Indonesia, Thailand's Most Serious Competitor

Indonesia, Thailand's Most Serious Competitor
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I found one interesting writing on the net, written by our fella Thai, and of course the writing should be seen from Thai perspective. In fact, I do believe that in Southeast Asia, Indonesia's peers are not India, China, and nor Philippines (many said that Philippines is veering from track, and now lagging behind even countries like Vietnam). Rather, it is Thailand. Thailand and Indonesia share many things in common, only that Thailand's population is way lesser. Both countries competing each other on many field, from attracting investors to becoming regional powerhouse for car producer.

This is not to compare Indonesia and Thailand, this is to show you, from Thailand perspective, that Indonesia's current economic growth makes some of our neighbors nervous.  I have been to Thailand, and yes, I love it.

Now, enjoy this writing. I found it here.

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Indonesia Coming-On Strong: Challenges Thailand Directly

One of my friend is a high-paid finance director, an Indonesian executive in Thailand, Troy. Well, OK, you may ask if I am making all of this up as I go along or not. Well, that is why many of our readers find Thai Intelligence News such a crack-up, because you can never really tell what we are up to.

But the Bangkok Post just ran a story that Indonesia is planning to be the food or kitchen or something like that to the globe. Well, off course, that is what Thailand is trying to do as well.

But is it possible that Indonesia will become the kitchen of the world? Well, Troy talked about it a great deal.

Troy aside for now, but if you know Thailand well, like inside out, you know that Thailand has a very long tradition in agricultural. In fact, many Thai agriculturist, are the best globally like just so real cutting edge.

Well, there has been a trickle of news coming out here in Thailand, where the press is just so nationalistic, they forget or not interested to report a few things that have literally scared some Thai planners “Shitless” and that is that many countries have been recruiting the best Thai agriculturist-to go and work in their country.

And so for a few years now, Indonesia have come to Thailand to recruit the best and most talented. The Indonesia formula is great big track of land rich in volcano soil, plus money from the country’s richest people, a government that is open and welcoming to commercialized farms, and off course Thai talents.

Why did those Thais left home, their farm, and hefty consulting income in Thailand? One such Thai individual that went to put in Indonesian biggest orange orchid, said it pretty simply that, “I want to be a part of something historic, to be a part of something that has very long-term implications, and I am treated with respect in Indonesia.” But back to Troy, what he said to this blog is that Thailand was where Indonesia was a few years ago-where contact and connection-by the upper-crust rule, controlled Indonesia.

“That is now mostly gone from Indonesia and many new wealth are emerging freely under a more or less equal opportunity,” said Troy.

In fact, with many economist, Indonesia, with an economy about twice the size of Thailand-had marched pass Thailand in leaps and bound. About 20 years ago, before the Tom-Yum-Koong crisis, there were a great deal of talk in Bangkok’s financial circles that Thailand will edge ahead of Indonesia to be the largest economy in ASEAN.

In fact, that is what the Thai central bank governor, said to the Thai press-about 6 month before the Tom-Yum-Koong crisis hit.

Thailand is now again in a crisis. Many foreign investors are now fed-up with Thailand. Thailand’s best stock market analyst, Dr. Kongkiat Opaswonkarn, told Thai Rath, a local press that he is not even thinking in terms of stock market anymore because it can always go up or down, but his worry is that “Global investors will just forget Thailand existed, all together.”

Indonesia move on agriculture, is just another country forging ahead. The former America head of the foreign chambers of commerce in Thailand, just put it pretty simply to the Bangkok Post’s rare cutting edge and frank report that, “Investors are heading to Vietnam.”

Then for some odd reasons, the Koreans are just totally in love with Cambodia. And you know how fashion conscious the Koreans are. Or Laos and the Australians. The Singapore relentlessness march to the point that the prime minister just came out to say to Singaporean business people, “The Island competitiveness can be improved by another 70%” or something like that.

Where is Thailand in all of that? Well how about a US$10-15 billion for a mass transit system so the rich people in Bangkok can have an easier life, and US$ billions more to pave little used road under the “No Dust Road” plan.

And like meanwhile, millions and millions of acres of land goes without a water system.

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