Day 10 Part II: Farewell Dinner and Goodbyes

CP Intertrade had arranged a very excellent farewell for the SMART team on the last working day. After presentation, the Executive Team of CP Intertrade and Cornell SMART Team along with Dr. Ralph Christy went to Club 99 for the farewell dinner.

Farewell Dinner for SMART Team from CP Intertrade at Club 99

Delicious Thai Food, light and relaxing conversation and the overall environment made the farewell dinner very special. The dinner ended with the Cornell University team presenting thank you gifts to CP Intertrade for all their time spent helping the team learn about their company and Thailand's rice industry. 

Mr. Sumeth, CEO CP Intertrade, while receiving his Cornell thank you gift from Ms. Margaret Lynch, CP Intertrade SMART Project Leader and Coordinator of Cornell's SMART Program

CP Intertrade also kindly presented thank you gifts to the Cornell SMART team

A memorable picture before departing 

I just want to end this blog by saying a final thank you to CP Intertade for helping our team learn so much about rice in Thailand, as well as taking the time to help us understand Thai culture and history.  A particular thank you to Mr. Paradon Munro for taking the time to make sure that all of our objectives were achieved while also allowing the team to have some fun!

Mr. Paradon Munro along with SMART Team

Day 10 Part I: Final Presentation to CP Intertrade Co., Ltd.

All geared up for the big day, SMART Team was all set to present their study to the CEO and Executive Team of CP Intertrade Co., Ltd. The presentation was based on the research that the team had done during their two weeks of stay in Bangkok. CP Intertrade had specially reserved a conference room for the SMART team in the office which is located on the 28^th floor of AIA tower.

SMART Team getting ready for the Final Presentation

The presentation started at 3 pm and lasted for more than 2 hours which involved an interactive question answer session with CP Intertrade Executive Team. Mr. Paradon Munro, General Manager CP Intertrade, moderated the session. 

Mr. Sumeth Laomoraphorn and Dr. Ralph Christy along with CPI Executive Team

SMART team really appreciates the kind and humble feedback from Mr. Sumeth Laomoraphorn, President CP Trading Group and CEO C.P Intertarde Co., Ltd., Mr. Thithi, Vice-President CP Trading Group, and the Executive Team of CPI. 

SMART team will be giving another presentation at the Cornell University in the United States in the second week of February. The team then will work on writing a Case Study on the Royal Umbrella brand of CP Intertrade Co., Ltd. 

Day 9: Getting ready for our final presentation

After days of brainstorming and analyzing all the information we have gathered about C.P. Intertrade Co. Ltd (“CPI”), the team worked during the entire day to set up the strategy of the presentation about the main highlights of our research. The presentation will be for CPI’s executives and for the team of CPI international marketing department and will be held tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.

From left to right: Maira Zamir, Maria Jose Sanchez Arrieta and Samantha Yellen

Different packages of Royal Umbrella

From left to right:  Samantha Yellen, Adriana Arango and Maria Jose Sanchez Arrieta, 

Day 8: Work, Work and Eat at Sala Rattanakosin

Monday, as people do not like it, is the working day and actually was a  real work day for us. We worked from dust until dawn, well I am exaggerating this but definitely one of the very productive days for SMART team to work on their project.  We set the stage for our presentation which will take place on January 14th. As usual, Mr.Paradon's continuous motivation and suggestions helped us a lot in preparing for the presentation day.

SMART Team while working in CP Office in AIA Tower

CP HR Office had served us some traditional Thai deserts which really amazed us. They were wrapped in leaves and were delicious. Thank you :-)

The intense working day ended with a dinner at of one of the spectacular places in Bangkok: Sala Rattanakosin (suggested by Mr.Paradon). The striking view of Bangkok Skyline, Temples and Boats decorated with lights surrounded by river makes the place glorious.

SMART Team enjoying dinner at Sala Rattankosin
From left to right: Maira Zamir, Margaret Lynch, Maria Jose, Samantha Yellen and Adriana Arango

Day 7 Part III: The Amphawa Floating Market

The final stop that SMART team made on Sunday, a day full of new adventures, is the Amphawa floating market. It is such a colorful and vibrant place, full of small restaurants, life music, craft stores and art galleries.  It is the second popular floating market of Bangkok. The market place is 50km away from Bangkok, not too many tourist have the opportunity to visit the market at night, but thanks to Mr. Paradon Munro and to C.P. Intertrade Inc. Ltd (CPI), we were able to experience a traditional Sunday night of the local Thai people at floating market.

The Amphawa Floating Market is busy even at night

We observed that how hardworking and cheerful Thai people are, even it was 9:00 pm when we arrived to the market and the stores and restaurants were still open. While sitting along the riverside, we could watch the interesting life in the market. People enjoying boat rides, singing, dancing, eating delicious food, sailors transporting goods, and even artists painting was making a market more like a fantasy.

The SMART team and having a traditional Thai dinner next to the canal.

We had a very delicious dinner followed by truly local Thai deserts. We were supposed to do boating and watching fireflies but unfortunately we were out of time. Still, one of the best days we had in Bangkok. Thanks again to CPI, Mr. Paradon and the Thai People for making it very special.

Many Thai people rely on the canal markets for their livelihoods

A map of our road trip

Day 7 Part I: A Hike in the Erawan National Park and Waterfalls

Another exciting activity planned on Sunday by CP Intertrade for SMART Team was Hiking in Erawan National Park and Waterfalls. We were already excited to look into the Sunday's agenda planned by Mr.Paradon for us. Hiking, Food, Floating Market, Boating and Fireflies all sounded more than amazing.

At 8:00 am in the morning, Mr.Paradon along with the SMART team departed to West Thailand to a place called Kanchaburi. It was three and half hours away drive from Bangkok. During this time, we continued our in-van discussion about the CP Rice Business particularly the branding and communication strategies with Mr.Paradon, and he provided a very useful insight to us.

Beginning the Hike
From left to right: Maira Zamir, Margaret Lynch, Maria Jose, Samantha Yellen and Adriana Arango

The place was exceptionally beautiful. The natural surroundings, cool breeze, the unusual sea-green color of water, the striking waterfalls and the cheerful attitude of Mr.Paradon made the hiking very special for the team.

One of the Waterfalls in Erawan National Park

The team finally reached the 9th level of the waterfall!

Day 7 Part II: Visiting the Bridge on the River Kwai

After hiking, we visited the Bridge on the River Kwai, made infamous by its historical legacy during World War II. The Thailand-Burma railway is 415 kilometers long and was constructed by Japanese forces using prisoners of war (POWs) from the UK, Australia, the Netherlands and the USA as forced laborers. At least 12,621 Allied forces POWs died during the construction of the "Death Railway". They are commemorated in the cemetery in Kanchanaburi. The horrific experience of the POWs involved in the construction was made famous by the award-winning 1957 movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai"

The team standing on "The Bridge on the River Kwai" 

The infamous bridge

The cemetery in Kanchanaburi dedicated to the POWs who lost their lives building the Burma Railway. Each stone includes a personal message about the soldier who lost his life. It was a very moving experience to visit this place.