Although traces of recent paint show the building has been renovated, its antique wooden Chinese-style furniture suggests the venerable age of the establishment.

After all, Bangkok's Chinatown originally grew because of rice exports, propelled by the Bowring Treaty, which opened up opportunities for locals to trade directly with foreigners.

The association acts as the umbrella agency governing rice exports by setting appropriate prices to prevent price-cutting. The association has more than 150 members covering all key Thai rice exporters.

 Reporters from The Nation recently visited the office to meet with some members of the association's board. Most of the board members are "ginger" Chinese Thai executives.

Despite their advanced age, the members of the Rice Exporters Association still prove to be shrewd business people with swiftly calculating minds.

If you're perplexed by their capacity, you don't have to look far to find out the secret of their success.

Just check out the conference room. Modern conference rooms may be equipped with high-tech gizmos and art deco furniture. But these ginger executives couldn't care less about luxury items. What they need on the conference table are simply a desk calendar and a calculator for each of them to ensure they will come up with the right sums.

Asked about business performance on certain dates, these board members would always check back to the calendar and discuss among themselves to ensure they had the correct data.

"They just want to make sure that they got everything right," said an association official. "People can be forgetful."

So let's give a salute to these ginger board members who for many years have played such a crucial role in promoting Thai rice exports.

Busdsk@nationgroup.com