Thai traders anxious over ‘influx’ of Chinese produce as progress to extend belt and road railway slows

[webfact]

A Lao trainee learns signals from her Chinese mentor ahead of the opening of the Boten-Vientiane high-speed rail. Photo: Xinhau

 

● With the Laos part of the Kunming to Singapore rail project up and running, Thai traders struggle to compete as Chinese imports arrive faster and fresher than ever

 

● Thailand’s section of the railway remains mired in delays, raising concerns that the country could lose its hub status to its neighbour

 

Jitsiree Thongnoi

 

A month after the opening of the Boten-Vientiane high-speed railway in Laos, businesses in Thailand are growing anxious over an influx of Chinese goods and agricultural produce.

 

At Thailand’s largest fresh market Talaad Thai in a Bangkok suburb, seller Prayat Charoen has noticed an unusual abundance of Chinese vegetables ever since the opening of the railway, which runs from Laos’ border with China nearly all the way to its frontier with Thailand.

 

While broccoli, cabbages and other winter produce from China have been staples at his shop for the past decade because of Thailand’s year-round tropical climate, in the past month a surge of imports has pushed down the prices of Thai vegetables.

 

Full story: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3163836/thai-traders-anxious-over-influx-chinese-produce-progress

 

-- © Copyright South China Morning Post 2022-01-20

 

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[candide]

Don't worry, It's not like the Chinese would ever use dumping tactics in order to get rid of local  Thai competition.... ????

[RandiRona]

Winnie the Pooh has first right over everything in his new territory.

[daveAustin]

54 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s section of the railway remains mired in delays

No surprises there. Combination of burdensome, bureaucratic meddling by you know who + the Thai propensity for just making everything complicated and not wanting to give an inch. 
I bet they love having prices driven down by the meddling Chinese too ????????

Hopefully they’ll bring some Beer Lao down with them. 

[mokwit]

2 hours ago, daveAustin said:

No surprises there. Combination of burdensome, bureaucratic meddling by you know who + the Thai propensity for just making everything complicated and not wanting to give an inch. 

In fairness they are probably trying to wangle some benefit for Thailand  and Thais rather than just China and Chinese. Chinese were insisting they had property rights along the track, that it was built by Chinese Contractors with Chinese labour and materials and that of course the Thais would pay for it with money borrowed from China at above market rates. The Thais had a taste of their own 'we dictate the terms' arrogance and they didn't like it.

Edited January 19, 2022 by mokwit

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

A month after the opening of the Boten-Vientiane high-speed railway in Laos, businesses in Thailand are growing anxious over an influx of Chinese goods and agricultural produce.

Som nam na... welcome to the world of a level playing field.

No more... we export but don't import.

Now you have the Chinese infrastructure that was welcomed by Prayut & Co you also get the goods.

Thailand cannot compete on level turf.

[BritManToo]

If he Chinese are driving the vegetable prices down.

Why has the price of vegetables in my local market all gone up?

[edwinchester]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

If he Chinese are driving the vegetable prices down.

Why has the price of vegetables in my local market all gone up?

Thai falling prices are different.

[LittleBear57]

Chinese fresh produce has gone up substantially this last couple of months. There is no competition for potatoes and carrots but I found Thai iceberg lettuce at quarter of the Chinese price and very good too. Chinese iceberg went from 79/kilo to 249/kilo never bought another at that price. Perhaps some Thais can grow enough produce to undercut the Chinese, here's hoping.

[Almer]

I think the phrase “ I TOLD YOU SO” comes to mind, China does nothing for nothing a good government would  row there own boat  not get others to do it for them

[seajae]

when you have the olympic federation telling athletes not to eat produce/meat in china unless it from certified places due to the amount of chemicals/drugs they use to make more money from them you really have to wonder why anyone would want to use/eat anything from china, the meat and vegetables have been shown to be extremely suspect for many years, fake rice, eggs, lettuce, meat & fish that is way over safety standards(believe one lot of frozen meat was way over 20 years old) plus all the virus' that start there, would be better if china was totally isolated so they couldnt cause all the problems they are now

[GeorgeCross]

"oh, you thought it was to take thai goods to china?"

 

lol, how cute.

[RandiRona]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

If he Chinese are driving the vegetable prices down.

Why has the price of vegetables in my local market all gone up?

Because that is Thai economics 101-- Whenever there is more supply and less demand, price to go up!!

[trainman34014]

When you have a bunch of Military Gangsters in Government House only interested in buying Submarines, Aircraft and anything else that will make them even filthy richer than they are already; whilst at the same time taking away people's rights to have freedom of speech and freedom of choice, then nothing will ever be done that actualy helps this country, it's economy or its people.    One day the people of Thailand must wake up and take back control of their lives; it's the ONLY way forward from where they are now.

[natway09]

Very concerned not only for local farmers but the insecticides used in the Chinese market gardens 

to control pests are a worry in that I am sure as access gets easier the more will be sent with no checks at the border by the Ag' Dept.

As to meat imports,,,, well, enough said, but food poisioning could rise & the "grow faster & fatter" along with "look better" chemicals will become a major health concern going forward

 

[bangon04]

20 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Winnie the Pooh has first right over everything in his new territory.

 

[Partenavia]

My wife refuses to buy Chinese vegetables in the markets, because of all the chemicals used, she'd sooner pay more if necessary, though rarely is if you look around.

[LittleBear57]

On 1/20/2022 at 9:58 AM, seajae said:

when you have the olympic federation telling athletes not to eat produce/meat in china unless it from certified places due to the amount of chemicals/drugs they use to make more money from them you really have to wonder why anyone would want to use/eat anything from china, the meat and vegetables have been shown to be extremely suspect for many years, fake rice, eggs, lettuce, meat & fish that is way over safety standards(believe one lot of frozen meat was way over 20 years old) plus all the virus' that start there, would be better if china was totally isolated so they couldnt cause all the problems they are now

Didn't they do fake baby food too or perhaps I am mistaken?

[Eric Loh]

3 hours ago, LittleBear57 said:

Didn't they do fake baby food too or perhaps I am mistaken?

Yes in China and also Europe. 
https://www.sustainweb.org/news/apr18_food_crime_fraud/

[jacko45k]

6 hours ago, LittleBear57 said:

Didn't they do fake baby food too or perhaps I am mistaken?

Melamine adulterated baby formula.