Thailand’s Growing Links With Qatar
By Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat

Thailand is becoming an increasing important component of Qatar’s own “Look East” policy.

As I mentioned in a piece last year, Qatar has become increasingly interested in pursuing a “Look East” policy of expanding and strengthening relationship with the countries of Southeast Asia. This has been primarily driven over the past several years by an increased acknowledgement of the region’s significant growth and large potential markets that Southeast Asia has to offer. It has deepened considerably due to significant development and industrialization pressure, and to a lesser degree, by the momentary cessation of Western markets after the September 11 attacks in 2001. Qatar’s interest in Southeast Asia has been further invigorated by the rise of China, the 2008 financial crisis, as well as growing instability in the Middle East.

One aspect of this Look East is Qatar’s relations with Thailand, a potential market of almost 67 million customers. In terms of bilateral trade, trade volume between the two countries amounted to around $4 billion last year. Qatar’s exports are dominated by energy products, while Thailand’s major exports include jewelry, furniture, automobiles, and electronics. Aware of the potential of stronger economic ties, the two countries are also trying to conclude a tax treaty, which would enhance trade and investment opportunities.

Not surprisingly, energy cooperation has been the axis around which Thai-Qatar ties revolve. In 2011, Qatargas delivered the first shipment to Thailand’s first and only LNG receiving terminal, Map Ta Phut. Thailand’s state-owned PTT is doubling the capacity of the country’s LNG import terminal, and inked an agreement with state-owned Qatargas last December to purchase two million tons of LNG each year for twenty years, beginning this year.

Full story: http://thediplomat.com/2015/10/thailands-growing-links-with-qatar/

-- THE DIPLOMAT 2015-10-26

First China now Qatar that bedrock of democracy and human rights! any guesses for next?

Any truth in the report the PM has been heard singing the old song ' I'm In With The In Crowd ' ?

An off topic post and reply have been removed from this thread.

As much as I dislike Thailand trading with these countries who support and fund terrorism countries such as the UK and US have been doing it for years.

Edited October 26, 201510 yr by bim

Any truth in the report the PM has been heard singing the old song ' I'm In With The In Crowd ' ?

nope.

the IN crowd requires english AND intelligence.

or do you mean the THai "in crowd"

watch some soap operas and obey thai b list celebrities and your good to run for PM.

Edited October 26, 201510 yr by american12bthai

Yet more off-topic deflection posts have been removed from this topic.

Maybe the Thai unskilled workers could replace all the Philippino and Indonesian unskilled workers in Quatar.

Thailand’s state-owned PTT is doubling the capacity of the country’s LNG import terminal, and inked an agreement with state-owned Qatargas last December to purchase two million tons of LNG each year for twenty years, beginning this year.

Is state-owned PTT ignoring Prayut's energy program that came out on 2015-06-27?

"Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has affirmed the government’s commitment to develop alternative energy and reduce import dependence.

General Prayut expressed his concern over the nation’s reliance on natural gas and fuel oil as the country’s main energy sources, saying at the moment the government spends a massive amount of budget on energy imports to satisfy high demand from both transportation and household consumption."

The Yingluck regime was projecting a 60% cut in LNG by 2030. Why PTT's sudden turnabout now?

Two bastions of human rights getting into bed together, how nice. Perhaps they're cooperating together to replace the 2000 plus labourers killed making the stadiums for the World Cup?

On the bright side it is good to make friends when oil prices are up.