Are Older Men in Thailand Trading Love for Financial Ruin

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Some 1,000 mid-sized Japan firms eye Thai bases

SUCHEERA PINIJPARAKARN

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- More than 1,000 medium-sized Japanese companies are planning to expand their business and invest in Thailand this year, the highest number for seven years, Kasikornbank said yesterday.

Songpol Chevapanyaroj, executive vice president of KBank, which has joined forces with 15 Japanese partner banks that take care of financial matters for Japanese companies investing in Thailand, said the investment size of each company was estimated at between Bt50 million and Bt100 million. This implies an overall investment value of Bt50 billion to Bt100 billion. At present, some 8,000 mid-sized Japanese companies have operations in the Kingdom.

The bulk of Thai investment by Japanese firms in the past has come from larger companies. Songpol said most of the mid-sized Japanese enterprises now interested in Thailand are in high-technology sectors such as vehicle engines and service sectors, as they have confidence in the quality of Thai facilities and do not believe the country will violate their know-how.

Some of the 1,000 medium-sized companies want to shift investment from China to Thailand, he said.

"Thailand in Japanese companies' eyes has completed facilities and infrastructure for operating business, and the country is a gateway to Asean. Start-up companies are able to run businesses rapidly here," he said.

The official visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today is a clear sign that Thailand is a place for Japanese investment, and can help Japanese business reap benefits in Southeast Asia ahead of the Asean Economic Community, he added.

KBank expects to benefit from transactional services thanks to the arrival of a larger number of Japanese companies. The bank will assist Thai business operators through business-matching activities between the two countries, Songpol said.

The bank is, however, concerned about the shortage of manpower in Thailand and whether there will be enough suitable labour to cope with the expected rise in foreign investment.

This issue and the baht's appreciation should be major risk-management factors for business operators in Thailand, Songpol said.

Commenting on the current strengthening of the baht against the US dollar, he expected the trend to continue as long as there was a major influx of capital from abroad.

The volatility of the unit against the dollar is between 50 satang and Bt1, similar to last year's level, he said, adding that the recent appreciation was considered manageable because of the Kingdom's trade balance.

Import value remains higher than export value as infrastructure investment is attracting more machinery and raw materials into the country, besides which the offshore investment by large companies could help ease the baht's volatility, he said.

Small and medium-sized enterprises in the import and export sector are less affected by the baht's strength because there are more SME importers than exporters, he said.

Last year, about 20 per cent of KBank's business customers hedged their foreign-exchange risk. The volume decreased because the baht's appreciation was not considered as serious for business as previously, while some operators considered there was a chance for taking high profits, said the executive.

KBank expects the baht to trade in a range of 29-31 against the dollar this year.

-- The Nation 2013-01-17

[clockman]

Hope for there sakes, no more floods?

[NanLaew]

Big thumbs up for Thailand. Great to see that there's still major regional confidence in investing here.

[Shantaram]

I knew this would happen after what happened in China in 2012 when government approved nationalist mobs went on the rampage, destroying japanese cars, burning and looting chinese owned japanese restauranst, spitting on and bullying japanese residents, and covering the walls of japanese entertainment areas with chairman Mao images and red flags.

Since then, hardly anyone in China is buying japanese cars and many japanese factories are planning to shut down.

Here is an example banner from the protest at a car dealership:

Nǎpà Huáxià quán shì fén, yěyào shā guāng Rìběn rén; nǎpà Zhōngguó bù zhǎng cǎo….

哪怕华夏全是坟，也要杀光日本人，哪怕中国不长草….

("Even if the whole of China is covered with tombs, [we] must kill all Japanese; even if no grass grows in China….")

So, these stupid racist and xenophobic nationalists will get what they want and will finally have to turn their anger on their own Nazbol government when there are no Japanese left to attack and blame for their shitty lives.

Méi yībǎo, méi shèbǎo; xīn zhòng yào yǒu Diàoyúdǎo.

Jiùsuàn zhèngfǔ bù yǎnglǎo; yě yào shōufù Diàoyúdǎo.

Méi wùquán, méi rénquán; Diàoyúdǎo shàng zhēng zhǔquán.

Mǎibùqǐ fáng, xiūbùqǐ fén; cùntǔ bù ràng Rìběn rén

没医保，没社保，心中要有钓鱼岛

就算政府不养老，也要收复钓鱼岛

没物权，没人权，钓鱼岛上争主权

买不起房，修不起坟，寸土不让日本人

No medical insurance, no social security, yet the Diaoyu Islands must be in your heart.

Even if the government does not take care of the elderly, we should recover the Diaoyu Islands.

No property rights, no human rights, but [our nation] contends for the sovereign rights of the Diaoyu Islands.

[We] can't buy a home, can't build a tomb, but we contest every inch of ground with the Japanese.

Soon not only the japanese will be leaving in droves, but also the Americans, Filipinos, Europeans and Africans as well.

Just to give a recent example of theis state sponsored Nazi style xenophobia so prevalent in modern China, Yang Rui, A leading Chinese TV host on state-sponsored CCTV posted to his blog a scathing attack on foreigners that is unmatched in scope by any previous attack and he did mention Korea as well:

Cut off the foreign snake heads. People who can’t find jobs in the US and Europe come to China to grab our money, engage in human trafficking and spread deceitful lies to encourage emigration . . . Foreign spies seek out Chinese girls to mask their espionage and pretend to be tourists while compiling maps and GPS data for Japan, Korea and the West, . . . “We kicked out that

foreign bitch and closed Al Jazeera’s Beijing bureau. We should shut up those who demonise China and send them packing.”

Great News for Thailand!

[Rosco911]

I can understand the Japanese companies wanting to pull out of China. The problem in Thailand is the shortage of skilled labour and until that problem is solved they will go to other developing countries. The proposed high speed rail links will link countries such as Loa and Maynmar and I believe Thailand will then become a simple transit hub.

Foreign investment creates jobs and revenue for Thailand but the outdated rules and reg's still make things vitually impossible for foreign companies.

Until changes are made making things easier the writting is on the wall for Thailand by its own doing.

[rfukata]

Okinawa invites Japanese firms in China

Okinawa Prefecture is inviting Japanese firms operating in China to set up business in the southern islands, to spread their risks amid rising tension between the two countries.

Okinawa held an investment seminar in the Chinese city of Dalian on Wednesday. Officials from 65 Japanese firms attended the session.

Okinawan officials explained the islands have ample young labor available. (More on this article today Jan.17, 2013)

www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/world.html

[bkk_mike]

Ironic that it's Okinawa that is inviting the Japanese.

It's actually Okinawa that would have a decent claim on the diaoyu / senkaku / pinnacle islands, not mainland Japan.

Japan only took over Okinawa as a part of Japan in 1879. Prior to that, Okinawa had been playing off China against Japan to keep it's independence for centuries.

If they could make Okinawa independent (not likely admittedly), and gave it the diaoyu's - both sides could save face. (China wouldn't have the islands, but neither would Japan).