Issue 9: 4 Aug 2014
The Honorary Trade Advisor (HTA) of Thailand in Germany tells Horizon Thailand of his work and passion for matters green.
How did you get involved with business in Thailand?
My first business with Thailand was exporting original Adidas football shoes for the Raj Pracha Thailand team in 1979. Thailand`s famous player and later national coach, Vithaya Laoakul, was living in my parents’ house like a brother when he was playing for Berlin`s Hertha BSC in the German First Division.
You became HTA in 2004. How did this come about?
The honour was granted for my promotion of German-Thai business relations in Germany. Being the chairman of Germany`s Thailand Forum, I had the privilege of cooperating with Thailand’s foreign affairs and economic relations ministries for years.
What is your responsibility as a HTA?
I assist Thai authorities, the embassy, the Thai Trade office and businesses to develop business networks, promote trade, products and services, attend relevant fairs, as well as providing legal and tax consultancy services for both German and Thai partners from public and private sector.
What are the main trade links between Germany and Thailand?
Food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, goods and services for the automotive sector, home accessories, jewellery, textiles, audio & IT equipment, gifts, medical services, machines, machine tools, cars and tourism.
How do you see the relations between the two nations developing over the next few years?
The potential is considerable and not fully exploited. The efforts and investments made in Thailand on the German side are considerable. Since Thailand offers an attractive business environment more action and less talking is required. The German industry is willing to offer the tools Thailand needs to keep the level of quality strong.
Issue08 : 22 July 2014
The Executive Director of the Organisation for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan (SMRJ) – or SME Support Japan – talks to Horizon Thailand about the Kingdom’s opportunity to become the SME hub of ASEAN.
Can you explain what SME Support, Japan is about?
SME Support, Japan is the only national administrative agency which primarily implements SME-related policy programmes in cooperation with Japan’s Ministry of Economy Trade & Industry’s SME Agency. It specialises in providing comprehensive management support, giving planned hands-on support, and giving extensive support utilising its networks with Japanese SMEs. Its role is to foster Supporting Industries through the promotion of business partnerships among SMEs in the APEC region.
How do you support Japanese SMEs?
The Japanese government has a policy to encourage about 10,000 Japanese SMEs to go overseas. SME Support, Japan is also there to support the policy by providing a programme to support the growth and development of SME companies through internationalisation. This involves three plans. The first is to help with the managerial issues of overseas expansion. The second is the promotion of overseas expansion projects through events such as international exhibitions, the CEO Network Enhancing Project and supporting development of sales channels utilising business matching sites. The third is the support for seminars, training, and info-service by nine SME universities in Japan.
Can you give us an example of a SME exchange between Japan and Thailand?
Through the SMEs’ CEO Network Enhancing Project, Japan collaborated with the Ministry of Industry of Thailand and invited 20 Thai companies specialising in aircraft parts, railway vehicle parts, agricultural machines and medical equipment to meetings with Japanese companies in Tokyo and Hiroshima in January 2014. The total amount of business deals was about US$29 million.
Issue06 : 23 June 2014
M. Peter Cauwelier, the president of Franco-Thai Chamber of CommerceThe President of the Franco–Thai Chamber of Commerce (FTCC) talks to Horizon Thailand about the strength of the relations between the two countries.
How long have you been President of the FTCC?
I have been working in Thailand since 1991, initially with Dextra Group and then with Essilor in Thailand. Two years ago I started my own company where I focus on helping teams to work more effectively together. I joined the FTCC as a Counsellor in 2011 and became its President in 2013, so I am currently in my second year as President.
What benefits does the FTCC offer its members?
The FTCC helps members develop their network thanks to direct access to 300 member companies and its database of 2,700 relevant contacts, through one on one meeting, its business directory, a new dedicated mobile phone application and over 50 events organised every year.
How does the FTCC promote trade between France and Thailand?
The FTCC goes regularly to France with its partners such as the Board of Investment of Thailand or the Chambers of Commerce in France to promote Thailand as a key destination for exports, sourcing and investments though seminars and over 100 individual B-to-B meetings with French companies.
How many French companies are there in Thailand?
Today, more than 300 French companies are located in Thailand, with more than 60 subsidiaries of major French groups and more than 200 SMEs and entrepreneurs. These companies employ nearly 70,000 employees and the French companies are in various fields such as industry, construction, energy, services and consumer goods.
Issue07 : 07 July 2014
In only three years, Ookbee has climbed from nothing to becoming the number one e-book application in Southeast Asia. Horizon Thailand talks with its CEO.
What's your background in the IT business?
Back in 2000 right after my masters in Industrial Engineering, I started my first company – IT WORKS. My initial thought was that it could be a good business doing programming work for Japanese companies in Bangkok. In reality, it was not as smooth as I thought and there were many lessons I learned along the way. We were doing mobile programming outsourcing for foreign customers in Japan and the US. It was this which introduced us to the business that turned out to be Ookbee today.
How did you start Ookbee?
Four years ago, when the first tablet (iPad) had just come out, I thought it would be nice if we could read all these local books and magazines on tablets so we wouldn’t have to carry them around. We also wanted them to be more than just plain text and pictures. We did some market research and in the end we built OOKBEE to make the wish come true.
What were your initial problems?
One of the things we considered was whether Thais were willing to spend money on digital content especially e-magazines and e-books considering there are so many pirated Thai movies and music content. We decided that the only way to find out was to try the market. After several months, we discovered there is a market to sell these digital publications in Thailand. Since then our user-base has grown constantly.
So Ookbee has been a success?
It’s been great. So far we have more than seven million downloads and more than five million users. We are adding almost 10,000 new users every day.
Issue05 : 9 June 2014
The CEO and founder of GOCO Hospitality talks with Horizon Thailand. GOCO Hospitality is an international company in holistic industry. They aim to create hi-end spa and traveling experience. Operating in Bangkok and Germany, GOCO provides unforgettable 6 star spas and hotels in China, India, and other countries.
Your slogan is Where Wellness Meets Wanderlust, what lies behind this?
The company’s name GOCO combines two of the most important elements of the company – the acronym GO stands for travelling, movement and energy, whereas CO is based on the word community. Similarly, its tagline Wellness meets Wanderlust highlights the merging of travel with the wellness business. Focusing on this industry space, GOCO Hospitality develops unique projects that are wellness-centric, reflect local cultures and strive to make a social impact in their community.
Can you explain what is unique about GOCO Retreats and GOCO Spa?
Both brands are authentic and embrace the local heritage of each location. GOCO Spa is for individualists who seek personalised and authentic wellness experiences in a contemporary setting. The brand provides to its guests a calm sanctuary that inspires holistic well-being by offering internationally inspired therapies in a luxurious setting that embraces the local heritage of each location. GOCO Retreats are destination wellness resorts focused on creating healthy habits, encouraging personal development and embracing integrative wellness.
Your HQ is in Bangkok, why did you decide to establish yourself in Thailand?
GOCO Hospitality has established its corporate office in Bangkok in order to be close to two major markets China (Beijing, Shanghai) and India (Mumbai, New Delhi). Bangkok is only a few hours away from major cities such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai or Kuala Lumpur. GOCO Hospitality has also recently opened a regional office in Berlin and soon in Shanghai.
What services do you provide from Bangkok?
GOCO Hospitality offers a broad range of services for our clients and partners from initial project inception, through development to ongoing operation and management property. Our scope of services are categorised into five work streams – market research and feasibility, brand concept and development, design and technical services, pre-opening and set-up, and management.
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