FROM THE EDITOR Dear readers, Thailand aims to become an aviation hub in South-East Asia in competition with Singapore and Malaysia. Key suppor ting factors are Thailand’s strategic central location in the region and high air traffic with steadily increasing numbers of passengers from 58 million (2009) to 165 million (2019). U-Tapao Airport has been turned into the country’s third major international airport that is geared to playing a significant role in the development of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and Eastern Aviation City. According to Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook 2018, aircraft fleets in the Asia-Pacific will almost triple from the current total of 6,000 aircraft to approximately 17,000 by 2036, making the Asia-Pacific region the world’s largest aviation market. Therefore, the Thai government has set a target of becoming a regional leader in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector. Since Thailand is also a hub of auto parts production — an industry whose relevant skills and technologies can be utilised to produce aircraft parts and related products — being able to provide MRO services will further accommodate the country’s objective of becoming a major aviation hub. Related Thai laws were amended in 2019 to allow foreign investors to hold 100 per cent ownership of companies in Thailand under the conditions of providing technology and knowledge transfer to Thai people and hiring of Thai employees. The current outlook for the aviation industry and the international air traffic has been strongly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. With prolonged travel restrictions and long periods of quarantine requirements, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) forecasts that foreign tourist arrivals in 2021 could decrease to about 6 million visitors. However, the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO) is continuing to make advances in the aviation city project, because the development of the U-Tapao Airport will take four years. When the construction is completed, air travel will be expanding, thus offering an important opportunity for the success of the aviation city. With the estimation that air travel will only return to normal within the next two to three years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, some airlines are adopting new strategies to ensure their survival. The Lufthansa Group, for example, has been involved in the development of Covid-19 testing centres, together with its par tner Centogene, at major German airpor ts in Frankfur t, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Munich. Rapid testing instead of quarantine is a new hope for unlocking air travel and supporting the kick-starting of economies. I trust you will enjoy an interesting and informative read.
Dr. Roland Wein UPDATE is published quarterly by the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC) and distributed through an electronic platform to members and qualified non-members in Thailand and abroad. It is also available on our website: thailand.ahk.de/en/publications. Any opinions expressed in ar ticles in this e-magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the Chamber. UPDATE welcomes story and photo contributions from members and non-members alike. Ar ticles may be reproduced with acknowledgement, except for those taken from other sources. For inquiries, please contact: communications@gtcc.org. Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Roland Wein
Editor & Communications Director: Chadaphan Maliphan
Design & Layout: Sorapol Liengboonlertchai
Sub-Editor: Tony Oliver
CONTENTS
AVIATION 04 Thai air traffic takes off again 07 Interview: The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand
(CAAT)
10 Interview: Lufthansa Group 12 Predicting the future of the Thai aviation industry 14 Crisis or opportunity: Covid-19 and development
of aircraft maintenance technicians
CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 16 Physical events 21 Virtual webinars 21 Virtual conference
GTDEE INSIGHT 22 Webinar on securing high-quality skilled labourers
through dual vocational projects
22 Meeting on the preparation of the PAL final
examination for apprentices batch 2018 in automotive mechatronics, level A
GTDEE INSIGHT 25 Introduction of the PAL interim examination in
mechatronics for apprentices, level B
BUSINESS BRIEFS 28 Bumrungrad – first hospital to achieve
ertification of Conformance for Medical Travel
29 SPACE-F showcases food-tech startup Batch I on
“Demo Day”
MEMBERS’ CORNER 30 New GTCC Members
TRADE FAIRS 32 electronica 2020 33 International Green Week 2021 34 DOMOTEX 2021
04 AVIATION
Thai air traffic takes off again Thomas Hundt
Air traffic in Thailand accelerated strongly in the past 10 years. From 2009 to 2019, the number of passengers increased from 58 million to 165 million, and aircraft movements increased from 0.42 million to 1.07 million.
The aviation market in Thailand, 2019
Indicator
Total aircraft movements
Number 1,067,828
Domestic traffic
553,876
International traffic
513,952
Total passenger transport
165,076,011
Domestic traffic
76,253,599
International traffic
88,822,412
Source: Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
The Covid-19 pandemic is now keeping large par ts of the domestic aircraft fleets on the ground. The airlines had to largely cease operations from the end of March 2020. Aircraft movements dropped to around one-tenth of the 2019 level in April-June 2020.
Domestic air traffic is recovering Domestic flights increased from April to July 2020 from 2,031 to 25,701 flights per month. The airlines want to reactivate more routes this summer because Thais are now travelling more to domestic destinations. However, reaching the monthly average of 46,156 domestic flights in 2019 is still a long way off.
UPDATE 4/2020
Restrictions on international air travel and entr y will affect the international airline business for even longer. International flights remained at around 3,000 to 3,500 flight movements per month from April to July 2020. The highly indebted Thai Airways company applied for protected bankruptcy proceedings at the end of May 2020 and is negotiating with creditors with regard to restructuring and reorganisation. The national airline’s 75 aircraft are currently on the ground. The other major airlines, Thai AirAsia (62 aircraft) and Bangkok Airways (40 aircraft), have restarted part of their flight operations.
Airports were too small in 2019 and prepare for a recovery Thailand has 38 airpor ts. The Ministry of Transport’s Department of Airports manages 28 mostly smaller civil airports. Bangkok Airways owns three tourist airports. The public company Airports of Thailand (AOT) operates the six larger airports in the country. The larger ones worked beyond their capacity limits in 2019 and should therefore be expanded.
AVIATION 05
Expansion projects of AOT
Airport
Capacity (passengers)
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
Under construction – from 45 million to 60 million by 2022; planned – 120 million by 2030.
Bangkok Don Mueang
Planned – from 30 million to 40 million by 2024.
Phuket International Airport
Planned – from12.5 million to 18 million by 2022.
Chiang Mai International Airport
Planned – from 8 million to 16.5 million by 2025.
Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai International Airport
Planned – from 3 million to 5.2 million by 2038.
Hat Yai International Airport
Planned – from 2.55 million to 10.5 million by 2038.
Source: Airports of Thailand, Annual Report 2019.
“ In 2018 the market experts at Frost & Sullivan forecasted that the number of commercial aircraft in Thailand would grow to 811 units by 2037 and that the demand for MRO services would triple to almost US$ 3 billion. Due to the aviation crisis, however, these forecasts are to be reached much later.” The country’s most important aviation project is to be implemented at U-Tapao Airport. The Royal Thai Navy owns U-Tapao International Airport, which is 150 kilometres south of Bangkok. Thai Airways has set up its aircraft maintenance centre there. In June 2020 the Royal Thai Navy and the planning authority, Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand, signed a
contract for a US$ 9 billion expansion of U-Tapao Airport with Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction, Bangkok Airways and Thai BTS Group. The contract for the publicprivate partnership covers the construction and operation of commercial buildings, a new terminal, an aviation training and air cargo centre and an aircraft maintenance centre (maintenance, repair and overhaul – MRO).
Covid-19 dampening new projects The European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, however, has not signed a planned joint venture contract with Thai Airways to operate the MRO centre at U-Tapao. The Eastern Economic Corridor Office is now looking for new partners for the maintenance centre. At the end of 2019 a total of 245 private and 370 commercial aircraft were registered with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). Of the commercial aircraft, 44 per cent were Airbus models, 31 per cent Boeing types, 4 per cent ATR series and the remaining 21 per cent were from other manufacturers. In 2018 the market exper ts at Frost & Sullivan forecasted that the number of commercial aircraft in Thailand would grow to 811 units by 2037 and that the demand for MRO services would triple to almost US$ 3 billion. Due to the aviation crisis, however, these forecasts are to be reached much later.
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06 AVIATION
A new generation of skilled workers is already being provided. The Civil Aviation Training Centre in Bangkok, together with other organisations, takes care of professional MRO training. Several Thai universities offer special courses in aircraft maintenance. The CAAT has licensed 15 organisations for training pilots. The state-owned company AEROTHAI, which is part of the Ministry of Transport, is responsible for air traffic control and the training of air traffic controllers.
Aviation industry is already settling here The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) supports investors in the aviation industry and offers an eight-year exemption from corporate tax and import duties as well as other privileges. Domestic companies perform approximately half of the MRO service work, and more are being added. The US company TurbineAero opened an MRO plant in October 2019 at which Auxiliary Power Units are maintained and repaired. In February 2019, the French subsidiary of Revima laid the foundation stone for a landing gear MRO facility. The opening was planned for summer 2020.
Aircraft must be properly maintained and, if necessary, repaired. Singapore is the hub and most important provider of maintenance and repair services in Southeast Asia. Thailand wants to catch up. The Government adopted the Thailand 4.0 industrial policy in 2017. The strategy paper emphasises the domestic oppor tunities in aviation and the MRO market.
UPDATE 4/2020
Several companies in Thailand also supply the international aircraft industry. Triumph Structures and Omada International in Rayong Province produce composite parts as well as metal and titanium components for Boeing models 737, 777 and 787. Triumph Aviation Services Asia supplies composite parts to Airbus for its A350 series. Senior Aerospace produces Contact details: aerofoils for engines and other components Thomas Hundt of the aviation industr y. Michelin Siam Director Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, manufactures aircraft tyres. The company Laos Safran Cabin assembles transport containers. GERMANY TRADE & INVEST And the factory of the German company www.gtai.com Leistritz in Chonburi Province produces components for aircraft turbines.
INTERVIEW 07
Raising the bar for the sustainable growth of Thai aviation industry Dr. Chula Sukmanop, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) Geography is very important for the aviation industry. Located centrally among China, India and the South-East Asia, Thailand has a geographical advantage for becoming the aviation hub of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI), the aviation industry will be one of Thailand’s next major entities as it is a value-added industry that will increase the competitiveness of the country. However, the adverse effect of the highly contagious Covid-19 outbreak, this sector has become one of the most disrupted industries together with tourism. Commercial flights are banned from entering the Kingdom of Thailand at all points in an attempt to prevent the spread of the pandemic, even though the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) lifted a ban on international flights from 1 July 2020 under certain conditions. This issue of UPDATE interviewed Dr. Chula Sukmanop, Director-General of CAAT, on the role of monitoring standard aviation practices as well as promoting and developing sustainable aviation activities in Thailand. Holding a Ph.D. in Maritime Law from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom, he worked as Director-General of the
Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, the Marine Department and the Department of Airports before joining CAAT in 2016. One of CAAT’s missions is to promote and develop sustainable aviation activities. Can you explain this in more detail? CAAT has to ensure that aviation activities can take place. It begins with traffic right. Basically, for a country and their airlines to fly and provide services in other countries, they need bilateral agreement for traffic rights. For example, if we agree with the German authorities that our two countries can have 21 flights a week, CAAT will distribute these rights to Thai airlines who are willing to operate and nominate the list of the operating airlines to the German authorities. Conversely,
the German authorities will do the same and inform us of their designated airlines. Once both countries have the names of the airlines, the designated airlines will apply for the operating slots at the airports. CAAT’s next activity is about “(airpor t) slot allocation” managed together with the Airpor ts of Thailand PCL (AOT) and other airpor t operators. Slots mean time availability. If the slots are full, the airlines will have to land at another time. Thus, CAAT’s involvement in negotiating the bilateral agreements, distribution the traffic rights to operators and airport slot allocation has the direct impact on the promotion of aviation activities. Thailand aims to become the regional aviation hub for the aviation industry in South-East Asia, with an average growth of 10 per cent per year. How has CAAT been contributing to the growth of Thailand’s aviation industry and the realisation of becoming the regional aviation hub? CAAT has two main roles. One is that of Regulator. We have been exercising measures to ensure that Thai aviation industry is in line
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08 INTERVIEW
with international standards for safety and security. Another role is Promoter. For the promotion side, we are concerned with economic and social viability as well as the environmental aspects. CAAT wants to make sure that the aviation industry in Thailand is competitive, and that unnecessary barriers are not created. We are trying to provide incentives to attract the use of aviation facilities in Thailand. The social side is more about consumer protection to make sure air lines treat customers fairly and in accordance with our laws and national policy. For example, flights cancellations or delays must be compensated. As for environmental sustainability, we have to consider carbon emissions and global warming. We have measures and some systems that collect data on how airlines operate and how much greenhouse gas such as CO2 is released by airlines into the environment. This is a global initiative that we need to follow.
compete with Changi Airport in Singapore, but in terms of airlines, all are competitors. Malaysia is now trying to provide some maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services as now demand in the region is greater than supply. They are trying to attract many airlines to use their MRO services. However, such efforts are currently being blocked by Covid-19, so that everyone — including those ahead of us — will have to start again once the pandemic ends. MRO operations are expected to create jobs and generate income for the Thai economy. What conditions do foreign investors need to consider? Last year our laws were amended to be less restrictive. Currently, foreign investors can hold 100 per cent ownership of companies in Thailand. The only requirements are providing technology and knowledge transfer to Thai people and hiring Thai employees.
“ The survival of airlines depends on how much they can reduce their costs and find additional revenues. CAAT tries to help decrease their expenditures such as landing and parking fees. Aviation is a long supply chain: If airlines die, the second dying one is airports, followed by shops and local feeder transports like buses and taxis.” What are the strengths of Thailand’s aviation industry?
Every investor needs to come up with a proposal for knowledge transfer.
Apart from being one of the best destination in the world, due to strategic location, Thailand is acting as the centre of aviation activities for the region. Travellers flying through Thailand can transit to many places in Indochina. More than 140 air lines now provide flights to Bangkok. From Bangkok you can go up to 81 per cent of all destinations around the world with only one flight change.
We foresee that MRO services in this region will not be enough to service all planes in the market because orders for new aircraft during the past two to three years have been considerable. Once the new aircraft are delivered the airlines will need for MRO services. The facilities are not enough in Thailand and in ASEAN. That is why most ASEAN members are prepared to compete in providing MRO services.
Who are our main competitors in ASEAN? The aviation industry is a competitive world. In terms of being the regional hub, we
UPDATE 4/2020
We have received some new applications since the relaxation of the regulations last year, including some German and Swiss
companies. Actually, we want the type of service for the whole aircraft, not only repair and maintenance; we are open to applications for making aircraft parts in Thailand. Thus, this will mean the whole MRO supply chain can be provided here. Do MRO operations have to be only in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC)? No. Actually, MRO can be carried out in any part of Thailand and the related laws will be applied to every place where airpor t is situated. Some investors are interested in being based in Chiang Rai as it is close to China. With limited MRO facilities in China, if airlines want to use the Chinese facilities, they will face a long waiting list. However, in order to provide MRO services for Chinese customer s, the operator s need to be approved by Chinese Civil Aviation Authority, too. Expanding MRO services in Thailand will provide an alternative oppor tunity for vocational schools students who don’t want to repair just cars. There are a few schools serving the demand for MRO technicians and we are trying to combine facilities to support them. We also motivate them to study and practice repairing aircraft or undergo onthe-job training at the real MRO facilities. Which area of Thailand’s aviation industry needs to be improved? Aviation is international. Everyone needs to compete following the same rules. We need to be stricter with standards. Now local airlines are getting better. Airlines will lose customers and disappear from the market if they don’t comply with safety standards. It is expensive business. During the past two years, four airlines have gone out of business. What are the key challenges facing this sector in Thailand and how to improve our aviation industry? Covid-19 is the main challenge this year and maybe next year as well. It is the most severe situation ever to have happened in the aviation industry. We used to have SARS, MERS and economic disruption, but they were short-term and only affected small areas. But
INTERVIEW 9
travel. That is why ‘We Travel Together’ stimulus package was launched. Many different promotion packages such as a family offer for bundled seats on aircrafts with rental cars are needed to attract the target markets. Unmanned aerial vehicles or ‘drones’ offer potential business opportunities as we receive an increasing number of drones registration requests. We have about 18,000 applicants registered with CAAT. In cer tain activities, aerial vehicles can be used without pilots such as delivering small packages. But in a Thai scenario, they are not quite practical and cannot yet compete with motorcycles. Drone controllers have to be registered to make sure they know the basic rule to operate drones. For instance, they cannot fly their drone higher than a certain height and it is not allowed in the area nearby airports. Drones are increasingly used for shooting photos, tourism, construction monitoring and agriculture. How long will the ban on international commercial flights to Thailand continue? Covid-19 hits everyone. I don’t see any other challenge at the moment. Passengers don’t want to travel and even they do, they can’t. I think the world will lose some airlines because of Covid-19. The downturn caused by Covid-19 during the past four to five months may have negative consequences for public travel demand for up to two years. Some schools of thought have predicted that 2023 will be back to the level of 2019. Before the Covid-19 outbreak, the challenge was the oversupply of airlines, especially low-cost airlines, which caused price wars. Thus, airlines recorded a very low profit margin in 2019; as a result, all Thai airlines suffered from revenue loss and had to come up with some additional services such as providing catering supplies to other airlines. The players who made most profit were airports. This happened to most airlines in the world, but they needed to maintain cash revenue. On average, Thai airlines generate 10 billion baht annually in revenue but their expenses amount to around 12 billion baht. This year, we expect about 75 per cent less passengers because of Covid-19. Last year,
165 million passengers travelled to and from Thailand. However, for this year we expect 40 million passengers or 25 per cent less than 2019. Domestic travel is getting better with about a 40 per cent of last year figure. However, domestic travel is also a par t of international tourism. For example, international visitors fly to Bangkok and then on the domestic flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. If we have international flights fully operational again, that will improve the situation of aviation industry in Thailand. What will be the scenario of Thailand’s aviation industry in the face of covid-19 and new opportunities? The survival of airlines depends on how much they can reduce their costs and find additional revenues. CAAT tries to help decrease their expenditures such as landing and parking fees. Aviation is a long supply chain: If airlines die, the second dying one is airports, followed by shops and local feeder transports like buses and taxis. From now to probably the next two years, domestic markets could be on the rise because Thai people who are still interested to travel may have to consider domestic
It is a very difficult question to answer. The ban is part of our efforts to ensure that we can protect Thailand from Covid-19. We have to restrict the number of people coming into Thailand because we don’t have enough quarantine facilities to ensure the health and safety of the population. Most cases of Covid-19 infection result from overseas. We don’t have a vaccine yet and Covid-19 virus mutations are a potential threat. The theories about the virus change every month and we are now seeing a second wave in many countries. They appeared to have contained the virus but once they opened their borders they suffered a new rise in infections. That is why Thai government is really reluctant to reopen the country. However, we realise that we cannot close Thailand for a long period. We have to be able to ensure that opening the border will be safe from spreading the disease in this country. Interview by Chadaphan Maliphan, GTCC Publications and Communications Manager
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10 INTERVIEW
Planning for a positive balance to rekindle the aviation industry Stefan Molnar, Lufthansa General Manager Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and the Mekong Region The outlook for international air traffic has been strongly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Although there are signs of recovery, challenges still exist, especially different countries’ travel restrictions and long periods of quarantine after travel. What will be the adaptation of airlines to the difficult situation and new reality? UPDATE recently asked for the views of Mr. Stefan Molnar, General Manager Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and the Mekong Region for Lufthansa Group with its airlines Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS International Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings. What do you feel about Thailand’s attractiveness as an aviation hub in the ASEAN region and as the regional hub for hi-tech aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)? Thailand has become a major aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region, especially because of the Thai government’s policy of Industry 4.0. In this context, the aviation industry has been already defined as one of the core industries Thailand intends to invest into. The expansion of U-Tapao International Airport as part of the Eastern Airport City development will potentially turn the country into an aviation hotspot in Asia-Pacific. The emergence of the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at U-Tapao also accommodates the production of aircraft parts and aircraft-related products, putting Thailand in a strong position to establish itself as a regional center for MRO services. In other words: Thailand is a key aviation hub – now and even more so in future when our industry returns to pre-pandemic levels. What have been the main opportunities in Thailand for Lufthansa Group? Before Covid-19, the Lufthansa Group Airlines Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines were the largest European airline group flying to Thailand, with a long-running history of more than
UPDATE 4/2020
60 year s. Thailand is one of our major mar kets in Asia and Bangkok one of the major hubs in the region. Normally, we offer 28 flights weekly, mainly to and from Bangkok as well as seasonal flights between Phuket and Switzerland. In the past three years, we have strengthened our presence in Thailand by increasing our capacity with premium products and services. For example, we operated the world’s largest aircraft, the Airbus A380 as only European air line , flying between Bangkok and Fr ankfur t, and also introduced flights between Bangkok and our Munich hub, Europe’s only five-star air por t. It goes without saying that we strongly believe in Thailand returning to former strength once the Coronavirus crisis is over. With EEC initiatives in place, Thailand will have plenty of oppor tunities to thrive and to remain what it has always been: a highly attractive destination for traveler s and a highly attractive market for investment. That being said: we are ready to increase our flights in and out of Thailand as soon as the situation allows for it.
INTERVIEW 11
How has the aviation industry faced the Covid-19 impact and what are the current routes for Lufthansa Group’s commercial flights and flights connecting Thailand and Germany? We reacted swiftly. Our airlines with their passenger aircraft and our cargo business with its freighters play a crucial role in sustaining essential supply chains, keeping international trade alive, and reuniting people and cultures in this time of crisis. In other words: we and other airlines will continue to play our par t in helping the world to reconnect. In addition, we have to keep reassuring customers and governments alike that it is safe to travel by plane. But of course Covid-19 still has a profound impact on our industry. It will take airlines several years to return to pre-Covid-19 levels. Prior to the lockdown in Thailand, we maintained our flights to Frankfur t to ensure connecting Bangkok and Europe. Now we offer seven flights a week: two to Frankfurt, two to Vienna, and three to Zurich. In the coming months, we plan to increase our schedule to Bangkok at the discretion of the Thai government. Currently, our industry and thus economies worldwide are affected by governments’ travel restrictions. For example, In Thailand we have a situation that only some groups of people are allowed to enter the country. Even though they need to take a coronavirus test before departure, a two-week compulsory quarantine must follow. Obviously, only few people are eager to travel under these circumstances unless they really have to. It should be common sense that passengers tested negative twice – prior to departure and on arrival – should be allowed to enter a country without quarantine. That is why Lufthansa Group will continue to be deeply involved in the development of testing centers together with our partner Centogene. Test centers have been successfully put into operation at major German airpor ts in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Munich. For example, throughout summer 2020 more than 150,000 passengers at Frankfurt Airport underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing. Over a six-week period, only 1 percent of the samples were positive – this proves that regular air travel is not responsible for any increase in infection number s. Over 97 per cent of the test results were digitally transmitted to passengers in August 2020 in less than 24 hours. Furthermore, customers
“ Rapid testing instead of quarantine is the key to unlock air travel and therefore to support kick-starting economies again.” who had registered for the test in advance only had to wait about 20 minutes before being tested. Also, it has been documented that 2,000 chains of infection were broken thanks to testing at Frankfurt Airport. Of course, if someone tests positive before departure, they shouldn’t be allowed to travel. And if they test positive on arrival, a quarantine certainly makes sense. The next logical step are antigen rapid tests, delivering test results in half an hour or less. Since the beginning of September, a Lufthansa Group task force has been working on this topic at full throttle. For a good reason: Rapid testing instead of quarantine is the key to unlock air travel and therefore to support kick-starting economies again. What can passengers expect when taking Lufthansa Group flights? Apart from the comfort we offer our customers, we have industry-leading health and safety measures in place for all of our airlines that reduce the chance of contracting the virus during one of our flights to an absolute minimum. Among other things, because all Lufthansa Group aircraft are equipped with state-of-the-art HEPA filters that continuously clean cabin air: all recirculated air is filtered and cleaned of impurities such as dust, bacteria and viruses. This is done to 40 percent of cabin air, while 60 percent is added as fresh air from outside the aircraft. HEPA filter technology is also used in air conditioning systems for hospital operating rooms to create an almost sterile environment. Furthermore, all procedures and processes throughout the entire travel chain have been and will continue to be reviewed to guarantee the maximum safety of each and every one of our customers and will be based on the latest findings and hygiene standards of experts. Altogether, it is safe to say that Lufthansa Group airlines have always maintained the highest standards of safety and hygiene for their passengers – it’s at the core of our DNA. We already did a lot before the coronavirus crisis hit the world, and we will certainly continue to do so in these extraordinary times. What is Lufthansa Group’s revenue management strategy during the current crisis? Also, what other sources of revenue and belt-tightening measures has Lufthansa Group been using since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic? What we offer our customers is flexibility. For example, passengers can rebook all fares for Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines cost-free – as often as they wish. This applies worldwide to new bookings on short-, medium- and long-haul routes. We will also increase our focus on international leisure travel operated by Eurowings. But this does not necessarily mean that corporate travel will vanish: recent surveys show that companies see business travel as essential for the future. Financially, the Group had liquidity of 10.1 billion euros at its disposal at the end of September. This figure includes undrawn funds from the EUR 9 billion stabilization packages from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium. Out of those, 6.3 billion euros are still available. The Group is also in a position to withstand further burdens from the corona pandemic. Demand for air travel is expected to remain low in the coming winter months due to the global evolution of the pandemic and the associated travel restrictions. According to current planning, the Group’s airlines will only offer a maximum of 25 per cent of the previous year’s capacity in the fourth quarter to ensure that flight operations continue to generate a positive cash contribution. At the same time, Lufthansa Group is working intensively on restructuring measures in all business segments in order to achieve short and medium-term cost savings and minimize the operating cash outflow. Interview by Chadaphan Maliphan, GTCC Publications and Communications Manager
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12 AVIATION
Predicting the future of the Thai aviation industry Jürgen Supik
The current situation of the aviation business in Thailand is probably not much different to that in most other countries – devasted. It is difficult to imagine the time frame for when it will end and even more difficult to predict when exactly flying/travelling restrictions will be lifted. In the past, the most lethal viruses disappeared faster than the less lethal viruses, which had more opportunities to infect and adapt to different hosts. After all, a parasite’s goal is not to kill its host, just to profit from it. As in evolution, where there is a loser, there is also a winner ; therefore the aviation industry will not be eradicated. However, the damage is done already and, depending on the length of the worldwide restrictions, more or less bankruptcies, mergers and takeovers are likely to occur. Financially stricken weak companies will not survive in the short term, but the financially stronger companies will profit from the crisis and become even stronger.
“ It is now important for the Government to apply changes to the current PPP projects … to reflect reality and provide conditions that allow the most competitive aviation sector companies to survive at least through the year to come.” China and India have added 320 million children to the world population in the last 20 years, who will mature to reach their travelling age in the next few years. Adding South Asia to the equation, means there will be an additional 500 million “travel-keen youngsters” in the foreseeable future who can book their travel through their smar t phones (source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2019). At the same time, the mor tality rate is going down, older people are retiring earlier and travelling more, and people in Asia-Pacific region are living longer. This scenario compares to developing and procuring aviation infrastructure and equipment for 10 countries the size of Spain. However, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has predicted that global passenger traffic will not return to pre-Covid-19 levels until 2024. If there is not a major second wave in countries like China, Thailand and Vietnam, those countries with less Covid-19 cases will bounce back quicker, depending on the opening of international transport bubbles.
In the medium term, Thailand does not have to worry too much. It is in midst of the most densely populated region that has the world’s highest population growth rates. Even if growth rates are halved in the next decade, India and China combined will add another 80 million people to the population of Asia, the equivalent of the total German population.
In the near-future, infections in Thailand will be easier to control due to a much lower infection rate, more disciplined counter measures and the availability of testing kits, and ultimately the Covid-19 vaccine. As more people (compared to Europe) restrict their travelling needs, they will be keen to travel again once it becomes possible.
More important, however, is the fact that just
An additional two runways, a second Midfield Satellite – SAT2 – as well as another mirrored
UPDATE 4/2020
Thailand is prepared for the aviation travel resurgence. The new Midfield Satellite, SAT1, at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which was approximately 90 per cent complete at the end of July 2020, will add another 15 million annual passengers (MAP) to the existing capacity of 45 MAP.
AVIATION 13
Main Terminal on Bang Na Trad side will add up to a final capacity of 120 MAP. In addition, there is Don Muang Airport with 38 MAP and Utapao Airport, which is supposed to add another 12 MAP by 2025. As the financial power of the middle class, especially among the younger generation, in Asia is not too strong, it is predicted that the low-cost carriers will benefit more in the medium term from this development. Highly-indebted airlines or aviation companies will be downsized or even closed if not provided with Government support. The gap between low-cost travelling and upper-class travelling will further increase. In the short term, airport designers will have to go through a similar exercise as that in the 1980s when passengers started to use trollies and queuing distances doubled, in adhering to the same service standards.
account, the success of Thailand’s Aeropolis Plans for future airport expansion do not seem to be so unlikely, as some commentaries have predicted. Anyway, there is no question that in the short term some of the plans and some of the players will change. It is now important for the Government to apply changes to the current PPP projects (e.g., postponement of the maintenance centre construction, the adjustment of implementation plans etc.) to reflect reality and provide conditions that allow the most competitive aviation sector companies to survive at least through the year to come. If this can be achieved, the medium-term future for the Thai aviation industry will be bright. Dor sch Consult Thailand is cur rently supervising the construction of the new Midfield Satellite, SAT1, at Suvarnabhumi Airport as part of the SCS consortium. Also, construction supervision of the Suvarnabhumi Air por t’s existing main ter minal was supervised by a consortium led by Dorsch Consult Asia during 2003 to 2006. For more information see http://www.dorsch.co.th
Contact details: Jürgen Supik Chief Executive Officer Dorsch Consult Asia Co., Ltd. Tel. +66 2 679 8900 supik@dorsch.co.th http://www.dorsch.co.th
However, with the “new normal” situation now, there is a chance that distancing may be reversed once the virus disappears for good, similar to the disappearance of infrared cameras to check body temperature once the SARS virus disappeared. The scenario may be different for upper-class travellers who are willing to pay more for higher service and safety standards. In this case, Automated Guided Vehicles could pick up premium passengers at the curb side or in car parks, thereby adhering to the required social distancing, safety and security protocols, and taking the passengers automatically through all procedures until they arrive at the lounge, duty-free shop or departure gate. Taking the above population numbers into
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14 AVIATION
Crisis or opportunity Covid-19 and development of aircraft maintenance technicians Pramote Anunvrapong
To review the current and future aviation situation, it is impor tant to look back at the past, especially prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. A decade earlier, the aviation industr y experienced a ver y high rate of growth in all areas, par ticular ly in the passenger side, which grew by 5 to 6 per cent a year with the creation of new airlines, in every region until the aircraft manufacturing companies could barely keep up with the bookings. As a result, the delivery of each aircraft takes years. The number of planes in service around the world surged to more than 20,000 in 2019. However, that happened in the past, to which the industry is waiting for a return. At the end of 2019 an unexpected event happened – the appearance of the coronavirus, known as the Covid-19 pandemic, which escalated at the beginning of 2020. The pandemic has had an adverse effect on the
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aviation industry because of the panic caused among tourists and people travelling from affected areas. At the end of the first quarter of 2020, the outbreak began spreading rapidly, with many cities being placed in lockdown in many countries. As a result, international travel, especially for tourism, stopped abruptly in the second quarter of this year, which had a huge impact on the aviation industry – with the number of flights decreased to just 30 per cent of the flights in the previous year. The 2020 Covid-19 outbreak has had a serious negative impact on the global aviation industry. The tremendous decline in the number s of passenger s have made it impossible for the airlines to operate. In par ticular, air lines that mainly operate international flights have been affected much more seriously. It has been repor ted that airline bankruptcy filings continued in the middle of this year, and many airlines were
facing possible bankruptcy because of the lack of financial liquidity to continue their business. Many airlines that are still in business have taken measures to cut costs by decreasing the salary of all personnel as well as creating incentives to accept resignations or leave without pay. Some airlines stopped paying salaries because they had no work, but retained their contracts pending the recovery of the industry. The current situation has remained the same at the end of the third quarter of this year. The Covid-19 pandemic has escalated. The number of infected people worldwide has exceeded 30 million. Some countries are experiencing second and third outbreaks. Consequently, international travel is still seriously disr upted, together with the economic recession, the tourism industry has been severely affected. Looking back, the aviation industry is beginning to see some
AVIATION 15
“ In accordance with the new law, most legally licensed aircraft maintenance technicians need to be trained and tested in the new standards set during law transition‌ Therefore, this transition period provides an excellent opportunity for the educational institutions concerned to be upgraded to ATO (Approved Training Organization) status, with international standardised courses and personnel...â€? improvements, but only in the domestic aviation segment which has improved over the second quarter. The number of flights have returned to 50 per cent of that recorded in the same period of 2019 (most of which have been domestic flights). However, if any countries experience a new outbreak, cities will be placed under lockdown again and again. As a result, the future of aircraft maintenance technicians in Thailand is both critical and an oppor tunity. The crisis caused by the contraction of the industr y has greatly reduced the workload due to the huge decrease in the number of flights. This has resulted in a major decline in the demand for aircraft maintenance technicians. However, given the existing number of aircr aft maintenance technicians in the system, it is still not an overwhelming problem because before the Covid-19 pandemic, many airlines still needed more aircraft maintenance technicians. In addition, the educational institutions that produce graduates in this field are very few compared with the need to cope with the existing workload. The crisis of aircraft maintenance technicians may therefore be less serious compared to other jobs in the same area of business. On the other hand, the oppor tunity now exists for upgrading aircraft maintenance technicians into highly-skilled repair technicians
in line with international standards. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) drafted a new, more internationally-related aviation law. In accordance with the new law, most legally licensed aircraft maintenance technicians need to be trained and tested in the new standards set during law transition. In the past, many airlines had expected it to be difficult to develop scheduled aircraft maintenance technicians as most were over loaded with wor k, which means application of the new law will take two to three years. Therefore, during that period, the training courses and examinations for maintenance technicians to earn the new legal license can be introduced immediately and effectively. This will help to strengthen the application of the law and improve domestic aviation standards in the future. Therefore, this transition period provides an excellent opportunity for the educational institutions concerned to be upgraded to ATO (Approved Training Organization) status, with international standardised courses and personnel, according to the CAAT. These institutions will then provide a sufficient number of training centres to support the training for upgrading existing aircraft maintenance technicians as well as produce a new generation of technicians with
international standards. The recovery of the airline industry, following the end of the Covid-19 crisis may take one to two years. By that time, Thailand will have become the leader in regional aircraft maintenance by highly-skilled aircraft maintenance technicians in accordance with international standards. The country will then be ready to operate as an aircraft maintenance hub, as defined in development plans, with the operation of related organizations such as the U-Tapao Aircraft Maintenance Centre and a factory for manufacturing aircraft par ts, which are being set up as an additional production base in Thailand.
Contact details: Pramote Anunvrapong Assistant Professor and Instructor Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep (Former Dean at Faculty of Engineering and Former Accountable Manager Part 147@UTK) Tel: +66 2 287 9600 Ext. 7094 pramote.a@mail.rmutk.ac.th https://eng-ete.rmutk.ac.th
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16 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES From 1 July to 25 September 2020, the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC) organised seven physical events and five virtual events.
1. Physical events
GTCC Ice Breaker Networking Welcome Back! GTCC received overwhelming responses to its first physical networking event after Thailand’s relaxation of lockdown measures. GTCC Icebreaker Networking: Welcome Back! was held on Thursday, 16 July 2020 at the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Bangkok Menam Riverside. This event would not have been possible and successful without the great support given by venue partner Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Bangkok Menam Riverside as well as event partners Mazars Thailand and Serenity Wines Asia.
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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 17
GTCC Stammtisch Bangkok GTCC’s first physical GTCC Stammtisch Bangkok of this year was organised on 20 August 2020 at Bei Otto Restaurant and it was fully booked. The Chamber greatly appreciates Bei Otto Restaurant’s support for the venue and providing the lucky draw prizes. This year, Bei Otto has been one of the GTCC’s long-time members, having been a member for 25 years this year. Also, thanks are due to another long-time GTCC member, KCG Corporation, for par ticipating in this event with their delicious dairy products.
GTCC Multi-Chamber Executive Breakfast Talk: “Companies in distress – how to avoid personal liability as a director?” Covid-19 has had an adverse impact on many businesses in Thailand, and multinational companies may decide to wind down operations or at least reduce their financial exposure. These actions come with certain risks for such companies’ directors. Experts from the international law firm Lorenz & Partners Co., Ltd., Mr. Till Morstadt and Mrs. Athitaya Chanthasirichot explained the risks existing under Thai law and showed ways to mitigate such risks at #GTCCBreakfastTalk “Companies in distress – how to avoid personal liability as a director?” organised on 25 August 2020 at the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel. Dr. Roland Wein, GTCC Executive Director, delivered opening remarks to the 45 participants. Thanks are due to Advantage Austria and Swiss-Thai Chamber of Commerce for co-branding the event. Mr. Günther Sucher, Commercial Counsellor of Advantage Austria at the Austrian Embassy, Bangkok and Mr. David Stauffacher, new Executive Director of Swiss Thai Chamber of Commerce also participated in the vent.
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18 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES
GTCC European Wine Dinner The Chamber is very grateful for the support of GTCC members, partners, guests and friends in making the GTCC European Wine Dinner on 28 August 2020, very successful. The European Wine Dinner took them on a journey to Europe through a crafted four-course dinner, paired with a fine selection of premium wines, in an elegant and spectacular atmosphere of the Pacific City Club. GTCC President Mr. Andreas Richter opened the event with welcoming remarks to the participants following the wine and cheese tasting reception. German wine was among the European wines served at the dinner, especially Germany’s globally popular white wines produced with many grape varieties, such as Riesling. Mr. Joe Sriwarin, Founder and President of the Thailand Sommelier Association, also joined the dinner during which he provided a brief introduction to the European wines served to the guests. The great suppor t provided by Global Wines & More , KCG Cor por ation and Serenity Wines for providing the delicious food and beverages is highly appreciated.
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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 19
GTCC Round Table on HR: “Challenges of the New Reality Post-Lockdown” Dynamic peer-to-peer discussions on “Challenges of the New Reality PostLockdown” at GTCC Round Table on HR took place on 24 September 2020 at GTCC Office. We appreciate the active participation of GTCC members and the moderation by Mr. Tom Sorensen, Managing Partner at Tom Sorensen (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
GTCC Multi-Chamber Eastern Seaboard Seminar The GTCC Multi-Chamber Eastern Seaboard Seminar with Lorenz & Partners (L&P) was held on 25 September 2020 at the Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa. GTCC appreciates the great interest shown by the participants as well as the support given by seven participating Chambers of Commerce that made the seminar successful. Thanks are due to the experts from L&P, Mr. Till Morstadt and Mrs. Athitaya Chanthasirichot, for sharing with the guests their insights on the important topic of “Companies in distress – how to avoid personal liability as a director?” in these difficult times.
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20 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES
GTCC Multi-Chamber Eastern Seaboard Networking GTCC, in co-operation with seven foreign Chamber s of Commerce in Thailand organised an Eastern Seaboard networking event on 25 September 2020. In the excellent ambiance of the Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa, GTCC members, guests and friends enjoyed connecting with relevant contacts of their industries and the breath-taking sunset view, followed by opening remarks from GTCC Board member Ms. Waranya Pratumtin. GTCC would like to thank Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa for the fantastic venue and to the par ticipating chambers of commerce for their great support.
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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 21
2. Virtual webinars The Chamber organised 10 webinars to share information about the latest developments with regard to Thailand’s legal aspects, health and business continuation during the Covid-19 pandemic, together with digital marketing, human resources and aviation aspects. The webinars are listed below. Dates 14 July 2020
Topics GTCC Webinar: “Impacts on Cash Flow & Business Valuation”
Hosts Mr. Prasen Chakraborty Head of Financial Advisory Services, Mazars Thailand
23 July 2020 GTCC Webinar: “Thai government’s Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) programme”
Mr. Prin Pathanatham Executive Assistant Manager Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok
30 July 2020 GTCC Webinar: “Blockchain Technology in Supply Chains”
Dr. Thomas Fernandez Director, Logistics of Fair & Easy Co., Ltd.
9 September 2020 GTCC Webinar: “Navigating Uncertain Times – Hospitality in 2021”
Mr. Karan Kaul Vice -President – Business Development Absolute Hotel Services Group
3. Virtual conference Within the framework of the German Energy Solutions Initiative suppor ted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the GTCC in co-operation with eclareon GmbH organised a successful virtual conference on the topic of “Energy Efficiency in Buildings (including Solar Rooftop)” on 22 September 2020. Featuring a total of five German company presentations, several exclusive contributions from German and Thai experts as well as recording more than 60 participants, the virtual conference has driven the momentum of the cooperation between Thai and German companies in the field of energy efficiency even further. During the course of the week, GTCC also organised business-tobusiness meetings, both online and offline, for the five par ticipating German companies to explore potential business oppor tunities in Thailand.
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22 GTDEE INSIGHT
Webinar on securing high-quality skilled labourers through dual vocational projects On 1 July 2020, the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC) hosted a webinar on “securing high-quality skilled labourers through dual vocational projects” for GTCC members, both for public and private enterprises. GTCC Executive Director Dr. Roland Wein gave welcoming remarks to the participants. CIM Integrated Exper t and German-Thai Dual Excellent Education (GTDEE) Project Director, Mr. Markus Hoffmann, was the moderator of the webinar. The webinar was aimed at introducing the co-operation and partnership between the GTCC, the GTDEE programme, and private and public institutions, for the industr y in Thailand. The key speakers invited to the webinars were: Mr. Wichit Tangwongcheunsuk, Training Manager of BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd.; Francis Wichai Srisura, Senior Advisor for Dual Vocational Education and Training (DVET) of Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok; and Dr. Noppadol Piyatrapoomi, Director-
Mr. Markus Hoffmann
Mr. Wichit Tangwongcheunsuk
Dr. Noppadol Piyatrapoomi
Francis Wichai Srisura
General of the Thailand Professional Qualification Institute (TPQI) (public organisation). The highlights of the discussion included: • The development of qualified automotive mechatronics technicians in the GTDEE programme; • Apprenticeship programme collaboration between GTDEE, colleges and companies in automotive mechatronics and mechatronics professions; • Co-certification between the GTCC and the TPQI on the mechatronics profession.
Meeting on the preparation of the PAL final examination for apprentices batch 2018 in automotive mechatronics, level A included: BMW Qualification and Training Manager, Mr. Wichit Tangwongcheunsuk, and Senior Technical Trainers, Mr. Natthapong Lorpisanchai and Mr. Kriskorn Kraichinda; and College of Industrial Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Nor th Bangkok (KMUTNB) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chedthawut Poompipatpong, Asst. Prof. Dr. Warit Thammasiriroj and Asst. Prof. Direk Choowichien.
On 3 July 2020, GTDEE team members Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Senior Manager, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom and Manager, Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade participated in a meeting with Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Co., Ltd.’s Senior Training Manager, Mr. Prawit Muang-Im and Senior Technical Trainer, Mrs. Vorrarat Ketkrai. The other participants
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The discussion mainly focused on the preparation for the PAL final examination for the apprentices’ batch 2018 in automotive mechatronics, level A (German dual vocational education and training abroad). The meeting was organised at the Mercedes-Benz Competence Centre, Bangna-Trad Road, km. 19.
GTDEE INSIGHT 23
Meeting on sharing knowledge for preparation of the mechatronics programme and implementation of project-based learning at Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok On 3 July 2020, Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom participated in a meeting at Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok with representatives of the International
Cooperation Bureau, Strategic and Planning Bureau and Private Vocational Education Bureau under Thailand‘s Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC); T hailand P ro fe s s io nal Q ual ifica t ion Institute (Public Organisation)’s Officer, Mr. Watcharapong Wilaiwong and his team; Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok’s Senior Advisor, Dual Vocational Education and Tr aining (DVET), Fr ancis Wichai Srisura and relevant teachers; and Eastern Technological College (E.Tech) head of Industrial depar tment, Mr. Narongkorn Seejan and his team. The meeting focused on knowledge sharing on the preparation of the mechatronics programme and implementation of projectbased learning at Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok.
Intensive course for PAL final examination in automotive mechatronics On 7 July 2020, GTDEE members Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom organised an intensive course for BMW apprentices batch 2018 in automotive mechatronics, level A (German dual vocational education and training abroad) as part of the preparation for the PAL final examination 2020 (practical), which was held on 8 and 9 July 2020. The students who attended the course were from Chitralada Technology Institute, Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok and Eastern Technological College. Fur thermore, Asst. Prof. Direk Choowichien, a lecturer at the College of Industrial Technology, KMUTNB, was invited to participate as a special instructor. The event took place at the BMW Group (Thailand) Training Centre, Pathum Thani.
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24 GTDEE INSIGHT
PAL final examination 2020 (practical) GTDEE team members Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom and Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade organised the PAL final examination 2020 (practical) in automotive mechatronics for BMW apprentices batch 2018 from 8 to 9 July 2020. The examination was held at the BMW Group (Thailand) Training Centre, Pathum Thani. The examination committee comprised the following exper ts from the College of Industrial Technology, KMUTNB: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chedthawut Poompipatpong, head of the depar tment of power engineering technology; Asst. Prof. Dr. Warit Thammasiriroj and Asst. Prof. Direk Choowichien, instructors from the department of power engineering technology.
Meeting on preparations for the AdA International-Train the Trainer workshop (full version) for the Thai-German Pre-engineering school, KMUTNB On 13 July 2020, GTDEE member s Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom par ticipated in a meeting with Asst. Prof. Dr. Saowakhon Khunnawut, Director of Thai-German Pre-engineering school, KMUTNB on preparations for the AdA International-Train the Trainer workshop (full version). The workshop will be organised from November 2020 to February 2021 for teachers at Thai-German Pre-engineering school. The meeting was held at the school.
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GTDEE INSIGHT 25
Introduction of the PAL interim examination in mechatronics for apprentices, level B On 16 July 2020, GTDEE member s Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom and Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade organised a meeting on the introduction of the PAL interim examination in mechatronics for apprentices batch 2019, level B (local dual VET in line with the German model) as part of the mechatronics development project at Eastern Technological College (E.Tech). The examination will be held in August 2020 at Eastern Technological College (E.Tech).
Meeting on future co-operation on the BMW Service Apprentice Programme, under the GTDEE apprenticeship programme On 22 July 2020, GTDEE member s Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom par ticipated in a meeting, which was focused on cooperation for the BMW Ser vice Apprentice Programme, under GTDEE apprenticeship programme, with: BMW Group (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Manager, Qualification and Training, Mr. Wichit Tangwongcheunsuk and Senior Technical Tr ainer, Mr. Kr iskor n Kr aichinda; and Bangkaewfa Industrial and Community Education College Director, Dr. Weera Thongprait, Mr. Yiemsak Rattanamahun, Head of Dual Vocational Education in automotive mechatronics, Mr. Somchai Karom and teachers of cooperation depar tment. The meeting was held at Bangkaewfa Industrial and Community Education College.
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26 GTDEE INSIGHT
Visit BMW dealership On 22 July 2020, GTDEE member s Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom, together with BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Manager, Qualification and Training, Mr. Wichit Tangwongcheunsuk and Senior Technical Trainer, Mr. Kriskorn Kraichinda, visited the BMW dealership at Platino Motor, Nakhon Pathom. The dealership is one of the training locations for BMW apprentices batch 2020.
Meeting on preparations for the PAL interim examination in mechatronics
On 23 July 2020, Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom par ticipated in a meeting with Eastern Technological College (E.Tech) Deputy Director, Vocational Education, Dr. Samruay Mahaphram, and
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head of the industry department, Mr. Narongkorn Seejan, to discuss on preparations for the PAL interim examination in mechatronics for the 26 apprentices of batch 2019, level B (Local dual VET in line with the German model) under the mechatronics development project. The GTDEE team also talked with the apprentices about the examination. The meeting took place at Eastern Technological College (E.Tech).
GTDEE INSIGHT 27
PAL final examination 2020 (practical) GTDEE team members Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom, Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade and Project Manager Mr. Anon Siharat organised the PAL final examination
2020 (practical) in automotive mechatronics, which was held from 29 to 30 July 2020, for the 10 Mercedes-Benz apprentices batch 2018, level A (German dual vocational education and training (VET) abroad) at the Mercedes-Benz Competence Centre, Bangna-Trad Road, km 19. The apprentices attending the examination were from Samut Prakan Technical College, Eastern Technological College (E.Tech), Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok and Don Bosco Technological College Banpong. The examination committee comprised the following exper ts from the College of Industrial Technology, KMUTNB: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chedthawut Poompipatpong, Head of the Depar tment of Power Engineering Te c h n o l o g y ; A s s t . P r o f . D r. W a r i t Thammasir iroj; and Asst. Prof. Direk Choowichien.
PAL final examination 2020 (theoretical) On 31 July 2020, GTDEE team members Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom, Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade, Mr. Anon Siharat and Assistant Ms. Apinya Amporn organised the PAL final examination 2020 (theoretical) in automotive mechatronics for Mercedes-Benz and BMW apprentices batch 2018, level A (German dual vocational education and training (VET) abroad).
comprised of Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom and Ms. Apinya Amporn, was responsible for the BMW apprentices at Eastern Technological College (E.Tech). Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade was responsible for the Mercedes-Benz apprentices at the Mercedes-Benz Competence Centre (MBCC), Bangna-Trad Road, Km. 19 MBCC as second team. Lastly, Mr. Anon Siharat was responsible for the BMW apprentices at the GTCC office.
The 20 participating apprentices, comprising 10 from Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Co., Ltd., and 10 from BMW Group (Thailand) Co., Ltd., were from Chitrala Technology Institute, Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok and Don Bosco Technological College Banpong, Eastern Technological College (E.Tech), and Samut Prakan Technical College attended the examination. The examination, which was held at three locations which supervised by three GTDEE team members. The first team, which was
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28 BUSINESS BRIEFS
Bumrungrad – first hospital to achieve Certification of Conformance for Medical Travel Bumrungrad International Hospital is the first hospital in the world to be awarded the Certification of Conformance with Covid-19 Guidelines for Medical Travel Programs by the Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) Program for Medical Travel Services. The GHA Program For Medical Travel Services issued the free guidelines in early July of this year to assist organizations in the medical tourism and health tourism sector in seeking to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 infection for both domestic and travelling patients and their companions. The guidelines are unique in that they focus on the entire care continuum, including providing guidance for travel, interactions with healthcare organisation, hotels and ground transportation. Ms. Artirat Charukitpipat, Bumrungrad’s Chief Executive Officer, explained that “from the very start of the spread of the coronavirus, Bumrungrad moved quickly to implement internal as well as national and international protocols and guidelines designed to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 infection for patients and staff ”. “While the pandemic continues to be an ongoing challenge, I am extremely proud of the work our entire team has done, and continues to do, to keep patients and staff safe. Achieving
GHA’s Cer tification of Conformance with Covid-19 Guidelines for Medical Travel Programs is a very important step for us to help increase patient trust in our medical travel services and to validate the work we are doing to keep medical travelers safe during this difficult time.”
IMPACT’s 11 restaurants awarded Amazing Thailand Safety & Health Administration certificate The 11 restaurants managed by IMPACT were recently awarded Amazing Thailand Safety & Health Administration (SHA) certificates. The SHA certification project , which is the result of co-operation between the Ministry of Tourism and Spor ts and the Ministry of Public Health, aims to elevate Thailand’s tourism industry standards and make sure that the industry’s players are in line with the health and sanitation requirements. This project will help to accelerate recovery in the tourism sector as the Covid-19 situation in Thailand continues to ease. Among the restaurants that passed the evaluation are Breeze Café and Bar, Terrazza, and Retro Bar & Café. IMPACT is also delighted to announce that the IMPACT Speed Park also passed the evaluation. The best and biggest news is that the IMPACT Arena, Exhibition and Convention Centre has also received the SHA certification.
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BUSINESS BRIEFS 29
Krones has won the German Packaging Award 2020 in the “Sustainability” category
On 25 August 2020, the German Packaging Institute announced the German Packaging Award 2020 winners. Both Krones AG and its subsidiary, Dekron, now look forward to receiving an award in the “Sustainability”
category. The prize-winning entry involves a beverage bottle, the design and lifecycle of which were comprehensively created in accordance with sustainability criteria.
A tethered cap was selected for the closure. This cap remains firmly attached to the body of the bottle after opening and thus meets the requirements of EU directive 2019/904.
Both the bottle and all of the related technologies are already available as marketable products. With the “3 Circles” bottle, all of the individual elements and its entire lifecycle were designed to be sustainable. It is made from 100 per cent recycled PET and it can becompletely recycled again after use.
The internationally adver tised German Packaging Prize is sponsored by the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, and is viewed as being Europe’s greatest performance showcase in the field of packaging.
Instead of having a label which normally cannot be recycled, the bottle is decorated using a digital direct print. The inks used here dissolve in the recycling process without leaving any residues, meaning that the bottle material can be used once again in subsequent lifecycles of food packaging without loss.
According to the German Packaging Institute, the variety of submissions was the greatest ever and the quality of innovations was at a very high level. The competition is open to companies, individuals and institutions, both domestic and abroad. The submitted entries are assessed by an independent jury. The 22 members originate from the industrial, trade, branded product and research sectors.
SPACE-F showcases food-tech startup Batch I on “Demo Day” The National Innovation Agency (Public Organization (NIA), together with Thai Union Group PCL (Thai Union) and Mahidol University hosted the ‘SPACE-F Batch 1 Incubator Demo Day’ on 8 September 2020 to showcase incubator startups under the first food-tech incubator and accelerator programme in Thailand and South East Asia. Seven startups participated in the SPACE-F Demo Day: Anrich3D (3D-printed food for personalized nutrition); Let’s Plant Meat (a plant-based meat suitable for Asian food); Ar tificial Anything (EIS) (an IoT sensor for beverage manufacturing); Qualifresh (temperature sensor for food storage and transpor tation); Advanced Green Farm (cultivation technology for premium-grade Wolffia globosa or ‘phum’, a high protein vegetable); More Meat (a plant-based meat delivered directly to restaurants and consumers); and Sesamilk (an alternative milk made from sesame). SPACE-F announced earlier that Thai Beverage PLC (ThaiBev), Betagro Group and Deloitte had joined the programme this year.
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30 MEMBERS’ CORNER
New GTCC members up to 30 September 2020
German-Thai Chamber of Commerce warmly welcomes 13 new members
ALPLA Packaging (Thailand) Ltd.
Kamalaya Koh Samui
Mr. Bernd Wachter Managing Director South East Asia bernd.wachter@alpla.com www.alpla.com Manufacture of rubber and plastic products
Mr. John Stewart Chairman Ms. Barbara Woinke Public Relations Manager pr@kamalaya.com https://www.kamalaya.com/ Accommodation | Food and beverage service activities
Constant Energy Services (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Khun Kanin Silpa-Archa
Mr. Markus Ganterer Chief Financial Officer Mr. Franck Constant CEO markus@constantenergy.net www.constantenergy.net Electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply
Head of Business Development SEA Dornier Group GmbH kanin.silpa-archa@suntrace.de
E-TECH College
Ms. Katja Ruethemann
Dr. Prasert Klinchoo Director Dr. Samruay Mahapram Deputy Director of Professional Affairs e-tech@e-tech.ac.th www.e-tech.ac.th Education
Founder & CEO of Revstar katja@revstar.com
Hyatt Regency Hua Hin and THE BARAI
Mr. Lars Gahtow
Mr. Christian Wurm General Manager Ms. Jaclyn Yong Director of Sales and Marketing huahin.regency@hyatt.com www.hyattregencyhuahin.com Accommodation | Food and beverage service activities
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Strategic Management Consultant lgahtow@gmail.com
MEMBERS’ CORNER 31
Linfox M Logistics (Thailand) Ltd.
Webasto Japan Co., Ltd.
Mr. Kraisar Gilitwala Business Development Director Mr. Sajid Mohammed Iqbal Country Manager Thailand Kraisar_Gilitwala@linfox.com www.linfox.com Land transport and transport via pipelines | Warehousing and support activities for transportation
Mr. Bruce Pierce President Webasto Japan Mr. Joerg Sandmann President Region Asia Pacific - Webasto Group www.webasto.com Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers
Mr. Marc Deschamps
Wine Pro Co., Ltd.
Senior Consultant and Executive Coach/Trainer Hansen Beck marc.deschamps@hansenbeck.com
Mr. Erik Cornetet Director Ms. Aurelie Abbinanti Marketing Manager keyaccountmgrbkk2@winepro.co.th www.winepro.co.th Food and beverage service activities
Miskawaan Health Group Limited Mr. Henning Kalwa Deputy CEO Mr. David Philip Boehm CEO contact@miskawaanhealth.com https://www.miskawaanhealth.com/ Human health activities
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32 TRADE FAIRS
electronica 2020 to be held digitally 10-13 November 2020, Munich Messe München is organizing the world’s leading trade fair and conference for electronics as a vir tual event this year. The current travel restrictions in Europe, which are becoming more stringent, have required rethinking the planning. The digital format for electronica in November will give exhibitors the oppor tunity to book digital trade fair booths; in addition, electronica virtual will provide all customers with other ways to interact and network. A large portion of the conference and supporting programme will also be available digitally. New developments related to the coronavirus pandemic prompted Messe München’s decision to hold electronica as a virtual event this year. Given the travel restrictions that have been imposed by a large number of visitor and exhibitor countries, electronica would have lost its character as a worldleading trade fair if it had been held as an in-person event in November. The virtual format of electronica will provide the electronics industry with a platform for global industry discussions in November. Its opportunities will include virtual trade fair booths, which will enable exhibitors to continue to communicate with their international customers and to sell them on their products and solutions. The virtual event will be complemented by a digital
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conference and suppor ting programme. Individual conversations and panel discussions on trend topics such as the automotive industry, embedded systems, IIoT, 5G, medical electronics and smart energy will be available online. More details on electronica are available at https://electronica.de/en/. For further information, please contact GTCC’s official representative for Messe München GmbH in Thailand, Ms. Patamaporn Wasuwat, by tel: +66 2 055 0641 or by e-mail at muenchen@gtcc.org.
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International Green Week 2021 to take place as a B2B event January 2021, Berlin
The International Green Week is to take place in January 2021 as an exclusive B2B event without the general public. The reason for this change is the coronavirus pandemic. Since 1926 the IGW has been a one-of-a-kind international exhibition of the food, agriculture and gardening industr ies. IGW, which originates from the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), is where more than 80 international ministries and food producers meet – their displays reveal the fascinating world of the food and beverage industries. IGW has always been very important as an industry event that brings together highranking players from the food and farming industries – whether at its many symposiums, specialist seminars, conferences and discussion forums or at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), where international ministers, institutions and non-governmental organisations in particular exchange views on the pressing issues concerning the world‘s food supplies. The German Farmers’ Union (DBV) and the Federation of German Food and Drink Industries (BVE), the non-commercial sponsors of the event, as well as the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture are currently working on the concept and topics of the 86th International Green Week. GFFA, which is organized by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), will take place from 18 to 22 January 2021 in digital form. The slogan will be “Pandemics and climate change: How to feed the world”. Messe Berlin is also establishing a safety and hygiene concept that takes the latest developments into account and is being coordinated with the relevant public health authorities. More information about International Green Week can be found at https://www.gruenewoche. de/en/ or by contacting GTCC’s official representative for Messe Berlin GmbH in Thailand, Ms. Patamaporn Wasuwat, by tel: +66 2 055 0641 or by e-mail at berlin@gtcc.org.
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DOMOTEX 2021: Postpones from January to May 2021 and develops digital presentation formats 20-22 May 2021, Hannover
Although two-thirds of the DOMOTEX 2021 exhibition space – about 62,000 square metres – had already been booked and a comprehensive hygiene concept had been developed to comply with COVID-19 safety regulations, Deutsche Messe AG has decided to postpone the event to 20-22 May 2021. The show was originally scheduled to take place from 15 to 18 January 2021. The reasons for the postponement are based on the latest developments regarding the worldwide rampant COVID-19 pandemic as well as the fact that clients, exhibitors and visitors have asked for DOMOTEX to be held at a later date. DOMOTEX is now planning a digital conference to take place on 15 January 2021, the show’s original start date. The wide international reach and the high calibre of visitors, such as top decision makers, are considered to be among the core benefits of DOMOTEX, the leading trade show for carpets and floor coverings. In January 2020, 70 per cent of visitors to DOMOTEX came from abroad and more than 80 per cent of the exhibitors represented more than 60 countries. As every year, the flooring industry came together in Hannover.
UPDATE 4/2020
However, the latest development of the COVID-19 pandemic is a rise in infection rates again ever ywhere. Many countries have introduced strict travel and quarantine regulations, and it is impossible to predict how long these regulations will be in place. There is also a general hesitation to travel abroad and it is not foreseeable as to when people will feel safe to travel again. On the positive side, there is the prospect that a vaccine may be available by the end of this year. It has also become clear from the many discussions held with stakeholders that there is a need for complementary digital formats in order to respond to the rapidly rising number of online channels in the flooring industry and to establish an international, neutral platform under the name of DOMOTEX. Therefore, DOMOTEX 2021 will take place from Thursday to Saturday, 20-22 May) as a hybrid event – a physcal show complemented by virtual formats. Visitors who, for differing reasons, will not be able to travel in May, will thus at least have an option to participate digitally. For exhibitors, the hybrid format also guarantees the wide international reach for which DOMOTEX is known – physically, in the exhibition halls, and digitally, using new presentation formats to generate an even wider reach. The German-Thai Chamber of Commerce, as the official representative for Deutsche Messe in Thailand, is ready to provide additional information and to answer inquiries regarding DOMOTEX 2021 by tel: 66 2-055-0643 or by e-mail at services@gtcc.org.
