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New German Ambassador visits Pattaya entrepreneurs


New German Ambassador visits Pattaya entrepreneurs

The attendees and the ambassador pose for a souvenir shot at the Marriott.

Elfi Seitz
H.E. Dr. Hanns Schumacher, the new German Ambassador to Thailand, visited Pattaya last month to attend a meeting of the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC).
Prior to the meeting, he met local entrepreneurs and German expats at the Marriott Hotel & Spa to introduce himself and narrate some entertaining episodes from his interesting life.
Dr. Schumacher started his career at the German Foreign Office in 1979, right after completing his law studies. Over the following years, he worked on 5 different continents, though always concerned with ‘economic matters’. The office in Thailand was his own personal choice, and after a year in commission in Iraq, the German Foreign Office kindly fulfilled his wish.
All 26 guests learned that this ambassador, who is also a UNICEF representative, has subtlety and eloquence, mercy and humor.
In his interview with Pattaya Mail TV, H.E. revealed his future plans - aside from his political office, he devoted himself to charity and plans to help various organizations, mainly those working for the benefit of children.
During the question time, the ambassador answered many questions from anxious business people. All are worried about how hard the global meltdown will affect local economics, and concerns about the impending drop in tourist arrivals in 2009 grew stronger with the eruption of the riots and its consequences.
Round of talks with German entrepreneurs
In the evening at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, the ambassador headed a round of talks with German entrepreneurs from the Eastern Seaboard to strengthen their bond with the German Embassy in Bangkok.
Company representatives had the chance to introduce themselves, illustrate the mercantile situation and the specifics of the Eastern Seaboard, evaluate the German-Thai economic relations and inquire the possibilities for business-related assistance by the German Embassy.
GTCC Director Stefan Bürkle briefly introduced Dr. Schumacher who gave a brief summary on his career in Foreign Service, followed by an explanation of some of the German Embassy’s duties:
a) Consular issues for up to 400 visitors per day, mainly visa inquiries: Visa handling strictly follows the step-by-step regulations from the Foreign Office in Berlin. Not even 10% of all visa applications from Thais are actually rejected by the German Embassy.
Serious complaints about operations and decisions are responded to promptly. However, bold and impudent complaints remain unanswered.
b) The German Embassy views itself as a contact point in affairs relating to economics and trade for more than 400 investors in Thailand. Work is conducted in close cooperation with the GTCC and the German Office for Foreign Trade (bfai).
In order to continue the dialogue with German entrepreneurs in Thailand, the embassy will invite them to meetings held in Bangkok every third month. Themes will alter between manufacturer/supplier, chemical industry, engineering, etc.
Entrepreneurs may contact Dr. Schumacher by email and state their focus of interest. Invitations to discussion rounds about respective topics will be sent out. At the next meeting, taking place in March 2009, trade matters will be evaluated.
Thailand’s development in the near future is hard to predict, Dr. Schumacher said. According to European airlines, people still want to travel to Thailand. However, bookings suggest that Thailand will experience a crucial drop in tourist figures after January 31.
“70% of all Thai exports go to the world’s four leading economic giants - the USA, the EU, Japan and China,” Dr. Schumacher said. “Since the global meltdown has a strong effect on all of them, consequences for Thailand are expected to be significant. The estimated economic growth of between 4.5 and 5.5% is likely to drop to only 2%. Even if the government increased state investments or public spending, the economic future couldn’t be foreseen.”
Following the round of talks, people gathered on the terrace of the Royal Cliff Grand, where a small buffet had been prepared. It was also the chance to resume the discussions with the ambassador in a more private atmosphere.