Thais Face Challenges Getting Asean Jobs

[wackysleet]

Such a pity we get very little if any input on this topic from our Thai friends, oh bugger, I forgot one must post in English but I cannot believe there isn't anyone out there with an opinion who can cobble up a post or two.

David.

[Thai at Heart]

Tesco 100% foreign owned in Thailand. Hmmmmm. You had better hope their lawyers dont read that one. You have just hilighted beautifully the risks associated with investing in Thailand. Managed, controlled maybe but not owned.

Tesco entered Thailand in 1998 and operates through 380 stores as part of a joint venture with Charoen Pokphand and named the operation Tesco Lotus. This partnership was dissolved in 2003 when Charoen Pokphand sold its shares to Tesco.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesco

And you really believe that Tesco is operating in Thailand with 100% of the shares in Tesco UK's name? Duh????? Go and do some reading.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1c008064-6b6b-11db-bb4a-0000779e2340.html#axzz1oxXL7Dtp

The FT informative enough?

Now next question, who owns EkChai Distribution Company? Tesco UK? In fact if Tesco wanted to operate in Thailand, why would they operate through EkChai, not a particularly British name that one.

http://www.tescoplc.com/media/417/tesco_annual_report_2011.pdf

Read Page 119.......

ek-chai Distribution system co. limited Retail 86%( Thailand

( The Group has 86% of voting rights and 39% of issued ordinary share capital in ek-chai Distribution system co. limited

[theanimaster]

POLITE~???? POLITE~???? BS~!!! Polite my buttocks!! I've SEEN how Thai accountants deal with their international counterparts -- THEY ARE NOT POLITE -- and far from professional. They take things too personally, and harbour grudges. They are ABSOLUTELY NOT POLITE when it comes to communicating in English -- matter of fact they come out as horribly RUDE. They probably don't mean it, but that's just the way they come across as to someone who is not familiar with Thais.

[spidermike007]

Barriers to entry abound. However, there is one bit of legislation hiding in this bunch that is interesting.

A wholly owned Asean company is supposed to have free entry into buying or entering any industry Asean business. So a foreign company that owns its company 100% in a legal entity that allows 100% foreign ownership can enter the Thai market? I can't see the Thai-Chinese agro exporters giving that one up for a millisecond.

Just as an example, on January 1st, 2011, and agreement went into effect, that was drafted, and signed as part of the 6th ASEAN charter, that allowed for all alcoholic beverages, from all ASEAN nations, to be traded without any tariffs, openly amongst the members. Since that time, not one bottle of beer made in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, or elsewhere, has been allowed into the country. Why sign a bill, if you are going to let politicians who are bought and paid for call the shots? I am also told that it require expense, and a lot of paperwork, and is generally not so easy for other members of ASEAN to work in Thailand. Even jobs like singing working in a band. An equal playing field is an equal playing field. Someday Thailand may learn that fact.

[Sing_Sling]

Such a pity we get very little if any input on this topic from our Thai friends, oh bugger, I forgot one must post in English but I cannot believe there isn't anyone out there with an opinion who can cobble up a post or two.

David.

My sister-in-law married a Thai man and moved to Thailand after she completed her MBA in the US and he completed studies as a molecular biologist at the same University in Washington.

Her English was close to perfect and her Thai non-existent, she now speaks Thai very well - after 20 years so she should.

Her husband, a very, very nice and open-minded guy, speaks English very well and . . . is Thai.

They have two children who can barely string a sentence together in English, though both are now at University in Bangkok. Try as they may, their kids simply cannot do it because:

a) the outside influences take them back to Thai only

their school, though a good one, passed students in English who couldn't comprehend much at all

c) their friends are just as useless as they are

Simply out, the environment is simply not there for them to become fluent or even proficient in anything other than Thai.

Thailand must be one of the most inward-looking countries/societies on the planet and goodness knows where they may be now if this weren't the case

[janetrizzo]

Whaaat? Thais got talent. Ramp up the academia and get Thai kids in global markets.

[Tanaka]

The Thais need to take their head out of their arse and stop thinking they are better than others and learn to compete in the Asean market place.

And that is not going to change any time soon. 10-15 years from now the other ASEAN countries are up and thriving in the world. Thailand? Working in foreign factories here and still farming. And still arrogant and feeling superior to any foreigner. The education system will improve. A little bit. But their mindset won't. Sad really.