I get the soft-side from, my life purpose is transforming leaders and changing the world with love for God and people.”

In the CanCham seminar he recently held, Peter presented the participants with a learning action plan: what they were going to do and when they were going to do it. He gave them a disruptive coaching tool for game-changing results (the team coaching tool); and a one-on-one speed agility coaching tool, which they then practiced. It was a full house (60+) with many high-profile CEOs and presidents, who asked good questions, made many new connections, were fully engaged and applied the tools that Peter taught them.

”

Acronyms play a big part in keeping Peter focused, first, in how he takes care of himself and keeps himself at a peak state. He uses the HMBS technique – Heart, Mind, Body, & Spirit. “Heart” is being in a state of love, being compassionate, generous and giving without expecting anything in return, “You are never disappointed that way,” Peter says, “the more you give, the more you receive”; “Mind” is constantly learning and growing, keep feeding the mind by challenging yourself to learn new things every day, but learning in a purposeful & deliberate manner at the same time, in Peter’s case that’s how can he be a better leader, coach, speaker and author and how to be a bigger inspiration to others; “Body” is taking care of the body using the BEDSMS formula (the B is for Breathing, be in a relaxed, meditative state; the E is for Exercise, “Get 30 minutes of exercise three times or more each week,” he says “or walk 10,000 steps a day – keep walking, keep moving”; the D is for Diet “Everyone knows what a good diet is but it’s important to drink enough water, at least two litres a day, 8 glasses”; the first S is for Sleep, get enough rest, ; the M is for medicinal herbs that helps strengthens the body, not prescription drugs; and the second S is Spiritual, the way to uplift your spirit is to uplift other people’s spirits and to leave a positive legacy when you are not around. Every morning during weekends, Peter coaches people around the world for free during sunrise as they walk by the sea, it boosts people’s health and spiritual well-being.

When dealing with people who have a negative outlook on life Peter teaches that awareness and acceptance cultivates transformation, meaning getting people to realize that what they are doing is not achieving the desired outcome and there are better ways of achieving more satisfactory results. He uses a formula he learned from Jack Canfield called Events plus Response equals Outcome (E + R = O), which gets people to articulate what they want while realizing what they must do to achieve those goals. It’s about self-mastery and getting people to regain control of how they respond to circumstances and the meaning they give to things, what would be a better reaction, a more positively empowering meaning, what would be a better thought?

Parting tips: “Be joyful in the present moment, don’t worry about the past, and let go of your anxiety for the future. Love what you do, do what you love, find your talent & life purpose. And be kind and loving to others and to yourself, this will enable you to be happier and, in turn, make a greater positive difference to the world.” peter@itdworld.com, www.itdworld.com/drpeterchee.html

Dr Peter Chee is an author, CEO, coach, trainer and the president of ITD World; a global leader in talent development.

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RIGHT TO PLAY Voyageur recently had a chance to do a Q & A with Niamh De Loughry, Right To Play’s Country Manager (Thailand) about the organization’s founding, goals & mission

A.) Niamh, please tell us a little about yourself and how you came to work for Right To Play.

I come from Ireland, from a sporting family. I have a masters in “Reconciliation after violent conflict”, and trained as a teacher when I decided to travel to Asia in 2004. While I was traveling I found an opportunity to volunteer in the region, one thing lead to another and soon I was working for a health NGO in the refugee camps in Thailand. I saw an opportunity with Right To Play and I couldn’t believe their areas of work – combining Sport & Play with education, building peaceful communities and transforming health practices – it was my dream organization! I applied and have now been with Right To Play for 5 years. Initially, I started as the Program Manager for a Refugee Program, after two years I became the Country Director and since the July 2018, I am in the role of Asia Director for Strategy, Partnerships and New Business Development. I feel so lucky to be part of this organization and believe I have the dream job that allows me to strategize in one of the most exciting regions in the world for an organization whose mission drives me and an incredible group of staff every single day!

B.) Please tell us who founded the organization, when, where and why it was started.

Right To Play was founded by Johann Olav Koss, a former speed skater who has won four Olympic gold medals. Running up to his Olympic Games in 1994, Johann visited Eritrea. When he was there, he saw that the children played and had fun amid war and conflict. Then he saw one boy who was very popular among all the children, and asked him why he’s so popular. The boy said he’s popular because he’s the only person who owned a long sleeve t-shirt that can be rolled up into a ball. Johann was hugely touched. He went back to compete in the Olympic Games and won for his native Norway. He donated his winnings to the establishment of Olympic Aid and many other winners did the same. . Olympic Aid went on to become Right To Play in 2000.

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C.) Please tell us a little about Right to Play’s global reach - how many countries are you operating in?

We’ve transformed lives of more than 1.9 million children through our activities every week, both inside and outside the classroom.

We’re currently operating in around 20 countries.

E.) “Protect Educate Empower”, please tell us how you try to do these things through your programs.

This is a new tagline which has just been launched along with our new logo in October in 2018.

It reflects our mission that we are committed to protect, educate and empower children to rise above adversity using the power of play.

We know that play is one of the most fundamental and powerful forces in a child’s life. Our play-based methodologies harness that power to deliver impact in our five global outcome areas: Quality Education, Gender Equality, Child Protection, Health and Well-Being and Peace.

D) How long have you been operating in Thailand - and please describe the scope of your activities in the Kingdom.

We started helping children in Thailand since 2002 at a refugee camp in Tham Hin District, Kanchanaburi Province. Then we expanded the scope of our work to the south when the tsunami hit Thailand in 2004. Currently we use our unique methodology of play-based learning not only with the children but also the adults in the communities for three country strategic goals: quality education, child protection and peaceful communities. We work with the most marginalized and vulnerable children and youth in Thailand, across multiple settings, including youth at risk, in migrant communities, in refugee camps. In total we work in more than 20 locations across Thailand. In all settings, we strive to be inclusive and to mainstream gender programming. Right To Play also works with parents, communities and government to improve the lives and rights of all children.

F.) Please give us an example of a Right to Play program in Thailand and how it works.

Right To Play’s program model in Thailand means that we are working to prepare the children and youth we work with for transition, that transition could be life after the refugee camp, or life after detention center, or life beyond being a migrant. The way Right To Play prepares these children and youth is by building their life skills, so that they are equipped for their uncertain future. These life skill areas we are focused on include; program solving and decision making, managing emotions, developing healthy relationships with others, appreciating values of self and others, and goal setting. We work in the communities to ensure that these children and youth are given a voice and a sense of agency and therefore, have a greater chance of succeeding in their unknown future.

This program is implemented in four languages and reaches around 50,000 children and youth every week around Thailand.

G.) What’s your concern in 2019?

There are many concerns for next year, if I were to prioritize, I would say, Early Education programs in the refugee camps. There is a huge gap in funding and the nutrition program will finish before the start of the next academic year (April 2019). There is also a shortfall in the running costs of the Early Education program with the withdrawal of the main funder. This is a huge concern, for the nursery school age children, their families and the community. The cost of maintaining the nutrition program is 5 baht per child per day. There are currently 4,000 of nursery children in seven refugee camps along the Thailand-Myanmar border.

We have a big gap in nutrition programs in nursery school children in nine camps. Nursery school programs are facing big cut because donors have withdrawn their support.

We are also grateful for any kind of in-kind support such as; teaching and learning materials, sport equipment, refreshments, snack for kids. If anybody would like to contribute somehow, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info_thailand@righttoplay.com.

Thailand website: righttoplay.or.th/en

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COMPETITION IN THE DIGITAL AGE: IS IT BETTER TO BE SMALL?

By David Norcross Managing Director at Lexicon Business Communications Mass production, high-powered advertising campaigns, strong brand recognition – for the longest time, large companies seemed to have insurmountable advantages in the market, thanks to the advantages they enjoyed as a consequence of their size.

SMEs, by contrast, would need to utilize all of their ingenuity in order just to begin competing with the big players in their sector. For many smaller companies, finding a comfortable niche has long seemed to be a much more realistic business strategy than playing the dominant industry leaders at their own game.

But the rise of the digital era has led to radical changes across society, overturning some of our most entrenched assumptions about how an economy can work. The pendulum has now swung back in favour of fast, nimble, and flexible businesses, leaving many corporate giants unable to reorient themselves fast enough to meet the demands of a quickly changing society.

The New Playing Field In the age of e-commerce, mass production has largely given way to customizable product lines. Social media, and in particular viral marketing, has enabled many smaller businesses to vastly outperform their larger counterparts by embracing charismatic online personas. Simple, low-budget marketing efforts now routinely reach larger audiences than bland, impersonal advertisements – even when the latter are backed by heavy funding.

These types of achievements are possible due to the power of creative Digital Marketing. As a catch-all term, digital marketing encapsulates everything from achieving top ranks on Google, to influencing opinion on Instagram; and from garnering positive reviews on Panthip, to generating sales through Facebook.

Digital PR can play a crucial role in enhancing the power of a digital marketing campaign. Digital PR turns its focus away from short-term ROI, serving instead to build brand awareness, buzz, backlinks, web traffic, or any other clearly-defined objective related to reputation-building. Rather than focusing on sales, Digital PR instead positions itself as the ideal strategy for companies looking to be seen as thought leaders in their industry.

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Bringing Together the Old and the New Successful Digital PR takes familiar outreach concepts and reimagines them for the digital era.

Press releases, for example, have long been a part of companies’ marketing playbook, taking advantage of publishers’ perpetual search for usable material that can quickly be turned around into quality content. The modern press release, however, has evolved – and not just to incorporate hyperlinks and SEO-friendly terms into the most quotable portions of the text. As the online world is now saturated with media organizations, partnerships can now be developed with organizations looking for new content to publish.

The New Keys to Victory

The fruits of such partnerships can take many forms. Buzzfeedstyle ‘listicles’ generate huge traffic and are easy for a marketing department to produce. But Digital PR has the potential to go far beyond advertorials, and into the world of viral content.

Heineken’s recent ‘Open Your Mind, Open Your World’ ad and Burger King’s anti-bullying PSA received invaluable free publicity from newspapers and magazines around the world covering the story, not to mention extra amplification from social media users who shared the content.

Not every effort is guaranteed to go viral, but by engaging a company’s target audience with compelling content, Digital PR offers the best opportunity for businesses to demonstrate brand personality in a way that people can relate to. The right product and pitch produce the potential to be picked up by publications, building awareness, credibility and goodwill among your current and future audience.

These strategies work well even without having the budget of a large company. There are even advantages in being small, such as having the ability to respond rapidly to changing trends in technology and society. Of course, large companies can also make concerted efforts to adapt to new approaches – and their long-term success may depend on doing exactly that.

That latter phenomenon of social media sharing is particularly important, as potential consumers then see the content endorsed by somebody they know and trust, rather than a faceless corporation or a publication they may not be familiar with.

In a world of personalized products and precisely targeted marketing content, businesses need to recognize that the value of their brand is no longer in its size or even its general name recognition – but in the ability to connect with its audience on a human level. Such connections mean making a real and lasting impression in a world full of digital distraction. People will then follow your brand willingly and share it with the people they care about – and sustained improvements in sales numbers will follow over time.

Lexicon is a full-service digital marketing agency. We specialize in corporate storytelling and produce all of our content in-house, including branding, copywriting, video production and graphic design. Lexicon’s social media marketing services start from just 25,000 THB per month. www.lexiconthai.com

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HYPERTENSION PREVENTION: 4 SIMPLE TIPS FOR HEALTHIER BLOOD PRESSURE

By Dr Yaowarat Jantree, Internal Medicine Specialist, Medical Clinics, Bumrungrad International Hospital In the past 40 years, the number of adults with hypertension — the medical term for high blood pressure — has nearly doubled. Hypertension is now the leading cause of heart disease and stroke.

What makes hypertension even more dangerous is that it rarely produces symptoms — it’s known as “the silent killer” — leaving many unaware they have high blood pressure until their health suffers serious harm. The only way to know if your blood pressure is high is to have it checked by a healthcare professional.

The Impact of Hypertension High blood pressure (140 / 90 or higher) puts additional strain on the arteries and the heart. Over time, high blood pressure can cause arteries to become partially or fully clogged, raising the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and dementia.

3. Limit or abstain from alcohol. More than a modest amount of alcohol raises blood pressure over time. Try limiting your daily consumption to one or two drinks. And consider abstaining for 30 days to see how much better you may feel without alcohol.

Fortunately, hypertension is preventable. These four simple tips can help keep your blood pressure under control.

4. Up your physical activity. Physical activity is critical to preventing hypertension. For optimal health, 30 minutes of physical activity every day is recommended. You don’t need a gym to be physically active, and you don’t have to do all 30 minutes at once.

1. Cut back on salt.​Reducing your salt (sodium) intake can boost your hypertension prevention efforts significantly.

2. Consume more potassium. Potassium is an essential mineral and electrolyte that lowers blood pressure by balancing out the negative effects of salt.

Weight control, exercise and not smoking are the three pillars of hypertension prevention. Consult your doctor before embarking on any new exercise regimen or making significant dietary changes — and to have your blood pressure checked.

(Photo courtesy of Bumrungrad International Hospital)

EVENTS SUMMARY Canuck Connections Networking at Thai Institute of Directors (IOD) On October 17th, CanCham organized a “New Members” Canuck Connection Networking event at the Thai Institute of Directors.

CanCham’s newest members were able to introduce themselves by giving a one-minute pitch about their companies & activities in a welcoming and intimate setting. The Thai IOD representatives gave a detailed briefing on their wide range of worthy corporate governance programs.

Remembrance Day On November 11th, CanCham’s Board members came together to pay their respects at the annual Remembrance Day gathering, which took place at the official Residence of the Embassy of Canada. CanCham Board Advisor Marisha Shibuya and her son Isao laid the CanCham wreath on behalf of the Chamber. This was a particular significant and poignant honour for them, as their father and grandfather were World War I & II veterans whom were laid to rest at the Veteran’s cemetery in Montreal.

Disruptive Coaching for Game Changing Results On November 20th, Dr. Peter Chee, the acclaimed world business coach, engaged CanCham’s audience by sharing his insights on disruptive techniques used by the world’s top performing leaders.

This innovative coaching seminar was held at the Landmark Bangkok and participants had the unique opportunity to learn and interact with new people and win a signed copy of one of Dr. Chee’s coaching books. The event concluded with a lively networking event.

Annual Christmas Party On December 13th, CanCham co-hosted the “Arctic Meets Antarctic” Christmas Party with both the New Zealand Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce. The highlights of the night included a Chamber President Salmon tasting competition (we can be proud that our President John Stevens knows his Canadian salmon and while blind-folded picked out the winning piece of Canadian goodness).

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WELCOME TO CANCHAM’S NEWEST MEMBERS ELERNITY (THAILAND) CO. LTD. – CORPORATE Corporate N/A larrykessler@netdragon.com 66 (0)2 117 1357

THE LANDMARK BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT (SIAM PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT LTD.) Corporate https://www.landmarkbangkok.com/ francis.z@landmarkbangkok.com 662 253 4259

GREEN FOOTPRINT SOLUTIONS LTD. Corporate www.greenfootprint.co.th tom.grimm@greenfootprint.co.th 087 998 9118

ANANTARA SIAM BANGKOK HOTEL (RAJADAMRI HOTEL PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED) Corporate https://www.anantara.com/en/siam-bangkok siam@anantara.com 662 126 8866

KIWI KAI ORDINARY PARTNERSHIP (KAI NEW ZEALAND RESTAURANT) Corporate www.kai-bangkok.com jimmy@kai-bangkok.com 02 635 3800

ROSEWOOD HOTEL BANGKOK Corporate https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/bangkok leanne.hucker@rosewoodhotels.com pakin.chanmeesri@rosewoodhotels.com 66 2 080 0088

MINOR HOTELS Corporate www.minorhotels.com chaiyapat_in@minor.com 66 (0) 63 207 4552

OGILVY & MATHER (THAILAND) CO LTD. Corporate Ogilvy.com marvin.bemand@ogilvy.com 662 205 6000

PARRISH JONES LTD. Corporate www.parrishjones.com Suzanne Beatch: suzanne@parrishjones.com Andrea Parrish: andrea@parrishjones.com 02 091 0600

A AND II (THAILAND) CO., LTD. Corporate www.aiigroup.co rajiv@aiigroup.co 66 9 56588120

RITZ-CARLTON KOH SAMUI Corporate www.ritzcarlton.com mohannad_shaweesh@ritzcarlton.com.my 077 915 777

SAMITIVEJ PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED Corporate www.samitivejhospitals.com porntip.ut@samitivej.co.th 662-022-2281

REMAX EXECUTIVE HOMES Corporate www.remax.co.th Gerald@Remax.co.th 02-018-7812 ext. 4

ADASTRA BUSINESS CONSULTING Affiliate www.adastra-abc.com Daniel.Galler@adastra-abc.com N/A

CHANDLER MHM LIMITED Corporate https://www.chandlermhm.com david.b@chandlermhm.com 662 266 6485

MARINE RAVAU GAUTHIER Young Professional https://www.linkedin.com/in/marine-ravau-gauthier/ marine.ravaugauthier@gmail.com 66 61 343 42 55

REGUS MANAGEMENT (THAILAND) LIMITED – SPACES Corporate www.spacesworks.com frederik.dhooge@spacesworks.com 662 012 5100

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TOUGHER TAX INSPECTION: ARE YOU READY?

By Paul Gambles, Managing Partner of the MBMG Group

The 2016 tax changes are about to come into full effect and could be tricky for SMEs which aren’t fully prepared Wherever you live, running a small business is never easy – I speak from a couple of decades of experience! One particular difficulty in Thailand is the tax regime: are you paying too much, or are you paying too little?

This may all sound quite daunting but the best way to deal with the changes is to be prepared. That means making sure your firm meets the Thai accounting standard, appointing the right accountant and using the right accounting software.

In an attempt to simplify tax declarations for SMEs – and ensure they’re paying enough tax, of course – the Thai Revenue Department (RD) launched single account registration in 2016. The principle of this is that a firm publishes just one financial statement for both bank loan applications and tax declarations, so that a firm wouldn’t be able to modify its revenue declaration accordingly. For example, the registered 2017 financial statement will be used by banks and RD officials from January 2019. That statement can now also be communicated to other government departments, if required.

There are some interesting new software products on the market.

My firm is currently looking into providing one which allows our clients to send invoices, receive and make payments and give up-to-date balances at a tap of a mobile phone. Meanwhile, our accountants can use it to ensure clients’ financial statements are perfectly in line with the RD’s new requirements.

So, while it may not be easy to adapt to the RD’s new way of doing things, being prepared will reduce the risk of any nasty surprises.

This makes the system fairer for those who play by the rules and, to ensure all SMEs followed suit, the RD offered two incentives: a blanket 0% corporate tax rate for the 2016 fiscal year; and a 10% rate for any profits over THB300,000 in 2017. Watch out though, because in 2018 the normal 15%-20% corporate tax rates will once again apply.

That’s not all that’s new. The RD has also changed its inspection methods. Previously, it focused on a company’s net profit. If the percentage of profit it made was the same as the previous year, the firm paid the same amount of tax. Any issues would then be negotiated by the company’s appointed accountant.

Paul Gambles is co-founder of MBMG Group MBMG Group is an advisory firm that assists expatriates and locals within the South-East Asia Region with services ranging from

The new method goes a lot more in depth. It looks at a firm’s risk assessment and its internal control; the financial ratio; the last filed financial statement and the past reliability of the firm and its accountant. Areas for inspection are the company’s assets; the methods it uses for receiving and paying money; bank reconciliations; the value of the loans it has taken out; the payroll; stock management; and its accounting. That’s not all: the RD says it will pay particular attention to sectors it deems at high risk of misleading tax declarations: such as hotels, restaurants, construction and individual business owners.

Investment Advisory, Personal Advisory, Tax Advisory, Corporate Advisory, Insurance Services, Accounting & Auditing Services, Legal Services, Estate Planning and Property Solutions.

For more information: Tel: +66 2665 2536 E-mail: info@mbmg-group.com Linkedin: MBMG Group Twitter: @MBMG_GROUP Facebook: /MBMGGroup

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Following the Path of Excellence...

Bangkok Patana School is pleased to congratulate our students who have received offers from Oxbridge for September 2019.

University of Oxford Philisophy, Pollitics and Economics Physics University of Cambridge Medicine

www.patana.ac.th admissions@patana.ac.th Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200