Executive summary Introduction The German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC) in Bangkok is a member of the German Chambers of Commerce Worldwide Network (AHK), with 140 locations in 92 countries. Since its establishment in Bangkok in 1962, the GTCC has maintained itself as a reliable intermediary between German and Thai businesses, thus contributing to the dynamism of the economic development in both countries. In the course of 2020, GTCC put together about 139 events and activities that encouraged further development and interaction of the German-Thai business community within Thailand and abroad. Thanks to the high level of dedication of the GTCC team, recognition of the Chamber in the business community was heightened enabling GTCC to constantly enjoy opportunities to collaborate closely with various partners and counterparts, who added variety to the nature of GTCC services and activities.
Membership, Events and Communications By the end of 2020, GTCC managed to sustain almost 600 members in the face of the covid-19 pandemic in Thailand and worldwide which largely affected business activities. There were 578 members including 509 members in Thailand, 57 members in Germany, 6 members in other countries, and 6 honourary members. Most of the members who discontinued their membership were SMEs and members in the industry of hotels and accommodation which were severely affected by the pandemic. GTCC had fully supported its members by promoting their activities and connecting them with one another in various ways such as organising vir tual events and executing a new weekly newsletter “GTCC members promotions”. GTCC members actively par ticipated in GTCC’s vir tual and physical events. Although GTCC Ball (formerly GTCC Gala Night) was cancelled and GTCC Oktoberfest could not be organised in the normal format due to the Covid-19 outbreak, GTCC held two-day GTCC Bavarian Beer Fest 2020 successfully with a limited number of 350 guests per day to comply with the Thai government’s Covid-19 safety measures. GTCC continued utilising social media platforms such as facebook, LinkedIn, and twitter, to keep its members, business partners informed about events, activities and key changes in the business community. #PartnerInThailand social media campaign was launched in May 2020 to tell the partner stories of German companies in Thailand. #PartnerInThailand campaign showcased 2-minutes video clips as examples of GTCC member companies’ contribution to the economic development of Thailand and the close cooperation between German and Thai companies. In 2020, GTCC launched a special e-newsletter “GTCC’s update on Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19)” to regularly provide members, partners and customers important updates on Covid-19 situations in Thailand, in addition to the weekly “GTCC members promotions” e-newsletter. Biweekly GTCC e-UPDATE newsletter is the main channel for updated economic and member news. Quar terly UPDATE e-magazine remains a major publication providing essential information about the business and industry sectors in Thailand. Our Membership Directory was under transformation to be fully digitalised on GTCC Website, to enable our database more relevant and up-to-date. With a user account and password, members can get access to information on members’ profiles and contact details in order to facilitate business interaction among them. www.thailand.ahk.de
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