WHY THAILAND THAILAND: A TOP RANKED INVESTMENT DESTINATION Thailand Facts Thailand has the world’s Population (2009): 67 million • 16th largest agricultural output Thailand is a liberal market-oriented economy, 0-14 years: 20.3% • 18th largest manufacturing output located at the center of Asia - the fastest growing 15-64 years: 70.7% • 23rd largest economy by purchasing power economic region in the world. Investors in the 65+ years: 9.0% • 25th largest trade in goods country benefit from its ease of doing business, Urban population 33% • 27th largest industrial output world class infrastructure, a government that is Labor force 56.4% • 31st biggest export volume responsive to investor needs, a cost-effective Literacy: 92.6% • 31st largest earnings from services workforce, and enjoyable working and living Land area: 513,120 km2 • 33rd largest economy environment. Coastline: 3,219 km • 36th largest services output Arable land: 27.54% Source: The Economist Pocket World in Figures, 2010 edition Permanent crops: 7% Other land use: 65.53% (2005) Government: Constitutional Monarchy Thailand is the world’s GDP per capita (2009): US$ 3,921 • # 1 producer of natural and synthetic rubber GDP (2009): US$ 263.5 billion • # 1 producer of hard disk drives Capital: Bangkok • 6th largest exporter of rice Foreign Tourist (2009): 14.09 million • 6th largest exporter of sugar Religions: Buddhist 94.6%, Others 5.4% • 13th largest producer of automotives DIVERSIFIED AND RESILIENT ECONOMY In addition to the high marks that Thailand continues SUPPORTIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT to receive from multilateral organizations with regard to its business climate, the country also In its Ease of Doing Business report, the World fares well when specific manufactured products Bank continued to move Thailand towards the are looked at. For instance, in agro-business, top by ranking the Kingdom #12 for 2010, an Thailand is the world’s #1 producer of natural accomplishment that clearly reflects the overall rubber as well as top exporter of canned and frozen strength and stability of the country. seafood, and canned tuna, along with canned pineapples and cassava. The country is also the World Bank world’s sixth largest exporter of rice and sugar. In Ease of Doing Business 2010 terms of industrial products, Thailand is the world’s Thailand largest manufacturer of hard disk drives, and one 1 Singapore 12 of the top manufacturers of integrated circuits and Japan 2 New Zealand 15 white goods. Moreover, Thailand was the world’s th largest automobile producer in 2009 and the 19 Korea 13 3 Hong Kong largest auto producer in Southeast Asia, and is the Malaysia nd largest producer and market of pickup 4 United States 23 world’s 2 Taiwan trucks. 5 UK 46 China 6 Denmark 89 Vietnam 7 Ireland 93 Indonesia 8 Canada 122 Philippines 9 Australia 144 Laos PDR 10 Norway 167 Source: World Bank COST-EFFECTIVE PLACE TO DO BUSINESS The Dow Chemical Company Looking beyond the country’s industrial attractiveness, when “The Dow Chemical Company has it comes to lifestyle there are 2010 Cost of Living Survey been in Thailand for over 40 years. few countries that can combine Together with our partner, the Siam Thailand’s ease of doing business, Rankings Cement Group, we have grown in attractiveness in an investment site, Cities Country March March March Thailand with the encouragement of and demonstrated ability to produce 2008 2009 2010 the Board of Investment. for the global marketplace with a low cost attractive lifestyle. The Tokyo Japan 2 1 2 Today we are undertaking many growth projects in Thailand, Mercer Human Resource Consulting Osaka Japan 11 2 6 including a US$3 billion investment in the best technology we Cost of Living Survey – Worldwide have available in the world as well as the best environmental Rankings 2010, showed that Hong Kong Hong Kong 6 5 8 health and safety practices. Bangkok, Thailand, ranking #121, Beijing China 20 9 16 was far less expensive than Hong We see nothing but growth in our projects and our ability to sell Kong (8th most expensive city in Singapore Singapore 13 10 11 great products to help the economy grow.” the world), Singapore (#11), Beijing Shanghai China 24 12 25 (#16), Shanghai (#25) and many Andrew Liveris other major cities in Asia. Taipei Taiwan 63 61 78 President and Chief Executive Officer Jakarta Indonesia 82 106 94 The Dow Chemical Company In addition, CB Richard Ellis’s survey EXCELLENT of office space in Asian cities shows Hanoi Vietnam 91 58 121 that office space in Bangkok is Bangkok Thailand 105 98 121 INFRASTRUCTURE among the most affordable in Asia, with costs that are a fraction of the Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting There are many reasons why Thailand has been so successful over the years in attracting foreign direct cost of similar space in other Asian investment, including the incentives and services provided by the Board of Investment (BOI). But clearly cities. what remains one of the Kingdom’s best-selling features is the excellent infrastructure in the country, a result of clear thinking and responsive government policies initiated over many years. To further reduce logistic costs, Thai government continues to improve the infrastructure by embarking on many new Affordable Office Space mega projects. The growing strength of Thailand’s modern infrastructure is already reflected in port US$ expansion operations, road and rail works, and Bangkok’s mass transit system. 160 140 State-of-the-art Infrastructure 120 Transportation • National highway system: 51,776 km connecting all 76 provinces 100 • Expanding connections into Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and southern China • Highway expansion plan of 778 km during 2007-2012 143.99 80 • 7 international airports 125.76 60 • Rail system: 4,044 km linking to Malaysia and Singapore • Bangkok’s citywide mass transit 40 60.14 • SkyTrain (BTS) 24 km and Subway (MRT) 20 km 57.49 • Expansion plan of 115 km during 2009-2015 48.56 20 Communications 27.5 Tokyo 24.38 Mumbai 0 • Mobile phones: 63% (penetration rate per 100 inhabitants) (Inner Central) Shanghai 23.54 Singapore 17.89 (Pudong) Ho Chi Minh City Wi-Fi and broadband access Guangzhou • Manila Bangkok Shipping Jakarta • 6 deep sea ports and 2 international river ports, including containers, tank farms and liquid jetties Source: CB Richard Ellis, Global Market Rents, May 2010 Industrial Estates World-Class Seaports Today, there are about 60 industrial estates, Laem Chabang, with its bustling 18 container industrial zones and industrial parks spread across terminals (phases I and II, expanding soon to every region in Thailand. Industrial Estates are phase III), handled traffic totaling approximately developed and managed by the Industrial Estate 4.6 million TEU in 2009. This vibrant facility has Authority of Thailand (I-EA-T). Currently, there are been rated among the world’s top 50 busiest 42 industrial estates in 15 provinces, of which 11 container seaports since 2004 by the American are operated by I-EA-T and 31 are jointly operated Association of Port Authorities in terms of capacity between I-EA-T and private developers. to accommodate cargo services. Moreover, the Laem Chabang port was ranked 21st among the More detailed information on all of Thailand’s top 125 container ports in terms of container industrial estates can be found through the volume in 2008. Road Network BOI’s website at www.boi.go.th/english/how/ industrial_estates.asp. There you will find specifics The Map Ta Phut port’s nine terminals (both Out of Thailand’s 199,676 kilometers of roads, on industrial estates in all three of the country’s public and dedicated berths) handled more than 51,776 kilometers constitute a vast highway investment promotion zones, including each 26 million tons of cargo in 2009. The facility also network that connects each region of the country. location’s available land area, prices and fees, and has tank farms and liquid jetties to accommodate Moreover, there is an upgrading of routes into contact information. the petrochemicals industry. The port at the Map neighboring areas along the Mekong, including a Ta Phut Industrial Estate, which is presently the second bridge across that mighty river into Laos. biggest industrial port in the nation, lies only 180 Eastern Seaboard Industrial Region kilometers east of Bangkok and has grown steadily Million TEU Trips Thailand, in fact, is since its inception. A railway runs from Bangkok 6 8,000 becoming a hub of regional 7,000 Thailand has invested more than 420 billion baht along the coastal region to Map Ta Phut and a 5 road transportation. over the past quarter century in building one of the double-track line goes to Chachoengsao, which is 6,000 Through increasing 4 world’s premier industrial regions along its Eastern to become a link between the Eastern Seaboard 5,000 regional cooperation, road Seaboard, notably from Chonburi to Rayong. This region and central and northeast Thailand. Other Port Traffic 3 links are continually being area has already attracted a considerable amount important ports include Klong Toey in Bangkok, 2004-2009 4,000 improved for the overland 3,000 of industrial development projects in automotives, Ranong and Songkla, providing access to the Gulf 2 transport of goods and oil and gas, and indeed in many other aspects of of Thailand, the Andaman Sea and beyond. 2,000 people between Thailand, 1 manufacturing. 1,000 China, Vietnam, Laos 0 0 and Cambodia. Trucks Today, the region accounts for about 8% of 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 and other vehicles can Thailand’s gross domestic product. Reflecting the Bangkok-Million TEU 1.318 1.349 1.451 1.558 1.46 1.33 proceed all the way from Laem Chabang-Million TEU 3.529 3.766 3.964 4.641 5,219 4.63 dynamism of the Eastern Seaboard is the fact that Bangkok-Ships 2,402 2,570 2,826 2,888 2,795 2,539 Southern China, into Laos about 40% of all chemical products and 44% of all Laem Chabang-Ships 4,658 5,070 6,149 6,645 7,012 6,427 and Cambodia, through basic metals products are made here.