UPDATE Q1/2020: Eastern Economic Corridor

FROM THE EDITOR Dear readers, Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), now one of the “business hotspots” in Asia, covers three eastern provinces adjacent to Bangkok, namely Rayong, Chon Buri and Chachoengsao, with a combined area of more than 13,000 square kilometres and more than 30 industrial estates. The EEC is expected to attract approximately US$50 billion in investments, from 2019 to 2023, funded by both the private and public sectors.

Together with Thailand’s 20-year national strategy, the EEC project is positioned by the Thai government as a key to enhancing Thailand’s competitiveness and establishing it as a high-income nation with a value-based economy. Enhancing the Eastern Seaboard Development Programme, which has been a powerhouse for industrial production in Thailand for more than 30 years, the EEC offers infrastructure that consists of modern transportation systems, including motorways, U-Tapao International Airport, deep-sea ports and the future high-speed railway that will link U-Tapao Airport with Bangkok’s two international airports.

The EEC is strategically driven by public-private partnerships (PPP), with a focus on Thailand 4.0 scheme 12 targeted industries, including automotive, aviation, logistics, smart electronics, and medical equipment and robotics. It is fully supported by the government, especially with regard to tax and investment incentives such as corporate/personal income taxation, and non-tax incentives such as smart visas, property investment and a PPP fast track. During the past two years, 20 Germaninvestment projects have been approved by Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) such as Leistritz (blades for aircraft engines), RWE Power Climate Protection South-East Asia (electricity from rooftop-installed solar panels) and HUF (door handle brackets for automotives).

Large German companies that are investing in the EEC include BMW, Daimler, Rober t Bosch, Schaeffler Manufacturing, Covestro and Continental. In March 2019, Continental celebrated the grand opening of its Greenfield tyre plant in Rayong. The state-of-the-art plant is a €250 million investment and is expected to produce premium tyres for about four million passenger vehicles and light trucks in Thailand and the Asia-Pacific region by 2022. Covestro also made a significant investment in Rayong to boost its specialty film production capacity to about 50 per cent higher.

The Covestro plant, located in Map Ta Phut, is one of the company’s eight largest production facilities worldwide.

While companies utilise the EEC as Thailand’s strategic gateway for exporting their products to growing markets in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region and enjoy attractive tax incentives, their investments will help Thailand to develop its eastern provinces into a leading ASEAN economic zone. At the same time, Thailand will benefit from new innovations and technologies from foreign investors as well as labour skills enhancement and, finally, strive toward “Thailand 4.0”.

I trust you will enjoy an interesting and informative read. Happy New Year 2020!

Dr. Roland Wein UPDATE is published quarterly by the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce and distributed free of charge to members and qualified non-members in Thailand and abroad.

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Roland Wein

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Any opinions expressed in articles in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the Chamber.

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CONTENTS

06

New momentum for Thailand’s most important economic corridor

28 GTCC Oktoberfest 2019

32 GTCC Family Christmas Party 2019

34 ASEAN TVET Officials Meeting

47 Interschutz

EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

GTDEE INSIGHT

14 WHA Group support for EEC and Thailand 4.0

38 GTCC Certificate Presentation Ceremony for

at full throttle

12 Covestro sees the EEC as a key to sustainable

economic growth

14 Interview: Continental Tires (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 18 Special Report: EEC & fast forward to Thailand 4.0

CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 21 Young Professionals Networking Evening:

Meeting the CEOs – Part II

Mercedes-Benz apprentices batch 2017

39 GTCC certificate presentation ceremony for

BMW apprentices batch 2017

BUSINESS BRIEFS 41 Thai Union 41 Boehringer Ingelheim Thailand

MEMBERS’ CORNER

22 GTCC Joint Chambers Eastern Seaboard

43 New GTCC Members

24 Study and business trip to AGRITECHNICA

TRADE FAIRS

Networking

25 Luncheon with Parliamentary State Secretary

44 bautec

26 GTCC Business Women Networking “The Roles

46 analytica

Mr. Thomas Bareiß

of Social Media for Women in Business”

45 EnforceTac 48 Insights-X

06 EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

New momentum for Thailand’s most important economic corridor Thomas Hundt

The industries in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) are under a process of modernisation and innovation. The adequate infrastructure will also be provided. Thailand is now awarding the major EEC transport projects.

The Thai Cabinet approved the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) regional development programme on 4th January 2017. The programme calls for a massive expansion of the three provinces located south-east of Bangkok, Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong.

Special industrial zones, transport projects planned The National Assembly has anchored the funding principles and framework conditions of the EEC in the Act for the Eastern Special Development Zone, which entered into force on 15 May 2018. Companies from eligible sectors receive special privileges in the EEC provinces such as: • Receiving ownership of land without permission according to the Land Law; • Leasing of land for 50 years with the possibility of extension for an additional 49 years; • Preferential tax and employment conditions for foreigners; • Exemption from exchange controls; • Licences under the Factory and Construction Supervision Act may be issued by the Secretary-General of the EEC Committee in order to simplify administrative procedures.

EEC already a leading South-East Asian industrial hub The Eastern Economic Corridor Office, which serves investors as a one-stop centre, has a

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positive balance. In 2018, Thailand’s national investment promotion agency, the Board of Investment (BOI), approved 231 investment projects within the EEC with a total value of US$ 9.7 billion.

The EEC’s predecessor, the Eastern Seaboard Development, was launched 30 years ago, so Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong provinces generate already around one-fifth of the countr y’s total economic output.

The corridor has thus developed into the major South-East Asian location for the automotive, electronics, food processing and tourism sectors.

Among other things, Thailand has become the largest manufacturer of passenger cars in South-East Asia and the world’s secondlargest producer of hard disk drives. The country is also the world’s largest exporter of many processed foods, while its successes in tourism are remarkable – Thailand is the most visited country in Asia after China.

EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR 07

Thailand 4.0 defines the future of industries The industries in the EEC should reach new stages of development. The strategy paper Thailand 4.0, which was also adopted by the Government of Thailand in 2017, defines as the special promotion sectors manufacturing

of next-generation automobiles, smart electronics, food of the future and biotechnology. The country’s medical and wellness tourism should also be modernised and tailored to the needs of wealthy customers.

Under Thailand 4.0 it is planned to develop entirely new sectors as well. The growth model calls for domestic business oppotunities in digitization, automation,aviation, logistics, the biofuel and biochemical industries. Under the leadership of the respective ministries, new industryspecific development zones are currently established in the EEC.

New industry-specific development zones in the EEC

Designation/target industries

Size/location

Stage of development/Internet

Digital Park/digital technology, Internet of 113 hectares in Si Racha district, Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI).

Chonburi province.

New tender for an operator in January 2020 by CAT Telecom (http://digitalparkthailand.org)

Start of construction by National Science and Technology Development Agency in February 2019 (http://www.eeci.or.th).

Eastern Economic Corridor of innovation/ 560 hectares in Wangchan Valley, aerospace, automation, modern agriculture, Rayong province. biofuels, biochemicals, modern battery and automotive technology, and medical technology.

Medical hub/modern health services, nursing facilities.

90 hectares in Banglamung district, Chonburi province

Planed by Thammasat University

Source: EEC.

“ The EEC Office also stated in a recent survey that companies within the EEC intend to employ around 475,000 people from 2019 to 2023.”

EEC scores with some positive features State support and suitable business parks are some of the criteria that investors evaluate when they consider a new investment location. Above all, entrepreneurs need a qualified workforce, modern infrastructure, inexpensive logistics, suitable suppliers and a business-friendly environment.

Business is easy. In the Ease of Doing Business Ranking, where the World Bank compares business-friendly conditions worldwide, Thailand is ranked 21st, even ahead of Germany (22nd).

In the Logistics Performance Index (LPI), the World Bank ranks Thailand at 32 alongside Hungary and South Africa. Germany occupies first place. Logistics and transport are relatively expensive in Thailand, while customs clearance is a weak point.

In terms of international competitiveness as an emerging country, Thailand is in a relatively good position with its ranking 40th, only three positions behind Poland. In the occupational skills sub-category, however, Thailand is only ranked at 73rd.

should have at least a Bachelor’s degree.

However, it is estimated that the surrounding VET institutions and universities will provide only one-third of the required skilled labour force. New vocational training centres are therefore emerging within the EEC. Many industrial companies are also implementing their own training initiatives.

In order to make the EEC more attractive for workers, smart cities worth living in are to be created. The National Smart City Committee, which includes representatives from the Ministries of Transpor t, Digitalization and Energy, is working on action plans for 10 pilot smar t cities in Chachoengsao, Rayong and Chonburi provinces as well as in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen (see https://smar tcitythailand.or.th). Amata, Thailand’s largest industrial park development company, is interested in building a smart city with a modern infrastructure on a 43-sq km developed industrial area in Chonburi province.

Lack of skilled workers causes concern

The massive infrastructure projects for the EEC

The EEC Office stated in a recent survey that companies within the EEC intend to employ around 475,000 people from 2019 to 2023. Approximately 40 per cent of these employees

The Government of Thailand has tendered five mega infrastructure projects that will

www.thailand.ahk.de

08 EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

The expansion of U-Tapao Airport in Rayong province includes a third terminal, a railway station and a new apron. The cost is estimated to be more than US$ 9 billion. A railway project will connect the airpor t with the airpor ts of Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok via a high-speed railway line costing approximately US$ 7 billion.

The expanded container por t of Laem Chabang will cope with the increased sea freight in the EEC. In addition, the new oil and gas terminals at the Map Ta Phut deep-sea port will meet the rising energy demand of the EEC refiner ies and petrochemical complexes.

connect EEC sites within the country and internationally. Private investors will carry out the Public-private partnerships projects. For PPP projects, a fast track procedure was set up in 2017 to speed up awarding of contracts. Although most contracts have been awarded, the contract details and start of constructions are not yet known.

Contact details: Thomas Hundt Director Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos GERMANY TRADE & INVEST www.gtai.com

Infrastructure projects in the EEC Name

Investment (US$ billion)

Status

Notes

U-Tapao Airport 9.5 Aviation City

Tender by by Royal Thai Navy. Offers from three consortia. Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone (China), co-operation agreement dated 29 August 2019.

Third passenger terminal, an air cargo centre, free trade zone, Aviation Training Centre, office buildings.

High-Speed Rail link 7.3 for Three Airports

PPP contract signed end October 2019 between the State Railway of Thailand and consortium led by Charoen Pokphand Group

220 km High-speed rail line, Connection of Don Mueang Airports, Suvarnabhumi, U-Tapao. Construction time five years.

Laem Chabang 5.1 Awarded to PTT (Thailand), Gulf (Thailand) Deep-Sea Port, and China Harbour Engineering.

Phase III

Expansion of container annual capacity by 10.4 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units at the Roll-on/Roll-off Terminal for turnover of an additional 1 million vehicles annually. Construction period – five years.

Map Ta Phut Industrial 1.8 Port, Phase III

160 hectares of land reclamation, expansion of the port for the transshipment of liquid, bulk and gas containers Commissioning date –2025.

PPP contract between Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand and PTT and Gulf Energy Development (Thailand), 1 October 2019.

MRO Centre 0.3 Planned by the Civil Aviation Committee U-Tapao Airport and Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.

Sources: Press releases and EEC.

UPDATE 1/2020

Aircraft maintenance centre (maintenance, repair and overhaul), MoU between Thai Airways and Airbus.

EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR 09

www.thailand.ahk.de

10 EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

WHA Group support for EEC and Thailand 4.0 at full throttle Paul Dumont

Initiated in 2003 by a group of forwardthinking entrepreneurs involved in industrial proper ty development, WHA Group is Thailand’s leader in fully integrated logistics and industrial facilities solutions.

Led by Ms. Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Group CEO, the WHA Group has accompanied the establishment and growth of hundreds of Thailand-based local and foreign businesses.

Listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) since 2012, WHA Group consists of four business hubs in Logistics, Industrial Development, Utilities and Power, and Digital Platform.

Since its inception, WHA Group has always been a strong supporter of the Government of Thailand’s national policies to foster economic growth. In the early 2000s, it played an instrumental role in forming the Eastern S eab o ar d’s in du s tr i a l cl u s t e r s i n t h e automotive, electronics and petrochemical sectors.

With more than 1,180 customers, representing an estimated total investment of approximately US$ 33.2 billion, WHA’s services continue to evolve to suit customers’ diversifying needs.

Today, it is a key player in the Governmentsponsored Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) initiative, which aims to promote the targeted hi-tech industries, including nextgeneration automotives, smar t electronics, medical and wellness tourism, agriculture and biotechnology and food for the future (s-curve industries), plus automation and robotics, medical hub, aviation and logistics, biofuel and biochemical, and digital economy (New S-Curve industries).

In many ways, the activities of WHA’s four business hubs are aligned with the EEC objectives. These activities include the following: • WHA Logistics is currently developing several strategic par tnerships with major conglomerates and industry leaders such as Dräxlmaier, Tops Mar ket, Central Restaurants Group (CRG) and JD Central; This year alone, in addition to WHA’s four existing Logistics Parks in the EEC, the group will add new e-commerce centres, representing a surface area of approximately 200,000 m2; • WHA Industrial Development: Out of WHA’s 10+ industrial estates currently in operation in Thailand, nine have been approved as EEC promotional industrial 1

UPDATE 1/2020

zones, representing 48,627 rai (7,780 hectares), with more than 10,000 rai (1,600 hectares) of sellable land; • WHA Utilities & Power (WHAUP), listed on the SET since April 2017, provides its EEC-based customers with more than 105 million m3 of water utility production and treatment capacity. Together with partners such as B Grimm, Glow Energy and Gulf, it supplies more than 2,600 MW of electricity, including solar rooftop projects and the Chonburi Clean Energy (CCE) waste-to energy power plant;1 • WHA Digital Platform has four data centres in operation, including a joint venture with Supernap Thailand, the only Tier IV Data Centre in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Australia), located in WHA Chonburi Industrial Estate 2 (WHA CIE 2).

In alignment with the EEC’s goals and strategies for transforming the country into an innovation-driven economy, WHA Group offers an investment-friendly environment.

It places significant emphasis on businesses that incorporate creativity, research and development, and more green technologies.

For example, the EEC is now home to Chonburi Clean Energy (CCE), the first

CCE’s three shareholders are WHAUP, Glow Energy and Suez.

EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR 11

waste-to-energy power plant in Thailand, which was recently inaugurated at WHA Chonburi Industrial Estate 1 (WHA CIE 1).

CCE has the capacity to convert more than 400 tons of industrial waste per day into electricity, or approximately 100,000 tons per year.

Another major milestone for WHA and the EEC was the launch of Continental’s Greenfield Tyre Plant covering 750,000 m2 at the newly opened WHA Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 4 (WHA ESIE 4). Officially inaugurated in March 2019, the €250 million Continental facility has an annual capacity of up to 4 million passenger and light truck premium tyres.

“It was really a joint effor t between the Continental and WHA teams,” says Mr. David Nardone, WHA Group Executive, Industrial and International. “Well in advance of their decision timing, we sought to understand their process, utility and land requirements, and then commenced civil works preparation procedures. From that point, we worked together to design the land plot and utilities

that enabled Continental to optimize their manufacturing requirements.”

For investors, selecting a country and a specific production site involves a critical and complex process that takes into account key elements such as infrastructure, site design and specific manufacturing requirements, proximity to mar kets and customer s, presence of educational institutions and workforce in the area, among others.

Like the EEC, WHA stresses prime strategic locations that give manufacturers easy access to their customers worldwide as well as giving top priority to providing dedicated, tailor-made ser vices to meet customers’ specific needs. WHA also focuses on improving the socio-economic conditions of its neighbouring communities to help make the EEC a more attractive option as the Government of Thailand builds more infrastructure to improve transpor t connectivity.

Dur ing recent year s, WHA has been experiencing a surge of interest from

“[T]he EEC is now home to Chonburi Clean Energy (CCE), the first waste-to-energy power plant in Thailand, which was recently inaugurated at WHA Chonburi Industrial Estate 1 (WHA CIE 1).”

international investors for its world-class facilities. This has translated into a series of land purchases, lease deals and contract agreements with companies from countries such as Australia, China, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom that look forward to establishing their presence in the EEC. “The EEC now plays a key role in Thailand’s growing economy. With the Government of Thailand’s policy to promote the development of S-curve industries, WHA is in an excellent position to welcome more companies,” according to Ms. Jareeporn. “Our readiness and our ambition to serve hi-tech businesses such as aerospace and other next-generation manufacturing companies are in harmony with the Gover nment’s plans to dr ive industrial development in line with the Thailand 4.0 strategy.”

Paul Dumont Francom Asia Contact details: Corporate Marketing Department WHA Corporation PCL. Tel: +66 2 719 9555 marketing@wha-group.com www.wha-group.com www.wha-industrialestate.com Please scan the QR code to download WHA Group Brochure

www.thailand.ahk.de

12 EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

Covestro sees the EEC as a key to sustainable economic growth Nich-navin Chullabrahm

In building the full potential for the successful establishment of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), Covestro supports the promotion of knowledge and professionalism in innovation and sustainability through labour force skills enhancement in order to drive Thailand’s economic growth and achieve a sustainable future.

To optimize the country’s competitiveness, the Government of Thailand has initiated “Thailand 4.0”. This policy is aimed at transforming the country and makes it more innovation driven.

In order to achieve success for the policy, the EEC was launched as a flagship project with the objective of promoting foreign investment in key strategic areas covering Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong provinces on the eastern coast of Thailand.

The EEC is already being identified as a major economic zone for business and industrial clusters and innovation hubs, with the goals of enhancing economic growth and potential for becoming a strategic gateway to the South-East Asian region. Investments mainly focus on S-curve industries that comprise future automotive, aviation and logistics, smart electronics, medical products and supplements, robotics and new cutting-edge digital solutions, and biotechnology. With these potential industries exploring the area for investment, the EEC will become an attractive destination for foreign investors contributing to its good infrastructure, logistics systems and industrial estate areas as well as its further infrastructure investment programmes such as a deep-sea port at Map Ta Phut. This will create greater convenience for the petrochemical industry as part of the wider Thailand 4.0 plan to transform Thai economy into South-East Asia’s engine of growth.

“Realising that this is a great opportunity to provide support to the key

UPDATE 1/2020

industries in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor, Covestro believes that the approval for trade and investment in the project can help to develop Thailand’s eastern provinces into a leading ASEAN economic zone in the future. To respond accordingly with this national policy, our direction is to drive innovations inspired by sustainability, similarly to how our standard business’ activities are run everywhere that we operate. Our major focus is on introducing and transferring our knowledge and practices in developing a circular economy in the plastics and chemical

EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR 13

industry, such as the reduction of the carbon dioxide emission cycle through the recycling of raw materials,” Managing Director of Covestro (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Dr. Juergen Meyn explained.

“As we never stop working on solutions to the challenges of our time and on pushing existing boundaries, our polycarbonates, polyurethanes, coatings, adhesives and specialties can become an integral par t of people’s lives and ser ve all needs in conforming to modern living. Our materials have successfully enriched and contributed to efficiency, safety and sustainability in different key industries. They have the potential to fully suppor t the S-cur ve industries of EEC, for example, automotive, aviation, logistics, smart electronics, medical equipment and robotics,” he said.

“Covestro has set up a comprehensive and long-term programme that will also open up new oppor tunities for value creation.

High-quality plastics will become drivers of sustainability in overcoming global challenges.

Positioning Thailand as a strategic country economically, and responding to the Thai Government’s policy of establishing the Eastern Economic Corridor, is a good oppor tunity to provide suppor t. Such suppor t will be given through exchanging and transferring knowledge of innovations and a circular economy by collaborating with our existing partners and clients in the Map Ta Phut industrial estate surrounding the EEC area,” Dr. Juergen added.

“One highlight in 2019 is the mechanical completion of the third polycarbonate film production line located in Map Ta Phut.

This is being treated as one of Covestro’s global strategic investments. Covestro’s polycarbonate film is usually produced as tailor-made products for versatile applications especially in the automotive industry as well as identification and security segments”.

Dr. Juergen noted that “our polycarbonates and polycarbonate films produced by our global standard manufacturing site in Map Ta Phut have revolutionized automotive lighting design. With less than half the weight of glass, these materials are easier to work with, thus giving designers much more freedom to improve functional and aesthetic design, and they allow for innovation in all areas of

“ At the Covestro manufacturing plant in Rayong, more than 95 per cent of the employees are local Thai residents, of whom more than 55 per cent are from Rayong and the neighbouring areas.”

automotive lighting features. The polycarbonate films of Covestro are, in general, far thinner than similar products and can be used to laminate surfaces of numerous kinds. With our third production line, we expect the polycarbonate film production scale will be able to serve the fast-growing demands of both the Asian and the global markets, par ticularly the identification and security industries.

In addition, he stressed, the fact that Covestro aims to suppor t global sustainability and people’s better lives, in accordance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which will greatly influence economy and society in the coming years, Covestro is determined to realize these sustainability goals at many levels including skill enhancement of the labour force through innovation and the advancement of a circular economy.

At the Covestro manufacturing plant in Rayong, more than 95 per cent of the employees are local Thai residents, of whom more than 55 per cent are from Rayong and the neighbouring areas. The company focuses on training and meeting international standards in technical skills and knowledge

through innovation transfers from Germany to the labour force in Thailand. “The company’s people development process is aimed at widening the perspective of the workforce, not just by innovation development for creating a better, cleaner and healthier world, but also by utilizing the great economic potential from our opportunity to deliver a fast response to the requirements of the key strategic industries located in the EEC,” according to Dr, Juergen.

“We believe that this ambition and contribution will benefit the environment and society, and of course our customers, who want to join us on our path to creating a circular economy in order to move forward and achieve a sustainable business together in the future,” Dr. Juergen concluded.

Contact details: Nich-navin Chullabrahm Communications Manager – ASEAN, Covestro (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2 029 9097 nich-navin.chullabrahm@covestro.com covestro.co.th

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14 INTERVIEW

Thailand’s automotive industry has been significantly developing for more than 50 years. The industry contributes 10%-12% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) with more than 850,000 employees. Thailand is the largest car manufacturer in Southeast Asia. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) estimates exports of automotive products to have totalled 950 billion baht in 2018, up from 941 billion baht in 2017. Export growth covers approximately 60% of all automotive sales of Thailand.

Asia-Pacific tyre market expected to see strong growth during 2020-2025

Ms. Sirivan Koo-Amphorn, Managing Director, Continental Tires (Thailand) Co., Ltd. One of the prominent players in the expor t of automotive products from Thailand is Continental Tires. Since its establishment in 1871 in Hannover, Germany, Continental Tires is proud of its German heritage and continues to use German technology to provide highstandard products to its customers. It also aims to be one of the top three tyre manufacturers in Thailand. Recently, the company selected Rayong Province — in the heart of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) — for its new passenger and light truck tyre production facility in the Asia and Pacific region, which will create around 900 new jobs in Thailand. GTCC is grateful to Ms. Sirivan Koo-Amphorn, Managing Director of Continental Tires (Thailand) Co., Ltd. since 2012, for sharing with us Continental Tires’ vision and her insights into the EEC in this exclusive interview.

What are your company’s targets in the next 10 years?

We aim to provide top value creation and enhancement of environmental, economic and social requirements for healthy mobility. With the Vision 2025 and Strategy 2030 schemes, we aim to become the global tyre company of choice. The Transformation 2019-2029 structural programme, as part of Strategy 2030, has two main aims — an increased focus on growth areas of future personal mobility such as assisted, automated or connected driving as well as

UPDATE 1/2020

electric mobility, and the targeted adjustments to the organization and portfolio in order to increase efficiency and productivity.

What is the current situation in the tyre market in Thailand, ASEAN and Asia?

The tyre market in Thailand and the AsiaPacific (APAC) region as a whole — our focus region — is expected to grow during the next five years, and we will continue to actively invest in Thailand and APAC as our main markets. This development will be suppor ted and driven by an increase in automobile production, and favourable initiatives like the EEC that, among others, promote infrastructure. As a company, Continental Tires has invested in a tyre plant

INTERVIEW 15

in Rayong so that we can better serve our Thai customers, and provide Thai drivers with safety on the road by using our tyres.

There are constant changes in the automotive industry, and there is always a need to catch up with, and lead, the trend. The competitive landscape for tyres is intense; there are about 23 tyre manufacturers in Thailand producing estimated 130 million tyres annually. We choose to compete only with the premium tyre segment. Relying on German technology and high-quality products, strong anchors in the market and constant development, we are confident about our future tyre business.

The challenges we see the tyre industry are related to the megatrends and everchanging automotive industr y, which has been undergoing a fundamental transformation.

Consumer behaviour is changing as they are more conscious about spending on tyres and other products. Customers usually change tyres every two years; however, now they consider buying new tyres every 2.5-3 years.

In addition, the inner workings of cars will be completely different in 10 to 15 years from now. The three trends that will bring about

“ For potential investors, I would suggest working closely with the Thai Government and securing strong partnerships with contractors and suppliers. A second aspect would be creating a local community aboard…

This network can help, for example, in the application for the BOI promotion package.” the change are electrification, automation and digitalization.

In order to respond to these trends, Continental Tires is focusing on delivering innovation to match these changes — such as tyres with lower rolling resistance, less noise, better braking on dry and wet roads, and intelligent tyres. Our company is tackling these radical changes vigorously and purposefully, creating sustainable value with pioneering technologies and new business models.

You have five plants in Asia already, so how different is the plant in Thailand from those in China, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka?

The Rayong plant has the best-in-class energy efficiency standards of the global tyre manufacturing network. All machines are equipped with technology for sustainable production processes. The high automation of logistics and handling processes will ensure an ergonomic work environment for our employees.

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16 INTERVIEW

What will be the impact of EEC and BOI measures on Rayong Province in your opinion?

Continental will invest more than €250 million in the Rayong plant and create about 900 new jobs by 2022. This plant will strongly support our planned business growth, both in original equipment and the replacement business for passenger and light truck tyres, and will fur ther establish our customer relations in both segments for Thailand and the rest of APAC region. It is estimated that the plant will produce up to four million passenger and light truck tyres per year for Thailand and the APAC region.

Why did you choose WHA Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 4 (ESIE 4) as a location for your tyre plant? What are the key strengths in connection with EEC and Thailand 4.0? Will the plant help to enhance the company’s competitiveness?

The site for Continental’s new Greenfield tyre plant in Rayong complies with all requirements.

In addition to its proximity to our targeted markets and customers, the strategic location also has a good infrastructure located only 150 km from Bangkok, and 60 km from the deep-sea port in Laem Chabang. The port is very convenient for us to import machinery and export tyres to the main markets of China, Australia and other APAC countries.

What attracted us to the EEC region is the Board of Investment (BOI) promotion package, e.g., tax incentives for impor ting machiner y, and government suppor t. At WHA ESIE4, we receive great support from local contractors and suppliers. There is also the opportunity to hire from a pool of skilled talent from nearby universities.

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Rayong is designated as an investment promotion area. The Thai Government has given its “Area-Based Development Policy” high pr ior ity in spreading prosper ity throughout the entire country as well as in maximising the advantage provided by Thailand’s excellent strategic location that links the Asian subregions together. The policy will lead to concrete economic activities, especially in the eastern par t of Thailand which is geographically outstanding and capable of supporting the development of the country’s infrastructure, economy and drive towards “Thailand 4.0”.

What advice would you give to potential investors interested in the EEC and its projects?

For potential investors, I would suggest working closely with the Thai Government and securing strong par tnerships with contractors and suppliers. A second aspect would be creating a local community aboard.

Here, investors may want to utilise networks like GTCC to expand their local business network. Also, they can keep the community informed of the benefits that their investment will bring to them. This network can help, for example, in the application for the BOI

promotion package. As it may take some time for fine-tuning, depending on the package applied, I would suggest that they submit their application months earlier than planned. A number of conditions need to be fulfilled and various licences have to be acquired during plant set up.

What advice would you give to the Government with regard to attracting more German investors?

The strong points of Thailand are that the workforce is inexpensive. With the growth and development of the EEC, a skilled workforce will be needed. Therefore, the Government might want to focus on education. Continental Tires collaborates with the BOI in terms of technical colleges, in order to help in ensuring high quality of the standards of educational programmes.

In order to increase the attractiveness of the EEC for investors, the Government could consider initiating several public infrastructure investment projects to improve connectivity within the EEC. Also, relaxing cer tain laws and regulations could facilitate and encourage foreign investors looking to capitalise on the EEC’s initiatives.

Interviewed by Chadaphan Maliphan and Katja Klose, GTCC Team

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18 SPECIAL REPORT

EEC & fast forward to Thailand 4.0 Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)

Of the record 40 million tourists expected to flock to Thailand this year, many will have been lured by images of gilded temples, Bangkok’s magnificent Grand Palace and other testaments to this ancient Kingdom’s rich cultural history.

But for another category of visitor, foreign investors ranging from global giants Hitachi, BMW and Western Digital to fast-growing startups, the focus is firmly on the future as Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy races to transform itself into Thailand 4.0, the region’s innovation and knowledge-based digital hub.

Foreign companies specialising in such advanced technologies as aerospace, ar tificial intelligence, biosciences, electric vehicles, fintech, robotics and production of sophisticated medical devices are taking advantage of a highly skilled wor kforce, rapidlyimproving infrastructure and lavish government incentives to move their operations to Thailand.

In an early indicator of this trend, the latest annual ranking of the world’s most competitive economies published in May 2019 by Switzerland-based IMD Business School shows Thailand has leapt five places to number 25 globally, due in large part to a boost in foreign direct investment and productivity.

ASEAN’s 660 million consumers A key factor in Thailand’s attraction to investors is its extraordinarily strategic location. A country with a

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population of 69 million, it stands at the heart of the ASEAN Economic Community, a 10-nation Southeast Asian common market of 660 million consumers.

Now, new high-speed rail lines and roads under construction across Thailand are making the Kingdom the crossroads of a region of 3.4 billion inhabitants — or half the world’s population.

At the heart of this frenetic activity is the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), a swathe of territory stretching for 200 kilometers south and east of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, along a coastal strip that’s already home to long-established automobile and electronics factories.

Here, the government and private investors plan to spend more than $45 billion de veloping environmentally sustainable smart cities, futuristic digital technology parks, fast rail links, three sea ports and other facilities.

One of the jewels in the EEC’s crown will be U-Tapao international airport, which will be expanded and linked by high-speed train to Bangkok’s two international airpor ts, reinforcing Thailand’s status as an aviation and aerospace hub. With a 3.5 km runway long enough to take the world’s biggest planes, U-Tapao has already become the base for a nascent aerospace industry.

This rapid industrialization lifted living

SPECIAL REPORT 19

“ Over the past two years, there were 20 German investment projects approved by BOI.” standards markedly. Gross domestic product per capita has more than tripled since 2000, according to the World Bank. But to avoid the so-called middle-income trap and achieve developed nation status within 20 years, the Thai government in 2015 set about reinventing the economy yet again under the banner of Thailand 4.0.

Its aims are highly ambitious: To help grow industries of the future, the government seeks to sharply increase research and development expenditure. Already, it has achieved notable success, with R&D spending doubling to 1 percent of GDP in the five years to 2017, according to the Office of the National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council. Now, Thailand is targeting a fur ther increase in the proportion of R&D investment to GDP to 1.5 percent by 2021.

German companies in EEC Over the past two years, there were 20 German investment projects approved by BOI. The German companies which have been investing in EEC include Leistritz (Blade for Aircraft Engine), RWE Power Climate Protection Southeast Asia Co., Ltd. (Electricity from Solar Panel Installed on the Roof) and HUF (Door Handle Bracket for Automotive) etc.

Tax breaks & smart visas To attract the most innovative companies, Thailand, through its Board of Investment, is offering an array of incentives, including tax breaks of up to 13 years and renewable smart visas of up to four years for international talent, investors and their families.

Simultaneously, Thailand aims to boost its domestic talent pool by raising education standards across the spectrum, from top research institutions to vocational schools. In total, some 475,000 new jobs are expected to be created in the EEC over the next four years, with just under half of them requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher and the rest needing vocational skills.

Through Thailand 4.0, the country not only hopes to transform itself into a developed nation, but also reduce income disparities by lifting living standards in rural areas. One such initiative: using the digital economy to create 20,000 so-called “smart farmers”.

Similarly, while the EEC will be Thailand’s main growth hub, the government also aims to lure investors to other par ts of the countr y, including the nor thern capital of Chiang Mai, the resort island of Phuket and the vibrant university city of Khon Kaen in the less expensive, but easily accessible, Nor theast.

Combined with the new smart cities planned for the EEC, Thailand aims to soon have 10 urban communities that will rank among the world’s most livable cities.

For further details about the Smart Visas privileges, conditionality and application process, please visit www.boi.go.th or register at smart-visa.boi.go.th

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20 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

GTCC Stammtisch Bangkok at Häfele Design Studio GTCC organised the four th Stammtisch Bangkok of 2019 on 19 September at a new location, the Häfele Design Studio. GTCC Board member Mr. Michael Welser and Häfele Managing Director Mr. Volker Hellstern, delivered welcoming remarks to the guests.

Afterwards, more than 70 guests enjoyed a warm atmosphere with German food and drink, and plenty of oppor tunities to network.

Breakfast Talk with L&P on avoiding payment shortfalls in Thailand GTCC, in co-operation with Lorenz & Par tner s Co., Ltd. (L&P) organised an executive breakfast talk on “Dealing with legal challenges – how to avoid payment shortfalls when doing business in Thailand” at the Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok on 24 September 2019. Mr. Till Morstadt, German Attorney-atLaw and L&P Managing Par tner, gave the par ticipants insights into key strategies and tools for securing claims when conducting business specifically in Thailand.

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 21

Young Professionals Networking Evening: Meeting the CEOs – Part II

GTCC organised the third Young Professionals Networking Evening at ABar on 26 September 2019. More than 90 par ticipants had an opportunity to meet Carl van der Elst from Deutsche Bank AG, and Mr. Volker Hellstern from Häfele Thailand Limited. The speakers provided insights into adapting success and overcoming challenges in doing business in Asia during the panel discussion and the lively Q&A session that followed. Afterwards, the guests and speakers had the chance to network among peers from different industries.

Eastern Seaboard Seminar with DACHSER on “Customs Clearance”

GTCC, in co-operation with DACHSER (Thailand) Co., Ltd., organised a Joint Chambers Eastern Seaboard Seminar at the Mytt Beach Hotel Pattaya on 27 September 2019. Mr. Warasit Muangkoom, Chief of Customs Procedure, Thailand Customs Department, informed the participants of changes in customs clearance procedures following the implementation of the upgraded ASEAN-China Free Trade Area on 1 August 2019.

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22 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

GTCC Joint Chambers Eastern Seaboard Networking Following the Joint Chamber s Eastern Seaboard Seminar on “Customs Clearance”, the GTCC hosted a Joint Chambers Eastern Seaboard Networking session at the Mytt Beach Hotel Pattaya on 27 September 2019.

More than 110 representatives, members and friends of AMCHAM, AustCham, BCCT, BeLuThai, CanCham, NTCC, NZTCC, STCC and SATCC came together and spent an evening networking in a great atmosphere with delicious food.

Study trip to K 2019 and exclusive site visits GTCC, in co-operation with the National Science and Technology Development Agency, organised a business and study trip to Germany on “Innovative Materials and Plastic Technology Exclusive Site Visits, and K 2019: Plastics shape the future” from 19 to 27 October 2019. With special tours, the par ticipants had the opportunity to engage with some of the 3,200 international exhibitors at K 2019, the world’s first fair for plastics and rubber industry. The participants experienced first-hand the latest developments and innovations in the rubber industry through exclusive visits to four sites in Germany and Switzerland.

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 23

German delegation for transport and logistics in Thailand GTCC organised a business mission to Thailand for German transport and logistics companies from 11 to 15 November 2019, within the framework of the Foreign Market Entry Programme for SMEs supported by the BMWi (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy). It started with an official briefing at the GTCC office on 11 November.

Mr. Marius Mehner, GTCC Deputy Executive Director, together with Mr. Jan Scheer, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Ger many in Bangkok, and Mr. Thomas Hundt, Director Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, provided the delegation from Germany with an overview of the economic, political and legal framework of market entry into Thailand. The meeting concluded with an introduction to the logistics sector in Thailand and the BMWi SME programme.

On 12 November, GTCC hosted the GermanThai Conference on “Transport and Logistics Solutions” at the Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn for stakeholders to gain more knowledge of transport and logistics solutions in Germany, gain valuable insights from Thai experts in this sector and foster individual B2B-meetings with German companies.

The conference was opened by Mr. Marius Mehner. Dr. Alexander Raubold, Counsellor of Economic and Commercial Affairs of the German Embassy in Bangkok gave welcoming remarks. Mr. Athibhu Chitranukroh, Director Bureau of Safety Planning of the Office of Transpor t and Traffic Policy and Planning, Ministry of Transport of Thailand, delivered the keynote speech. Mr. Thomas Hundt, Director, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) provided an overview of transpor t and logistics in Germany to the par ticipants. Dr. Luxmon Attapich, Deputy Secretary-General of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office also presented “EEC in Action – Infrastructure Projects and Investment Plan”.

A panel discussion was held on “Oppor tunities and Challenges in Transpor t and Logistics Sector” by Dr. Chumpol Saichua, President of the Thai Transpor t and Logistics Association (TTLA), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Manoj Lohatapanont, Executive Director of the Transportation Institute, Chulalongkorn University, and Dr. Thomas E. Fernandez, International School of Management, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

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24 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

Study and business trip to AGRITECHNICA An exclusive study trip to Germany on smar t components for agricultural machinery was organised by GTCC from 10 to 16 November 2019. The trip included visits to the world’s leading trade fair for agricultural technology, AGRITECHNICA, for three days from 12 to 14 November and to leading German companies Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Co., KG and Third Element Aviation GmbH on 11 November to gain first-hand experience of the latest technologies.

GTCC Stammtisch Tri-Nations Night The annual “Tri-Nations” Stammtisch was organised at the Sukhothai Bangkok Hotel on 14 November 2019 and extended an invitation to Advantage Austria and the Swiss-Thai Chamber of Commerce. The participants at the Tri-Nations Stammtisch had an opportunity to meet the guests of honour and other guests from the Austrian-German-Swiss business community in Thailand. The participants also enjoyed special German dishes and networking in a lively atmosphere.

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 25

Luncheon with Parliamentary State Secretary Mr. Thomas Bareiß GTCC Vice President Mr. Andreas Richter hosted a luncheon on 19 November 2019 for Mr. Thomas Bareiß, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, together with Board members and executives of GTCC member companies, as well as German Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Georg Schmidt to discuss economic developments in Thailand.

On the occasion of the Parliamentary State Secretary’s official visit to Thailand, he had meetings with Minister of Industry H.E. Suriya Jungrungreangkit and Deputy Minister of Commerce Mr. Weerasak Wangsuphakijkosol, visited Mercedes-Benz factory as well as METALEX2019 and the German Pavilion.

He also participated in DZT Roundtable on “Current developments in the German and European tourism sector and Outbound tourism from Thailand to Germany and Europe”.

DZT Roundtable on German and European tourism sector The GTCC supported the organisation of the DZT Tourism Roundtable on 20 November 2019 at Sukhothai Hotel, discussing “Current Developments in the German and European Tourism Sector & Outbound Tourism from Thailand to Germany and Europe”. It is initiated by the German National Tourist Board to promote Germany as a vacation destination.

Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Mr. Thomas Bareiß delivered opening remarks. Representatives of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi), the German Embassy in Bangkok, the German National Tourist Office, German companies in the tourism sector as well as key representatives of tour agencies, magazines and newspapers were attending the event.

[Photo credit: The German Embassy in Bangkok]

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26 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

GTCC Business Women Networking “The Roles of Social Media for Women in Business” The four th Business Women Networking on “The roles of social media for women in business” was organised by GTCC on 20 November 2019 at the Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse. Panel speaker s Ms. Alexandra Reich, CEO of dtac, and Ms. Nipatra Tangpojthavepol, Executive Director at SEAC shared their insights and experiences with business women from a wide range of industries.

GTCC Executive Breakfast Talk with Deloitte The GTCC, in co-operation with Deloitte, organised an Executive Breakfast talk on 26 November 2019 at the GTCC Office.

Deloitte exper ts Ms. Chayalaak Chutima and Mr. Stuart Simons gave a presentation on “Solving the Thailand Transfer Pricing Conundrum” for about 25 guests.

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 27

MEA - Technical Trip to Germany The GTCC organised a Technical Trip featuring Exclusive Site Visits for MEA (Metropolitan Electricity Authority) to Germany from 23 November to 1 December 2019, to support MEA in developing new business potentials and experience new technologies first-hand to drive the MEA Smar t Metro/Smar t Industry project in the future.

The trainings and site visits included Energy Brainpool GmbH, Stadtwerke Leipzig GmbH (CHP Plant), AGFW (German Energy Efficiency Association for Heating, Cooling and CHP), Energy Factory (EnFa), EGS-Plan & Green Hydrogen GmbH Esslingen, Landau Microgid Project (LAMP), Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy System (ISE), and Solar Settlement & Helitrope projects (“Solar Village”) at Schlieberg in Freiburg.

AHK Regional Meeting Asia-Pacific & ASEAN AHK Meeting Executive Directors and Chief Representatives of Delegation of German Chamber s of Commerce Abroad (AHK) in the Asia Pacific region gathered at the AHK Regional Meeting Asia-Pacific in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China (PRC), from 2 to 3 December 2019.

The Association of German Chambers of In d u s tr y an d Co m m e rce (D IH K ) w a s represented by Chief Executive of Foreign Tr ade and Member of the Executive Board Dr. Volker Treier. On the second day, Dr. Clemens von Goetze, German Ambassador to the PRC, delivered his speech on interest representation in China. The delegation also met with par tners to discuss regional developments and cooperation in foreign trade promotion.

AHKs in ASEAN further had a meeting at AHK Hong Kong during 4-5 December 2019 to exchange ideas about next year’s key activities such as ASEAN Insight 2020, German-ASEAN Roundtable, Hannover Messe – ASEAN Forum, and AHK World Business Outlook 2020.

28 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

GTCC Oktoberfest 2019 The GTCC Oktoberfest 2019 welcomed more than 1,600 guests on 25 and 26 October 2019 at the Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park. German Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Georg Schmid officially opened GTCC Oktoberfest on the fully-booked first day with the tapping of the first keg of beer and the triumphant “O’Zapft is!” (It’s tapped). On the second day, GTCC Oktoberfest was marked with “International Night” in co-operation with 11 foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand. Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Germany in Thailand Mr. Jan Scheer tapped the keg.

The lively entertainment provided by AnTon and the Funny Guys, the genuine Paulaner Oktoberfest beer, the German buffet and the games for the guests made the night even more enjoyable.

GTCC would like to express our sincere gratitude to par tners Marriott Marquis Bangkok Queen’s Park and Paulaner, and esteemed sponsors [Diamond] Häfele; [Gold] BMW, Kuehne + Nagel, Munich RE, Olymp, SCHÜCO and Thaivivat Insurance; [Silver] BASF, B. Grimm, Lenk Frozen Food, Mazars and Robinson Clubs. GTCC is also ver y grateful for the great suppor t and contribution provided by in-kind sponsors Rober t Bosch, Bumrungrad International Hospital and Stiebel Eltron as well as Airline Partner Lufthansa German Airlines which made the Oktoberfest 2019 event so successful. Thanks are also due to the participating foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand for their co-operation in making the Oktoberfest “International Night” such a wonderful event.

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 29

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30 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 31

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32 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

GTCC Family Christmas Party 2019 The GTCC’s Family Christmas Party 2019 was held on 12 December at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. GTCC members and their families as well as friends of the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce enjoyed delicious food and drinks — including warm Glühwein — in a festive atmosphere and a real Christmas tree. Activities for children, a live band, and gift exchanges brought delighted smiles among the guests.

Santa Claus also greeted the children and provided special gifts for them during the evening’s festivities.

The event would not have been possible without the support of the Santa Claus partner Turkish Airlines and our in-kind partners Asian Tigers Mobility, baan & BEYOND, Bumrungrad International Hospital, Majorette, Staedtler and TGM.

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 33

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34 GTDEE INSIGHT

ASEAN TVET Officials Meeting On 3 August 2019, GTDEE Senior Manager, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom, participated in an ASEAN TVET Officials Meeting which was organised by Dr. Boonr ux Yodphet, the Secretar y-Gener al of the Bureau of Co-operation, Office of the Vocational Education Commission, Ministry of Education.

The meeting focused on “Advancing TVET towards Internationalization of Vocational Education Qualification and Standards for Sustainable Development”. Fur thermore, Dr. Kamonsak was one of the keynote speakers in the panel discussion of “Challenges in Development on Vocational Education an d Skills Tr ain in g focu s i n g o n TV E T Qualification”. More than 100 participants attended the meeting from the public as well as private and international organisations such as the United Nations Educational, S cie n tific an d Cu ltu r a l Or g a n i z a t i o n , International Labour Organisation, German International Cooperation (GIZ) and Thailand Professional Qualification Institute. In addition,

the par ticipants included vocational education exper ts from ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and China, Germany and Japan. The meeting was held at the Empress Hotel, Chiang Mai.

Dual Studies for Agricultural Engineering Programme at German Standard Meeting On 21 August 2019, CIM Integrated Expert and GTDEE Project Director, Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom and GTDEE Department Manager, Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade had a meeting on the “Dual Studies for Agricultural Engineering Programme at German Standard” with a focus on the undergraduate level in Thailand. The meeting participants included:

(a) German Embassy – Ms. Claudia Ebach, Counsellor for Food and Agriculture and Mr. Reinhard Paichrowski, Second Secretary (Economics and Commercial); (b) Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chouw Inprasit, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering (Kamphaeng Saen), Asst. Prof. Dr. Wanrat Abdullakasim, Associate Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Engineering (Kamphaeng Saen), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pratuang Usaborisut, Chairman, Depar tment of Agricultural Engineering and Asst. Prof. Dr. Siwalak Pa t h av e e r a t , A s s i s t a n t P r o f e s s o r, Department of Agricultural Engineering; (c) German Expert – Prof. Dr. Manfred Manthay.

The meeting was held at the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce office.

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GTDEE INSIGHT 35

Meeting on preparations for PAL Interim Examination 2019 in Electric Power, level A On 6 September 2019, Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom discussed the preparations for the PAL Interim Examination in Electric Power level A – German dual vocational and education training (VET) abroad – for the apprentices batch 2018, with Pathum Thani Brewery Co., Ltd.’s Senior Technical Trainers. The meeting was held at Pathum Thani Brewery Co., Ltd.

Motorrad Mechatronics Development and Examination meeting On 10 September 2019, Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom had a discussion with BMW Motorrad Ser vice Manager Mr. Pornthep Kantada on the Motorrad Mechatronics Development and Examination for the apprentices Batch 2018. The meeting was held at BMW dealer German Auto Bangna.

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36 GTDEE INSIGHT

Visit to the GTDEE apprentice at BMW dealership in Phitsanulok On 12 September 2019, Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom visited the GTDEE apprentice at BMW dealership in Phitsanulok, Nithiboon. The GTDEE team had a meeting with BMW Nithiboon’s Service Manager, Mr. Jakkree J-srichai, which focused on the Motorrad Mechatronics Technician Qualification.

Visit to GTDEE graduates at Mercedes-Benz dealerships Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom visited GTDEE graduates from batch 2017 at Mercedes-Benz dealerships, and par ticipated in a meeting with the Aftersales Manager and Service Managers to discuss the level A – German dual vocational and education training (VET) abroad – qualified technicians from Mercedes-Benz apprentices Batch 2017. The discussions also covered future co-operation between Mercedes-Benz and GTDEE for apprenticeship development. The Mercedes-Benz dealerships visited by the GTDEE team were:

Mercedes-Benz dealership

Province

13 September 2019

Phitsanulok Namthong

Phitsanulok

20 September 2019

Benz Thonglor

Bangkok

20 September 2019

Keng Hong Thong

Bangkok

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Date

GTDEE INSIGHT 37

GTDEE Workshops GTDEE represented by Dr. Kamonsak Suradom and Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade organised workshops on Systematic Thinking and Mind Mapping and Introduction for the PAL Interim Examination 2019 for the 20 BMW apprentices of batch 2018 in Automotive Mechatronics. The workshops were organised at the BMW Group (Thailand) Training Centre, Pathum Thani. Senior Technical Trainers of BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Mr. Natthapong Lorpisanchai and Mr. Kriskorn Kraichinda, also par ticipated in the workshops. The details of the workshops were shown below.

Date

College

Number of apprentices

16 September 2019

Eastern Technological College (E.Tech)

10

23 September 2019

Chitralada Technology Institute

2

23 September 2019

Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok

8

GTCC Certificate Presentation Ceremony On 25 September 2019, Mr. Markus Hoffmann and GTDEE Manager, Mr. Anon Siharat, toge th e r w ith Gr o h e S i a m L i m i t e d ’s Human Resources Depar tment Manager, Ms. Kanuangnit Chintaku and HRD Specialist, Ms. Supreeda Siripat were warmly welcomed

by Eastern Technological College (E.Tech) Director, Dr. Prasert Klinchoo, teachers and students, at the GTCC Certificate Handover Ceremony to apprentice batch 2017 from Eastern Technological College (E.Tech).

Among the 15 graduates who received their GTCC cer tificates from Mr. Markus Hoffmann, fourteen of them were trained by Grohe Siam Limited as follows: Mechatronics – six appr en tic e s ; M e ch a n i cs – t h re e apprentices; Plating – two apprentices; Electric Power – one apprentice; Quality Management – one apprentice; and Logistics – one apprentice. The fifteenth apprentice was trained in Mechatronics by Rober t Bosch Automotive Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd. – Hemaraj.

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38 GTDEE INSIGHT

GTCC Certificate Presentation Ceremony for Mercedes-Benz apprentices batch 2017 On 9 October 2019, Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom participated in the presentation of DIHK Cer tificates to Mercedes-Benz apprentices batch 2017 at the Mercedes-Benz Competency Centre (MBCC). The certificate handover ceremony took place after speeches by H.E. Mr. Georg Schmidt, German Ambassador to Thailand, and Thai Education Minister, Mr. Nataphol Teepsuwan.

President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand), Mr. Roland Folger, delivered a congratulatory speech to the 29 Automotive Mechatronics apprentices who had achieved a Level A cer tificate for “Ger man dual vocational education and training abroad” and a Level B cer tificate for “Local Dual Vocational Education and Training in line with the German model” from the AHKIHK-DIHK network in Germany under the German-Thai Dual Excellence Education Programme (GTDEE) and Mercedes-Benz

(Thailand). The graduates attended the Automotive Mechatronics Technician Dual Training Programme offered by Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) under a par tnership with the GTCC, Mercedes-Benz dealerships, Eastern Technological College (E.Tech), Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok and Samut Prakarn Technical College.

GTCC certificate presentation ceremony On 17 October 2019, GTCC organised the “AdA International – Train the Trainer” certificate presentation ceremony to 10 trainers for their successful participation in the training course, which was held from 30 September to 17 October 2019 at the GTCC office.

Furthermore, it was the final and examination day of AdA International – Train the Trainer

2019 programme organised by GTDEE for the representatives of GTDEE company partners and college partners: Pathum Thani Brewery Co., Ltd. and Khon Kaen Brewery Co., Ltd.; and Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok and King Mongkut’s University of Technology Nor th Bangkok (KMUTNB). The Dean of KMUTNB Faculty of Technical Education, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pairote Stirayakorn, and Associate Dean, Dr. Wittawat Tipsuwan, were invited to participate in the examination as the examination committee.

The 10 graduates, from the educational and industrial sector, attended the 120-hour training course, during which they were received instruction on methods for teaching apprentices according to German standards.

The objective of the cour se is to train the trainers according to German quality standards of the AEVO (German-AusbilderEignungsverordnung).

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GTCC certificate presentation ceremony for BMW apprentices batch 2017 On 21 October 2019, Mr. Mar kus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom, Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade, GTDEE Department Manager, Mr. Anon Siharat and GTDEE Department Assistant, Ms. Apinya Amporn participated in the presentation of DIHK Certificates to BMW apprentices batch 2017 at the BMW Group (Thailand) Training Centre, Pathum Thani. The certificate handover ceremony followed speeches by Counsellor of Economic and Commerce Affairs of German Embassy of Thailand’s, Dr. Alexander Raubold and Mr. Markus Hoffmann.

Aftersales Director of BMW (Thailand), Mr. Cesar Badilla, delivered a congratulatory speech to the 14 Automotive Mechatronics apprentices from Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok who achieved a Level A cer tificate for “German dual vocational education and training abroad” from the AHK-IHK-DIHK network in Germany under GTDEE and BMW (Thailand).

The Manager of Training and QualificationMotorrad of BMW (Thailand), Mr. Kriengsak Senaworaprasit, presented the cer tificates to the 14 graduates as well as BMW service apprentice scholarships to the 51 apprentices in batch 2018 and batch 2019 from the Chitralada Technology Institute, Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok and Eastern Technological College (E.Tech). The ceremony as also attended by the Director of the Chitralada Technology Institute, Dr, Nualanong T humjaro e n, R e c to r o f Do n Bosco Technological College Bangkok, Rev. Fr. Manachai Tharachai, and Director of Eastern Technological College (E. Tech), Dr. Praser t Klinchoo, and teachers.

GTDEE workshop for Mercedes-Benz dealerships On 29 October 2019, GTDEE represented

by Dr. Kamonsak Suradom and Ms. Apinya Amporn organised a GTDEE workshop on “Law and Regulations for dual vocational education and training” for Mercedes-Benz dealer ships at the Mercedes-Benz Competence Centre (MBCC). The Director of Promotion Benefit Subdivision of the Department of Skill Development, Ministry of Labour, Mrs. Suratchata Phorthanee, was invited to be the guest speaker at the workshop.

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40 BUSINESS BRIEFS

New of PET Processing, Asia-Pacific, at Krones (Thailand) Mr. Axel Cauvin was recently appointed as Head of PET Processing Asia-Pacific for Krones (Thailand) Co., Ltd. As part of his role, Mr. Cauvin will develop and lead a dedicated regional service engineers team on plastic technology. He will also develop a PET Process Technology training programme as well as be involved in complex process interventions on site (bottle quality issue, analysis, optimization, bottle development) and suppor t the sales team in promoting Process Technology and Life Cycle Service related products.

Mercedes-Benz appoints new sales and marketing Vice-President for Thailand Daimler AG recently announced the appointment of Mr. Bjoern Joachim Gustrau as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Limited and SEA 1. He replaces Mr. Frank Steinacher who has been reassigned to the post of Vice-President of Sales in Mexico after working in Thailand since 2016. The appointment of Mr. Gustrau became effective on 1 August 2019.

Mr. Gustrau joined Daimler AG in 2000 through the Associated Management Consultant Team of Daimler Chrysler AG, in Stuttgar t, Germany. Prior to his move to Mercedes-Benz (Thailand), Mr. Gustrau served as Vice-President of Sales and Product Management MBC at Mercedes-Benz in Mexico from 2014 to July 2019, where he was also a member of the board and CEO substitute. He tripled sales within five years and brought tremendous achievements to Mercedes-Benz in Mexico through his sales and marketing supervision and long-term, mid-term and tactical strategies.

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Thai Union receives Thailand Corporate Innovation Excellence Award 2019 Thai Union Group PCL received the Innovation Excellence Award at the Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards 2019 on 6 December 2019 for its outstanding work in innovation. The awards, from the Thailand Management Association (TMA), were given to Thai companies that have contributed to the country’s economy, development and competitiveness as well as demonstrated longstanding work and expertise in different areas such as financial management, human resource management, mar keting management, sustainable development and innovation.

Management, Chulalongkorn University for 17 years on the awards’ selection process.

Other awardees this year were CPF, True Corporation, AIS, Thai Oil and SCG.

Dr. Tunyawat Kasemsuwan, Group Director – Global Innovation, at Thai Union said: “Innovation is critical to advancing Thai Union’s growth to the next level. It plays an important role in shaping the future of the company as it gives us an uncompromising competitive advantage. With more than 120 in-house researcher s and collaboration with academic institutes around the world, we work every day to develop gamechanging solutions for enhanced consumer satisfaction, shared value and sustainability.”

TMA has par tnered with Sasin School of

Boehringer Ingelheim Thailand certified as Top Employer 2020 Boehringer Ingelheim Thailand has been cer tified as Top Employer 2020, together with all Boehringer Ingelheim companies in the South East Asia region/South Korea.

The cer tification by the renowned Top Employer Institute follows a strict set of criteria that are evaluated and compared to global best practices in the workplace.

These include talent strategy, learning and development, compensation and benefits, culture and leadership, and many more.

“We see this award as encouragement to continue the path we are one, building on the improvements we have taken over the past few years. Our ambition to create an “Employer of Choice” in the pharmaceutical industr y in Thailand remains, and we will continue to work hard to become even better than today”, according to Dr. Armin Wiesler, General Manager/Head of Human Pharma of Boehringer Ingelheim Thailand.

www.thailand.ahk.de

42 BUSINESS BRIEFS

Jungheinrich organises Thailand’s first forklift driving competition Jungheinrich Lift Truck Ltd., the leading Intralogistics Solution provider from Germany, held the “Jungheinrich Driving Challenge 2019“ — Thailand’s first Forklift Driving Competition — in Bangkok on 1 November 2019. Mr. Stefan Brehm, Managing Director of Jungheinrich Lift Truck Ltd., stated that the aim of the activity was to encourage the development of safe driving skills among for klift operator s.

Jungheinrich presented a trophy, certificate and a gold prize to the winner of the competition.

On the same day, Jungheinrich hosted an intralogistics seminar on “Disruptive technology impact towards Industry and Intralogistics”, presented by Factory Automation Department experts from the Thai-German Institute. The guest speaker at the seminar was Mr. Chen Namchaisiri, Senator and Honorary Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries

UPDATE 1/2020

MEMBERS’ CORNER 43

New GTCC members up to 31 December 2019

German-Thai Chamber of Commerce warmly welcomes 8 new members Adidas (Thailand) Co., Ltd

MPower Engineering Co., Ltd

Mr. Georges Youssef General Manager Khun Suchada Ketsuwan Finance Director Georges.youssef@adidas.com www.adidas.co.th Manufacture of wearing apparel

Khun Sumate Jaito CEO Khun Wiboon Yamrungruang Chief Operation Officer info@m-power.co.th www.m-power.co.th Repair and installation of machinery and equipment | Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles

Electrovac (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Schmersal (Thailand) Co. Ltd.

Mr. Matthias Wittmann Head of Engineering wim@electrovac.com www.electrovac.com Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment

Mr. Prasad Kulkarni Managing Director info@schmersal.co.th www.schmersal.co.th, www.schmersal.com Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products | Manufacture of electrical equipment | Other professional, scientific and technical activities

JTB (Thailand) Limited

Sukhothai Inter Law & Business Co., Ltd.

Mr. Hikaru Tani CEO / President Khun Orn-aree Kaviwattanapakdee Authorized Director bkk_corp.th@jtbap.com www.jtbthailand.com Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities

Khun Sutham Siribunyawat Managing Director Khun Krit Siribunyawat Managing Director sutham@sukhothaiinterlaw.com www.sukhothaiinterlaw.com Legal and accounting activities

Mr. Marco Weigang

TRENDS Digital Co., Ltd.

Commercial Director Airlines Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos of Amadeus Asia Limited mweigang@amadeus.com, marcoweigang@yahoo.com

Mr. Sunny Patel Managing Director Mr. David Garcia Cumplido Digital Director info@trendsdigital.com www.trendsdigital.com Computer programming, consultancy and related activities | Information service activities | Advertising and market research

www.thailand.ahk.de

44 TRADE FAIRS

bautec 2020: Showing the way to smart buildings for future living 18-21 February 2020, Berlin

Taking place for the nineteenth time, next year, bautec has become established as one of the leading construction industry trade events with its focus on modernisation in the construction and housing industry, from the basement to the rooftop as well as infrastructure. The future will demand smart, efficient, and sustainable buildings that make living and working a pleasure – and, from 18 to 20 February 2020, bautec will show the way!

Construction and building technology are among the world’s most innovative industries.

New product ideas are developed almost daily in the key areas of digitalization and energy efficiency, and bautec 2020 is where these concepts are presented. In fact, bautec not only showcases innovative products and solutions – the trade fair itself is packed with innovations. Featuring a full range of new formats, bautec is at the cutting edge and will continue to strengthen its position as the industry’s most important meeting place in 2020.

Visitors to bautec are offer a full range of building construction elements with all industry segments represented in a single trade fair – an integrated network uniting building envelope and building technology, including:

UPDATE 1/2020

• Interior/drywall construction • Roofing • Wood and renewable resources • Sanitation/heating/climate control/smar t home • Walls/facades • Serial construction • Construction machinery/equipment The focus of visitor interest is on the concept of energy-saving, which integrates the building exterior with intelligent systems engineering, sustainable and energy-efficient solutions, climate protection measures and the use of state-of-the ar t building materials and methods.

As part of the bautec framework, GRÜNBAU BERLIN will be taking place for the sixth time to drive the discussion about the Green City of the future. This is where exhibitors specialising in gardening, landscaping, playground and spor ts field construction showcase their products and services on 3,000 square metres of display space – from outdoor furniture and building materials, to roof greening, climbing equipment and pond construction.

More information on bautec can be found by visiting https://www.bautec.com/en/. For further information, please contact GTCC’s official representative for Messe Berlin GmbH in Thailand, Ms. Patamaporn Wasuwat, by telephone at +66 2 055 0641 or by e-mail at berlin@gtcc.org.

TRADE FAIRS 45

Enforce Tac: Trade Fair for Law Enforcement 4-5 March 2020, Nuremberg

IWA OutdoorClassics: Trade Fair for target sports, nature activities and protecting people 6-9 March 2020, Nuremberg

NürnbergMesse has established and proven expertise in the security sector. With events such as Enforce Tac – Trade Fair for Law Enforcement, U.T.SEC – Summit for Drones, Unmanned Technologies & Security and IWA – OutdoorClassics, it brings together a total of around 1,900 exhibitors and some 45,000 visitors from all over the world.

Enforce Tac and U.T.SEV are two niche events that will take place in parallel from 4 to 5 March 2020. At Enforce Tac the exhibitors offer the latest security equipment for enhancing interception and overpowering techniques to ensure the best possible protection of operational forces against fatal injuries. U.T.SEC will cover the forward-looking issue of unmanned vehicles, particularly their use by official security agencies.

Immediately following Enforce Tac/U.T.SEC, from 6 to 9 March, IWA OutdoorClassics,

the leading international exhibition for hunting and shooting spor ts, outdoor equipment, and equipment for civilian and official security requirements, will be held.

IWA OutdoorClassics has been the meeting p o i n t for manufac ture r s , imp o r te r s , wholesalers, retailers and mail order firms, authorities and the trade press from the relevant sectors for 46 years.

Visitors can experience both shows in one visit to Germany. For more information about planning a visit either individually or in a group, please contact GTCC’s official representative for NürnbergMesse GmbH in Thailand, Mr. Nupat Khusribanchong, at telephone +66 2 055 0600 or by e-mail at nuernberg@gtcc.org.

www.thailand.ahk.de

46 TRADE FAIRS

analytica 2020: Focusing on digital transformation of the laboratory world 31 March-3 April 2020, Munich The twenty-seventh analytica will open its doors on the fairgrounds of Messe München from 31 March to 3 April 2020. Even now there are already signs of an increase in the number of exhibitors. One focus of the world’s leading trade fair for laboratory technology, analysis and biotechnology, with the accompanying analytica conference, is the digital transformation of the laboratory world.

Today, reliable analyses are more important than ever for controlling the global movement of goods as well as for meeting climate targets and developing new materials or medicines.

According to the 2019 Trend Report of the industry association Spectaris, the world market for analysis, bio- and laborator y technology is growing by 5 to 11 per cent annually, depending on the segment.

“We feel the positive mood in the industry when we register exhibitors for analytica,” says Susanne Grödl, Exhibition Director analytica at Messe München. Above all, interest from abroad is growing strongly. Thus, exhibitors from the USA will for the first time be present in the form of a joint booth. China is planning a much larger trade fair presence than in 2018, and the United Kingdom, Spain and the Republic of Korea have likewise booked national booths again. analytica is the world’s leading marketplace for products and services along the entire value chain for modern laboratory processes.

UPDATE 1/2020

It is where the industry’s key players and decision-makers meet. Only analytica provides a comprehensive overview of the entire range of topics that per tain to the laboratory in research and industry, including: • Analysis and quality control • Biotechnology, Life Sciences and diagnostics • Laboratory technology “Talking Science” is the motto of the analytica conference. It will take place on the first three days of the trade fair at the ICM Congress Centre of Messe München, and will bridge the gap between routine analysis and research with some 200 lectures. Renowned scientists from all over the world will not only present the latest methods of chemical analysis and bioanalysis, but will also discuss artificial intelligence and big data, resistance to antibiotics, nanoparticles and many other subjects.

Whether at the analytica conference or in the exhibition halls, the exchange of information between the various industry players is always a priority. “By bringing together equipment manufacturers, users and scientists, investors and decision-makers rom all over the world and from all analytical disciplines, we drive the innovative power of the industry,” Susanne Grödl summarized. In times of change, interdisciplinary global dialogue plays a key role – analytica offers a unique platform for this.

More details on analytica are available at https://www.analytica.de/en/. For further information, please contact GTCC’s official representative for Messe München GmbH in Thailand, Ms. Patamaporn Wasuwat, by telephone at +66 2 055 0641 or by e-mail at muenchen@gtcc.org.

TRADE FAIRS 47

INTERSCHUTZ: the world’s leading trade fair for the fire and rescue services, civil protection, safety and security 15-20 June 2020, Hannover

The next INTERSCHUTZ, the wor ld’s foremost showcase for fire and rescue services, and safety/security, will take place at its original location, Hannover, Germany, from 15 to 20 June 2020, after having taken place in various countries during the past few years.

INTERSCHUTZ offers you opportunities for interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and for building international networks. It is, after all, a gathering place for people who routinely save lives, prevent disasters and help others in times of need. Cover ing four main categories, the products and services on display here include equipment for technical

assistance and disaster control, fire station equipment, fire protection and extinguishing technology, vehicles and vehicle equipment, information and organization technology, medical equipment and supplies, control center technology and personal protective equipment.

For Deutsche Messe, the organizers of INTERSCHUTZ the booking of the 1,000th exhibitor at this early stage represents an important milestone. INTERSCHUTZ 2015 in Hannover attracted some 1,500 exhibitors and more than 150,000 visitors. This means there are still about 500 exhibitors to go until the 2015 record is over taken, but registrations are still coming in at a steady rate. With the current lineup consisting of 20 per cent newcomers, all signs are pointing to further growth in the exhibitor turnout. In addition, some halls are already booked solid. In fact, 98 per cent of the space booked in 2015 has already been filled.

For more information and exhibitor/visitor inquiries, please contact GTCC’s official representative for Deutsche Messe GmbH in Thailand, Mr. Nupat Khusribanchong, by telephone at +66 2 055 0600 or by e-mail at hannover@gtcc.org.

www.thailand.ahk.de

48 TRADE FAIRS

Insights-X: The platform for paper, office supplies and stationery 14-16 October 2020, Nuremberg

Insights-X is the bespoke business and networking platform for the stationery sector,

organised by Spielwarenmesse eG. The fifth

Insights-X for branded goods opened its

doors from 9 to 12 October 2019 and met

with a positive all-round response. A total of

5,669 trade visitors from 85 countries were

recorded at the event, which was held in the

Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. Their aim was to order products at the right time in autumn

and to find inspiration for their stores from among the 321 exhibitors from 41 countries, who unveiled their latest trends and innovations for the office supplies, back-to-school and hobby sectors.

The promotional activities were favourably received by retailers and buyers alike. The only point of contention was the show’s four-day duration, with many exhibitors calling for three days instead. In response, organiser Spielwarenmesse eG has now decided to stage future Insights-X events from Wednesday to Friday.

Insights-X also offers a comprehensive range of services to provide exhibitors with as much support as possible. The sixth Insights-X, which will be held from 14 to 16 October 2020, will cover five product segments — writing utensils and equipment, paper and filing, artistic and creative, desktop, bags and accessories, and stationery and gift articles — in Halls 10, 11 and 12 of the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. Companies wanting to participate in the sixth Insights-X can now reserve their space and stands at the Exhibition Centre in Nuremberg.

Pre-sales admission tickets to Insights-X will be available in the summer of 2020 for €10.00 and will be valid for the entire duration of the fair.

For fur ther general information about the sixth Insights-X please contact the Chamber’s official representative of Spielwarenmesse eG for Thailand, Ms. Chanikarn Ngarmchalee by telephone at +66 2 055 0642 or by e-mail at chanikarn@gtcc.org or visit www.insights-x.com.

UPDATE 1/2020