La Marre himself plays the violin and was president of the Music Academy of his hometown Asniere as well as director of its theatre guild.

The Total company has been supporting "La Fete" since 2004, but La Marre said that the festival is the grandest this year as it coincides with the 60th Anniversary celebrations of the HM the King's accession to the throne.

That is why the Thai Festival is being held in France for the first time in September and October with Total again providing support.

The company is budgeting US$20,000 (Bt770,000) for the Bangkok event and $50,000 for the French one.

Total is the fourth largest oil and gas company in the world, after Shell, Exxon and British Gas. In Thailand, they own one-third of the Bongkot gas field near Rayong where they are joint venture partners with PTTEP (44 per cent ownership) and British Gas (22 per cent). The original investment for the gas field in 1993 by the three companies was $2 billion.

According to La Marre, Total signed a technical assistance agreement with PTTEP to provide them with extra expertise in oil exploration.

The company has invested in other areas like re-forestation, bio-diversity, education and culture.

"Since my arrival in 2003,we have given more than $1.1 million for various projects" La Marre said.

This includes $400,000 for tsunami-relief operations and $15,000 for repairing the Royal portraits at the Thai Embassy in Paris.

The Khanom Marine Bio-diversity project - for which Total's investment was ¤140,000 (Bt 6.7 million) and PTTEP's ¤280,000 - was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and French President Chirac when the latter visited Bangkok in February.

The company's educational projects involve developing links with universities like AIT, Chulalongkorn, and Suranaree where French experts who visit the Total office in Bangkok give guest lectures on such topics as business management and geo-science.

A new corrosion testing lab will be opened at Mongkut University, the first of its kind in the country.

"We have different programmes in different countries, depending on their needs" he said.

During his previous assignment in the Congo, Total financed schools, hospitals and economic projects to launch local companies. In Syria, he set up a new company from scratch, which started production in a record two years and was listed as a role model for others.

"Oil and gas belong to various countries, and when you get a licence to work with them, you must convince them about the advantages, expertise and finance," said La Marre.

As a French company working in a foreign country, it was also important for La Marre "to share our culture with our staff".

That is why he organised free French lessons for his staff as well as free subscriptions to the French TV-5 network. Talented employees were also selected for international careers at Paris, and two Thais currently head departments there.

"There's a lot the French and Thai have in common from good food to fashionable clothes to a sense of aesthetics and etiquette," said La Marre. "It's a pleasure working in this country which is so hospitable to foreigners, and with a staff who are hard-working and hungry to learn more."

Lekha J Shankar

Special to The Nation