Thai prime minister’s bold plan to bring back Thai talent: Land Bridge and BCG economy

[webfact]

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin unveils a bigger agenda to lure back Thai professionals working abroad.

 

The Thai PM’s personal touch, with a desire for his own sons’ return, amplifies the government’s vision for a thriving Thailand.

PM Srettha’s plea for his sons working overseas to return serves as the heartstrings of a broader mission. This personal connection aims to resonate with Thai expatriates globally, fostering a collective desire to reunite with the motherland.

In a formal address to the Thai community in the United States, the 61 year old Thai prime minister laid out a roadmap to entice skilled professionals back home. Central to this strategy is the Land Bridge, a monumental project connecting Ranong province to Chumphon. This infrastructural marvel, he asserted, is not merely a physical connection but a bridge to economic rejuvenation.

 

by Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Photo courtesy of Prestige Hong Kong

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-27

 

- 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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[CANSIAM]

Come on home, your earnings abroad will be taxed in 2024...............

[OneMoreFarang]

There are reasons to do things, and then there are reasons to present to the public.

Sometimes they match. And sometimes, not so much... 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

This personal connection aims to resonate with Thai expatriates globally, fostering a collective desire to reunite with the motherland.

The brain drain will continue while Thailand pays peanuts for talent.

[stoner]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

amplifies the government’s vision for a thriving Thailand.

 

a thriving vision for whom ? certainly not the millions of poor.

[tomazbodner]

7 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

a thriving vision for whom ? certainly not the millions of poor.

I read a few days back that those are being shipped abroad as cheap labour, including to Israel...

[HaoleBoy]

Who will "own" the land bridge itself? 
How much is China putting in for this?  As a loan or ???

[maxcorrigan]

His Socks alone should defimately lure them back!

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

......the Land Bridge, a monumental project connecting Ranong province to Chumphon. This infrastructural marvel, he asserted.....

I missed this when I drove down there earlier this year. I must have blinked.....

[Hanuman2547]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The brain drain will continue while Thailand pays peanuts for talent.

Exactly!  Neither of my two luk krung sons have any desire to return to Thailand to work.  They have Thai citizenship, attended school here, and have native fluency in both Thai and English.  However, there is no comparison to their earning potential here in Thailand compared to what they earn abroad.  

[Sydebolle]

The next will be the bridge to Petchburi and the Kra-canal. 

But, before HE the PM of the Land of the Semi-Divine goes splurging money on bridges et al, he might want to clean up the inferior infrastructure in his own land. There are millions of Thais without reliable fresh water supply, waste water is another subject as well as proper garbage incineration, education by mental abilities of the child and not the financial abilities of the parents etc. etc. 

On the note of his sons in the US I heard, that the Thai Ambassador to Israel suggested to her fellow citizen to wait with returning back to Israel until the conflict is solved (Mission Impossible - if you ask me). 
What she and the PM do not understand is, WHY Thais work overseas given the fact that you can take a Thai out of Thailand but you cannot take Thailand out of a Thai. In short, most of them are homesick - see Dr. Thaksin! 

If the overseas Thais would be earning the same wages, find comparable working conditions in Thailand, then all these people, with skills sufficient to work overseas, could be a human resource asset to their own country. But yes, the Phuyai system, the chauvinist interpretation of many things and pay-for-work would have to be in place. For the time being, the lesser educated Thais work in Israel in Kibbutz, Middle Eastern oil countries like Libya, Saudi Arabia etc., go pick berries in Scandinavia or in construction in SEA (like Singapore). If their education level is sufficient for those countries at an apparently much better wage than back home ............ your call! 

[fondue zoo]

obligatory field of dreams quote

 

 

[crazykopite]

It’s not his idea it’s the puppet master who pulls his strings and we all know who that is !

[Eric Loh]

40 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

It’s not his idea it’s the puppet master who pulls his strings and we all know who that is !

 

A land bridge alternative to a canal was proposed back in the 1990s. Gen Prayut also proposed the same initiative. So please tell who pull the strings. 

[spidermike007]

1. Upgrade the educational system. It is dramatically underfunded.

2. Encourage curiosity, and allow students to question their teachers. How else will they learn and mature?

3. Reduce taxes and VAT, to stimulate the economy, do not increase them.

4. Pay a living wage. Why do you think so many talented Thais have fled the country?

5. Get a life. Come to grips with reality. If your son left, what on earth do you think is going on here?

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Hanuman2547 said:

Exactly!  Neither of my two luk krung sons have any desire to return to Thailand to work.  They have Thai citizenship, attended school here, and have native fluency in both Thai and English.  However, there is no comparison to their earning potential here in Thailand compared to what they earn abroad.  

Exactly right, anyone with a brain in Thailand wants out.

[bamnutsak]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

This infrastructural marvel, he asserted, is not merely a physical connection but a bridge to economic rejuvenation.

 

 

Of course, this huckster has a bridge to sell.

 

Best case, full speed ahead, this project might be complete by 2040. Maybe the PM could try to get his grandkids to return to Thailand? One son (Oxford) appears to be an Assoc. Partner at Bain in London, while another (Stanford) is in NYC at some sports betting data company.

 

This land-bridge thing has got "Hopewell" written all over it.

 

 

And "BCG" (Bio-circular and Green) is even more amorphous than an imaginary bridge.

 

He seems to be a whirlwind of incompetence, speaking too much, and not getting a single thing done.

 

 

 

[HaoleBoy]

Why would the young educated Thais want to come back after this last election (and all the previous coups).  The younger generation want a democratic country and want to be heard through their votes.   They want better pay and more opportunities which isn't happening in Thailand.

[cowellandrew]

Well he is not getting my bit of local thai talent back to Thailand any time soon,

She is currently in my kitchen making cow tom for my breakfast!

😂😁

[Mavideol]

will his son be paying income taxes

[Mavideol]

8 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Who will "own" the land bridge itself? 
How much is China putting in for this?  As a loan or ???

I would bet on the or ???   555

Edited November 27, 2023 by Mavideol

[Highlandman]

Thai talent abroad? Is that an oxymoron? OK, sure, there are talented Thais abroad, but the vast majority of Thais working abroad are menial laborers or low to medium skilled workers, such as farm hands in Israel, massage therapists in Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea etc. Highly skilled Thais living abroad are far and few between, certainly when compared with Indians, Chinese and even Vietnamese.

 

How many expat Thais does Sretta think he can win back? This guy is becoming even more a joke than Thaksin or his sister were. 

[Gknrd]

Wish they would lure one of my Thai neighbors back. Lowlife , filthy , bargirl married to an ex GI.  She would not go back to Thailand if you paid her. Of course Thailand would not want her either. So, guess it is a wash.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Gknrd

[Hanuman2547]

There are a lot of talented Thai doctors practicing medicine in western countries.  It's been that way since the 1970's.  Most went on some type of scholarship or fellowship for advanced specialized training.  When it came time to return to Thailand they just found an employer to support their application for residency.  The old joke was where do you find the best Thai doctors?  Try NYC, LA, London, etc.  

[GarryP]

On 11/27/2023 at 10:27 AM, crazykopite said:

It’s not his idea it’s the puppet master who pulls his strings and we all know who that is !

Yeah, he wants his sons back here too, doesn't he? 5555555

[GarryP]

On 11/27/2023 at 11:36 AM, spidermike007 said:

1. Upgrade the educational system. It is dramatically underfunded.

2. Encourage curiosity, and allow students to question their teachers. How else will they learn and mature?

3. Reduce taxes and VAT, to stimulate the economy, do not increase them.

4. Pay a living wage. Why do you think so many talented Thais have fled the country?

5. Get a life. Come to grips with reality. If your son left, what on earth do you think is going on here?

The Ministry of Education has the second highest budget of all ministries. However, the money is wasted on pointless projects and no move has been made to change the educational system. As a result, Thailand continues to drop down education rankings. There are so many things they could do with their budget that in the long term would greatly benefit Thailand but the dinosaurs still have their heads up their collective arse (maybe a mamenchisaurus could do that if it reallly tried) and dipsh!ts like Anutin are pushing for new civics courses to promote patriotism, love for the country and gratitude to the monarchy. Something that will be really helpful in getting a decent job in the future, not!!!!!! They are even talking about bringing in new history books. I thought they had already rewritten it a few times, but it seems that they have some more fiction to add to the <deleted> already taught.

 

Apologies. Rant over.