Jan Wuethrich

Since I was a boy I am fascinated by steam engines…wonderful basic mechanical machines that convert water into steam and steam into mechanical energy. Seeing the steam coming out of the chimney… hearing the smooth sound of the machine inspired me to make more experiments and activated dreams of “the golden age of steam liners” inside me.

Watching movies like “African queen, Master and Commander, Bounty etc.” and experimenting with my “Steam Engines” made it easy to select my first occupation. To frighten of my Mother I wanted to become a “Seaman”.

During my time as a seaman I became more used to bigger diesel and heavy fuel engines than the small steam engines…but the basic engineering was still the same. It was a wonderful and exiting time aboard the cargo vessels that bring me around the world and I learned a lot. I saw places that some people not even know that they exist. An accident in Panama ended my 12 years career as a naval sailor and I had to return back to my country, go back to school again to learn the craft as a Foundry-man.

During my formation to be a Die-Casting Technologist in Switzerland I build the first steam-engine myself… engineering, drawings, all casting parts (brass, bronze, steel) machining and assembly done by me. When I “steam” it up the first time the machine became alive and it was an indescribable feeling. Untill now the machine has a special place in my shelf and I let it run from time to time together with my son. I use it as a model for training new engineers and technicians in Thailand. All basic materials, mechanical steps, and processes are shown in a simple “easy to understand “ machine and the students are having fun if they can operate it by themselves and see how it works in real not only seeing or reading it in a book.

After my studies in Switzerland as a foundry-technologist I moved back to Thailand. I like this country because of its kind people and the happiness all around.

As a Project Manger based in Bangkok working in different fields of engineering from die-casting, mechanical installations etc. I use the knowledge that I gained from building “simple” and “less simple” machines including my life experience:

1.     Keep the basics (Make it simple)

2.     Work properly and organized

3.     There’s always a solution for any technical Problem

4.     Try to like what you are doing, compare it with something that you like if you don’t like it

I can say about myself that engineering is my passion…I like to work at difficult sites with different cultures, especially in south-east Asia (Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand). Some people might call it “Jungle-engineering”…Yes… that might be sometimes, but nevertheless to complete a Project successfully under difficult circumstances improvisation talent and innovation is needed to troubleshoot and to solve Problems.

Everything started with a little bit steam form a cheap play toy…the machines I am playing with are nowadays a little bit bigger but the basic remains the same. I do not regret anything I did in my life and the mistakes I made thought me to make it better the next time…  That’s my live and I am happy with it!