'Thailand Is Back' theme for landmark conference
"Thailand Is Back" is the theme of a breakthrough international conference spearheaded by the Federation of Thai Industries with 500 business leaders next Tuesday at the Dusit Thani Hotel.
“It’s time for the private sector to join forces to move the Thai economy forward,” FTI chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree said yesterday.
The conference, co-organised by The Nation, will see leading Thai chief executives and Bangkok-based foreign business leaders presenting and debating how Thailand will position itself as the hub of the Asean Economic Community.
Economic growth and sustainability will also be hot topics.
This is the first international business conference since the military took power two months ago, and on top of the participants’ minds will be the promised reforms of the country’s political and economic systems.
Putting the reforms into context will be keynote speaker Professor Surakiart Sathirathai, chairman of the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council and a former deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
Joining the 500 invited guests will be ambassadors and commercial counsellors as well as representatives from the seven Thai private-sector organisations, plus the local and foreign press.
Speakers include Kan Trakulhoon, CEO of SCG Group; Boonchai Chokwatana, executive chairman of Saha Patanapibul Group; Frank Krings, chief country officer of Deutsche Bank; Derek Kidley, CEO of PwC South East Asia Consulting; Lionel Danitacq, head of Michelin in Southeast Asia and Oceania; Stanimira Koleva, general manager of small and mid-market solutions and partners for Microsoft Asia-Pacific; and Prinn Panitchpakdi, managing director of CLSA Securities (Thailand).
Suthichai Yoon, chairman of Nation Multimedia Group, and Patrick Barta, Asia news editor of The Wall Street Journal Asia, will moderate each of the panel sessions.
