CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

Fifth GTCC Open Forum

GTCC strongly supports its members in staying connected. Another successful Open Forum was organised on 21 September 2021. Opened by Dr. Roland Wein, GTCC Executive Director, the fifth Open Forum was moderated by Mr. Oliver Schnatz, Director, GTCC Board of Directors. Among several topics the Thailand’s opening plan was also fruitfully discussed. Therefore, a quick survey on the period for reopening Thailand was conducted and the results showed that Q1/2022 was the most possible timing rated by the majority of the participating members. The forum concluded with two rounds of enjoyable speed networking.

GTCC Webinar on Blockchain with integrationWork Asia

Blockchain technology offers a lot of benefits and different adoption possibilities. It can potentially be implemented and adapted in different types of business to solve problems and improve business efficiency.

At the GTCC Webinar on “Taking your next step towards business innovation with blockchain: A guidance for adoption” on 28 September 2021, speaker Jana Bulkin from integrationWork Asia provided the overview and insights into the blockchain technology to about 40 participants.

GTCC Webinar Thai-speaking session by GTCC HR Committee

GTCC’s first Thai-speaking webinar “COVID-19 pandemic practical guides for senior executives and HR leaders” by the GTCC HR Committee was very well received on 5 October 2021 with an engaging Q&A session.

Following the opening remarks by Mr. Tom Sorensen, Chair of the GTCC HR Committee/Managing Partner at Tom Sorensen (Thailand) Co., Ltd., speaker Mr. Wichai Somboonchokpisal, Partner at Mazars (Thailand) Co., Ltd. shared practical guidelines for wage adjustments, practices based on work-from-home and staff relocation, an employer’s medical liability and an employee’s paid sick leave in the case of Covid-19, the requirement for an employee’s vaccinations, Social Security Office (SSO) measures as well as cases of temporary/permanent business closures, and disputes due to employment termination.

GTCC CAI Webinar Series MAN – solutions for cleaner air

The shipping industry, which is one of many sectors that cause air pollution, contributes about 2.5% of greenhouse gas emissions. However, there is wide range of German innovations and technologies for decarbonization and reducing emissions to fight against climate change.

The fourth webinar in the “GTCC Clean Air Initiative Series – Green Solutions from German” was held on 12 October 2021. Speakers Mr. Viktor Brickmann, Head of High-Speed APAC, and Mr. Alexander Feindt, Global Business Development Manager (Marine Four-Stroke) at MAN Energy Solutions, shared their views and innovative solutions for improving air quality and contributing to lower emissions in shipping and industry with MAN’s marine and industrial technologies.

GTCC Executive Director Dr. Roland Wein delivered the opening remarks and shared an update that WHO had cut its recommended limits for air pollution. For example, an annual average exposure to the harmful pollutants smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) has been reduced from 10 to 5 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m 3 ).

Sixth GTCC Open Forum

The sixth GTCC Open Forum organised on 19 October 2021 was moderated by Mr. Stefan Molnar, Director, GTCC Board of Directors. The forum covered several topics including a “Post-pandemic business travelling plan and future work models”. Many companies appear to be slowly getting back to working in the office. The majority of the participating members plan to resume 50% of the business travel, according to the flash poll conducted at the forum. Moreover, many companies also plan to establish new policies for a more flexible combination of working from home and working at the office. Some of forum participants are also preparing to seek new employees. The participants also enjoyed two rounds of speed-networking at the end of the forum.

GTCC Executive Breakfast Talk with Luther on the "German Supply Chain Act"

At a GTCC Breakfast Talk, organised on 26 October 2021 at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, the "German Supply Chain Act" and the implications on businesses in Thailand were discussed by Mr. Fabian Lorenz, Rechtsanwalt, Attorney-at-Law (Germany), INC Corporate Services (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a partner firm of Luther. He shared his insights with the participants about the preparation for the new German law, which will come into force on 1 January 2023, following the adoption by the German Parliament of the draft Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains on 11 June 2021. The participants enjoyed direct communications with the speaker as well as in-person exchanges under the COVID-19 safety measures at GTCC’s first physical event held since March 2021.

GTCC Webinar with Bumrungrad International Hospital

A practical guide on how to improve health and adjust to a healthier lifestyle and prevention of lifestyle diseases was shared at the “GTCC Webinar: Uncover preventable lifestyle diseases with integrative medicine and wellbeing” on 27 October 2021.

GTCC Webinar: Because Education Matters – The Swiss-German School in Bangkok

A multilingual curriculum provides children with language skills and an understanding of values that ideally prepares them for a global and local future. At a GTCC Webinar on “Because Education Matters – The Swiss-German School in Bangkok” on 2 November 2021, the RIS Swiss Section’s Deutschsprachige Schule Bangkok Principal, Mr. Christian Vogel, and President, Mr. Knut Sierotzki provided an overview of the benefits of the school's multilingual curriculum – founded on the authentic values of Switzerland, Germany and Austria – and the school's expansion project. Student perspectives were shared by two alumni of the RIS Swiss Section, Christian Hug and Tom Friedrichs.

Located on the campus of its partner, Ruamrudee International School, the RIS Swiss Section – Deutschsprachige Schule Bangkok is the only school in Asia offering all school levels from pre-kindergarten to the Swiss Matura.

GTCC Clean Air Initiative Webinar with Mercedes-Benz Thailand

'An emission-free fleet of vehicles' is Mercedes-Benz's vision for the future. Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to climate protection and a systematic move towards sustainable mobility was the focus at GTCC’s fifth webinar in the "GTCC Clean Air Initiative Series – Green Solutions from Germany" on 9 November 2021. The subject was discussed by Mr. Björn Gustrau, Vice-President, Marketing and Sales, Mercedes-Benz Thailand and Vietnam. The event was opened by Mr. Andreas Richter, GTCC CAI Working Group Chair/Director, GTCC Board of Directors.

With the aim of making its fleet of new cars CO₂-neutral by 2039, Mercedes-Benz’s major steps include introducing an additional series of electric vehicles (EV) in the Thai market, and the launch of the "Charge to Change" initiative in 2020 to encourage the use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). An additional step was taken with the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) for closer co-operation on e-mobility, such as charging station development, mobile application platforms, further research on EV topics to make a positive environmental change, and the reduction of PM 2.5 pollution which will improve the long-term wellbeing of people.

Seventh GTCC Open Forum

The final GTCC Open Forum of 2021 was held on 16 November 2021 and was moderated by Mr. Marcus Grundke, Director, GTCC Board of Directors. The Forum introduced the newly appointed GTCC Acting President, Khun Waranya Pratumtin, Director of International Sales at Thai Switchboard and Metal Work Co., Ltd., and two new members of the GTCC Board of Directors – Khun Thira Nuntametha, Senior Representative of Commerzbank AG Representative Office Bangkok, and Khun Suwannee Singluedej, President and CEO of Siemens Limited.

The event welcomed new GTCC members and those participating in their first Open Forum It also shared the results of the AHK World Business Outlook - Fall 2021 and presented an update on GTCC German-Thai Dual Excellence Education (GTDEE) by Project Director Mr. Markus Hoffmann.

According to the poll conducted at the event, most of the participants (79%) would like to join the GTCC Open Forum next year and 46% of them would like the forum to be organised monthly.

GTCC Stammtisch Bangkok

The first GTCC Stammtisch Bangkok of 2021 was organised on 16 November 2021 after seven months of virtual events. GTCC would like to thank all guests for joining us and thanks to Venue Partner Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen's Park for supporting the chamber with the nice venue and food & beverage arrangement.

GTCC’s new Acting President Khun Waranya Pratumtin gave opening remarks to about 120 guests. Mr. Hans-Ulrich Südbeck, Deputy Chief of Mission at German Embassy Bangkok, and GTCC Board members including new Acting Vice President Mr. Michael Welser and two newly appointed Directors of the GTCC Board: Khun Thira Nuntametha and Khun Suwannee Singluedej, also joined the event.

Luncheon with representatives of GTCC member companies since 1962

On behalf of the GTCC Board, Acting President, Khun Waranya Pratumtin and Acting Vice-President, Mr. Michael Welser hosted a luncheon on 18 November 2022 for representatives of companies that have been GTCC members since 1962, the year that the Chamber was founded. They expressed high appreciation for the members’ long-term commitment and support to the Chamber. GTCC Executive Director Dr. Roland Wein also joined the event, which was held at the Pacific City Club. The luncheon meeting also discussed cooperation for GTCC’s upcoming 60th anniversary next year.

GTCC visit to Bluechips Microhouse in Chiang Mai

GTCC Deputy Executive Director Mr. Marius Mehner visited GTCC member Bluechips Microhouse Co., Ltd. in Chiang Mai on 26 November 2021 . The visit included a factory tour and a company presentation by Managing Director Mr. Thomas Zimpfer.

Bluechips Microhouse is a German-owned international EMS company, specialising in customer-specific electronic products. Established in 1999, the company has a current headcount of more than 450 employees.

GTCC Webinar with Mazars in Thailand

This year is marked by a large number of changes in taxation, such as Thailand's recently approved 10-year visa to attract foreigners with tax benefits and tax on e-services, which came into effect on 1 September 2021, as well as the international "global minimum tax" system finalised in October 2021 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). These new provisions and developments pose significant challenges to the international business community. With this in mind, GTCC in co-operation with Mazars in Thailand organised a webinar on "Taxation Changes in 2021 and Beyond", on 1 December 2021. Mr. Martin Liebenow, Tax Director/Head of German Desk at Mazars in Thailand provided insights and reviews of the recent and forthcoming changes in business taxations including Thailand’s long-term visa scheme, new Transfer Pricing documentation requirements, the e-VAT law and the new "global minimum tax".

GTCC Business Women Networking

Women have proved themselves as strong and competent leaders and have put great efforts into driving work progress and supporting their teams. Women's representation in the workplace has improved, but in many companies there is still a lack of gender equality and respect. Thus, businesses need to recognise this equality and prepare employees at all levels to fill the gap.

At the GTCC Business Women Networking event organised on 1 December 2021 at Altitude, The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, GTCC Acting President Khun Waranya Pratumtin as well as Directors of the GTCC Board Khun Thira Nuntametha and Khun Suwannee Singluedej shared their experiences and perspectives as female leaders on how they overcome the challenge of gender equality. More than 30 participants engaged in an open discussion of the effects of professional gender equality, and their perspectives as women leaders on gender equality in workplace.

Official launch of the German-Thai Railway Association

GTCC Acting President Khun Waranya Pratumtin and Executive Director Dr. Roland Wein joined the official opening ceremony of the German-Thai Railway Association (GTRA) that was held on 2 December 2021 at the Ministry of Transport.

After delivering inaugural and welcoming addresses, German Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Georg Schmidt and Thailand’s Minister of Transport H.E. Saksayam Chidchob signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between Germany and Thailand for continuing the successful co-operation between Germany and Thailand in railway transport.

Registered on 13 September 2021, GTRA is a crucial element that originated from the JDI declared between the Ministry of Transport, Thailand, and the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Germany, for collaboration in developing the railway industry in Thailand.

Prof. Dr. -Ing. Nisai Fuengwarodsakul, TGGS Dean of KMUTNB and GTRA Chair, provided an overview of the GTRA at the ceremony, which was followed by a GTRA Workshop: "High Speed Rail: The Changing Face of Thai Railways."

First Purchasing Initiative for the ASEAN region

On 3 December 2021, more than 60 industrial suppliers from Thailand, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Cambodia participated in an online Supplier Seminar to gain insights into the current status of the German manufacturing sector and guidance on how to seize business opportunities with German companies. The GTCC is also grateful to German guest speakers Mr. Zulqarnain Alif Marjan from Mosca Malaysia & MGM and Mr. Frank Berberich from Veritas AG.

The seminar was part of the Purchasing Initiative for the ASEAN region, jointly organised by the German Association of Supply Chain Management, Procurement and Logistics (BME) and its partners in the region, the German Chambers of Commerce in South-East Asia including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Myanmar as well as the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry Munich and Upper Bavaria (IHK) with the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWi)

GTCC virtual exchange on "Future of Work" by the GTCC HR Committee

Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in serious impacts on the workplace and has led to the transition in the paradigm of in-office work. Remote working has become one of the futures of employment. Companies have increased their investments in modern technologies in order to survive, while many workers feel the need to switch their occupations. Therefore, the new trend drives companies to re-evaluate various aspects of their work systems and human resource (HR) management. HR leaders are facing challenges in balancing working from home and on-site work to

ensure continuation of seamless work flows as well as adopting new technologies that will generate diverse effects on employees' collaboration and relationships.

A GTCC virtual exchange on the "Future of work and its impact on organisations" was organised by the GTCC HR Committee on 8 December 2021 for GTCC members in HR leading roles to exchange their perspectives on the topic with other HR professionals. The event was moderated by Tom Sorensen, Chair of the GTCC HR Committee and Managing Partner at Tom Sorensen (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

GTCC Partners and Customers Appreciation event

The GTCC celebrated its successful co-operation with partners, sponsors and customers, and expressed its sincere gratitude for their tremendous support and continued trust in the chamber throughout 2021 at the "GTCC Partners and Customers Appreciation Event". The event was organised on 9 December 2021 at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok.

This co-operation also represents the German-Thai business community’s strength and unity that will always ensure support for each other. GTCC looks forward to continuing close and successful co-operation with partners and customers again in 2022, which will mark the Chamber’s sixtieth anniversary.

GTCC year-end cocktail reception

About 130 distinguished guests, including German Ambassador H.E. Georg Schmidt, GTCC members, their spouses and friends, joined the GTCC Year End Cocktail Reception on 16 December 2021 to celebrate the completion of 2021 together. The event was held in the wonderful ambiance of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok surrounded by the spectacular skyline of Bangkok at night. Thanks are due to Event Partners Hansen Beck and Scheuco, Food and Beverage Partners KCG and Serenity Wines, as well as Venue Partner Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, for their great support.

German business mission on "Energy Efficiency in the Industrial Sector"

A digital business mission for German companies to visit Thailand with a focus on technology solutions in the field of energy efficiency in the industrial sector, was organised between 15 and 19 November 2021 by the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWi), The mission took place within the framework of the foreign market entry programme of BMWi as a further step towards increasing the co-operation between Thai and German companies.

On the starting day, 15 November 2021, eight participating German technology providers – AR-Experts GmbH, celano GmbH, CS Instruments GmbH & Co. KG, INTEC Engineering GmbH, Kisters AG, MIG mbH, RGU GmbH and Weihe GmbH – received an overview of Thailand's economy and investment opportunities by Mr. Marius Mehner from the GTCC and Mr. Thomas Hundt from GTAI.

On 16 November 2021, the GTCC organised a virtual Technology Conference on the topic of "Energy Efficiency in the Industrial Sector" in co-operation with eclareon GmbH. The aim of the conference was to discuss state-of-the-art energy efficiency technology solutions. GTCC Executive Director, Dr. Roland Wein and Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in Bangkok, Mr. Hans-Ulrich Südbeck delivered the opening remarks. They were followed by insightful market intelligence presentations by Mr. Arthit Vejkit, Committee and Secretary, The Institute of Industrial Energy

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Henning Meschede, Paderborn University. Industry expert Mr. Pan Piyasil, Technical advisor of GIZ's TRANSfer Project Based in Bangkok, moderated the conference and shared his perspectives on current technologies.

In addition to having Thai and German experts outline the latest trends and policies in both Germany and Thailand, the virtual conference featured exclusive presentations by the eight participating German companies that highlighted their respective products and technology solutions

GTCC also hosted a business matching session during 17-19 November 2021 for the eight participating German companies to connect them with potential business partners and relevant market players operating in Thailand.

Meeting with the German Ambassador and Minister of Education

On 3 December 2021, the GTCC Executive Director together with the GTDEE Project Director participated in a meeting with German Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Georg Schmidt, and Thailand’s Minister of Education, H.E. Trinuch Thienthong.

The topics of discussion included the introduction of the German-Thai Dual Excellence Education (GTDEE) project by the GTCC. The German Ambassador handed over Thailand’s first mechatronics engineering textbook based on German standards, produced by GTCC, to the Minister of Education. With the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), the textbook was translated from “Fachkunde Mechatronik” (6. Auflage, 2019, Europa Lehrmittel) into Thai by a team of experts from King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB).

Through the GTDEE project, GTCC supports Thailand in dual vocational education and training, training of trainers for in-company training, technical teacher training for teachers in vocational schools, quality assurance for Thai education institutions, and mechatronic education development regarding the Thailand 4.0 strategy.

The book is considered to be one of Thailand’s most comprehensive mechatronics textbooks that can be used for efficient teaching and learning management. It is suitable for students, both at the vocational level and university level, including those who work in the mechatronics industry. It includes basic and advanced concepts in metal technology, electrical engineering, electronics and information processing. The book, which is geared towards the professional needs of mechatronic technicians, has all of the necessary materials across all learning domains and courses, and it contains content required for Industry 4.0. The action orientation is supported by the logical framework, which also includes various work assignments.

Despite the book’s recent official launch in December 2021, 700 sets of the book and initial student manuals have already been pre-ordered.

The GTCC would like to express its sincere appreciation to GIZ for the generous support of the textbook translation as well as to the team of professionals and experts from KMUTNB for translating the texts.