Views from the RMA office

The RMA Group is a private diversified group operating predominantly in frontier markets in SE Asia, C Asia and Africa.  The company's main activity is automotive related but also covers heavy equipment, power generation, leasing/financing, mechanical & engineering contracting, and food retail (including airport retail).  Generally the group goes into markets early when the investment opportunities are still limited but the economic outlook is improving and the government is starting to open up its market to foreign investment.  At this stage competition is nonexistent and there is an opportunity to dominate business sectors.  We like being the big fish in the small pond.  Once we're in the market we will typically expand and diversify our activities as the country develops.  This strategy sometimes works (i.e. Cambodia and Laos entered in the mid 90's) but can also fail (Myanmar in the late 90's).  The good thing is that failing is not that expensive.

It has been 3 years that i've been working for the RMA Group and the growth has been spectacular.  From a company of about 1,500 people when I joined it it now closer to 5,000.  I'm responsible for the group's Merger and Acquisition activity and work closely with the CEO/Founder.  Although we generally grow organically there has been a constant stream of deals that we like to pick up if we can get them at an attractive price and if they fit the portfolio of activities and geographies.

This work has taken me to some challenging places and interesting opportunities land on my desk daily.  The last time I saw so much opportunity was in my San Francisco days around the year 2000.  It's the mindset I like ... charging ahead with a very entrepreneurial mindset at the edge of what the company operations can handle ... like Mario Andretti once said (F1 Driver) "if everything is under control you're not driving fast enough".

View from my window

View from my office - Our 'clean desk' policy obviously is interpreted differently ... it means you're not at your desk

Quinn signing some papers.

An intense business meeting

Quinn shuffling around the new marketing plan.

Singapore the ever growing South East Asian hub

At the end of July it was time to leave Thailand again for the so called 'visa run'. For some obscure bureaucratic reason we have to leave Thailand every 3 months and this time we spent 6-days in Singapore. Tibbe is the only family member without a 1 year visa and his tourist visa that was valid one month had expired.  Theoretically our 3 month old Tibbe was in breach of the law and could have been refused entry for something like 5 years.  I had prepared my arguments and was read to challenge the customs official but luckily no need for action.  The official was about to make a remark but when he saw the crying baby he went silent.

View of the CBD from Marina Bay

I've been traveling to Singapore on average about once a year over the past 10 years and the transformation has been close to phenomenal.  On every trip there are more people, more businesses, more buildings, and visibly more money flowing around.  In every way this has become a regional hub and even a global hub.  Unfortunately the prices have also been steadily increasing placing the city on the list of most expensive cities globally.  10 years ago this was a cheap city but it is now on par with cities like New York.

All cliches about Singapore are true; it's a rather boring place that is over organized and has lost its Asian charm.  However, for a short break it's actually quite nice; particularly if you live in the region. The change in scenery from the chaos on the streets of Bangkok to the efficiency and structure of Singapore works almost therapeutic. On this trip I had my first meeting down town 45 minutes after landing.  In every country this wold be impossible but here I made it and even had the time to check into the hotel with the family.

Landing at Changi Airport in Singapore.  I guess their English colonial heritage requires the to put carpet on the ground

Dim-Sum at Redstar on Sunday morning .... 200 Chinese Singaporeans and us...

Quinn is still sleepy and getting ready for her favorite food ... rice!

Our hotel room.  I never realized how important the room is when traveling with children.  I always thought a hotel room was a place to sleep. Now we spend half the day there and even watch TV (well ... Quinn does).

View from the hotel room with on the horizon the ugliest building in Asia ... the Marina Bay Sands with the 'Sky Park' - a huge park spread over 3 huge buildings.

Quinn recognizing letters at Singapore Zoo.

Relief on another hot day ... water world in Singapore zoo.

The true reason for visiting Chiang Mai

I've never felt like a groupie before but this is the closest I'll every come.  One of my favorite investors/economists, Marc Faber, happens to live in Chiang Mai.

It was at little bit of a search but with the help of an interview, google maps and a patient tuc-tuc driver I found the place. A beautiful Chinese Thai house along the Ping river.  I can imagine that he sits here in tranquility reading and thinking about how the global economy is unfolding ... what a great job he has!  This made the whole trip inspiring.

Marc Faber and the article leading me to his house.

At the front door

Remarkable figures at the front door.

Nice crib Marc!

Side view

Squeezing in a posting just before May ends

May was a busy month; recovering from Dengue, getting pneumonia in the process (western people are not meant to be in the tropics), finalizing my transaction in Cambodia/Vietnam (I plan to write a separate post on this), starting new discussions in Turkey and spending some time off with the family in Chiang Mai .... this is going to be a family posting so I will continue with Chiang Mai.

Looking down on Chiang Mai from from Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai is Thailand's second largest city  situated in the mountainous north, about one hour away from Bangkok by plane.  It is a popular destination for people seeking to escape the heat.  During this time of year it is as hot as Bangkok but it gets substantially cooler the rest of the year; between 5 to 10 degrees cooler than Bangkok.
As I mentioned before the hotels in Thailand tend to surprise on the upside ... and this time it was no different.  The first two nights we stayed at "The Veranda", a beautiful resort situated on the hills outside of Chiang Mai. It is a very modern hotel with the most amazing garden.  It is truly mind boggling that places like this can exist at these rates; the gardens and facilities must cost a fortune to maintain.

The reception area at "the Veranda"

A serene environment oozing tranquility

Quinn playing with the neighbor

The 'infinity pool' comes standard at Asian hotels

Even Tibbe is getting used to luxury

Quinn overcoming her fear of animals. For a while something bigger than a flee was a reason to scream.

Resting a bit ... Quinn is troubled by motion sickness on the winding roads around Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai is known for the elephant training centers; 'tractors of the jungle'

Another unbelievable garden at the Four Seasons.  I'm afraid I'm spoiled for life now.

Quinn always loves the little shrines ... they do look like dollhouses.

Doi Suthep temple.

Ringing the bells ... a series for the tall and a series for the very short

'Hey mister, can I hold your baby?'

The Thai fascination for babies starts at a young age. Tibbe cuddled by the girls from a hill tribe

Tibbe catching up with Quinn ... small babies get big.

Sisterly love

Yet more luxury: the Chedi in Chiang Mai

Sultana Quinn Edibe watching Disney Chanel

The men looking cool ... spot the differences.

A stroll to the Ping river

Exploring the Chedi hotel ... hip surroundings

Quinn LOVES tuc-tucs ... I'll have to get her one in Amsterdam

Tibbe is still getting used to the tuc-tuc

Our proud driver

Bugaboo Bee advertisement .... highly recommended when having kids and traveling a lot.

Dengue

My biggest fear coming out here has hit ... Dengue fever ... The only good thing is that it hit me and that it is my first time. Bummer & 2 full days in bed but the doctor was sort of surprized today that I was recovering rather quickly.

Dengue is a viral desease transmitted from human to human by mosquito's. It is an increasing problem in the world and can be deadly for little children and for sugar and astma patients. It is particularly dangerous after the first time. It is prevalent in cities in warmer parts of the world but also even hitting places like New York. It's rainy season in Bangkok now and this is the time when you have to be carefull. There is no vaccine and the only remedy is to avoid getting bitten by mosquito's mainly during the day. This is one of the reasons that Singpore has inspectors that fine you for if they find still standing water on your property ... This is where mosquito's breed.

The incubation time is between 4 and 14 days and I probably had 3-4 mosquito bites in the last 14 days. I guess I was unlucky. The main concerns are dehydration and interenal bleeding as the virus reduces the blood plate levels. If these drop too low (especially after the first instance) hospitalization is necessary because bleeding disorders may occur.

For me it was a mild experience and i'm planning to head back to the office tomorrow. I better wear repellant wherever I go now.

Happy Songkran

Songkran is the traditional Thai new year and celebrated from the April 13th to 15th.  Anybody that has been in Thailand knows about the throwing of water during these days.  It's hard to stay dry during these days as the Thais (and tourists) roam the streets throwing water and have fun with the 'Super Soakers'.  Although this is all fun and games the more traditional  Songkran is  a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, neighbors, and monks.  People cleanse their Buddha's and this is how the water throwing originated as the 'blessed' water was collected and poured over the family and friends for good fortune.  This is also the hottest month in Thailand and getting soaked every now and them is not that bad.

Songkran is also the 'summer' holiday and people generally take a week off and the productivity of Thailand comes to a complete standstill.  Hotels and flights are booked out weeks in advance and we also decided to leave Bangkok for 4 days and drive 400 km northwards to Sukhothai.  In the 13th and 14th century this was the center of the Sukhothai kingdom.  Sukhothai broke away from the Khmere empire and effectively was the origin of modern day Thailand.

The Khmere influences are clearly visible and the sites are really beautiful.  There are also relatively few tourists adding to the serene experience.  Although sight seeing at >35 C and no wind with 2 small kids made us appreciate the air-conditioner.  As Lee Kwan Yew (creator of modern day Singapore) once said: the greatest technical innovation contributing to the successful development of Singapore is undoubtedly the air-conditioner.

The drive was half the fun and its amazing to see how fertile this country is.  Almost every tree has some kind of edible fruit in it (mainly mango's) and countless rice paddies make Thailand the biggest rice exporter of the world.  It was also nice to experience a more rural Thailand.  For these people Bangkok is like New York is the the Mid West: full of arrogant urbanites.  It is here that the people live modest lives working tirelessly on their farmland and it is also here where there is a lot of support for the 'red-shirts'; the pro Thaksin movement that was responsible for the upheaval last year.

Serene beauty in Sukhothai

Sight seeing at >35 C and no wind.

No tourist to hold the camera ... too hot I guess ... family shoot with the self-timer

A tamed Asian elephant along the Yom river in Sri Satchanalai

Family picture ... Quinn still intimidated by the elephant

Some type of very basic truck ... it looks like they're hand built and the engine seems to be an air cooled generator and is completely exposed ... they must be cheap to run because the farmers up North tend to drive around in them

More Asian hotel luxury .... financially I don't understand how these places can operate as we were the only guests for diner.

Swimming in a beautiful pool ... probably a rice paddy 1 year ago.

Songkran in Phitsanulok

Almost every shop house owner has a little shrine

Throwing water from the back of pickups is the favored activity during Songkran

Elegant dancers during Songkran.

Tibbe is beefing up ... no longer a small baby.

Quinn has perfected her camera pose.  She practiced every night in front of the mirror (vanity at 2 and a bit).

Safari World near Bangkok ... after this picture Quinn's mood was fouled by a wet giraffe tongue.