Over 3,000 Porsche fanatics congregated to share their love for the Stuggart Stallion in Bangkok last weekend.
With last year’s Das Treffen coinciding with a trio of anniversaries for Porsche (75 years of Porsche sports cars, 60 years of 911 and 30 years of Porsche Thailand), one might think that the Stuggart Stallion may have decided to tone it down a tad for this year’s event in Bangkok. But this is Porsche we’re talking about after all, hence it should come as no surprise that Das Treffen 9 boasted the largest turnout to date!
The ninth edition of Das Treffen was held last Sunday (15th December 2024) at Impact Speed Park, a karting circuit in Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok. This was incidentally the original site where Sihabutr Xoomsai, known in the community as “Tenn”, initially sought to organise an intimate gathering between a few friends passionate about Porsche. Since then though, Das Treffen (“the gathering” in German) has grown from a casual meet into a one of the largest festivals that celebrate all things Porsche in South East Asia.
From air-cooled classics and modern metal in all types of tastes and tunes, Das Treffen 9 saw a record turnout in 2024, with 3,050 enthusiasts attending and more than 627 Porsche sports cars arriving from countries as faraway as Singapore and Vietnam. Throughout the day, owners lined up their sports cars against the giant “Das Treffen 9” photo wall, enthusiastically commemorating this drive with their friends and families.
The theme for this year’s Das Treffen was “Limited Edition”, and in the middle of the karting circuit was a special display of vintage and modern Porsche unicorns showcased for all to admire. These included cars like the Carrera GT, of which only 1,270 examples were made, to the 997-generation 911 GT3 RS 4.0, of which only 600 units exist.
In line with the “Limited Edition” theme of the event, Porsche Thailand also showcased some rare Porsche models such as the 918 Spyder, as well as the latest special edition from Zuffenhausen, the 911 S/T.
Porsche Asia Pacific and Porsche Thailand took celebrations at Das Treffen 9 to the next level with the introduction of a Porsche Village hospitality zone, a two-story open-air pavilion that allowed guests to take in sweeping views of the car display area and the Porsche sports cars. The pavilion also featured racing simulators, a #Raceborn zone with a Manthey-kitted 911 GT3 and a Porsche Lifestyle boutique.
Taking centre stage at the Porsche Village though was the rarest Porsche of all – the Taycan Turbo S Celestial Jade, fresh from its Thai premiere at Porsche Centre Bangna the day before.
Created by Porsche Asia Pacific in collaboration with the artists and engineers from the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Sonderwunsch department, the Taycan Turbo S Celestial Jade pays tribute to the Southeast Asian region, an area of vibrant heritage and innovative, forward-looking spirit.
The Taycan Turbo S Celestial Jade captivated visitors with Porsche’s first-ever blend of two Chromaflair effect paints – Urban Bamboo and Shifting Carbon. This intricate gradient finish required nearly a year of development and over 80 hours of meticulous hand-painting. Tinted carbon fibre pieces and a mythical “LongMa” logo featured throughout the car further elevate the bespoke craftsmanship on this one-off.
Das Treffen 9 concludes a remarkable 2024 for Porsche in Thailand, highlighted by many significant milestones, such as the launch of the first Malaysian-assembled Cayenne S E-Hybrid Coupé, to the announcement of Porsche Design Tower Bangkok and the opening of the passion space Curvistan Bangkok.
Sihabutr Xoomsai, one of the founders of Das Treffen said, “The record turnout at Das Treffen 9 proves once again that Southeast Asia has one of the most vibrant and passionate Porsche communities in the world – and this is what makes our brand truly unique. We are grateful to the many owners that made long trips from our neighbouring countries to be part of this ninth edition of our gathering.”
“We are proud to be building one of the strongest Porsche enthusiast communities in Southeast Asia. After a milestone-filled 2024 including introducing an exciting regionally-assembled Cayenne S E-Hybrid Coupé, announcing four new Porsche Centres over the next two years and the first Porsche Design Tower in Asia in Bangkok and starting with the opening the new Porsche Centre Bangna in December 2024, we now give back to the community with a day of friendship and Porsche passion at Das Treffen,” said Ms Pawarapa Dupassakoon, Director Marketing & PR at Porsche Thailand.
“Das Treffen exemplifies that Porsche is as much about its sports cars as it is about the community,” said Yannick Ott, Director Marketing at Porsche Asia Pacific. “Every year, for nine years and counting, we are heartened to experience the vibrancy of this gathering. Meeting all sorts of different people of different backgrounds, from Thailand and all over the region, customers and fans alike, who come together in Bangkok united in their passion for the Porsche brand – there is really no substitute,” Mr. Ott continued.
