Selling is life long procedure

Thai-German Institute recently held its 4th Sales Motivation and Communication Training at their site in Amata Nakorn. The goal of the seminar was to encourage the participants to improve their sales presentation skills, and to give them insights on human needs and how to think positively in every circumstance in life, especially in business. Psychology for a better relationship was also part of the training, with brainstorming tools introduced to help express oneself in an effective and organized way. Team building was also one of the main themes.

TGI German Director Walter Kretschmar (center with necktie), TGI trainer Sue (center) and the group of newly trained business people.

Three and half days of intensive workshop improved the attitude toward sales of all the participants who came from many different companies, including Siemens and Lucas Nuller as well as the TGI trainers. Participants in the previous training included managers from the Thai Military Bank, Bayer, Thailand Aktuell, Siemens, Endress and Hauser, among others. The benefit of the training is applicable for both business careers and in personal lives.

The trainer was none other than Pattaya Mail’s own TV presenter, Sue, who has over 20 years of teaching and training experience in communication and presentation training. The next training is scheduled in January.

BOI announces administrative change and new priority activity

The Board of Investment (BOI), chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Somkid Jatusripitak, recently approved a revision to the way corporate income tax holidays will be calculated in the future. The Board also approved a new activity to be included on the list of priority activities eligible for investment promotion.

BOI sets cap of 100% income tax exemption

In order to improve the efficiency with which tax incentives are granted and to provide greater transparency in operations, the Board announced the establishment of a cap on the amount of the corporate income tax exemption for approved projects.

Under the incentive cap, newly promoted projects will be eligible to receive corporate income tax exemptions for an amount not to exceed the projects investment capital, excluding cost of land and working capital. The time frame for using the corporate income tax exemption will remain the same, ranging from three to eight years, depending on location.

Establishment of this cap is in line with the revision to the Investment Promotion Act that was passed by the National Assembly and Senate earlier this year. The cap will become effective once the revised Investment Promotion Act has been published in the Government Gazette, expected early next year, and will not be retroactive.

Implementation of this incentive cap will enable the government to better analyze applications for investment promotion privileges, as it will now be possible to clearly identify the maximum value of the tax exemption.

New Priority Activity

The Board also announced that, in line with the Ninth National Economic and Social Development Plan objective to protect the environment, recycling had been added to the list of priority activities promoted by the Board of Investment.

Businesses involved in the recycling, gathering, separating, and recovery of waste materials will be eligible for eight years of corporate income tax exemption and exemption from import duty on machinery, regardless of location.

Projects must obtain the approval of all relevant government agencies in order to be eligible for BOI promotion and waste materials for recycling must be sourced from within Thailand, not imported from overseas. With the exception of the four activities specified above, promoted activities will not include further production of waste materials, as production might be elsewhere promoted by BOI.

Kobayashi Signs with Hemaraj

Kobayashi High Precision (Thailand) Co., Ltd has signed to lease a turnkey factory at the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate (Rayong) developed by Hemaraj Land and Development PLC. The new plant will produce shaft rollers for electronic products, at a capacity of 4.05 million pieces/year. Shown exchanging the contact are Hiroyuki Kobayashi (right), managing director of Kobayashi High Precision (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and David Nardone (left) Hemaraj’s president.

Thai leader wants free trade pact with Japan

TOKYO (AP) _ Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra urged Japan to agree to a bilateral free trade agreement, saying such a pact would boost investment between the two nations.

“Through our economic partnership, we can further promote our trade and investment,” the visiting Thai leader told a press conference in Tokyo. However, Japan - which has a history of shielding its rice farmers from competition - is cautious about such a deal because Thailand is one of the world’s biggest rice exporters.

Japan has concluded talks with Singapore for its first-ever bilateral FTA, to be signed by the end of December. Feasibility studies on a free trade pact are also being conducted with several other countries, including Mexico and South Korea. Thaksin said Thailand and Japan need not initially negotiate the thorny topic of rice, but rather start talks with less contentious issues.

Japan is a major provider of economic assistance to Thailand, which is still recovering from the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis. The region’s economic prospects as a whole have further darkened since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

Thaksin said he believes Thailand will be the first nation in Southeast Asia to form an FTA with China and stressed that such a deal would make his country a convenient hub for investors.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pledged to assist Thailand’s development efforts in a new “economic partnership framework” agreement signed by the two countries - the highlight of Thaksin’s three-day visit to Tokyo. The agreement runs through 2005.

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Updated by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
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