CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

GTCC Clean Air Initiative Webinar Series with CLAAS Regional Center South East Asia Ltd.

There is no doubt that agricultural burning contributes significantly to air pollution in Thailand. However, farmers have few alternatives. CLAAS QUADRANT offers farmers the option of baling sugarcane leaves and other agricultural waste to avoid burning in the field. Some additional benefits are that power plants can sustainably source material locally, farmers can earn additional income by selling the sugarcane straw and, most importantly, the severe air pollution from burning in the fields can be avoided. The issue of air pollution caused by agricultural burning and the solution offered by CLAAS QUADRANT was the subject of the sixth webinar in the "GTCC Clean Air Initiative Series – Green Solutions from Germany". The webinar took place on 11 January 2022 with Anil Menon, Managing Director of CLAAS QUADRANT, as a speaker.

The German-Thai Railway Association (GTRA) Webinar

On 13 January 2022, the GTCC organised a webinar to provide information about the newly-launched German-Thai Railway Association (GTRA). The purpose of establishing the association is to implement the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between the Thai Ministry of Transport and the German Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, with the aim of improving German-Thai rail networking as well as co-operation. Within the scope of the webinar the GTRA’s objectives and activities were presented by GTRA top management. In addition, the possibility of collaborating on the development of Thai railway system was reviewed.

Meeting with Director General for Asia and the Pacific of the German Federal Foreign Office

Strengthening German-Thai cooperation with a focus on climate change, energy and connectivity, representatives of the GTCC Board of Directors and GTCC members joined the dinner on the occasion of the visit of Ms. Petra Sigmund, Director General for Asia and the Pacific of the German Federal Foreign Office, together with Mr. Kulit Sombatsiri, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, and M.L. Chayotid Kridakon, Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister. We highly appreciate the invitation by German Ambassador H.E. Georg Schmidt to the dinner hosted at his residence on 25 January 2022.

GTCC connects: Welcome New Year 2022

On 27 January 2022, GTCC welcomed 120 members, partners, guests, and friends again at the first prestigious networking event of 2022, GTCC connects, which provides an ideal platform for members to meet, socialize and make new contacts. The event took place under the Covid-19 safety measures in the pleasing venue of the NICHE, Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok where the guests were welcomed by Khun Waranya Pratumtin, GTCC Acting President. Thanks are due to our Event Partners, Hansen Beck and Mazars (Thailand), for their exceptional support as well as Venue Partner Siam Kempinski Hotel for the delightful venue and delicious catering. Special thanks go to our Premium Partners, Dachser (Thailand), Häfele (Thailand), Luther, and Mazars in Thailand. Our appreciation also goes to Bumrungrad International Hospital, Glue Up, Lufthansa German Airlines, Schaeffler Manufacturing (Thailand), and Skywave Technologies as our Annual Partners.

First GTCC Open Forum of 2022

At the first GTCC Open Forum 2022, held on 15 February 2022, representatives from 10 new GTCC member companies were welcomed and attended the introductory session. Mr. Alexander Donau, Director, GTCC Board of Directors, moderated the session and started the virtual exchange format with an overview of the supply chain situation. This was followed by polling on "Does your company consider changing supply chains/sourcing strategy 2022?” and a round of exchanges with the participants. A poll conducted at the event found that the majority of the participating members were not considering changing their supply chain strategy, while 32 per cent of them were thinking of making a change and 26 per cent said they believed it was too early to decide.

Meeting with the Prime Minister of Thailand

GTCC Acting President Khun Waranya Pratumtin paid a courtesy visit to H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand on 17 February 2022, together with Mr. Stanley Kang, Chairman of Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand (JFCCT), Khun Sanan Angubolkul, Chairman of Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and Board of Trade of Thailand (BOT), and presidents/chairs from other bilateral chambers of commerce.

With the Prime Minister, they further discussed several issues, including Thailand 4.0 policy, Green Policy/BCG Model and APEC 2022 hosted by Thailand. Both sides agreed on the importance of the digital transformation and sustainable development. For the mutual benefit of both parties, the delegation is ready to support the digital applications in Thailand through joint investments and the exchanges of knowledge, technology, experts and experiences with the public and private sectors in Thailand; and to foster Thailand’s sustainable development, especially the enhancement of human resources skills through training and the use of innovation. The meeting was organised by JFCCT and took place at the Government House.

GTCC Multi-Chamber Executive Breakfast Talk: 10 common pitfalls in international business and how to avoid them

International trade offers many opportunities for companies, but on the other hand it also involves some risks, and respectively some rules should be observed. At the GTCC Multi-Chamber Executive Breakfast Talk on 22 February 2022, a detailed description of the 10 most typical mistakes companies make when doing business abroad as well as practical suggestions on how to avoid the mistakes as a company, were given by Till Morstadt, German lawyer and managing partner at Lorenz & Partner (L&P), a company with more than 25 years of experience in advising clients in international trading. The event was held at the prestigious SO/Bangkok Hotel, and the participants were able to combine an informative talk with a delicious breakfast. Following the talk, they were invited to ask their questions in an engaging Q&A session. The GTCC Multi-Chamber Executive Breakfast Talk was organized in co-operation with Advantage Austria and the Swiss-Thai Chamber of Commerce. The GTCC thanks all attendees for their participation.

Stammtisch Bangkok 1/2022 @ SIXTYFOUR

The first GTCC Stammtisch Bangkok of 2022 welcomed 70 guests in the pleasant Sixty Four Restaurant on 24 February 2022. Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the event was held under strict safety measures, including on-site ATK testing by nurses, and ensuring all guests were fully vaccinated. GTCC thanks all the guests for joining us. Thanks are also given to the Venue Partner Sixty Four Restaurant for providing the event venue as well as the food and beverage arrangement. The opening speech was given by Roland Folger of the GTCC Board of Directors. He also referred to the GTCCOGM2022 and reminded that the deadline for changing/correcting the representative name and candidate nomination was 28 February. The rest of the evening was taken up with networking, exchange, and good atmosphere. GTCC is already looking forward to the next GTCC Stammtisch Bangkok.

The launch of “160th Anniversary Thai - German Friendship Trail”

The nature trail that promotes ecotourism in Khao Yai National Park and marks 160 years of Thai – German relations has been officially launched.

GTCC Acting President, Board members and members as well as Executive Director attended the inauguration ceremony of the "160th Anniversary Thai - German Friendship Trail (Pha Kluai Mai - Haew Suwat Waterfall)" in Khao Yai National Park on 2 March 2022. The ceremony was opened with speeches by Khun Vikrom Kromadit, Chairman of AMATA Foundation, German Ambassador H.E. Georg Schmidt, Dr. Harald Link, Chairman of B.Grimm Power PCL, and H.E. Varawut Silpa-archa, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. GTCC Executive Director also introduced GTCC Mechatronics textbook to newly appointed Ambassador to Germany H.E. Nadhavathna Krishnamra at the event.

Lunch meeting with newly appointed Ambassador of Thailand to Germany

GTCC Acting President Khun Waranya Pratumtin, Board Members and Executive Director had a lunch meeting with newly appointed Ambassador of Thailand to Germany H.E. Nadhavathna Krishnamra on 10 March 2022 at Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok.

GTCC Tourism and Hospitality Committee Webinar

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately 3 million jobs have since been lost in the Thai hospitality and tourism industry, according to the Bangkok Post. As a result, many of the people who lost their jobs have moved into new industries, moved back inland with their families or started their own businesses. This has led to a shortage of skilled staff in the hospitality and tourism sector. In addition, the hospitality and tourism industry must address other issues such as the future of Thai tourism in 2022 and beyond, whether there will be new strategies to defeat other countries as competitors, and the complexity of the Thai Pass. All these concerns were addressed by Mr. Oliver Schnatz, Chair of the GTCC Tourism and Hospitality Committee, and a Director of the GTCC Board of Directors, in the GTCC Tourism and Hospitality Committee's first webinar on 2 March 2022. Some of the participants also suggested solutions to the challenges, such as easing entry to Thailand by dropping the PCR test upon arrival and making Thailand more attractive for luxury tourism, while focusing on more sustainability in tourism. GTCC thanks all participants and Mr. Oliver Schnatz for a very informative exchange of ideas, thoughts and solutions.

GTCC Business Women Networking: Voice it Out

GTCC celebrated the International Women's Month with the first GTCC Business Women Networking Event of 2022, held on 16 March 2022 on the topic of ‘Voice it Out- How to fully express who you are and what needs to be addressed’ in the delightful ambiance of the Black Cat at the Sindhorn Midtown Hotel Bangkok.

Speaker Khun Cristy Aphimonthol, Managing Director of Coachology and Pink Lotus Foundation, revealed in her speech that the secret to powerful communication is to raise your voice to get what you want and deserve. Expressing themselves with their voice is still difficult for some women, even if they are constantly expressing themselves on social media or living their lives as an outgoing personality. Therefore, there is a feeling that things remain "unspoken" in the mind. Cristy provided practical advice on how to do it, both in her inspiring speech and during the discussion with the participating women. The rest of the evening was dedicated to networking, sharing, and enjoying positive energy. Thanks are due to Khun Cristy and our Venue Partner the Black Cat for their great support.

Site visit to Brose (Thailand) Co. Ltd.

On 18 March 2022, 35 GTCC members visited the Brose (Thailand) Co. Ltd. plant and gained an insight into various production processes. In addition to an informative company presentation given by Mr. Denis Reul, Managing Director/ President ASEAN at Brose, and a guided tour, the event was rounded off with a small snack for all participants.

As a family-owned German automotive supplier, Brose supplies mechatronic components and systems such as door and liftgate technology, seat adjuster systems, electric motors and drives to customers all over the world. GTCC would like to thank Mr. Reul, and his team for the insights and warm welcome at Brose (Thailand) Co. Ltd.

GTCC Young Professional Network Evening on “Net Carbon Zero”

Participants gained some insights into the topic of "What will it take to make Thailand Net Carbon Zero (NCZ)" discussed by Dr. Tomas Koch , Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company, and enjoyed exchanging their opinions with like-minded professionals in our friendly networking ambience.

Thanks to all guests joining our first GTCC Young Professionals Network Evening of 2022 on 30 March 2022 at Latest Recipe, Le Méridien Bangkok! Our big thank you to Dr. Koch for sharing his valuable insights and experiences with us. We highly appreciate the great support by Venue Partner Le Méridien Bangkok for the striking venue, excellent food and beverage, and Event Partner Samitivej Hospital for the well-organized ATK testing service.

Thailand Economic Outlook 2022 New S-curve opportunities

On 21 February 2022, the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce hosted the ninth GTCC Economic Outlook Luncheon at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok. The luncheon attracted around 80 people from a range of industrial sectors. They were requested to take part in a live poll to assess the problems and possibilities as well as areas of future collaboration with Germany in 2022, by discussing industry perspectives on sustainability, competitiveness and difficulties.

The keynote speaker of "Thailand Economic Outlook 2022" was M.L. Chayotid Kridakon, Thai Trade Representative and Advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Supattanapong Punmeechaow. He discussed Thailand’s new S-curve opportunities in 2022 and onwards, and addressed the need to strengthen Thailand’s competitive advantage in order to: (a) remove pain points during the economic suffering since 2020 from Covid-19 (-12%); (b) establish sector-specific priorities based on Covid-19 trends; and (c)provide tailored incentives to priority investors.

The prioritised sectors are the electronic vehicle (EV), travel and hospitality, electronics, pharmaceutical and digital industries. M.L. Chayotid Kridakon mentioned the recent law change to provide 10-year investor working visas with the objective of attracting more foreign investors to participate in Thailand's economic recovery. He said the aim was to advance the digital, agricultural, supply chain and logistics areas, and EVs as "killing two birds with one stone." He also discussed Thailand's economic growth (gross domestic product) of 3.5% to 4.5% projected for this year, the recovery of tourism and government stimulus packages (investor's long-term visa in Thailand), as well as 2030 goal projects, including Thailand's EV 30/30 vision.

In addition, according to survey results from AHK World Business Outlook, the most significant effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on businesses have been geopolitical tension (20%), price increases for commodities, energy and food (15%), disruption in global and regional supply chains (24%), high inflation (15%), a lack of certain products (2%), and a shortage of skilled labour (24%). The main topic was the biggest risks to the recovery of Thailand’s economy in 2022.

Ms. Waranya Pratumtin, GTCC Acting President, chaired the panel discussion on the challenges ahead for 2022. Mr. Roland Folger, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Limited, Dr. Timo Slawinski of Convestro (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Marcus Grundke of Rieckermann (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Thomas Fernandez of Fair & Easy Co., Ltd., and Mr. CK Cheong of Fastwork Technologies Co., Ltd., were the panelists.

The panelists discussed their companies' performances and economic outlook plans for 2022, which was followed by the "Thailand Economic Outlook 2021," but they focused on the transformation to renewable energy, logistics and the digital cloud, which comprise Thailand's digital centre for sustainable development. In terms of Thailand's economic outlook, the live poll results revealed that 56% of the participants were satisfied with their company's current business situation, 33% believed that the economy would begin to recover in 2022 and 11% believed that economic recovery would take much longer in Thailand.

The panelists also agreed that, despite the key challenge to newly transformed logistics and supply chain systems as a result of the Covid-19 challenge, they were confident in the future of their respective industries in Thailand, which would return strongly when the overall situation improved from 2022 onwards. They recommended upgrading supply chains and logistics planning for long-term sustainability.

Written by Dingo Keidar (Thuta Soe), GTCC Corporate Services Trainee

German business delegation on “Energy Generation and Energy Infrastructure in Cities”

A visit to Thailand by a GTCC hybrid business delegation with a focus on "Energy Generation and Energy Infrastructure in Cities," was organized between 14 and 17 March 2022 by the GTCC. Seven German companies participated in the delegation: ARCA Regler GmbH, GreenGate AG, K2 Systems GmbH, Krannich Solar GmbH & Co. KG, meteocontrol GmbH, SolarNext AG and Wieland Electric GmbH.

The visit began with a Thailand virtual briefing session on 14 March, during which the delegation gained first-hand knowledge of Thailand's economy and political situation. The session, led by Mr. Marius Mehner, GTCC Deputy Executive Director, and guest speakers, Dr. Alexander Raubold from the German Embassy Bangkok and Mr. Thomas Hundt from GTAI (Germany Trade & Invest), provided information on the aforementioned topics to the visiting delegation. The discussion also covered the challenges that the country is facing as a result of the impact of COVID-19 as well as business opportunities in specific fields such as circular economy, transformation of Thailand to electric vehicle technology as well as renewable energy.

A virtual Technology Conference on the topic of Energy Generation and Energy Infrastructure in Cities was organized on 15 March 2022, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.. The conference was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) and the GTCC in together with clarion GmbH, with the aim of further strengthening the co-operation between Thai and German companies within the framework of the German Energy Solutions Initiative. Throughout the conference, Thai and German experts discussed state-of-the-art technology solutions, explained the latest trends and policies in Germany and Thailand, and highlighted how relevant technology solutions from Germany can support stakeholders in implementing climate-friendly measures. In addition, the virtual conference featured exclusive presentations by all the participating German companies showcasing their particular products and technology solutions.

The B2B meeting days started on 16 March between the delegates and interested local Thai companies to discuss potential business prospects and partnerships. The B2B meetings were organized by GTCC.