"You can't have your cake and eat it too!" springs to mind here.
The natives wanna keep that 550 billion baht yearly income (figure differs) from tourism without the tourists. The foreigners that eventually invest here in some way or form, used to be tourists (generally). So restricting business opportunities for foreigners is, in effect, wiping out a lot of possible tourists who would have been 'looking' into settling somewhere here.
Personally, I think the powers that be want Thailand to become something between North Korea and Russia.
Junta to clampdown on foreign businesses
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GLCQuantum
- Rock Star
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- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:00 pm
Re: Junta to clampdown on foreign businesses
Business likes continuity of the "playing field"....wherever in the world and it is reflected well in the success of every part of the globe. Thailand has shown in the last year or so that it doesn't have that and is not interested, as it's internal issues take priority due to them being so absorbed in themselves. Can't have your cake and eat it.....business sentiment and investors don't/doesn't care.
All well and good they think in the short term....but it's not good for business investment. Thailand appears a risky proposition at the minute for investors and large companies. I read that Samsung decided to go Vietnam for their new factory due to tax free for up to 9 nine years then reduced tax rates after that, plus the stable (even if less than perfect or desirable) political situation.
What has screwed Thailand is that the foreign businesses were told "no more coups" a while back to gain confidence, and not to mention this silly Foreign Business Act change at the 'drop of a hat'...obviously not true what investors are told and they get jittery when they hear stuff like this.
A country that lies about it's business environment and changes it it whenever it sees fit at a moments notice to suit it's current political climate is going to get slammed by the international business community as it's not a safe environment. I know the locals prioritize other things first, but they shouldn't be surprised if it doesn't work out just as they want.
All well and good they think in the short term....but it's not good for business investment. Thailand appears a risky proposition at the minute for investors and large companies. I read that Samsung decided to go Vietnam for their new factory due to tax free for up to 9 nine years then reduced tax rates after that, plus the stable (even if less than perfect or desirable) political situation.
What has screwed Thailand is that the foreign businesses were told "no more coups" a while back to gain confidence, and not to mention this silly Foreign Business Act change at the 'drop of a hat'...obviously not true what investors are told and they get jittery when they hear stuff like this.
A country that lies about it's business environment and changes it it whenever it sees fit at a moments notice to suit it's current political climate is going to get slammed by the international business community as it's not a safe environment. I know the locals prioritize other things first, but they shouldn't be surprised if it doesn't work out just as they want.
Resolve dissolves in alcohol