Bosses convene at fair
Hundreds of international and local chief executives will convene tomorrow at the BOI Fair's CEO Forum, where former British prime minister Tony Blair will speak on "The Challenges and Opportunities in a Globalised World".
The forum is the first big international gathering of its kind in Thailand since the devastating flood at the end of last year. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will host a gala dinner at Government House for the participants and deliver an address.
Seats for the 500 participants at the CEO Forum and 350 at the gala dinner have been fully booked.
Dr Virabongsa Ramangkura, chairman of the Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development, will join the forum, at which Kittiratt Na-Ranong, deputy prime minister and chairman of the Board of Investment of Thailand, will deliver an opening address. Virabongsa is expected to focus his remarks on long-term economic development, while Kittiratt will speak on short-term growth policy.
Another noted speaker is Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad). He chaired a meeting of the BOI’s honorary investment advisers yesterday. Another is Dr Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of Asean, who will deliver a keynote address on "Asean Economic Community: What Does It Mean to Thailand?"
Other speakers are Akapol Sorasuchart, president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB); Pat Dawson, Asia-Pacific president of the Dow Chemical Company; Yoshihisa Kainuma, representative director and CEO of Minebea Corp of Japan; Kan Trakulhoon, president and CEO of Siam Cement Group; and John F Coyne, president and CEO of Western Digital Corp.
The event is hosted by the Industry Ministry, the BOI and the TCEB, supported by B Grimm, BEC Tero and Gulf JP and organised by The Nation.
The CEO Forum is at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Bangkok.
