BizBuzz

Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee always begins his speech with a touch of humour. At the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ conference last week, which started late, Narongchai told the audience they should become more serious about being punctual.

Since joining the Cabinet, Narongchai said every minister has to come to the Army commander’s compound at 9am every day for a meeting with Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha. Sharp at 8.45am every day, Narongchai said, he would receive a call asking about his whereabouts. And at 9am, the prime minister will walk into the meeting room.

“They are very punctual. You should prepare to adjust. Because you will have to live with the military system for quite a while,” said Narongchai, adding quickly, “But I didn’t say how long that ‘quite a while’ would be. You can decide for yourself,” he said.

Season of love

Although it’s not yet winter, some leading Thai executives feel it’s time fill their lives with some warmth. This is especially true for IT and start-up executives. Pornthip Kongchun, Google’s strategic partner development manager, who kicked off the season of love, tying the knot with Trawut Luangsomboon, founder of jitta.com on November 27.

At least three other IT and start-up execs followed suit this month, beginning with “IT princess” Chatpawee (Cee) trichachawanwong, who married Sappe CEO Adisak Rakariyaphong on December 4; Ruangroj (Krating) Poonpol (founder of Disrupt University, a former Google executive, Procter & Gamble, DTAC, Ensogo, etc) will follow on December 27; and Natsakon Kiatsuranon, the CEO and co-founder of Shopspot a day later.

But one of the wedding surprises was Krungsri Asset Management’s chief executive, Chatrapee Tantixalerm, for whom the wedding bells rang on November 28. And the jury is still out on handing the “wedding of the year” title to Dr Jwanwat Ahriyavraromp and Tipaporn Chearavanont, the youngest daughter of CP Group chairman and CEO Dhanin Chearavanont, whose guests included Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha and former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, on November 29.

The sex appeal of the digital economy

Sitthichai Pokai-udom, an adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula, said the term “digital economy”, much in popular use now, is one of the “sexiest” policies of the current government. It was coined because they were “catchy words that could communicate the meaning and also draw a lot of attention.

“Initially we didn’t use this term. We just wanted to improve the country’s ICT system,” he admitted.

Contributed by Pichaya Changsorn