Saturday, November 21, 2009

Vietnamese economy poses no threat to Thailand

Vietnam said it would put in a high-speed train, similar to the bullet train in Japan, running from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. The news excited Thai readers but most did not realise that work on the railway won’t start until 2036, or nearly 30 years into the future.

Hanoi ensures existence of political stability and cheap labour

21/11/2009
Kamol Hengkietisak
Bangkok Post


The Vietnamese economy poses no immediate threat to Thailand, which has healthy investments in that country, says the Thai ambassador in Hanoi.

Pisanu Chanvitan says Thailand's economy is still far more advanced than Vietnam's.

However, the ambassador told Thai Rath newspaper, Vietnam has certain advantages including political stability, thanks to its one-party rule and cheap labour.

Last year, Vietnam's economy grew 3%.

Mr Pisanu said that medical advances in Vietnam lag far behind Thailand. For difficult cases, well-to-do patients still travel to Thailand for treatment because Vietnam's health care expertise is lacking.

Nor was Thailand's status as the world's top rice exporter under threat from Vietnam.

Mr Pisanu said Vietnam exported about 5 million tonnes of rice last year while Thailand exported 8-9 million tonnes.

Thai rice is more expensive because of its higher quality especially the world famous Hom Mali, while Vietnam exports cheaper varieties.

Vietnam can face typhoons several times a year, causing extensive damage to rice fields.

Vietnam's rice cultivation area is similar to Thailand's, but Vietnam has a growing population. As its population grows, Vietnam will probably export less rice.

Vietnam's rulers like to talk about their plans for the economy, but sometimes these projects can be many years off.

Vietnam said it would put in a high-speed train, similar to the bullet train in Japan, running from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

The news excited Thai readers but most did not realise that work on the railway won't start until 2036, or nearly 30 years into the future.

In 1990, Vietnam began to open the country to foreign direct investment, creating special industrial zones and expanding the economic zone in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thailand is ranked 9th among foreign investors in Vietnam. Investment is concentrated in agri-business, cement, real estate, and motorcycle parts.

Mr Pisanu said Thailand exported more than 10,000 tonnes of fruit to Vietnam last year, including longan, mangosteen, durian and mango.

Food processing including canned fish is another bright prospect for Thai exporters. Several Thai canneries have set up operations in Vietnam and are doing good business.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Make sure all roads throughout cambodia being built first, cambodia needed to build alot of roads, bridges, canals, and our rail way systems still junks...!

Anonymous said...

Don't even start to think about bullet train craps! firt, we need to build our regular rail way system first, still suck and junks..!

Anonymous said...

The bullet train will arrive in Cambodia and Laos shortly after Vietnam. Don't think so? just watch!!!

Anonymous said...

yuon products are cheaper comparing to other countries in asian, even more cheaper than china. Cheap labors alone cant explain that. Most importantly yuons can sell cheaper because yuons get cheap or free resources sacked from the countries that yuon have colonized and imposed its rules like in Cambodia and laos. So think twice before you buy yuon products. It barely perform of an horrible bloody crimes.

As for thai case, youns and yuon market did threat Thailand and it uncertain future. As the matter of fact, yuons profit Cambodian Thailand trouble, provoked or not from yuons, to expand its market and influence over Cambodia and always one foot ahead toward west. Yuons did worry about thai market and influence in Cambodia. It is important for yuons to get rid of Thailand from its chase terrain Cambodia and if possible expand more its territory toward Thailand. It is sure yuon future objective. Yuon plan or not, burning thai embassy in Cambodia in fev 2003 was also a pretext for yuons chase thai, too much present, from Cambodia

Remember about it abhisit and all Siamese

Anonymous said...

After Khmer Rouge regime,

Now Khmers accept to be Yuon slave !

Is it Ironic ??????

Khmer Canadian

Anonymous said...

It sounds like a deja vu.

Vietnam now takes a strategic approach to manipulate Cambodia's leader and remotely Thailand's leader. However, Cambodia repeats her history of the 60's as she serves as the strategic pawn for Thaksin Shinawatra to claim back his power. This will be a disaster for Cambodia and Thailand. You all know who wants to benefit from this strategy at the end if Thaksin Shinawatra regains his power.

I feel sorry for both Cambodia and Thailand's leaders who do not get a big picture from this trap: one is rustically self-made man, and another urbanely Oxford-educated man.

Anyway, Cambodia has nothing to gain from this short term battle against Thailand. It is not too late to devise a plan together with Thailand to consecrate and protect this holy place before we focus on the economic and social development.

Do not let the sad history of Cambodia repeat again.

Anonymous said...

People lives should be improve first. Where are you going to get money to build roads and other public functions? Don't tell me donation again! Most khmer people are poor. You need to build jobs first. Then you can collect taxes to build roads and other things. Building roads first would create jobs, but no money to start the construction process because Hun Sen is too cheap to use his own money, which belongs to the khmer people firstly by the way. When you the hear the sirens and horns in the street, get in your sniper position.