Selectrona Commissions Sanet Vietnam With Major Project

Saxon specialist in automotive, electro-mobility and energy invests in Vietnam

It’s a success story with a difference: It was only in July 2014 that Nguy Xuan Anh established her own consulting company in Ho Chi Minh City and connected with the Sanet ASEAN ADVISORS consultancy network. Just one year later, Xuan Anh has won some well-known customers for a major project with German company Selectrona GmbH: as well as managing the construction of a manufacturing plant in Vietnam, project priorities include site selection, site evaluation, corporate structure, investment promotion, tendering of works and installations as well as recruitment.

Want to learn more about Sanet in Vietnam? We have compiled the most important information for you here.

Xuan Anh Nguy, Managing Director of Sanet Vietnam, signing the advisory agreement with Steffen Söhner, Managing Director of Selectrona GmbH.

Automotive Supplier Conference In Stuttgart

VDA and Sanet support important ASEAN FORUM industry meetings in November

The ASEAN Automotive Supplier Conference on the 24th and 25th of November 2015 is one of the most important industry event of the year. We cordially invite colleagues and decision makers from the automotive supplies industry to share two days with us in the Swabian metropolis. The emerging market of the ASEAN countries will be the center of many interesting discussions.

What potential does the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community) hold for European suppliers as the second largest economic union in the world? What challenges await in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia? These and similar questions will be discussed at lectures, panel discussions and conversations with representatives of global companies such as BMW, Bosch, Continental, Daimler, Hyundai Indonesia, Schaeffler, ZF and local automobile manufacturers, suppliers and industry representatives from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Numerous well-known companies have confirmed their attendance at the industry meeting to be held on the 24th and 25th of November 2015 in Stuttgart. The ASEAN automotive suppliers conference is organized and conducted by the ASEAN FORUM with the support of the The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and Sanet ASEAN Advisors.

All lectures will be simultaneously translated in German and English.

Contact and registration: Dirk Meyer, Managing Partner, ASEAN FORUM, Tel: 49-221-1301315, dirk.meyer@forum-asean.de or directly on the website http://www.forum-asean.de

Bangkok Welcomes New Commercial Counsellor To The Austrian Embassy

Dr. Gustav Gressel steps down after successful tenure

As Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy, Dr. Gustav Gressel has spent many committed years successfully and sustainably providing business consultation and support to numerous large and medium sized Austrian companies active in the Kingdom of Thailand. In his capacity as an economic networker Gressel was highly esteemed by his countrymen, associated German and Swiss companies and among the Thai business community. In September 2015 he returned to his home in Vienna with his wife Gilberte and handed over his position to successor Günther Sucher.

Sanet looks forward to continuing its outstanding relationship with the Austrian Economic Consultancy and wish their Austrian neighbors in Thailand great success.

Dr. Gustav Gressel (right) hands over the reins of the Commercial Counsellor position to his successor Günther Sucher.

Enno Drofenik (center), Dr. Gustav Gressel (right) and his successor Günther Sucher with their wives.

Keeping in touch is also an important topic as Dr. Gustav Gressel moves on from his position. Sanet President Dr. Gunter Denk (left) takes the opportunity to meet with key managers of railway operators in Thailand.

Asean Consultation Days In Europe In November

On-site Experts for Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam markets

The Manager of SANET ASEAN ADVISORS will be present to provide individual advice to German, Austrian and Swiss companies in Europe this Autumn. An introductory seminar will also be held by Lukas Brandau, head of the SANET Liaison Office in Burma and Laos, in Dusseldorf on the 29th of October 2015. Lukas Brandau will be further available for personal initial consultation from the 2nd to the 6th of November 2015.

Dr. Gunter Denk, President of Sanet group and the managing director of Sanet Thailand, Chulalux Chinwong, will share expert information on market opportunities in Thailand and other ASEAN countries with interested parties from the 2nd to the 12th and from the 19th to the 23rd of November 2015.

Managing Director of Sanet Vietnam, Xuan Anh Nguy, invites German companies interested in expanding into Vietnam to attend from the 19th to the 30th of November 2015.

All consultation days are free to attend. The group asks for a fee of 200 euros plus VAT, to cover travel expenses only.

Interested parties please contact:

for Vietnam: vietnam@sanet.eu

for Thailand: info@sanet.co.th

for Myanmar / Laos: myanmar@sanet.eu

for all/other ASEAN countries: info@sanet.eu

If you have any questions, you can also contact our German partner company Liebich and Partner in Baden-Baden where experienced Asia expert, Andreas Kambach is available to help you understand the Sanet service, and to discuss market entry, investment, setting up your own office and the verification of your company with ASEAN, among other topics.

T H O U G H T S  O F  T H E  D A Y

Feudalism or masochism?

“Never say something like that to someone at home in Germany. Otherwise, they’ll believe that feudalism has been resurrected here.” When he asked during a morning phone call how I was doing so early, I replied: “Oh, it’s going to be just a normal, terrible day. Our maid got scrambled egg on my shirt and the driver seems to be seeking out every available pothole and then checks in the rear-view mirror to see how many times he’s managed to drive my head into the car roof!”

My friend was right. Who else in Germany has a driver except the Geissens or local politicians and bank CEOs who have to binge drink at night “for business reasons”? Wouldn’t my complaint then be understood even in my homeland as the arrogant doublespeak of the privileged?

The fact was that my reasons for having a driver in Asia were completely free from concerns for my luxury. The last time I drove myself I found a police officer and his service moped on my bonnet (he had ridden into the intersection against a red light, not expecting my German lack of respect for official authority). This experience taught me one important lesson: my Thai language skills are perfect when it comes to getting me in trouble. On their own, though, they are totally inadequate for talking me out of trouble of any kind. All that helped here was paying generous compensation for damages right there on the spot.

I have had a driver ever since. He gets to argue with his fellow countrymen while I can relax in the back seat of my Honda Accord and make a few phone calls!

But everything has its price. Especially the “luxury” of a private driver. This only becomes evident as you realize once again that the genius behind the wheel (yes, he has a driving licence) has once again lost his way. No matter how much I beg, threaten, or offer corrections from the back seat, my driver automatically switches on tunnel vision mode and just keeps on driving in the wrong direction, apparently hoping that eventually he’ll remember the right route.

In the best-case scenario, this will occur within 30 minutes of “city touring”, but usually far from the destination. One time I was left with no other choice than shouting an unequivocal “STOP NOW!” and ordering him to sit in the rear seat as I took over the wheel.
As you might imagine, my readily obvious doubts about his local knowledge presented themselves as the perfect opportunity to look for a new job once we arrived at my office.
There was a time when I had to ask the driver, who was nervously weaving in and out of traffic, to just let me drive a while. He in fact had to relieve himself at a soup stand on the roadside and would catch up with me later (since we weren’t moving much in the traffic jam). It worked, by the way. Several minutes later and just 300 metres down the road, I saw him running up to the car in the rear-view mirror, ready once again to take over the wheel of my Honda.

Okay, that works. A colleague told me that his faithful driver has on occasion relieved himself into an empty water bottle which he then disposed of at the next filling station. It was a good thing, he commented sarcastically, that he could manage to aim so well into the water bottle and didn’t need to carry an empty Granini bottle instead.

The fun we professionals have when exchanging such experiences is mutual, a fact which becomes clear when talk turns to other “little events”. For example, someone once used the marked company car to deliver stolen goods to his petty crook buddies during breaks and waiting times. At least, that’s what a friendly police officer reported, with a slightly reproachful look. It’s a good thing that he at least accepted that I wasn’t the leader of the gang.

So whoever still considers having a driver in the paradise that is Asia to be feudalism is probably confusing two concepts: “Masochism” often comes closer to the truth than “feudalism”.

Incidentally, over the years I once had Mr Toi as my driver for a lengthy period, a little man from Bangkok who spoke English perfectly, and he not only became a true local guide, but also a real friend. He deserves all the glory. He left us one day, became a politician, and now probably makes more money than I do.

I seriously wonder if I should apply to be his driver.