Study trip to Bangkok

14 August 2012

Bangkok 2012 - Marketing Management programme

14.08.2012

This year is the third year we as a school offers a business course at the International College – Rajamangala University of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand with focus on marketing.

Start of the course was Monday 13th August, but all but one of the students used the opportunity to take one of their vacation weeks in Thailand before the start. And except for two students, who had a late flight coming in to Bangkok from a resort, we all met on Sunday for drinks and dinner.

Monday was unfortunately a national holiday, so teaching took place in a lovely meeting room on the top of the hotel. Greg Labarre took us through the history/geography of Thailand, followed by a cultural brief, very useful for the students, who all have to prepare an entry and positioning strategy for an own choice company, in to the Thai market. The afternoon further gave a good opportunity to feel and observe that the rain season has started.

Tuesday started with a big introduction with speaches from the University president – Dr. Sathit Puttachaiyong, me, introducing Cphbusiness, and a student, Casper Viklund, presenting Denmark, covering both key facts, Danish customs and culture. See pictures.

Following this, two professors from two of Bangkoks major universities gave lectures in international expansion, globalization and branding. Both were well received by the students, and one was especially excellent through extensive involvement of the students.

So we are off to a good start.

/Erik Krogager

  • Networking with the Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce

     

    16.08.2012

    Wednesday evening we were invited as a group to one of the annual meetings of the Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce.

    This gave the students an excellent opportunity to meet with local business people, most of whom were of Danish dissent, working for or in various ways linked to Danish companies.

    Among the local business people were Henrik Jensen, Managing Director at Maersk Line (Thailand) Ltd., who gave a small presentation about Maersk line, the global containerized division of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group.

    Below an extract from the association’s homepage after the event:
    This month’s DanCham networking event, sponsored by Maersk Line, took place in the inBlu Jazz Lounge at the exclusive Grand Millennium Sukhumvit.

    On this evening more than 60 members and friends made it through the heavy rain and massive traffic jams to enjoy the social gathering.

    Read the whole article on DanCham's website here: DanCham Networking

    /Erik Krogager

  • Company visit at Grundfos

    16.08.2012

    Thursday morning we had a factory tour and presentation at the Grundfos site in Thailand. The presentation was performed by the Regional (ASEAN) Business Development manager Jens Ove Frederiksen.

    The presentation covered the development of Grundfos in Thailand over the last 30 years, from very small to a sizable operation with several hundred employees. We were impressed by the structure, order and cleanliness of the place, and got quite a good impression of the issues and operating environment facing a Danish business operating in Thailand.

    The meeting ended with an educational exercise in applying the Grundfos corporate values to specific potential business situations. The visit was a very nice experience.

    As a school we have visited Grundfos three years in a row now, and the warmth by which we are received is very nice.

    /Erik Krogager

  • A day with Kitima, a teacher that pushes hard

    17.08.2012

    We had a day with a mix of marketing and innovation. After a day yesterday with consumer behavior from a very pushy teacher, almost chocking the students, she came back today, driving the emotions in many different ways, but very stimulating.

    Her name is Kitima, a person one will not forget very quickly. Kitima came after a very popular teacher, also in marketing, Eddie we were asked to call him.

    The students got into a lot of things today, and she introduced a number of games stimulating a lot of fun. The day ended where the students were asked to develop a product around the theme potplants or plants. When finished they should prepare a picture/sketch of the product. Lots of creativity evolved and a winner was found.

    The students and Kitima is shown in the class picture. The students have had a nice first week. Next week will be more visits, one with the Pandora plant and one with Carlsberg, then more classes and their final presentation, of their project, on Friday.

    /Erik Krogager

  • Visit at the Thailand Board of Investment

     

    23.08.2012

    Wednesday – 2 days before departure back to Denmark – we went to the Thailand Board of Investment, which operates under the Ministry of Industry and is the principal government agency for encouraging foreign investment in Thailand.

    We had a very informative meeting and discussion with deputy Secretary General, Mrs. Vasana Mututanout and director of Services and Consulting Division, Mrs. Bussarakum Sriratana. They presented the opportunities for foreign companies to invest in Thailand and how the Board of Investment can be helpful in the process.

    Thailand is eager to attract foreign investment, and thus offers a range of incentives, such as “tax holidays” – meaning that foreign companies can apply for corporate tax exemption for a period of up to 8 years. Furthermore, Thailand is ranked as the number 1 country in the world to be an expat in.

    Bangkok hustle and bustle

    Although time flies with lectures, field research for the project and company visits, we still have time to experience Bangkok with all its pink taxies, street food and culture clashes. One of the Danish students has been “recognized” more than once as Hollywood star Leonardo di Caprio.

    And the English language is quite a challenge for Thai people, but they still make an effort to get in touch: One of the female students was approached with “Hey person, want to buy fruit?” Apparently the saying “same same, but different” still applies in Thailand…

    /Ann Iversen

  • Goodbye Bangkok

    24.08.2012

    Friday was the last day of the course “Doing Business in Thailand” at Rajamangala University in Bangkok. Everybody had been working hard to finish their assignments and presentations on the entry mode of their case company to the Thai market.

    The presentations were given in a conference room with an audience of about 100 Thai students. All the students received certificates and a handshake from the university president after the presentations.

    The Danish students were asked a few questions before leaving:

    What was the best experience?

    - “The friendliness of the Thai people. Once we got to know the Thai students in class, we became very good friends. Also the company visits to Pandora and Carlsberg were a great experience. And we got so much out of the network meeting at the Thai-Danish Chamber of Commerce. Oh, and also some of the teachers who were lecturing during the week.”

    What was the most challenging?

    - “The language! We really had language problems. The Thai people didn’t understand us very well, which made our market research a little difficult. Haggling over price was also a challenge, but we learned to get a really good price.”

    Would you do it again?

    - “Yes!”

    /Ann Iversen