Bangkok

Over half a million German tourists come each year / 20,000 German citizens live in Thailand

Aid for German citizens living overseas who have fallen on hard times: I rather coincidentally “stumbled upon” this absolutely unique organization here in Thailand. Founded a little over four years ago, the Deutsche Hilfsverein Thailand is officially registered as an aid organization in both the Federal Republic of Germany and in Thailand. Why it is needed was explained to me by the vice president and former president of the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce Karl-Heinz Heckhausen, who was also once the head of Daimler-Chrysler Thailand: “Every year, about half a million German tourists come here and another 20,000 – including many retired people – have made their homes here,” explains the 67-year old, who also set up the Mercedes area office in Dresden after the wall of the wall (“I would have liked to stay there.”). In addition, there are about 100,000 German-Thai couples in Germany under “great pressure to return to Thailand.” In view of these sobering facts, social problems are hard-wired. “And German social law usually ends at the German border,” says Heckhausen.

The aid is organized through a network in all of Thailand. “However, we are not here to take over cases of negligence, irresponsibility or carelessness,” emphasizes the chairman, who himself survived the 2004 tsunami. Rather, the aim is to help Germans who have fallen on hard times in Thailand. The association offers legal consulting and psychological and social counselling, pays aid to children, teenagers, the ill and aged and looks after prisoners. For example, the association is taking care of the child of a German who was killed in the tsunami. It was also able to eventually help a “man without an identity” who recently was in all the media.

The main problems he is confronted with, however, are the lack of health insurance and expiring visas. Among the many, sometimes-bizarre cases, incidentally, Heckhausen has never encountered any among people from eastern Germany.

“We carefully examine every case. Usually financial aid is only granted in return for a repayment obligation,” the dedicated German explains the manner of working. Also, support is only offered if it is ascertained that no other help – for example from relatives, friends or the embassy, with which they cooperate very closely – is possible. An awarding committee has the final word and great emphasis is set in self-empowerment with future perspectives.

How does this kind of unique group fund itself? “Well, partly through donations, of course,” explains the volunteer. However, the main source of income for the budget of 1.5 million baht (just under 38,000 euros) is the annual autumn “Festival of Germans” held under the patronage of the German Embassy and the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce.