Message From Chamber - July 2026
As we move into August, July was a month that underscored exactly why the AustCham community continues to go from strength to strength. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank all members, sponsors, speakers, and partners who made the month such a success.
Welcoming the Ambassador Designate
July began with a genuine highlight for the Chamber: welcoming Mr Pablo Kang, Australian Ambassador Designate to the Kingdom of Thailand, at "A Morning of Connection: Fostering Australian-Thai Relations." It was a fitting opportunity to begin building the relationship with the incoming Ambassador and to reaffirm the strength of the ties between our two nations.
That connection continued at our first Industry Luncheon of the term, held at SO/ Sofitel under the theme "Navigating Uncertainty, Building Resilience: Manufacturing and Supply Chains in a Turbulent Era." The event drew a large and diverse crowd from both industry and government, and we were pleased to again be joined by the Ambassador Designate. In a period where supply chains globally are under real pressure, the depth of discussion and engagement in the room was a strong signal of how seriously our members are taking resilience planning.
On the digital front, we launched the first AustCham Thailand AI Webinar: Discover the Future of Digital & AI, kicking off what will be an ongoing series helping members get practical with AI rather than just talking about it.
Also another great Sundowners and briefing session hosted by JLL on "Workplace Insight 2026: Navigate Current Market Trends in Workplace Strategy, Design, Cost and Delivery." Our thanks to JLL for the insight into how workplace strategy is evolving across the region.
Looking Ahead to August
August is shaping up to be another packed month:
- August Sundowners & Members Briefing — "Scaling Across Borders Without Financial Friction" at the Intercontinental, hosted by Airwallex
- AFL Asia Sundowners, 28 August at Pullman Bangkok Hotel G
- AustCham Thailand AI Webinar #2 — "AI for Dummies: Basic Prompting Essentials & Pitfalls"
- Phuket Sundowners & Members Briefing – “PDPA & Data Privacy Readiness and AI Governance & Risk Readiness” at the Marriott Phuket Town, hosted by BDO
And looking a little further out, tickets are now available for the AFL Grand Final on 26 September — always a highlight on the community calendar, so get in early.
A Note from Me
Now in my second year as Vice President, my focus remains firmly on driving engagement and creating real value for members through the Chamber — practical insight, useful connections, and events worth your time. If there are topics you'd like to see covered, or ways you'd like to get more involved, I'd genuinely like to hear from you.
Thank you again for your continued support of AustCham. Here's to a strong August ahead.
Drew Franklin
Vice President
Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AustCham Thailand)
