Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister has been busy drumming up new business and investments for the country’s new Eastern Economic Corridor. The EEC is a massive 5,000 square miles stretching along the Gulf of Thailand from the province of Rayong to those of Chonburi, and Chachoengsao. A similar, national mega-project from the 1980s catapulted Thailand into industrial leadership in the ASEAN.
Thailand’s GDP soared to a five-year high in Q1 of 2018. The Thai economy grew by 4.8 percent…surpassing predictions. To prime the investment pump, the Thai government has just authorized $45 billion in what the Nikkei Asian Review tabs a do-or-die leap to a technology-driven economy.
The EEC project will be particularly kind towards robotics, even going so far as to encourage Thai businesses to adopt robots and robotics technologies into their manufacturing and production processes. Another reason for increased robot automation is people, or lack thereof. Thailand’s workforce, those aged 15-59 years old, is expected to fall by about 6 million to 37 million.
Thailand has about 200 such experts, but the government wants to see 1,400 in five years. Japan, with over 5,000 businesses operating in Thailand, has long viewed Thailand as a key component in its Mekong Five economic plans. About 30 percent of manufacturers in Thailand are already using robots.
He said he is not “necessarily optimistic’ about Japan continuing to be Thailand’s top source for foreign direct investment. Others are not so leery of Thailand”s future. “Airbus signed an agreement with Thai Airways International to develop an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul center at U-Tapao. Boeing is talking with the government about making aircraft parts and setting up a pilot training center”.
The next three years are important for Thailand. They will definitively show whether or not Thailand is seriously transforming itself into a technology-driven economy. With natural resources aplenty, powerful business alliances at the ready, Thailand’s EEC has a remarkable opportunity before it to catapult the country once again.
The first thing to realize about the 10-nation ASEAN community is how big it is: smaller than the U.S. in land area, but nearly twice the population at 625 million.
- Robotics
- Automation
- Artificial Intelligence
- Advanced Manufacturing
- 3D Printing
- Logistics
- Industrial Internet of Things
- Smart Factory
Internet users in Thailand
- There were 52.00 million internet users in Thailand in January 2020.
- The number of internet users in Thailand increased by 1.0 million (+2.0%) between 2019 and 2020.
- Internet penetration in Thailand stood at 75% in January 2020.
Social media users in Thailand
- There were 52.00 million social media users in Thailand in January 2020.
- The number of social media users in Thailand increased by 2.3 million (+4.7%) between April 2019 and January 2020.
- Social media penetration in Thailand stood at 75% in January 2020.
Mobile connections in Thailand
- There were 93.39 million mobile connections in Thailand in January 2020.
- The number of mobile connections in Thailand increased by 827 thousand (+0.9%) between January 2019 and January 2020.
- The number of mobile connections in Thailand in January 2020 was equivalent to 134% of the total population.
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