The Board of Directors emphasized shareholders’ rights and ensured equitable treatment to all, as prescribed in the company’s rules and regulations and relevant laws. Shareholders hold the rights to attend annual meetings, the rights to appoint their proxy to vote at the meetings, the rights to vote on the appointment or removal of individual directors, the rights to cast votes in significant matters, the rights to dividend, the rights to raise opinions and questions at the meetings, and the rights to sufficient and timely information.

The Company encourages all shareholders to attend the general meetings, to take part in the review of significant issues. The general shareholder meeting is organized once a year, within 4 months after the end of an accounting period. Meanwhile, extraordinary meetings can be organized on the date and time and at the venue decided by the Board.

In organizing the AGM, the Board puts forward the shareholders’ rights. Invitation containing agenda in details and the Board’s opinions in Thai and English was dispatched at least 15 days prior to the meeting date, with the proxy form, the list of independent directors and proxy advice. With timely information, shareholders can make decisions prior to the meeting date or could appoint independent directors as their proxy. The AGM was published in daily newspapers for at least 3 consecutive days and at least 3 days ahead of the meeting. The meeting details and agenda were also posted on the company’s website 30 days before the meeting, so that shareholders or investors can submit their questions in advance.

The Company values equitable shareholder treatment. Shareholders’ rights are covered in the corporate governance policy and all are treated in a fair manner through these measures:

• Allow minority shareholders to propose their own agenda in advance. An invitation to do so is posted on the Company’s website.
• The process to organize AGM is transparent and efficient, in line with the company’s rules and regulations and relevant laws. Shareholders are given fair chance to raise opinions and questions, with sufficient time allocation.
• Ensure all directors, high-level executives and the auditor attend AGM, to answer shareholders’ questions and clearly explain their concerns.
• Shareholders who show up late can register their attendance and vote on the remaining agenda.
• Shareholders are asked to review and vote on directors on the individual basis, and to approve the directors’ remuneration, auditor’s appointment, auditor fee and other agenda as described in the meeting invitation.
• Ballots are issued for all agenda.
• Allow shareholders’ proxies to observe vote counting and the announcement of votes – Yes, No and abstention – for each agenda.
• The meeting is thoroughly recorded. The meeting minutes contain all significant information like questions, explanations and opinions raised. Meeting resolutions and “Yes, No and abstention” votes are added to the record room.
• Measures against insider trading among directors and executives are in place. All must report their shareholding, as well as the holdings of spouses and under-aged children. They must report on any change in the shareholdings, after acquisition, disposal or transfer, to the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities and Exchange Act BE2535’s Article 59, within 3 days after the acquisition, disposal or transfer.
• In place are the measures and procedure in approving transactions with possible conflict of interest or connected transactions, with full compliance with the Stock Exchange of Thailand’s regulations on connected transactions, for the equitable benefits of shareholders. Moreover, the Audit Committee also thoroughly screened connected transactions and transactions with possible conflict of interest, before submission to the Board, as required by the SET.

The company realizes the significance of all stakeholders - shareholders, employees, customers, competitors, creditors (suppliers and contractors), relevant government agencies, society and environment. The policies are geared towards fairness to all groups of stakeholders as follow. (Details are included in “Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR )”)

The Company will ensure appropriate and fair returns to shareholders and strive to improve the operations for sustainable growth. The Company is concerned about transparency in important information disclosure to all shareholders accurately, completely and timely through channels including the SET’s electronic media, the company’s website, announcement in newspapers, press releases and written notices.

Employees are a key driving force of the organization. With this realization, the Company is committed to nurture good relationships with employees. The sense of attachment and harmony is promoted through various activities. There is a human resource development policy and a concrete structure on remuneration and welfare management. For fair management, the remuneration committee is in charge of setting remunerations, promotions accordingly to ability and career path. Employee welfare and benefits are clearly specified, to ensure that all are physically and mentally happy and could perform their tasks at their full potential.

To satisfy customers, the Company puts its focus on the standardized quality of products and services as well as treatments. Customers are guaranteed of quality and standardized services. Promises will be kept while complaints or recommendations will be dealt as soon as possible. Exaggeration on products and services is prohibited. There is a convenient access by which customers can contact the Company or file complaints on product quality.

The Company follows the competition rule, upholding fair and transparent principles in line with laws. Free competition is promoted. The Company will not enter into any deal which leads to unfair competition or monopoly. All transactions must yield fair returns to both sides. The Company refrains from using dishonest or inappropriate acts in seeking competitors’ trade secrets or using unsubstantiated information to destroy competitors’ reputation.

The Company strictly honors the conditions, contracts and obligations set by all financial institutions and debenture holders. The financial status is reported to creditors accurately, timely, responsibly and transparently. No information is withheld, to cause damage to creditors. The Company’s debentures were issued accordingly to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and regulations. The Company has strictly complied with shareholders’ resolutions reached at the annual meeting. If unable to uphold obligations, the Company will immediately disclose the information to seek resolutions and prevent possible damage.

In selecting distributors, the Company clearly announces the selection rules, selection period, and financial information. Equal treatment is promised to all joining the bid. The procurement process is transparent, fair and honest, without intervention. All bids are also kept secret. The Company shall not reveal a bidder’s bid or technical data to another for a short-term gain. The Company stays alert on those fishing for others’ information. The process is completed under the guidelines specified by ISO 9001:2008, governing the selection process, bid evaluation, extra procurement practices and distributor evaluation.

The Company will award projects to contractors whose quality of work could meet the Company’s criteria. These contractors should also have a satisfactory track record and financial capacity. The selection process is transparent, fair and just, without any intervention. All contractors must win approval from the Company’s central procurement committee and they will be fairly paid. The contractor selection process is in line with ISO 9001:2008 that sets guidelines in contractor selection, bid hosting, median-price setting and contractor evaluation.

The Board puts emphasis on information disclosure and transparency, with sufficient information released to all stakeholders and measures to ensure the disclosure of accurate, complete and credible information in a timely manner for equal access.

Key financial information is sufficiently disclosed in the financial statements, in line with the regulations. They are disclosed via the SET system and the company’s website. The financial statements are reviewed/audited, with unconditional opinions from the auditor and the Board’s approval before the release to shareholders. The Board also expresses its responsibility for the financial statements in the annual report.

The company discloses significant financial and non-financial information through the SET system and the company’s website, for accurate, complete, equitable, fair, transparent and timely dissemination to the general public. The Investors Relations and Information Technology Unit is in charge of the dissemination and communicate with local and foreign shareholders, investors, stock analysts accurately, equitably and timely. Investors can contact the Investor Relations Unit for the company’s information at Tel: 0-2247- 7500, Fax: 0-2247-7399, e-mail: ir@pf.co.th, or www.pf.co.th/ir.

The Board discloses its role and scope of responsibility as well as those of sub-committees, as well as the number of meetings each director attended under item “Management”. Remuneration of the directors and top executives are shown in item “Directors’ Remuneration”.

The company has pursued the Stock Exchange of Thailand’s rules and regulations governing connected transactions or acquisition and disposal of assets of listed companies, whichever is the case. Besides the company has set policies and guidelines to prohibit executives and related persons from using inside information for their own interests.

The company has regarded an importance of efficient internal control system for both executives and operational levels. Practices of operational staff and executives are determined and clearly written. The company has set up an internal audit office to exclusively take responsible for efficient operational examination. The internal audit reports the result directly to the Audit Committee.

The company requires independent directors account for at least one third of all directors, or at least 3. At present, the company’s board of directors consists of 14 experienced, knowledgeable and capable directors as follows:

• Executive Director 7 persons
• Non-Executive Director 2 persons
• Independent Director 5 persons

The chairman does not serve as the CEO, to segregate their supervisory and executive roles. All directors possess full independence in giving opinions.

Much emphasis is placed on the opinions of the independent directors. In any issue that draws any suggestions or disagreement from independent directors will be reviewed for transparency.

The company’s management structure consists of the Board of Directors, four sub-committees reporting to the Board of Directors - the Audit Committee, the Nomination Committee, the Remuneration and Human Resources Committee, the Risk Management Committee and the executive committee.

The Board consists of knowledgeable, capable, skilled and experienced persons who realize their roles and responsibilities, which resulted in efficient operations. The Board takes part in formulating the vision, mission, strategies, goals, business plans and resource allocation, to ensure the management’s efficient and effective implementation.

The Board values good corporate governance, to enhance transparency and the company’s competitiveness. To instill trust among shareholders, investors and all stakeholders, there is the written corporate governance policy which is reviewed once a year to fit the environment, business direction and international standards. The Code of Conduct is in place so that employees perform in accordance with the corporate governance policy.

To prevent conflicts of interest or connected transactions, the Board assigned sub-committees with clear segregation of roles. There are policies, code of practices and the procedure to approve transactions which might carry conflict of interest, as guidelines to executives, employees and relevant parties. Such cover the criteria in endorsing connected transactions, the use of inside information and information disclosure. The Board also demands the management to regularly assess business risks and formulate risk preventing and mitigation measures, and report them to the Board. These include the risks that may affect the company’s performance, as specified in item “Risk Factors”.

The Board holds quarterly meetings, aside from extra meetings as necessary, with clear and prepared agenda, to review the quarterly results as well as monitor progress. The chairman and CEO will jointly review the issues, before bringing them up to the Board’s meetings. Each director is allowed to propose their own agenda.

In each meeting, the chairman allocates sufficient and ample time for discussion. Meeting minutes are written and the minutes, approved by the Board, are stored for inspection by the Board and relevant parties. The minutes of the board of directors and sub-committees in 2009 are in “Management Structure” and “Sub-committees”. (Details of Board of Directors’ meetings appeared in Management Structure Section, Item 8 and sub-committees’ meetings appeared in Item 9.2.)

Executive directors conduct a quarterly evaluation to assess performance in part of their responsibility and the performance evaluation is presented to the company’s Board of Directors to compare with performance in the past.

The company has appointed the Nominating and Remuneration Committee to consider remuneration principles and policies for managing director, directors and advisors and determine bonus, salary adjustment annually and during the year, and other benefits to staff in each level. Remuneration determination is based on experience, duty and scope of responsibility, and compare with other companies in the same industry. (Details of directors’ remunerations appeared in Item 8.4: Directors and executives’ remunerations.)

The company is aware of the importance of human resources in management level by organizing training “Real Estate Business Management”, contents of which include real estate knowledge, law, finance, accounting and good corporate governance to prepare the company’s high-level executives for being directors in the future. For the company’s directors, they participated in trainings held by Thai Institute of Directors and aimed to develop and support directors to take practices of good corporate governance in organization.

The Company is represented in the subsidiaries and affiliated companies’ boards of directors and the management teams, to maintain control on such companies’ business direction. This is carried out under corporate governance practices, highlighting business transparency and good governance.

The Company’s policy bars directors or executives from directly or indirectly revealing information which is not yet publicly disclosed, for the benefits of their own or others. On top of that is a rule that directors, executives and employees, with access to the Company’s financial information, must not take benefit from the information within a 1-month period before the information is disclosed to the public. The directors, executives and employees are instructed to avoid trading the Company’s shares before the disclosure of financial statements. Directors and executives are also notified of their duties to report their securities holdings and changes to the Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities and Exchange Act BE.2535’s Articles 59 and 275.

In the employee manual, the Company has clearly specified disciplinary penalties for employees who violate the company rules and regulations.