Yingluck Works Hard On Her Dawei Dream

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE

Yingluck works hard on her Dawei dream

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is putting a huge effort into helping the Dawei special economic zone project materialise, to make it the flagship in a new chapter of relations between Thailand and Myanmar.

She has made it a national agenda and spends every single opportunity she can find with the Myanmar leader to talk about the project.

Her ministers are supporting her by inviting all investors they meet around the world to join in, too.

Yingluck met Myanmar President Thein Sein in New York last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to endorse the structure and elements of a joint working group to run the project. She hopes to announce cooperation on the Dawei project as a role model of connectivity to the Asean summit in Phnom Penh next month. It is obvious that Yingluck wants to see the project realised, or at least begin to take shape when she is still in office.

The Dawei project is important for Yingluck as it was initiated by her elder brother and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra years ago. It is Yingluck's mission to make Thaksin's dream come true.

Like Thaksin, Yingluck has an economic sense when implementing international cooperation projects. The Dawei project combines many features - deep seaport, industrial estate, logistic hub and transportation link - and would be an important gateway for Thailand to the Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa and Europe. For Myanmar, it could be a link and connecting point to mainland Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Thaksin, who has good connections with Myanmar leaders, paved the way for his younger sister to build up the project since her arrival in office and her visit to Myanmar for the first time last year. Thaksin reportedly visited Myanmar a few days ahead of Yingluck. He also visited the Dawei project's site as well as discussed with Myanmar leaders possible industries to operate in the Dawei project.

The Dawei project is extremely large. Perhaps the original design was too big for a sole company like Italian-Thai Development, which obtained the concession, to run the project alone. The first phase involved more than Bt300-billion in investment costs. Italian-Thai Development's progress on the project has been slow since it obtained the concession four years ago.

It was widely reported that Myanmar authorities had no confidence in the Thai company and even lacked trust in the Thai authority's sincerity over the development project.

What Yingluck has done over the past months has been to boost confidence in the project and demonstrate her government is sincere. She signed another memorandum of understanding on comprehensive development of the Dawei Special Economic Zone and its related project areas in July when Thein Sein visited Thailand.

Under the new MoU, she agreed with Thein Sein to form a joint working group, which was endorsed during the meeting in New York. This group would be co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong and a vice president of Myanmar. Yingluck has given the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand the job of exploring all possibilities to encourage investment in the project.

A joint secretariat under the working group is planned to oversee cooperation for the Dawei project. The National Economic and Social Development Board would be the Thai secretariat and Myanmar will commission one of its planners to work with it. There would be six subcommittees to take care of each sector in the project.

Yingluck is handling the details well and with care as if it was her pet project. The next step is to see how it can be developed and who would really get the benefit.

-- The Nation 2012-10-04

[Skywalker69]

Dear PM Yingluck why do you not concentrate on Thailands domestic problems?

[rubl]

Thaksin, who has good connections with Myanmar leaders, paved the way for his younger sister to build up the project since her arrival in office and her visit to Myanmar for the first time last year. Thaksin reportedly visited Myanmar a few days ahead of Yingluck. He also visited the Dawei project's site as well as discussed with Myanmar leaders possible industries to operate in the Dawei project.

My sister will arrange the necessary loans for you to buy from our companies and all will be happy

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

"Thaksin, who has good connections with Myanmar leaders"

Great minds think alike.

[asiawatcher]

I have yet to figure out the benefit other than a massive overload of expense, and what will be the projected ROI of such a huge expenditure and over what period of time? Apart from the normal issues of creating infrastructure which I am sure will be very impressive, you can imagine how much is being built into the contracts for construction to pay off both Thai and Burmese hi-so's, politicians and the Burmese Generals. And of course Thaksin's involvement - Wink wink, nudge nudge...

[MaxLee]

What the hell is the Dawei project

[dcutman]

It was widely reported that Myanmar authorities had no confidence in the Thai company and even lacked trust in the Thai authority's sincerity over the development project.

It is not top secret how this government and prior ones have have exploited there own country for their own self serving gain. Myanmar would be smart, not to jump into any deals, as these money mongers will really stick it in their ass, for the only reason as mentioned above.

[Katipo]

I'm trying to think of one long term benefit Myanmar as a whole could gain from Thailand's meddling.

[ratcatcher]

What the hell is the Dawei project

It's the Dawei for Thaksin and rich Thais to make even more money from another country while Thailand simmers with floods and crumbling infrastructure.

Dawei to go!

Oh, forgot to add Dawei is a planned major seaport on the Burmese coast about due west of Kanchanaburi, Might cause Singapore a few sleepless nights if ever completed. IMHO

Edited October 4, 2012 by ratcatcher

[SOTIRIOS]

.......wheeling and dealing......

....the focus is on the deals.....and the resultant 'pocket lining'.....

....nothing about benefiting the populace or the country.........

[TheGhostWithin]

What the hell is the Dawei project

Oh, forgot to add Dawei is a planned major seaport on the Burmese coast about due west of Kanchanaburi, Might cause Singapore a few sleepless nights if ever completed. IMHO

It may cause some loss of business, though I would guess a very small amount, to low budget businesses willing to take big risks to increase profit margins, or ship theirndue to the dubious nature of their cargo. The Russian may like Burma, though he has actually been using it for years.Businesses choose Singapore becuase of price competitiveness and efficiency in comparison to neighboring countries, but also because of Singapore holding onto political stability in a indescriminate position in relation to race and religion, even when neighboring countries are dominated by the Muslim majority who rule with an iron fist over anyone non-Malay/Indonesian. and the best part is, none of their neighbors dare challenge Singapore politically or militarily. Stability is the key to big business, not price.

[spirit47]

What the hell is the Dawei project

The word comes from russia, the meaning is "give"

"The first phase involved more than Bt300-billion in investment costs."

[khunken]

What the hell is the Dawei project

Oh, forgot to add Dawei is a planned major seaport on the Burmese coast about due west of Kanchanaburi, Might cause Singapore a few sleepless nights if ever completed. IMHO

It may cause some loss of business, though I would guess a very small amount, to low budget businesses willing to take big risks to increase profit margins, or ship theirndue to the dubious nature of their cargo. The Russian may like Burma, though he has actually been using it for years.Businesses choose Singapore becuase of price competitiveness and efficiency in comparison to neighboring countries, but also because of Singapore holding onto political stability in a indescriminate position in relation to race and religion, even when neighboring countries are dominated by the Muslim majority who rule with an iron fist over anyone non-Malay/Indonesian. and the best part is, none of their neighbors dare challenge Singapore politically or militarily. Stability is the key to big business, not price.

What?

[Payboy]

Yingluck works hard on her Dawei dream

That's so Martin Lutheresque.

[ratcatcher]

Yingluck works hard on her Dawei dream

That's so Martin Lutheresque.

Martin Luther-German Monk - Founder of Lutheran church.

I think you mean this guy "Ah have a dream"

Would that make it so Martin Luther Kingesque?

Edited October 4, 2012 by ratcatcher

[hellodolly]

It was widely reported that Myanmar authorities had no confidence in the Thai company and even lacked trust in the Thai authority's sincerity over the development project.

It is not top secret how this government and prior ones have have exploited there own country for their own self serving gain. Myanmar would be smart, not to jump into any deals, as these money mongers will really stick it in their ass, for the only reason as mentioned above.

Hate to disagree with you but the Burmese are not new at graft and corruption. They treat their citizens even worse than the Thai government treats there's.

They are not stupid they built there capital where it won't sink in to the sea.

[Payboy]

Yingluck works hard on her Dawei dream

That's so Martin Lutheresque.

Martin Luther-German Monk - Founder of Lutheran church.

I think you mean this guy "Ah have a dream"

Would that make it so Martin Luther Kingesque?

Martin Luther King Junoiresque to be very precise.

[SICHONSTEVE]

What the hell is the Dawei project

Oh, forgot to add Dawei is a planned major seaport on the Burmese coast about due west of Kanchanaburi, Might cause Singapore a few sleepless nights if ever completed. IMHO

It may cause some loss of business, though I would guess a very small amount, to low budget businesses willing to take big risks to increase profit margins, or ship theirndue to the dubious nature of their cargo. The Russian may like Burma, though he has actually been using it for years.Businesses choose Singapore becuase of price competitiveness and efficiency in comparison to neighboring countries, but also because of Singapore holding onto political stability in a indescriminate position in relation to race and religion, even when neighboring countries are dominated by the Muslim majority who rule with an iron fist over anyone non-Malay/Indonesian. and the best part is, none of their neighbors dare challenge Singapore politically or militarily. Stability is the key to big business, not price.

What?

I thought that he had spelt 'neighbours' wrong but then realiSed he hadn't, which explains everything!!!.

[Bagwan]

Yingluck works hard on her Dawei dream

That's so Martin Lutheresque.

Martin Luther-German Monk - Founder of Lutheran church.

I think you mean this guy "Ah have a dream"

Would that make it so Martin Luther Kingesque?

I understand that maggots regularly appear on the menu in Thai prisons. With this mention of MLK can we now expect a latterday Diet of Worms?

One for those with a historical bent.