Biz buzz

Former Thai Airways International (THAI) president Piyasvasti Amranand doesn’t think he’s old, though he turns 60 this year.

When he was 10, he thought people of 30 were old and those of 50 very old. His nanny, whose name was Uthai, he called “Kae”, which means “old” in Thai. Now 60, Piyasvasti says he doesn’t feel old, though he admits that young people would probably see him that way.

Since retiring as THAI’s president, he has spent much of his time travelling. For the first time in his life, aside from gardening, he swims on a daily basis – even doing more exercise than he did in his days at boarding school. 

“I have lost 3kg through exercise and feel a lot healthier,” he said triumphantly.

It sounds like the kind of retirement many would look forward to. However, Piyasvasti doesn’t see himself as a retiree. He might be retired from his full-time job with the national airline, but he still has many things to do. Currently, he is acting as an adviser to several organisations on energy issues and continues to speak at various events – usually on energy, once or twice a month. It’s a field in which he is recognised for his unrivalled expertise. 

He admits that despite turning 60, there are still things to be done – though they might not be the kind of things younger people might consider doing. For example, rationalising his investment. (Without inheritance and savings, no young man would bother to do that). Piyasvasti also has to find time to read the books he has accumulated over the past 30 years. (There must be tonnes of them.) 

One thing on his list is a book to be distributed to guests at his own funeral. 

Well, it doesn’t mean he ponders death, as the book is something he has been intending to do for the past 10 years. While still considering himself young and physically fit, he understands that the time could come at any time, for any man.

 

Things in a CEO’s life that matter 

Some executives might take time to think about moving careers to another country – but not Saloon Tham, new chief executive officer of AIA Thailand.

Tham responded quickly to AIA Group when they approached him to serve as their new head of AIA Thailand. He was not even concerned about whether his salary would be lower than in the previous job.

Before joining AIA Thailand, Tham was regional head of life insurance at Allianz Asia Pacific, overseeing life insurance business in nine markets in Asia. Spending almost four years of his life in Hong Kong and Singapore, he said he never had breakfast with his wife and children because they were in Thailand. 

“I want to have breakfast with my family. Choosing between making money and doing what makes me happy, I choose the latter,” he said.

Naturally! Money is not a problem because after 25 years in a life insurance career, Tham knows well how to collect money and how to spend it for a better life, even if his salary is lower.

 

East and Middle East 

Reporters three weeks ago received an invitation from Central Pattana to attend a press conference.

They were told that CPN would unveil a plan to invest in a shopping mall in the Middle East. That would be big news given that few Thai companies have made their presence felt in the region.

But a day before the conference, a new invitation was sent out. The subject now was not in the Middle East but in Rayong – in the East of Thailand. Central Plaza Rayong was joining the Central family.

Executives revealed that news of the Middle East investment was still being processed and it could not be finalised ahead of Tuesday.

The change did not disappoint the reporters or their seniors much. At least the unveiled project would be in the East – just in the East of Thailand, not the East of the world.