AABC June 09

The 'Night Out' for AseanAffairs Business Council

AABC’s Leisurely ‘Night Out’ Goes Beyond Socialising
A Curtain-Raiser to AseanAffairs Events Series 2009

Bangkok, 11 June 2009 — The latest edition of AseanAffairs Business Council’s (AABC) monthly ‘Night Out’ saw a mix of key business players and commercial attaches across Southeast Asia and the region’s major trade partners who took the monthly gathering beyond making friends.

“What we’re doing here is beyond socialising,” said Dr Chiengchuang (Audi) Kalayanamitr.

The event, held on June 10 at the Swissotel Nai Lert Park in Bangkok, was organised by AseanAffairs, a Bangkok-based independent media company dedicated to connecting Asean (Southeast Asia) to the world and vice versa.

“The big business sector needs the media to advocate it, and with the AABC, the two are virtually integrated,” noted Dr Kalayanamitr, board chairman and shareholder of Maxon Systems, a leading telecoms equipment manufacturer.

He is also an advisor to Thailand’s Committee on Sciences, Technology, Mass Communication and Telecommunication

Among the highlights of the event was a feature – a business perspective and trade updates on Southeast Asia – a presentation given by Steve Buckley, the trade and investment director of the British embassy in Thailand.

Speaking to the select group of participants to the AABC, Daniel Schwartz, vice president of marketing for AseanAffairs, shed light on unfolding opportunities in the wake of global economic crisis, and how AABC events are bringing private and government sectors together to forge win-win solutions.

“Right now we are seeing the greatest shift in distribution of wealth, with major investors rediscovering great opportunities in Southeast Asia (Asean),” he said.

He called the AABC Night Out a curtain-raiser to a series of events AseanAffairs has lined up for the year 2009.

Preceding the next AABC, scheduled for July as a half-day event, is the Sixth Asean Leadership Forum, coming up on June 19, at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, in Bangkok, and AseanAffairs CEO Summit, tentatively scheduled for November.

Blue-ribbon speakers at the Sixth Asean Leadership Forum include Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who will deliver the keynote address, former Asean Secretary-General Rodolfo Severino, GE Southeast Asia President Stuart Dean and Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld.

AseanAffairs is presenting the forum in partnership with the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI).

For more information on the upcoming events, call (662)9380156-7 or visit www.aseanaffairs.com.

Asean Affairs Business Council Attendees
Alan Miu	TNT Express Worldwide (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. Country General Manager
Ali Adam	Halcrow Group Ltd Regional Director - East Asia
Anakkawat Kowathanakul	American Express (Thai) Co., Ltd. Vice President Consumer Card Thailand
Aurelio Giraudo	Swissotel Nai Lert Park General Manager
Benjamas Charnkasikupt	Hankyu Cargo Sales Supervisor
Chao Krivith	The Royal Gems Golf City Co., Ltd. Golf Construction Director
Deepak Mittal	Aditya Birla Group Director
Dr. Chienchuang Kalayanamitr	Maxon Systems (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Chairman of the board of Directors
Dr. Gustav Gressel	Embassy of Austria Commercial Section Commercial Counsellor
Heather Suksem	Property Care Services (Thailand) Ltd. Managing Director
Jay shankar	3i Infotech (Thailand) Ltd Country Manager
Jean-Jacques Bouflet	Delegation of the European Commission Minister-Counsellor
Kiratima Na Pattalung	American Express (Thai) Co., Ltd. Executive, Cardmember Communications
Mark Wood	The Australian Embassy Counsellor (Commercial) and Trade Commissioner
Meeporn Oeawpanics	Phookeethra Co., Ltd. Group Director
Mira Kim	Korean-Thai Chamber of Commerce Executive Director
Narongsak	B2S
Nor Azlan Zulkifli	CCM Siam Ltd. Country Manager
Ralf Hundertmark	AIT Senior Vice President Business Development
Rangsan Thammaneewong	Prudent Advisory Company President
Steve Bukley	British Embassy Director of Trade and Investment
Sumitra Eksithichai	UCSI Blue Ocean Strategy Regional Centre Country Manager
Tanmaya Lal	Embassy of India Counsellor
Tharika CHOTO	Wilding Golf Co., Ltd. Senior Marketing Manager
Tony Prehn	Lowe Chief Executive Officer
Wiriya Pienchob	Halcrow Group Ltd. Country Manager