Interview: Thailand set to become investment hub of ASEAN: PM
BJT Special Report:10th China-ASEAN Expo

BANGKOK, (Xinhua)-- Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Thursday that Thailand, with its continued efforts in connectivity building, is set to become a hub for channeling foreign investment in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Yingluck called on the Chinese investors to increase investment in Thailand and consider the kingdom, which sits"at the strategic center"of ASEAN, as their partner to conduct business in the region.

Expressing admiration for China's economic growth and economic policies, Yingluck said as a strategic partner, Thailand is willing to work with China to increase bilateral trade and investment in a wide range of areas.

According to the prime minister, Thailand will serve as a good base for foreign investment in the Southeast Asia region because it has planned to upgrade its trans-border transportation network in order to build better connection with other countries in the region.

She is referring to the 2.2-trillion-baht (68.4 billion U.S. dollars) infrastructure scheme, which is aimed to boost both domestic and regional connectivity by linking Thailand with Laos, China, Singapore and Malaysia through a high-speed rail system.

Full story: http://english.cntv.cn/20130830/100194.shtml

-- CCTV 2013-08-30

....I was starting to get hub withdrawal....thanks YK...

....I was starting to get hub withdrawal....thanks YK...

... and I thought that Thailand were 'Hubbing' along just nicely.

ASEAN ... the one hub to unite them all*

*thinking Lord of the Rings

Another desperate effort to push the controversial 68,400,000,000 USD infrastructure scheme through.

Did Yingluck also say that the market price of rice will double next year?

Besides being a popular tourist destiny for the Chinese, there is not much that Thailand can offer in terms of business opportunities. In fact, China is "stealing" a lot of business from Thailand. Especially in the fabrication sector.

Edited August 30, 201312 yr by Nickymaster

Another desperate offer to push the controversial 68,400,000,000 USD infrastructure scheme through.

Did Yingluck also say that the market price of rice will double next year?

Besides being a popular tourist destiny for the Chinese, there is not much that Thaiklsn can offer in terms of business opportunities. In fact, China is "stealing" a lot of business from Thailand. Especially in the fabrication sector.

The garment industry has jumped ship to other SEA nations already, the rest of the manufacturing sector will follow. The reality is a fast train network will never be profitable it has a high infrastructure cost and high maintenance cost and a small consumer base they would be far better off with an efficient rail freight network, deep water ports and an optic fibre network linked to all the surrounding countries, then they could compete with Singapore as the financial and logistics hub of ASEAN.

Edited August 30, 201312 yr by waza

....I was starting to get hub withdrawal....thanks YK...

hilarious

What! No pic of Yingluck

Dream on sweetheart dream on.

Is there limits on hubs. I think Thailand already exceeded the hub max

Sent from my ST18a using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

What! No pic of Yingluck

here you go........

I don't know who writes her speeches but I am sure she doesn't do it personally, probably has little or no input.

It reminds me of the move ' Anchorman : The Legend of Ron Burgundy ' where his female rival screws him up by altering his script on the auto-cue when she was told he reads anything put in front of him and so it is with YL.

If she read in advance what has been prepared for her and was in the least bit intelligent she would refuse to read it as she looks and sounds stupid time after time.

Will somebody please inform the PM that as it's only top rank player Singapore will be the de facto hub of ASEAN.

Another desperate offer to push the controversial 68,400,000,000 USD infrastructure scheme through.

Did Yingluck also say that the market price of rice will double next year?

Besides being a popular tourist destiny for the Chinese, there is not much that Thaiklsn can offer in terms of business opportunities. In fact, China is "stealing" a lot of business from Thailand. Especially in the fabrication sector.

The garment industry has jumped ship to other SEA nations already, the rest of the manufacturing sector will follow. The reality is a fast train network will never be profitable it has a high infrastructure cost and high maintenance cost and a small consumer base they would be far better off with an efficient rail freight network, deep water ports and an optic fibre network linked to all the surrounding countries, then they could compete with Singapore as the financial and logistics hub of ASEAN.

Just relying on past performance here in the hub of hubs, i don't think high maintenance costs will be a problem.

what the hell has the lady been smoking?

She makes the job of a PM look so easy.

Dream on sweetheart dream on.

You will be surprised how many Thais believe her. I have had some discussion at my office and often I hear things such as:

-Yes but the Dawei port will be good for Thailand

-Yes but 1 day the price of rice will go up

-Yes but it's good when everybody has a car

-yes but she creates many business opportunities when she travels

-yes but she will set up a panel so there will be no corruption

-yes but she already informed her ministers to deal with the problem

-yes but she was a successful business woman so she can be a good PM too

-yes but at least she understands woman

Edited August 30, 201312 yr by Nickymaster

Still waiting to realise the 20 year long project to become a genuine hub.

Now the Chinese are going to make it happen.

Ooooh, lolol

I'm going to take a wild guess here and assume that for this $68billion she wants to spend, a majority of the contracts will go to Shinawatra companies or affiliates, just like the good old days.

Yingluck obviously missed her medication over the last 48 hours.

Singapore must be quaking in its boots with this announcement, or more likely pissing themselves laughing.

Telling China it would be nice to do more business with you in many sectors! I too would like to do more business in many sectors with China and I'm a hub about myself!

Thailand, the hub of hubs.

What's up with all these destructive, negative comments?

It's sad to see this ignorant, childish behavior. All that space within you could be filled up with some valuable positive stuff that moves you forward instead of this gibberish.

Sent from one of my devices using the internet

By the way, what happened to the advanced education hub, the regional logistics hub, the medical tourism hub, the international financial services hub, the robotics manufacturing hub, the film and media production hub, the consumer electronics manufacturing hub, the rail transportation hub, the eco-tourism hub, the car manufacturing hub, the halal food-supplying hub, the air freight hub and all those other hubs they've been touting ad nauseam?

The only hubs I've seen materializing are the regional xenophobia hub, the rice-pledging-scam-gone-bad hub, the gross-self-overestimation hub, the hypocrisy hub, the we-are-holier-than-thou hub, the global product piracy hub, the always-shift-the-blame-on-someone-else hub, the pay-only-lip-service-to-democracy hub and - most important of all - the let's-announce-yet-another-hub-at-least-once-a-week hub.

Edited August 30, 201312 yr by Misterwhisper

Smart investors will just pass through while asleep en route to Singapore or Malaysia.

What's up with all these destructive, negative comments?

It's sad to see this ignorant, childish behavior. All that space within you could be filled up with some valuable positive stuff that moves you forward instead of this gibberish.

Sent from one of my devices using the internet

If you are a shrink you are in the wrong thread.

Does this mean that the Chinese will be permitted to build their high-speed freight-railway via Thailand, without the scheme being high-jacked by PTP, to appear to meet their promises about a high-speed network for passengers linking major thai cities ?

And will the Chinese businessmen, who are to make Thailand their partner to conduct business in the ASEAN region, understand when they're told that as foreigners they aren't allowed to own land here ?

Or will they look for somewhere more-welcoming, say a Chinese-dominated city-state, with modern facilities and a world-class financial-centre ?

What's up with all these destructive, negative comments?

It's sad to see this ignorant, childish behavior. All that space within you could be filled up with some valuable positive stuff that moves you forward instead of this gibberish.

Sent from one of my devices using the internet

How are you finding your first week in Thailand?

It is not going to happen. China prefers stability and to deal with Chinese people. That means Hong Kong & Singapore will continue as the key centers.

Thailand is delusional in this matter.

Will be well behind Singapore and Malaysia

and I would not be surprised if they are also behind Burma and Vietnam

What's up with all these destructive, negative comments?

It's sad to see this ignorant, childish behavior. All that space within you could be filled up with some valuable positive stuff that moves you forward instead of this gibberish.

Sent from one of my devices using the internet

What???????

So all these constant stories of Thailand becoming a regional hub of this and hub of that aren't gibberish? Absolutely nothing changes so that in itself is leaves it open for ridicule.

Chill out dude, have a beer or something.