Page 57 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL4

When you deal with Germany, it’s not just Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin or the big cities, but the Federal Republic of Germany, consisting of 16 federal states. Each state has its own strengths and also its own administration. Business is spread all over the country; for example, Munich has a strong economy and big businesses like Siemens, BMW and Audi, while Volkswagen is in Wolfsburg, Daimler is in Stuttgart. Hamburg is a big port, a gateway to Germany and Europe.What obstacles should Thai entrepreneurs prepare for when investing in Germany?Many exporters will have to be aware of current EU standards and regulations. If they export agricultural or food products, they always have to follow sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS). Another thing is that you have to face fluctuations in the exchange rate. This may last for a while until a strong EU economy returns. There can also be a lot of competition from China and other emerging economies. We used to rely on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) from the EU, which we benefited from in the past when a lot of Thai goods entered the German market. But when GSP for Thailand is cut and we have not yet achieved a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU, our products will have higher prices than those from countries that still enjoy GSP status.Is it necessary for Thai business owners to speak German?I don’t think language is a problem. Most German businesspeople speak English quite well, except at some SMEs. Smaller businesses sometimes only communicate in German. But now there are a lot of Thai students studying German both in Thailand and‘Germany has been very generous in helping us start vocational education in Thailand. Probably you’ve heard of the Thai-German Technical School, which was upgraded to King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok’Germany. If we see Germany as a player with an increasing role in the world economy in the future, we should encourage more Thai students personnel to learn the language.What is the educational relation- ship between the two countries?This is an area of cooperation that is quite stable and ongoing. Wehave hundreds of Thai students and personnel who benefit from German scholarships to study in Germany, particularly in science and technology. Since the 1960s, Germany has been very generous in helping us start vocational education in Thailand. Probably you’ve heard of the Thai- German Technical School, which was upgraded to King Mongkut's Univer-Elite+ 55