MTCC Newsletter 2/2020

Newsletter Issue 2/2020

Annual General Meeting 2020 The New Board of Directors

WHAT DO WE “BEST PLASTICS” DO WITH COVID-19 PANDEMIC? Best Plastics Technologies Page 15

TAX INCENTIVES FOR INVESTMENT IN THAILAND'S SUPER SAVINGS FUND SCHEME Tilleke & Gibbins Page 32

Contents 5 12 13 14 15 45

A Warm Welcome to New MTCC Directors MTCC Activities: Annual General Meeting 2020 MTCC Activities: Welcome and Farewell Dinner for New and Retired Directors MTCC Activities: Trend of AI and Big Data 2020 CSR Activities: Malaysian Embassy in Thailand Helps Underprivileged Thailand and Malaysia Event Calendar

Feature Article 20

22 23

Adapt quickly and emerge stronger: key takeaways from Thai SMEs navigating through uncharted waters 4 Ways A Coach Improves The Quality Of Your Life

38 40 42

What do we “Best Plastics” do with Covid-19 Pandemic?

AAPICO’s Projects To Help People Affected by COVID- 19 Situation Quantum Age Corporation Making the Move to Digital Insurance with AI The Future of Energy Storage

Health Corner 44

6 7

Immune System-boosting Foods to Strengthen Your Defense Against COVID-19

Amorn RattanaKosin Co., Ltd. Bluguard Global (Thailand) Co., Ltd DFDL (Thailand) Limited NLP Top Coach

8

Tilleke & Gibbins Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited

9

MBF Factors (Thailand) Limited Mckey Food Services (Thailand) Limited

10

Notion (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Only One Tour Co., Ltd. Orisoft (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

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Economic Review

Sin Chew Daily Newspaper Interviews MTCC Chairman and Honorary Chairman

Member’s Corner 16 36

Members’

17 26

COVID- 19 Pandemic Update : 18 -22 May 2020 Summary of Malaysia’s Trade Performance (March 2019/2020)

Legal Brief 30 32 34 37

COVID-19: Issues faced by Developers under the Housing Development Tax Incentives for Investment in Thailand's Super Savings Fund Scheme Thailand COVID - 19 Taking Action to Offset Losses Thailand Eases Restrictions on Electronic Board and Shareholder Meetings

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2018-2019

The last few months have indeed been tough to weather. I hope you are safe and coping well with the new normals.

I wished I have more positive news, but the outlook is not good for the rest of the year.

We are living through history with the strike of a pandemic that none of us are prepared for. When Covid-19 struck China, we watched the news coverage afar from the safety of our homes. As the virus swept across the globe and landed at our very doorstep, we had to contend with vulnerability of life. I suppose we took for granted the freedom of travel and the daily touch of loved ones. In many ways, we felt the loss of simply life privileges we thought we had infinitely.

Deputy Chairman Mr. Pranart Sarnvivad Mr. Halmi bin Mohd Salim Tang Ms. Rungnapa Chinvigai Mr. Raymond Chee Ms. Sher Hann Chua Mr. Ten Voon Teng

Mr. Daniel Soh

Mr. M Khairuddin B Suradi

Administrators Ms. Awassada Orsoong

This global lockdown spread separated families for months, many still living in quarantined isolation and the adverse impact on businesses ballooned to a scale seen only more than a decade ago. The chain reaction of the global meltdown are felt at every supply chain level. The Covid-19 didn’t discriminate nations and people. The GDP of of Thailand was already sluggish since last year from the faltering US-China relations, this year’s impact will be much more pronounced.

With that, it is time to reflect on companies and the staff under our care. We have to digitalize operational conducts to circumvent this pandemic environment in order to keep our businesses running. We should prepare for the global recession by working together with management and workers to shoulder this projected medium long term impact. Communication is key to unite people in face of this massive challenge and do stay abreast of rolled out government initiatives to help businesses (especially SMEs) weather these tough times.

MTCC has been busy disseminating information to members and working with Joint Foreign Chambers and Board of Trade Thailand to seek help from Thai Government for sustainable measures to assist as many businesses stay afloat as possible. Please contact us if we can be any help to you.

Finally, I would like to salute to all frontline health workers who pushed tirelessly to contain and care for the sick while we stayed at home, to many kind hearted souls who donated generously to the needy at these harsh times and to many volunteers who helped on the ground during this period. I have seen fellow Malaysians in Thailand helping each other in any way they can, it’s indeed always heart warming to see Malaysian spirit in foreign country. Together we will survive this pandemic and emerge stronger than ever. Happy Merdeka Day!

New Members

Amorn RattanaKosin Co., Ltd. Address: 96/25 Vibhavadi-rangsit Road, Taladbangkhen, Laksi, Bangkok 10210 Phone: 094-496-6904, 02-973-4382 Fax: 02-973-4385 Email: info@arktransit.io Website: www.amorn.io Chamber Representative: Mr. Raymond Chee Nature of Business: City Bus Operator & Transportation Technology Products/ Services: Our products and services for public transportation companies include: 1. Amorn Data Platform 2. Amorn Ticketing System 3.

Amorn Sensors Network

Company Background : ARK operates its own fleet of city buses and aims to be one of the leading transportation technology TransportTech) company in Thailand. ARK envisions the modernization of public transportation by creating a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform with powerful network effect called AMORN. This smart transportation solution will leverage on data analytics to create transformative experience for commuters. Public transportation companies (busses, taxis, trains etc.) can partner with ARK to use its powerful data platform to grow its business & revenue. ARK is a subsidiary of Cho Thavee Public Company Limited, a transportation group listed in the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Bluguard Global (Thailand) Co., Ltd Address: M & 27F, 1 Empire Tower, South Sathorn Rd., Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok, 10120, Thailand.

Phone: +66 (0) 2 098 6168 & +66 (0) 2 098 6169 Email: willy@bluguard.com.my Website: www.bluguard.com.my Chamber Representative: Mr. Teo Willy Nature of Business: Manufacturing & Distribution Company Background : Bluguard is one of the well-known brand in Asia Pacific.

Focusing on IOT (Internet of Things) especially on SmartHome products and solutions ever since it first started 17years ago back in 2003. Bluguard had its own R&D & Manufacturing team which keep on innovating new market trend products and most importantly the team able to customize and integrated with other 3rd party products as a solution such like intercom, cctv and etc… base on client / project requirements.

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July 2020

With multiple award winner such like InnoCERT, 2008 SMEs Asia Pacific Best Brand in Maunfacturing Home Security System, 2010 Golden Bull Award and Super Excellent Brand Book of Record. Bluguard are committed to maintain it products quality by complying to ISO9001, FCC, CE, SIRIM, NBTC and etc…

Growing from a Malaysia’s local oriented market to international scene, Bluguard successfully deploy more than 270,000 systems worldwide. As of 2019 the total group revenues generated over USD 4.5 million with it main market still in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Middle East.

At Bluguard, we always believe Smart • Secure • Innovative because your home is about living. With this high-end system, your home can become a smart home which provides an enhanced lifestyle of entertainment and convenience.

Bluguard SmartHome is an integrated way with Security System and Home Automation to create & enhanced safety and secured protection.

New Members

DFDL (Thailand) Limited

Ms. Ng Woan Na

Address: No. 3, Rajanakarn Building, AA Floor, South Sathorn Road, Yannawa Sub-District, Sathorn District, Bangkok 10120, Thailand Phone: + 66 2059 4090 Fax: + 66 2059 4099 Email: thailand@dfdl.com Website: www.dfdl.com Chamber Representative: Ms. Ng Woan Na Nature of Business: Legal & Tax Products/ Services: Market Entry Report, BOI Promotion & Sector, Specific Licensing, Company Incorporation & Corporate Procedures, Contract Drafting, Due Diligence, Legal & Tax Structuring Advice, Negotiation Assistance, Closing Assistance Company Background : DFDL was established in 1994 and founded on a unique vision: to create an integrated legal and taxadvisory firm, with in-depth knowledge of the jurisdictions where we are based.

DFDL is the first leading international law firm specialized in emerging markets with a regional legal and tax expertise developed throughout the Mekong region, with a dedicated focus on Southeast Asia and beyond.

In Thailand, as a full service law firm, we provide legal and tax services across all sectors and practice areas. Our team of Thai and internationally trained legal advisers offers a full range of services to local and international clients with activities in Thailand, Southeast Asia and beyond. We can advise on all aspects of Thai law.

The Bangkok office is also where a number of DFDL’s regional advisers are based, all with extensive and longstanding experience in complex multi-jurisdictional matters. With a regional team of nearly 300 staff in the region, including more than 170 lawyers and advisers, working closely together within a fast-growing network of 13 offices, DFDL provides personalized and cost-effective legal, tax and consulting services and solutions.

NLP Top Coach Address: 219/2 Asoke Towers 2nd Floor, Soi Asoke, Sukhumvit 21 Road, North Klongtoey, Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Tel: (+66) 2-1209443 E-mail: gloria@nlptopcoach.com Website: www.nlptopcoach.com Chamber Representative: Ms. Gloria Soo, Managing Partner Ms. Gloria Soo Managing Partner

Nature of Business: COACHING & TRAINING for Businesses & Personal Development Products/ Services: International Board Certifications ie. BUSINESS Coaching & Leadership ICF (International Coaching Federation), NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), HYPNOTHERAPY, TIMELINE THERAPY, Train The Trainers Programme Company Background : NLP Top Coach Co., Ltd was founded by Sebastien Leblond more than a decade ago. He is now one of the world’s most respectable & a sought after Certified NLP Master Trainer (American Board of NLP – World’s largest NLP Authority). Sebastien is also a Certified Trainer in Professional Business Coaching, ICF

(International Coaching Federation), Hypnosis, Timeline Therapy who has certified more than 40,000 coaches & trainers globally. He has also coached and trained fortune 500 companies.

NLP Top Coach offers Corporate Executive Coaching, Department Training and Personal Development Public Training. Our headquarter is based in Bangkok Thailand with partners offices in Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar & Malaysia. Our clients are ranging from Government Entities, Conglomerates to SMEs. We have appointed trainers who are based in many parts of the world ie. US, France, UK, UAE, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia & Canada.

Our Results Coaching & Training Programs transform, inspire & equip people’s lives in order to unleash their power to succeed through wealth, health, career, relationship with happiness. Our coaching & trainings certifications can be conducted either in classroom or online!

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July 2020

New Members

Tilleke & Gibbins Address: Supalai Grand Tower, 26th Floor, 1011 Rama 3 Road, Chongnonsi, Yannawa, Bangkok 10120, Thailand Tel: +66 2056 5555 Fax: +66 2056 5678 Email: bangkok@tilleke.com Website: www.tilleke.com Chamber Representative: Ms. Sher Hann Chua Nature of Business: Legal Services Ms. Sher Hann Chua

Company Background : Tilleke & Gibbins is a leading full-service Southeast Asian law firm, headquartered in Bangkok, with over 190 lawyers and consultants practicing across our offices in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Our firm represents the top investors and high-growth companies that drive economic expansion in Asia in the key areas of commercial transactions and M&A, dispute resolution and litigation, and intellectual property.

Founded in 1890, the Bangkok office of Tilleke & Gibbins is Thailand’s oldest and largest independent law firm, and has developed a reputation as the country’s most trusted advisor to local and international clients in a range of industries, including Banking and Finance;

Energy; Hospitality and Real Estate; Infrastructure; Insurance; Life Sciences; Manufacturing; Retail and Consumer Goods; Transportation and Shipping; and Technology, Media, and Telecommunications.

Our firm is regularly recognized as among Asia’s leading legal practices by international law firm directories, winning 14 firm of the year awards in 2019, and garnering exceptional rankings across the following practice areas: • • • • • • • •

Banking and Finance Capital Markets Competition Compliance and Investigations Corporate and M&A Customs and International Trade Dispute Resolution Insurance

Our firm is also a proud member of international legal networks Lex Mundi and Multilaw, through which we collaborate with other top law firms to provide seamless, high-quality representation in jurisdictions worldwide.

Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited Address: 695 Soi Sukhumvit 50, Sukumvit Rd.Phrakanong, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10260 Tel: 02.012.4555 E-mail: mqdc@mqdc.com Website: www.mqdc.com Chamber Representative: 1. Ms.Sangravee Kositpaisal 2. Mr.Khunapas Wichienrattanaphan Nature of Business: property developer Products/ Services: Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC) is a property developer that develops, invests in, and manages residential, mixed-use, and ‘theme’ projects, including retail and hotels, MQDC brands include Magnolias, Whizdom, The Forestias, The Aspen Tree, and Mulberry Grove, catering for a range of healthy, sustainable lifestyles.

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July 2020

Company Background : Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC) is a property developer that develops, invests in, and manages residential, mixed-use, and ‘theme’ projects, including retail and hotels, with a corporate commitment ‘For All Well-being’. MQDC brands include Magnolias, Whizdom, The Forestias, The Aspen Tree, and Mulberry Grove, catering for a range of healthy, sustainable lifestyles. The company provides an industry-leading 30-year warranty on its residential units, in line with its exceptional construction standards.

Under its philosophy of ‘sustainnovation’, MQDC aims to lead its sector in sustainability. The company supports the Bangkok-based Research & Innovation for Sustainability Center (RISC), Asia’s first research base for sustainable building with a focus on well-being. MQDC is determined to operate with concern for all life on Earth, advancing this agenda through sustainable development, for the wider benefit of society. For more information, visit www.mqdc.com

Member s ’ Profile

MBF Factors (Thailand) Limited 11th Floor, Kian Gwan Building II, 140/1 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 (0) 2254-3360-3 Fax:+66 (0) 2254-3364 E-mail: khew@mbf.co.th Chamber Representative: Mr. Khew Ham Hoe - Managing Director Mr. Khew Ham Hoe Managing Director

Nature of Business: Factoring Products/Services: Factoring is a short term loan that provides liquidity to the business immediately and enables the business to increase its turnover in the form of us buying your accounts receivable as you will not have to wait till the end of the credit term for payment from your customers. MBf will give you cash advance of up to 80% against your receivables within 24 hours (on a business day) after you have submitted invoices and other relevant trade documents to MBf. MBf provides factoring for domestic sales and can be used by all kinds of business, whether you are traders, manufacturers or service companies.

Benefits of Factoring • Increase cash flow of your business immediately.

• Collateral is not required to guarantee the factoring facility.

• It is fast and convenient as you can receive cash advancement within 24 hours (on a business day) • The expenses from factoring transactions can be recorded in full for tax deduction.

Company Background : Foreseeing an increasing need for financial support in the growing economic of Thailand, MBf Factors was set up in 1985. The Company is a subsidiary of MBf Holdings Berhad.

MBf Factors is one of the leading factoring companies in Thailand.

Mckey Food Services (Thailand) Ltd. 1210, Moo 1, Tepharak Road, Tambol Bangsaothong, Samuthprakarn 10540, Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 2315-4763-4 Fax: +66 (0) 2315-4765 E-mail: tan.sun@keystonefoods.com website: www.keystonefoods.com, www.apmea.keystonefoods.com Mr. Tan Sun Senior Vice President, Proteins

Company Background : Keystone Foods Corporation, head quartered in the US, operates various food processing plants in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific Region. In Asia, the facilities are located in South Korea, China, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. The operations in Thailand started in 1993 with a local JV partner, supplying top quality heat treated poultry products to Asian countries, EU, UK and Middle East.

Chamber Representative: Mr. Tan Sun - Senior Vice President, Proteins Nature of Business: Meat Processing Plant Products / Services : Engaged in meat manufacturing activities and a supplier to major food services operation in Thailand, Asia Pacific countries, EU and UK. Major products are fully cooked nuggets, chicken patties, Bone in chicken and other batter breaded products.

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Members’ Profile

Notion (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 1/48, Rojana Industrial Park Moo 5, T. Kanham, A. U-Thai, Phranakorn Sri Ayutthaya 13210 Tel: +66 (0) 3571-9117 Fax:+66 (0) 3522-6570 E-mail: tche.b@notion.co.th Website : www.notionvtec.com Mr. Ler Tche Boon General Manager

Company Background : Notion (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is one of the subsidiaries of Notion VTEC Berhad (listed in Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange). We supply precision metal parts to first-tier automotive makers, hard disk drive maker and camera makers. Our reputation for high quality products is evidenced by ISO 9001, ISO 14000 and TS 16949.

Chamber Representative: Mr. Ler Tche Boon - General Manager Nature of Business: Mass manufacturing of precision metal parts for automotive, hard disk drive and digital imaging industries.

Products/Services: - Components for automotive braking system - Components for hard disk drive - Components for camera

Only One Tour Co., Ltd. 2128/9 Charoenkrung Rd., Watprayakrai, Bangkorleam, Bangkok 10120 Tel: + 66 (0) 2 688 8883 (Hot Line) H/P: +66 (0) 6 308 8888, +66 (0) 89 888 5111 Fax : + 66 (0) 2 688 8898, + 66 (0)2 688 8988, + 66 (0)2 688 8978, + 66 (0)2 688 8979

Mr. William Koh Yu Boon President

E-mail: william@onlyonetour.com Website : www.onlyonetour.com, www.b2b.onlyonetour.com Chamber Representative: Mr. William Koh Yu Boon - President Nature of Business: Travel Agent Products/Services: Sightseeing, Accommodation, Inbound Tour, Transfer, Car Rental, Package Tour, Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing Company Background : Only One Tour Company Limited is well-recognized as one of the top travel agencies in Thailand, a professional inbound and hotel wholesale operator providing specialized hotel reservation service as well as Leisure, Events, Conferences, Groups, Incentive, Individual Tours, Package Tours, Combined Tours of any difficulty level, corporate and inbound services to clienteles from Asian and Worldwide Markets.

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Only One Tour Company Limited aims to become the most reliable travel choice for our business partners. We commit to improve and upgrade our service quality constantly. Considering the increasing popularity of online trading, we soon recognize the urgent need to invest. With the launching of our innovative, powerful and user friendly B2B Hotel Booking Engine in August 2012, agents from all around the world can access the system 24 hours a day to conveniently book hotel rooms, transfers and sightseeing tours with just a few mouse clicks away. The agents can also get instant confirmation for their bookings based on the real time allotment availability, subsequently leading to an increase in efficiency level of daily operation. On top of that, the engine carries over 200,000 hotels for our agents’ selection, ranging from budget hotels to high-end luxury hotels all around the world, in order to fulfill different needs of our valued business partners. We also provide the option of XML interface for our business partners, whereby the state-of-the-art booking engine can be seamlessly integrated with` our agents’ website, giving them the freedom to sell our entire inventory via their own branded website or application.

The outstanding results from both Online and Offline services are a direct outcome of the vision of the company’s founder Mr. William Koh, who has been in the leisure & tourism industry since his youth days and boasts more than 30 years of experience.

Members’ Profile

Orisoft (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Unit 2312, 23rd Floor, Empire tower 1, South Sathon Road, Yannawa, Sathon, Bangkok 10120, Thailand Tel : + 66 (0) 2 670 1600 Fax : + 66 (0) 2 670 1605 E-mail : vincent.sudo@orisoft.com.my Website : www.orisoft.com.my Chamber Representative : Mr. Vincent Sudo Kuen Weng - Director Nature of Business : HCM Solutions Provider Mr. Vincent Sudo Kuen Weng Director

Nature of Business: HCM Solutions Provider Products/Services: Human Resources, Payroll, Time Attendance, Employee Self Service, Payroll Outsourcing

Company Background : • Established in 1987 in Malaysia, Orisoft is a leading HRM solution provider serving more than 500 customers from multinationals and fortune 500 companies of diversified industries.

• HR Experience more than 29 years and Regional based Software House specializing in: • Proprietary Human Resource Solution Software • Scalable and Flexible Standard Solutions • Object-Oriented Solution Packages • Focus on Research & Development • Faster enhancement and product growth.

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July 2020

MTCC Activities

Annual General Meeting No. 1/2020

The Malaysian – Thai Chamber of Commerce (MTCC) organized the Annual General Meeting No. 1 /2020 on Thursday, 2nd July 2020 at the Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse. More than 60 people attended this meeting, which was held with social distancing in mind. The event was graced by the presence of our honorary guest and Patron, H.E. Dato’ Jojie Samuel, the Ambassador of Malaysia to the Kingdom of Thailand.

Dr. Hwee Khim Boo, the Chairman of MTCC, Mr. Yap Choon Eng, the Treasurer, and Mr. Supasak Chirasavinuprapand, the Secretary, presented the Annual Report and the Chamber’s activities conducted in the past year to the members present at the meeting.

This was followed by the election of the new Board of Directors for the term of 2020-2022 term.

A total of 12 Directors were elected are as follows: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Dr. Hwee Khim Boo Mr. Yap Choon Eng Mr. Halmi bin Mohd Salim Ms. Susan Lim Mr. Khew Ham Hoe Mr. Mark Derrick Tang

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Mr. Leong Keh Soon Ms. Sher Hann Chua Mr. Pranart Sarnvivad Mr. Ten Voon Teng Ms. Rungnapa Chinvigai Mr. Raymond Chee

The Annual General Meeting ended with moving speeches from the H.E. Dato’ Jojie Samuel and Mr. Yeap Swee Chuan, the Honorary Chairman of MTCC, as well as a presentation by representatives from UOB Thailand. All attendees were then treated to a sit-down dinner.

The MTCC would like to thank all our members for your ongoing support over the past year, and we look forward to continue working with you and your businesses in the days to come.

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MTCC News

July 2020

Welcome and Farewell Dinner for New and Retired Directors

MTCC organised a welcome and farewell dinner for all new and retiring directors on August 11, 2020 at the Shangri-la Hotel, Bangkok. At the event, Dr. Hwee Khim Boo, the Chairman of MTCC provided appreciation plaques to the retiring directors, and thanked them for their service and contribution to the MTCC. The event was also attended by H.E. Dato’ Jojie Samuel, the Ambassador of Malaysia to Thailand.

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Trend of AI and Big Data 2020

MTCC directors and members participated in a seminar entitled “Trend of AI and Big Data 2020� on February 14, 2020 at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok. The seminar was co-organized by MTCC and Suvitech Co., Ltd. The speakers brought all attendees up to date on the development of AI and the benefits of big data and Industry 4.0. This event was a success with a full-house attendance.

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SR

Malaysian Embassy in Thailand Helps Underprivileged

BANGKOK, May 16 -- Jenjira Srisawuat, 29, a mother of three whose youngest is a 10-month-old boy, was overjoyed and touched when she received infant formula at the Duang Prateep Foundation’s kindergarten in the Khlong Toey slum here today.

Her family has been living hand-to-mouth after being hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her husband, a motorcycle taxi driver, is the sole breadwinner of the family but lost his income following the government’s move to close major public venues including shopping malls, entertainment oultets and sports venues since March 22.

“A packet of infant formula can last at least a week. I am happy and glad today as there is a group of people lending a helping hand to my baby,” she told Bernama.

Jenjira was among 70 mothers from the slums who received infant formula from Malaysia’s Ambassador to Thailand, Datuk Jojie Samuel, at the kindergarten.

Also present was Deputy chief of mission at the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok, Suzilah Mohd Sidek.

Thailand first declared a state of emergency from March 26 to April 30 and extended it to May 31 to combat COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the founder of Duang Prateep Foundation, Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, said since the COVID-19 outbreak, slum dwellers who were mostly daily wage earners suffered a loss of income.

“Baby formula and powdered milk are expensive.

They cannot afford it.

“They will buy cheap sweetened condensed milk for their children which lacks the right nutrients to support growth and brain development.

“A helping hand from donors like you goes a long way in building the future of underprivileged children. On their behalf, I thank you for your kindness,” she said.

The Duang Pratepp Foundation was established more than 40 years ago to help children and their families to cope with the living conditions of slum life.

Meanwhile, Jojie said the small contribution came from the Sports and Welfare Club of the Embassy of Malaysia, Ladies' Association of Wisma Putra, Bangkok and Malaysian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (MTCC) chairman Dr Hwee Khim Boo. “We are happy to help in a small way to elevate the poor in the slums who lost income because of the pandemic,” he said.

Khlong Toey is Bangkok’s oldest and biggest slum and is home to about 100,000 people, 30,000 of whom are children.

-- BERNAMA

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July 2020

Member’s Corner

By Best Plastics Technology

What do we “Best Plastics” do with Covid-19 Pandemic? didn’t lay-off any workers.

The revenue was down by about 30%. The top management volunteered to cut 25-30% of salary to distribute to the workers so they can survive without over-time. Employees in our dormitory stay rent free and all employees get free lunch. In addition, we advanced partial bonus normally given to the employee during year end. These are the measures we provided so that our employees, especially the factory operators have enough to live throughout the pandemic period.

When the Thai Government started to lock down the country in March, our factories remained open.

During this time, we took precaution so that we do not have to shut down due to infection. The essential medical supplies such as face masks, alcohols, sanitizers, IR thermometers were not readily available as the panic buying has cause shortage in the market. We resorted to importing from China.

Although available, the prices of these goods have increased significantly due to the supply-demand situation. We made personal sanitizers and distributed face masks to all employees. We also sold face masks and sanitizers at cost for their family members to use. All guests were subjected to standard verification procedures before entering the factory just like in other public places. Throughout the last 3 to 4 months, we were lucky that no one was infected with Covid-19.

The business impacted started in April, we resorted to work 4-5 days a week rather than the 6-day week.

We switched to 3-shift working system by cutting down overtime but operating at 24 hours to save electricity cost during shut down and start up. We 16 MTCC News

July 2020

During this time, we also donated about 250,000 Baht for the charity causes of which 173,500 Baht was contributed to MTCC driven charities. We remain optimistic that we will survive this pandemic with stronger strategy to deal with future uncertainty.

By United Overseas Bank (Thai) PCL

Adapt quickly and emerge stronger: key take aways from Thai SMEs navigating through uncharted waters Businesses around the world have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Thailand, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been particularly vulnerable as they grapple with disrupted supply chains, reduced customer demand and slowing sales.

Thailand needs SMEs to thrive as they account for more than 99 per cent of total enterprises and create jobs for more than 10 million people. It is critical, now more than ever, that Thai SMEs are provided with not only financial assistance to help cushion the impact of COVID-19 but also business and technology advisory so that they can be ready for the recovery that will come in time.

At UOB, we have supported SMEs across the region for more than eight decades, backed by our strong understanding of and first-hand experience in what it takes to build a sustainable business. In enabling SMEs to drive productivity and performance, we also help them to harness technology so that they will be able to overcome their challenges and to deepen their digital capabilities. In April 2019, more than 80 Thai SMEs attended the Bank’s two-day Business Model Transformation (BMT) workshops, where UOB’s innovation accelerator, The FinLab, helped to review their existing business models to identify gaps and opportunities.

Among these SMEs, 15 were selected for the three-month Smart Business Transformation Programme (SBTP), during which they gained insights into and know-how on different aspects of business transformation. They were then matched with relevant technology solution providers to help them implement digital solutions and to resolve their problem statements.

According to the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a 120 billion baht loss in income for Thai SMEs as at April this year . As such, many business owners recognise the need for them to react quickly and to adjust their strategies and plans, so that they can sustain their businesses. Here are three Thai SMEs, which participated in the SBTP in 2019, sharing how they are implementing what they learnt from the programme as they navigate through uncharted waters in these extremely challenging times.

With an open mindset comes new possibilities

problems. As a result of the pandemic, we experienced several weeks of decline in demand. Since then, we repurposed our production lines from producing uniforms for corporate clients to selling fabric face masks to help address the increasing needs in the market.”

Having an open mindset not only enabled her to see new possibilities for her business, she was also able to help other businesses to cope with the pandemic. For example: • Helping to facilitate the product sales and shipment for other SMEs, for example Kingdom Organic Network, a fellow SBTP participant which sells products such as organic herbs and sanitiser gels; • Assisting corporate clients facing operational restrictions in their home countries to move their production to Thailand; and • Passing production orders to other Thai manufacturers which will help them in this time of need.

“The COVID-19 crisis has also led to greater demand for digital services. We have been using UOB BizSmart, an integrated suite of cloud-based business applications that automates our accounting tasks. In particular, using UOB BizSmart has enabled us to take only one day, instead of seven days previously, to generate and to issue quotations. Not only did we improve our productivity, we also have the flexibility to do our administrative tasks anywhere using our mobile phones or tablets. With UOB BizSmart’s direct data feed to our operating account with UOB, we can reconcile financial transactions, such as daily sales and supplier payments, easily. The availability of clearer cash flow data also gives us greater visibility of our day-to-day operations.”

Mrs Pruettida Srisuntisuk, Managing Director of Artty Groups, a designer and producer of high-quality leather fashion accessories, said, “At the Smart Business Transformation Programme, we learnt about the importance of having an open mindset to identify new opportunities and to solve

Continuted on page 21 20 MTCC News

July 2020

By United Overseas Bank (Thai) PCL

Continuted from page 21 our business online. Most of our salespeople are also working from home and I am taking the opportunity to upskill my team through online classes and virtual training.

Always be prepared for the future Mrs Narisa Israngkura Na Ayudhya, Managing Director of Little Lullaby Co., Ltd, the manufacturer and distributor of the “Nappi Baby” brand of baby products made from bamboo muslin, said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted a stay-at-home digital economy, in which we saw 150 per cent growth in e-commerce sales in the first quarter of this year.

This has helped to offset the drop in offline sales revenue.

“We have to thank the Smart Business Transformation Programme for the confidence and peace of mind my team and I gained in moving into e-commerce. At first, we were unsure of moving our business online and how to get started.

Through the programmes’s structured learning journey, I was introduced to online marketing tools that enabled my company to reach more market segments and to implement an e-commerce logistics solution that has helped us to save goods transport costs by 30 per cent.”

Little Lullaby is now working with Easy Pack, another SBTP participant, to create new and better packaging for their products and are looking at expanding their market reach beyond its existing 6 countries.

Upskilling during furlough to be ready for recovery

“The Smart Business Transformation Programme enabled me to have this agility. I learnt about the change management framework that emphasised the importance of aligning and preparing our people for what may lie ahead when the only certainty is uncertainty. I believe consumer behaviour will change after COVID-19 ends and what used to work in the past may become obsolete in the future. To survive and to succeed, especially in challenging times, it is critical to show strong business leadership. Businesses must also be flexible and pay more attention to employees’ training so that they too will be ready for the new norm.”

The Smart Business Transformation Programme was launched in Thailand in 2019 by UOB (Thai) and was run by The FinLab and in collaboration with the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and the Office of SMEs Promotion (OSMEP).

The three-month programme focused on helping SMEs develop and deepen their digital capabilities and be more future-ready. For more information about the Smart Business Transformation Programme, please visit www.thefinlab.com/Thailand.

Mr Wisan Wanasaksrisakul, Chief Executive Officer of Warrix, a sportswear brand and the main sponsor for Thailand’s national football team, said, “Due to most people staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have temporarily closed 90 per cent of our brick-and-mortar retail stores and shifted 21 MTCC News

July 2020

By NLP Top Coach

4 WAYS A COACH IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE Do you have some GOALS that you want to achieve in your life? Do you find it difficult to keep yourself committed and do the work that you need to do to achieve those GOALS? Working on your GOALS alone can be very difficult at times. Here are 4 Ways a Professional Coach can help you achieve your GOALS and IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE. 1. Responsibility & Accountability Taking consistent action, taking responsibility and keeping yourself accountable is the single most important thing you must do in order to achieve your GOALS. Have you ever started out working on your GOALS feeling highly motivated, then finding it difficult a few days later to keep yourself committed and to take consistent action?. A great Coach will ensure that you keep your commitments, complete your daily & weekly actions, and keep yourself disciplined towards achieving your outcome.

2. Enhance Perception If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten. What you do is a reflection of what you think and believe. The more enhanced your perception is, the better your ability to look at a situation / problem, and the more choices you have to take action on achieving your GOALS. A Coach will help you think & perceive in different ways. You see, the problem is never really the problem. It's our thinking about the problem that's the problem. Through powerful questions & active listening, the Coach invites you to look at things differently.

3. Powerful Tools & Techniques As you are working on your GOALS, you will have to communicate effectively with the people around you, face & overcome unexpected challenges, and also manage your emotions. A great Coach empowers you with the tools & techniques for thinking, decision making, emotional control & communication. While traditional Coaching aims to 'only ask questions', more modern Coaching practices encourage the Coach to share their resources (with the Client’s permission), to help the client achieve greater results more quickly.

4. Break Out of Your Comfort Zone Your Coach will challenge you to think, behave and act in ways you have never done before, and you might feel uncomfortable in the beginning. This is good because breaking and getting outside of your comfort zone means you are making progress and your Coach will encourage & support you to push yourself outside your comfort zone‌that is where the true growth happens.

Having a Coach beside you during these 'growth spurts' is a great way to stay focused & to prevent overwhelm.

22 MTCC News

July 2020

Dr. Hwee Khim Boo, the Chairman of the Malaysian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (MTCC), and Mr. Yeap Swee Chuan, the Honorary Chairman of MTCC, were interviewed by the Sin Chew Daily Newspaper.

Congratulations on this feature!

23 MTCC News

July 2020

Member’s Corner