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.