TPT September 2009

98 / 140

Tube Southeast Asia 2009,
Bangkok — 13-15 October
NOT only is Thailand, by virtue of its location, a superb
choice to host Tube Southeast Asia for the second time;
the timing of this year’s conference is also extraordinarily
apt. On 24 July, the chief economist of the Asia
Development Bank (ADB) confirmed that East Asian
countries have begun their recovery from recession.
Jong Wha-Lee, the head of ADB’s Office of Regional
Economic Integration, projects the recovery of the
regional economies as occurring in a V-shape pattern,
with Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines
— members all of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) — each growing at its own rate. But
Mr Lee sees all four nations enjoying positive growth in 2010,
led by a Chinese economy poised for 8% expansion this year.
A positive note of another kind was struck by Piamsak
Milintachinda, a former executive director of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation Secretariat in Singapore. Now Thailand’s
first appointee to the Committee of Permanent Representatives
(CPR) formed last year under the ASEAN charter, he told the
Bangkok Post (25 July): “We use the European Union, which has
a CPR based in Brussels, as an example.”
Given this double impetus Thailand richly deserves the honour of
hosting Tube Southeast Asia 2009. Those going to Bangkok for the
show will take in the premier showcase in the Greater Mekong
Subregion for state-of-the-art tube and pipe technology. They will
come away from the event prepared to exploit the opportunities
presented by the recovery even now gathering steam in the area.
Registration for Tube Southeast Asia 2009, organised by Messe
Düsseldorf Asia with its industry partner International Tube
Association, is now open.
Event: Tube Southeast Asia 2009
Date: 13–14 October, 10.30am–6pm
and on 15 October, 10.30am–5pm
Venue: Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre
Phone: +65 6332 9620 (Organiser)
Email:
Website:
› 96 September 2009
A wise choice