Porsche Thailand boss champions 'pioneering spirit'

Behind the success of being at the forefront of luxury car distribution industry, Peter Rohwer, managing director of Porsche Thailand by AAS​ Group, has led the company by deploying key strategies that have contributed to its remarkable achievements in offering customers a valuable service and improving the company’s sustainability.

“We are inspired by our founder Ferry Porsche in all that we do. Ferry Porsche could not quite find the sports car of his dreams, so he decided to build it himself. Here at Porsche Thailand by AAS​ Group, we manage the business with this same pioneering spirit — honouring the heritage of our past, but always looking ahead and innovating for the future," Mr Rohwer told the Bangkok Post.

For example, Porsche Centre Bangkok was one of the first certified Porsche Classic Partners worldwide, signifying Porsche Thailand’s commitment to the brand’s rich heritage.

Yet at the same time, Porsche Thailand by AAS​ Group is fully committed to the future of electric mobility, with its first high performance charging site launched last year in Bang Yai district of Nonthaburi, Mr Rohwer said.

“With initiatives like this, we are one of the pioneers in the field of electromobility, enabling seamless long-distance EV travel in Thailand and beyond by creating the longest high performance charging route in Southeast Asia from Bangkok to Singapore to support the demand for current and future electrified Porsche sports cars,” he said.

Having picked up the award for Excellence in Value Luxury Car Distribution, Porsche Thailand by AAS​ Group has exceptional plans and initiatives that have positioned it at the forefront of this industry.

Mr Rohwer said the Porsche brand was already special, but this year Porsche Thailand by AAS​ Group has doubled down on its brand celebrations by organising a long-term, special anniversary campaign — marking 30 years of enduring Porsche passion in Thailand.

This local milestone was made even more special as it coincided with Porsche’s very own 75th anniversary of sports cars.

We honoured the symbolic meaning of coloirs and the vibrance of our Kingdom throughout this campaign, culminating in an epic reveal at the start of the year: a special edition 911 sports car made just for us, the 911 Carrera GTS — 30 Years Porsche Thailand Edition, created in seven different ‘paint to sample’ shades honouring the colours of the Thai week in collaboration with Porsche Exclusive Manufacture.

“Later, we also created a special sneaker collection with Puma with the same colourful theme, reaching out to a younger target audience, to increase our awareness amongst this segment,” he said.

Alongside this exciting brand campaign, Porsche Thailand by AAS​ Group also showcased new ways to reach its customers, for example with the reopened and refreshed Porsche Studio Siam Paragon in Bangkok. The company is looking to expand its national distribution footprint with new Porsche Centres in Thailand — Porche Centre Kalaprapruek, Porsche Centre Bangna and Porsche Centre Pattaya, he said.

“Our customers demand the best, and we provide it for them. Earlier this year, Porsche Thailand became the first market in the Porsche Asia Pacific region to officially offer the Manthey performance kits, enabling customers to unlock even more potential from their high-performance sports cars,” Mr Rohwer said.

While following passion in providing the best sport cars’ experience, Mr Rohwer said Porsche Thailand by AAS​ Group has balanced its passion with sustainability and surrounding communities. The most rewarding thing the business can do is to support its customers and fans’ local communities, he added.

It doesn’t matter if your customers or fans are young or old, female or male, not yet owning a Porsche, one year into Porsche ownership, or on their fifth Porsche sports car; the passion of the Porsche community in Thailand is renowned across the globe — also thanks to highlight events such as 'Das Treffen' — and this has resulted in a diverse and thriving Porsche culture.

“As a business, our mission is to take part in this community, and deliver even more elevated experiences so our community continues to grow,” he said.

We’re witnessing a monumental change in the automotive industry. And we will experience more changes in the years to come than we have over the past 50 years. When it comes to transformation, we focus on what’s important, on what has always made us strong.

“What forms the core is the powerful brand 'Porsche', our emotionally charged products, and our most important resources, which are the people — our employees — who promote change with passion and a pioneering spirit. A forward-looking strategy, strong partners, and a robust business model forms the basis,” he said.

Porsche Thailand by AAS​ Group, Mr Rower said, is committed to giving back to the wider community by being more responsible for the environment. This year, the company will support a clean-up mission on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, among other initiatives.

As for the company’s plans, he said Porsche Thailand by AAS​ Group has grown significantly over the last 30 years to become one of the most vibrant and exciting markets for Porsche, both from a global and regional perspective, and sales in Thailand will continue at a steady pace, he said.

Porsche Thailand is aiming for a positive sales result in 2023 and aims to register a record number of new Taycan sports EVs as the transition to electromobility gains pace in Thailand.

Since the Taycan was launched in Thailand in 2020, more than 600 units have been registered.

“The Porsche brand has been going strong in Thailand for 30 years and we are excited for what the future holds. Together, we will continue to keep the dream of the sports car alive in Thailand,” Mr Rohwer said.