JST Group CEO at the King's Birthday Party 2026

On 16 July 2026, JST Group CEO Derek Stamp attended The King's Birthday Party 2026 in Bangkok — the British Embassy's annual celebration of the birthday of His Majesty King Charles III, hosted under the auspices of His Excellency Mark Gooding, His Majesty's Ambassador to Thailand. The evening was made particularly memorable by the presence of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne.

An evening celebrating UK–Thailand ties

The King's Birthday Party is the most significant date in the British Embassy Bangkok's calendar, and the 2026 edition was themed around the strength of UK–Thailand relations through royalty and sport. The room brought together the people who sustain that relationship day to day — diplomacy, business, charity, culture and the wider British community in Thailand.

Among the many familiar faces, it was good to catch up with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and former Prime Minister Khun Abhisit Vejjajiva, alongside friends and colleagues from across Thailand's diplomatic, business and charitable communities.

Representing the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy

Derek attended in his capacity as President of the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN), alongside Jonathan Fryer, the Foundation's Vice President. The BCTFN has supported vulnerable communities across Thailand for decades, and representing it on an occasion of this kind was a genuine privilege.

That connection is not incidental to how JST Group operates. We were founded in Bangkok in 1983 and have built the business here across four decades. Contributing to the community we work in — not just the market we sell into — is part of how this company was built and how it continues to be run.

Thank you to Ambassador Gooding, and a welcome to Ambassador Pollitt

The evening was also a fitting opportunity to recognise Ambassador Mark Gooding's tenure in Bangkok. His contribution to strengthening the UK–Thailand relationship, and his engagement with the British community here, have been greatly appreciated. We wish him every success in his next chapter.

We also look forward to welcoming Ms. Nicola Pollitt, His Majesty's new Ambassador to Thailand, and to continuing the close working relationship between the Embassy, the British community and the BCTFN.

Four decades of British business in Thailand

JST Group has grown from a Bangkok start-up in 1983 into a regional operating group serving clients in more than 44 countries, with over 1,600 people working across our operational, technical and corporate functions. We support energy, infrastructure, marine and industrial clients through workforce deployment, HR compliance and payroll, recruitment, corrosion control, protective coatings, inspection, heat treatment, digital systems and specialist technical services.

What has kept clients with us across those forty years is not a single service line. It is that we take ownership of the work we accept. Before mobilisation we align on scope, risk, compliance and delivery requirements. Once agreed, we manage the job through to completion.

Why clients choose JST Group

• Four decades of continuous operation in Thailand. Founded in Bangkok in 1983 — we are not a recently arrived branch office learning the market.
• Certified and audited. ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001 certified, and TRACE International certified for anti-bribery compliance since 2014 — the standard international operators and their legal teams need to see before they contract.
• One accountable group, many disciplines. Manpower, corrosion control, coatings, inspection, heat treatment, marine supply, satellite communications and digital transformation sit inside one organisation, so an integrated scope does not become four separate contracts and four separate arguments about who owns the interface.
• Regional reach with local compliance. Offices in Thailand, Vietnam and South Africa, with delivery across Southeast Asia and beyond — and the work permit, visa, payroll and tax knowledge to mobilise people legally and quickly.
• Field-proven in demanding environments. Offshore platforms in the Gulf of Thailand, pipelines, tank farms, refineries, petrochemical complexes, power generation and renewables.

Why vendors and OEMs partner with JST Group

International manufacturers and technology providers looking for a route into Thailand and Southeast Asia need more than a distributor. They need a partner who can sell the product properly, install it, service it and stand behind it — without creating compliance risk on the way.

• An established client base in regulated industries, built over forty years and maintained through repeat work rather than one-off tenders.
• Technical sales, not box-shifting. Our engineers understand the applications, so your product is specified correctly and supported after handover.
• Anti-bribery certified. TRACE International certification gives your compliance function a documented answer on how business is conducted on your behalf in this region.
• In-country execution capability. Installation, commissioning, training and after-sales service delivered by our own teams — including technical masterclasses we have run with partners for government and private-sector operators.
• A stable, financially sound counterparty with a four-decade operating history and a named leadership team you can meet.

Talk to us

Whether you are planning a corrosion control programme, mobilising a workforce into Thailand, or looking for a partner to represent your products across Southeast Asia, we would welcome the conversation.

Get in touch with the JST Group team to discuss your requirement.

Our sincere thanks to Ambassador Gooding and the team at the British Embassy Bangkok for a wonderful evening, and for the opportunity to celebrate His Majesty's birthday in such distinguished company. A memorable evening, and one we were very proud to be part of.