Thailand’s foreign investment drops 78% under Prayut's military government

[ExpatOilWorker]

I can't wait to hear what twist super general gonna give on this news.

FDI is 22% better than expected.

What's the difference between foreign investment and foreign direct investment?

Foreign direct investment is basically when a company or entity based in one country makes an investment in a company or entity based in another country, e.g., Coca Cola buys a 60% stake in ThaiBev (Chang brewery).

Foreign investment can be something as simple as Merrill Lynch buying stocks on the SET to add to its International portofolios.

Or a foreign company buying a Thai company because they can't make both ends meet anymore ?

Gents, the 22% FDI is a made up number.

Fact: Thailands foreign investment drops 78% under Prayut's military government

Press release: Foreign investment is 22% better than expected. (hence it could have been down by 100%)

Note to self, never try to explain a joke.

Edited January 14, 2016 by ExpatOilWorker

[bangon04]

This can't be correct, not with all the assurances that everything just keeps getting better.

Since this is the "Official Data", you are probably right. This official data got past the censor. Just imagine how bad the real data would be.......

[waitforusalso]

Well this is alright, as long as General P will end up in court to pay for the losses out of his personal wealth. His negligence in overseeing (contributing to) the PRDC fiasco & consequent coup has lead to this situation. Therefore if Yingluck is guilty of costing the country $$$, why shouldn't he be?

[Just1Voice]

Well this is alright, as long as General P will end up in court to pay for the losses out of his personal wealth. His negligence in overseeing (contributing to) the PRDC fiasco & consequent coup has lead to this situation. Therefore if Yingluck is guilty of costing the country $$$, why shouldn't he be?

For the simple fact that, immediately after seizing power through an illegal coup, the first thing he did was grant himself and all his cronies total immunity from all "past, present and future actions".

Answer your question?

[waitforusalso]

Well this is alright, as long as General P will end up in court to pay for the losses out of his personal wealth. His negligence in overseeing (contributing to) the PRDC fiasco & consequent coup has lead to this situation. Therefore if Yingluck is guilty of costing the country $$$, why shouldn't he be?

For the simple fact that, immediately after seizing power through an illegal coup, the first thing he did was grant himself and all his cronies total immunity from all "past, present and future actions".

Answer your question?

& people call Thaksin a coward!

[TheCruncher]

Gents, the 22% FDI is a made up number.

Fact: Thailands foreign investment drops 78% under Prayut's military government

Press release: Foreign investment is 22% better than expected. (hence it could have been down by 100%)

Note to self, never try to explain a joke.

Edited January 14, 2016 by TheCruncher

[Robbie Dye]

Have to blame someone for the next devaluation!

[englishoak]

You think what is happening here is funny. You think it is amusing, you think Thailand is here just to amuse you.

Oh heck yes its hilarious, most here knew exactly this would happen but some morons in green know better.

Thailand gets what it deserves,.

Look we keep hearing about democracy blah blah thai style...

Well the blueprint that works best are all out there, weve even done the hard work and bled and died to test it....

If they want to go invent thier own version dont be surprised when its decided by a bunch of morons with guns because all the decent IQ either left from coups years ago or hiding for fear of oppression.

Genetically id say Thailand is getting dumber because the smart genes are all leaving, leaving the morons behind and morons as we all know HATE being shown up to be a moron so........ they persecute the smarts and people to prove they arnt morons

Everyone wants what the west has right ? well heres the blueprint weve been at it for generations..its easier than doing it from scratch

imagine it like a circle, that Thailand has never drawn one but wants to so badly ... but we can and they want to because it works so great.

So the west over and over goes and shows anyone who wants to draw one......heres the pen and paper and heres a coin shows them what to do over and over and goes home....

Thailand however knowing better and its leaders being morons draws a straight line with the pen on the paper then Sells the coin.......... That ISNT how you draw a circle... that is how you prove your a bunch of morons to the world.

Like this lot have just done with almost stunning imbecilic efficiency.

[KMartinHandyman]

Maybe Foreign investors have realized they're not Thai,,,,

[soalbundy]

Nice try, but I suspect that the corruption and fraud that most investors experience in Thailand with their honest business deals is more likely the reason foreign investors don't want to invest in Thailand than any government.

Thailand may think it's political problems are important but to most foreign investors they are merely looking for a fair and honest return on the money they invest in a business deal in Thailand.

Quite frankly, what a Chinese or Japanese investor is looking for in Thailand is a fair business deal.

They do not really care about a small and meaningless political argument at an insignifigant country in the backwaters of South East Asia.

Their investment decisions are made on profit expectations, they simply do not care about Thai politics.

The reason that foreign investors do not want to put their hard earned money into a deal with a Thai partner because they frankly have heard to many stories of how the Thai partners tried to cheat the foreign partner.

Yes, and remember all other countries in Asia have no corruption,especially China, it's been banned for 2016

[Srikcir]

"the major drop in investment comes from Japan"

Hardly a surprise:

"Thailand's Teflon Economy Is Imploding," Joshua Kurlantzik, March 25, 2015

"Japanese investors, the biggest group of foreign investors in the kingdom, have begun to shift new investments to Vietnam and other countries in the region. Other foreign investors have become increasingly cautious in approving new Thailand projects."

Soldiers wear khaki, not teflon.

[jadee]

Can they just get on and devalue the currency already? I first visited Thailand in 2005 and it was 40+baht to the USD, I miss those days. The baht's way overvalued at 36. The PM's doing a great job to get things back there but he's got to work harder.

[fitzcaraldo]

info or intox ?

[anotheruser]

Wow I can't really even begin to contemplate why? I thought most potential investors do business in an unfriendly climate that lacks human rights, incentive packages to come and is down right inhospitable to foreign investors. Like this on facebook if you want to be prosecuted.

Edited January 14, 2016 by anotheruser

[anotheruser]

No need for defamation he is a mealy mouthed liar.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Gents, the 22% FDI is a made up number.

Fact: Thailands foreign investment drops 78% under Prayut's military government

Press release: Foreign investment is 22% better than expected. (hence it could have been down by 100%)

Note to self, never try to explain a joke.

Where is the 78% drop?

Facts are annoying!

[heybruce]

The sooner Prayut and the military realise they are, and always have been Thailands biggest problem and stop interfering in politics, for which they have no ability, skill or knowledge, the better.

Although I agree with this statement I also agree that the politicians are not a good mix for this country as well

Fortunate then that it's the Thai people and not you who should decide.

Fortunately it is not you or me either who should decide.

I know what a few Thai people around here want, but like you, I don't know what the majority of the Thai people want.

There is a well established mechanism for determining who the majority of Thai people want to govern them, but we are not allowed to call for them.

Edited January 15, 2016 by heybruce

[soalbundy]

We seem to be in for a nasty world wide recession, too many goodies and not enough people with the money to buy them.

We are floating in a sea of maxed out credit cards. Governments and financial experts seem to have completely lost the plot. America is supposed to be a bright spot with the economy growing and jobs being created at an ever faster rate until one reads the about the quality of the job vacancies being filled, Mac Donald's Starbuck's Walmart.

[ikke]

But one would think English John invested a lot in Thailand.

[digibum]

Investors adopt the "wait and see" strategy obviously....

I think it's a "wait and let's invest in Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Philippines in the meantime."

Foreign investment has been leaking out of Thailand for many years. Other countries in the region are now prepared to take on some of the businesses that would have naturally just gone to Thailand in the past.

Thailand is really on the edge of falling into a very, very deep hole. Actually, they've been on the edge for years but recently they've started to hang over the abyss.

[harness]

And how much cash is being transferred out of Thailand by the rich Thais? What will the country have left after all the loot is gone?

Taxi! Airport!

[eliotness]

And how much cash is being transferred out of Thailand by the rich Thais? What will the country have left after all the loot is gone?

Taxi! Airport!

That to me is the crunch question. Is the baht being held high so as to give certain rich powerful people time to get their money out at a favourable rate ? Then the country can implode, but not just yet, need more smoke to hide the transfers behind !!!

[luckyman]

Well that is the price and although very unfortunate it isn't the end of the world. Thailand will overcome, the coup was inevitable and without the Junta I doubt we would be better off.

[luckyman]

When you sit down and start considering all the reasons not invest here the mind just reels. To me it is just flabberghasting that anyone invests in Thailand at all, and the situation has not changed that much since the coup as far as what problems exist for a potential foreign investor. The mentality of the current regime is nothing new, they have quite a typical attitude and style about how they do things, in a way it s good that outsiders finally get to see what they will be dealing with if investing in Thailand straight away before wasting even a minute more thinking about it.

You sound like you know what is going on exactly, but do you really?

Have you ever even invested in Thailand at all? I did and still do and my company is flourishing like never before. I even started a new business last November. Donot believe everything u read in the news. Believe in yourself instead.

[dbrenn]

Gents, the 22% FDI is a made up number.

Fact: Thailands foreign investment drops 78% under Prayut's military government

Press release: Foreign investment is 22% better than expected. (hence it could have been down by 100%)

Note to self, never try to explain a joke.

Where is the 78% drop?

Facts are annoying!

More facts below - Ease of Doing Business rank for Thailand. Higher numbers are negative:

The Ease of doing business index ranks countries against each other based on how the regulatory environment is conducive to business operationstronger protections of property rights. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses. This page includes a chart with historical data for Ease of Doing Business in Thailand. Ease of Doing Business in Thailand - actual data, historical chart and calendar of releases - was last updated on January of 2016.

Edited January 20, 2016 by dbrenn