SINGAPORE EXCLUSIVE: OneShift at Southeast Asia's ultimate Porsche meet

There was an eager sense of enthusiasm when we headed towards Muang Thong Thani, a suburb city of Bangkok 20 kilometres North of the city centre. It was not for the annual Bangkok International Motor Show held religiously at IMPACT Challenger. This time, we hopped across the street from familiar territory to the vast outdoors of IMPACT Speed Park and Lakeside for the 6th installation of Das Treffen, Southeast Asia’s largest gathering of Porsches. Although other Singapore media were meant to attend the event, due to sheer dumb luck, Singapore froze all Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights, and nobody wanted to fly over for a quick trip and having the need to quarantine after. (Ed: fortunately for us, we got Gerald based in Bangkok who made his way to the event scot-free.) So this story comes as an exclusive, you won't read about this year's event in any other local publication!

And we could not think of a more fitting location to host Das Treffen (“The Meeting” in German), given that the theme this year is “GT” - a code name synonymous with racing heritage. The inviting nature of the meet was amplified by the fact that a large portion of the event space was held on a go-kart track, which played a part to fuel automotive-related desires for the younger generation.

Car gatherings in Thailand are often nothing short of spectacular, and yet Das Treffen takes it up a notch. You do feel a true sense of belonging once you enter the grounds, encouraged by the fact that Porsche owners and fans alike hold a similar belief - an authentic appreciation of the brand regardless of language, religion or race. This affinity was shared by a man who started Das Treffen back in 2016 - Sihabutr “Tenn” Xoomsai, who firmly believes that Porsche is best represented when shared with fellow Porsche addicts. More affectionately known as @tennster on Instagram, he led the pack with his 964 Turbo, fettled by Rauh-Welt Begriff in striking retro Vaillant livery.

Unlike most car gatherings that showcase brands from an assortment of manufacturers, Das Treffen digs deep to unravel the intricacies of each Porsche generation - a testament to its strong representation since the 1960s when Porsche started exporting vehicles to Bangkok. We identified rows of air-cooled Porsches of the same generation with a similar paintwork, but each with its own unique spec. It could be a wing mirror modification or a subtle bumper delete, which accurately reinforces the point that for Porsche enthusiasts, the devil is in the details…

Of worthy mention will be a segment that exhibited generations of GT cars, parked in a circular order. Eagle-eyed owners and spectators would be able to identify the key technical differences even during mid-life refreshes. We are confident that these cars are within very knowledgeable company based on our casual walkaround with participants discussing even the most minute of details - imagine dialogues on restomods, camber settings and manual gearboxes over a cup of coffee!

Other than seemingly countless displays of Porsches from all generations, highlights of the show include a “Gymkhana” zone that allowed owners to race their own Porsche against the clock in a safe and controlled environment. There was also a station with a GT3 Cup car and pit crews engaging in pit stop battles. Porsches can also be enjoyed when dialled down a notch or two, too. Its wide breadth of abilities as a brand is further illustrated on the more rugged (but no less fun) end of the spectrum. We identified Porsche Cayennes serving up a laid-back camping-style theme, an exhibit we reckon is relevant for road trips off the beaten path in Northern Thailand, where temperatures up in the mountains can dip to a single digit this time of the year.

Festivities from food trucks, a DJ booth and pockets of Porsche petrolheads in deep conversation continued to spice up the atmosphere even as night fell, which elevates the significance of having Das Treffen as the focal point to keep the unmistakable Porsche spirit very much alive in Southeast Asia.

Credits: Text and photos by Gerald Yuen from Muang Thong Thani, Thailand