Thai fruit exports to China experienced a significant surge in the first five months of this year, growing by a staggering 365%. This upswing is predominantly accredited to the utilisation of the China-Laos Railway for transit, which has resulted in a significantly reduced delivery duration and leveraged the benefits of free trade deals, according to sources yesterday.

 

The railway route has been highly instrumental in creating lucrative openings for Thai products within the Chinese marketplace. It has effectively slashed the transit time to less than 15 hours, a drastic reduction from the preceding two-day journey by road, voiced Auramon Supthaweethum. Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations (DTN) helming Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce, she was cited in an interview with ThaiRath Online, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Fruit exports from Thailand to China witnessed a substantial upshot since the inception of the China-Laos Railway in December 2021, added Auramon. Data showcasing shipments via the northeast dry port of Nong Khai, adjacent to the Laos border in the Southeast Asian nation, disclosed a quantum leap from 90.41 million baht (US$2.55 million) the preceding year to 1.96 billion baht (US$55million) in 2022.

 

By Alex Morgan

Caption: Picture courtesy of MGR Online

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/business/former-executive-explores-thai-fruit-exports-colossal-boom-through-china-laos-railway

 

--Thaiger 2023-08-16

 

-- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a drastic reduction from the preceding two-day journey by road

A lot of poor drivers now out of a job. 

Unfortunately,  it is a two way street and a lot of Chinese fruits and vegetables are showing up in Thailand. 

Pesticide use in China is very unregulated. 

What benefits some, curses others, in another post today sections of Thauiland are crying about cheap Chinese products flooding the Thai markets and killing their business as they cannot compete. 

What about the Thai railway? The clowns have been spending 70 years kicking the can down the road, when it comes to the movement of cargo. And now? The highways are utterly choked with trucks of every age, size and color. There are no alternatives, due to a stunning lack of creativity and leadership. 

 

A high speed railway is desperately needed here, for alternative transport and cargo. 

Edited August 17, 20232 yr by spidermike007

Excellent headline, should win a prize of some sort.

And in another article Thais complained about Chinese imports. 

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

What about the Thai railway? The clowns have been spending 70 years kicking the can down the road, when it comes to the movement of cargo. And now? The highways are utterly choked with trucks of every age, size and color. There are no alternatives, due to a stunning lack of creativity and leadership. 

 

A high speed railway is desperately needed here, for alternative transport and cargo. 

High speed rail from Bangkok is being built as we speak to connect to Laos and China.

5 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Unfortunately,  it is a two way street and a lot of Chinese fruits and vegetables are showing up in Thailand. 

Pesticide use in China is very unregulated. 

Truth be told, pesticides used here are no better too. But many fruits from China are being packed to make it look like they are from Korea and Japan. Many times boxes do not say Made in China and they use Korea / Japanese text on the packing to try ti fool consumers. 
 

I think cheap imports from China will hurt more local producers than they benefit in the long run.

41 minutes ago, fallup88 said:

High speed rail from Bangkok is being built as we speak to connect to Laos and China.

Phase 2 of the 354.5km section from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai is still in draft. The stations will include Nakhon Ratchasima, Bua Yai, Ban Phai, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nong Khai.

 

While it is a step in the right direction, this should have been started decades ago. 

 

https://futuresoutheastasia.com/bangkok-nong-khai-high-speed-railway/

 

 

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

What benefits some, curses others, in another post today sections of Thauiland are crying about cheap Chinese products flooding the Thai markets and killing their business as they cannot compete. 

That's how colonialism works. The mother country imports low priced raw material and commodities, while exporting back to the colony high cost manufactured goods. The imbalance is obvious, as is the mercantile nature of the arrangement.

''Beware'' of these rail links and their future usage. Remember a certain German Chappie constructed a network of autobahns so as to ease access to Europe in the last century (1930s.) Certainly improved access to many countries on the said Chappies whirlwind European tour. ''Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.'' or in this current time , ''Beware of Chinese government that comes bearing gifts''

58 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Phase 2 of the 354.5km section from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai is still in draft. The stations will include Nakhon Ratchasima, Bua Yai, Ban Phai, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nong Khai.

 

While it is a step in the right direction, this should have been started decades ago. 

 

https://futuresoutheastasia.com/bangkok-nong-khai-high-speed-railway/

 

 

Agree, not too surprising given that Suvarnabhumi Airport was planned since mid 1970s!

2 hours ago, fallup88 said:

High speed rail from Bangkok is being built as we speak to connect to Laos and China.

Well, of course.

Do you know how hard it is to move large military weapons and troops by road?

Part of the problem is, that nobody can compete against the state sponsored industrial agricultural complex of China ????????.