The 1st Thailand – Canada Business Meeting
20 March 2015
Dusit Thani Bangkok
OVERVIEW OF THAILAND - CANADA
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS
AND COOPERATION
Songsak Saicheua
Director – General
Department of American and South Pacific Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
Thailand Overall Economic Figures
25.95
THB/1CAD
(18MAR15)
Thailand’s Ranking
1st
Affordability in cost of living and quality of life
1st
Overall Expat Experience
2nd
6th
6th
(HSBC Expat Explorer Survey 2013)
(HSBC Expat Experience Report 2013)
Best Spots for Medical Adventure
(Lonely Planet 2010)
Dealing with Construction Permits
(World Bank Group, Doing Business Ranking 2015)
Thailand Has 6th Largest Urban Area in East Asia
(World Bank Group, 2015)
Thailand’s Ranking
10th
World’s best places to retire to 2014
(International Living’s Annual Global Retirement Index)
28
Ease of Doing Business 2014
(28th out of 189, World Bank)
th
31
Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015
(31st out of 144, WEF)
30th
World GDP ranking 2013
(30th of 214 economies - World Bank, 16 December 2014 )
st
WORLD BANK : THAILAND - COUNTRY FINDINGS
THAILAND HAS 6TH LARGEST URBAN AREA IN EAST ASIA
• Thailand’s urban population (the population living in urban areas of
more than 100,000 people) increased during this period from 9.3
million to slightly less than 11.8 million.
• The Bangkok urban area grew from 1,900 square kilometers to 2,100
between 2000 and 2010, making it the fifth-largest urban area in East
Asia in 2010, larger than megacities such as Jakarta, Manila, and
Seoul.
• The urban population of the Bangkok urban area grew from 7.8
million people to 9.6 million between 2000 and 2010, a relatively
modest annual growth rate of 2.0%. It has the ninth largest
population in East Asia.
THAILAND- CANADA DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
• Thailand-Canada
established diplomatic
relations on 8 November
1961
• 50th anniversary of
Thailand-Canada relations
in 2011
THAILAND-CANADA RELATIONS:
HIGH- LEVEL VISITS
• In 1967, Their Majesties the King and Queen of
Thailand paid a visit to Canada and also attended the
Expo’67 in Montreal.
Their Majesties visited
the Canadian Red Cross Association
PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER OFFICIAL VISIT TO THAILAND
22-23 MARCH 2012
THAI PEOPLE IN CANADA
• There are approximately 10,000 Thai people
living in Canada.
• Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta
are the provinces where most of Thai people are.
Most of them are engaged in restaurant business.
• In 2013, there are estimated 250,000 foreign
students in Canada. Approximately 1,317 Thai
students are studying in high school and
University level in Canada.
THAILAND’S TRADE PARTNERS 2013
Canada
0.4%
China
13.6%
Others
38%
Hong Kong
3.1%
South Korea
2.8%
Japan
13.3%
USA
7.8%
Indonesia
4%
Australia
3.3%
Singapore
4.1%
UAE
4.2%
Malaysia
5.5%
Source: Ministry of Commerce
THAILAND-CANADA ECONOMIC RELATIONS
– Canada is Thailand’s 32nd trading partner
– In 2014, total trade value is 2,398.55 million USD
• Thailand Exports: 1,478.959 million USD
• Thailand Imports: 919.60 million USD)
Source: Ministry of Commerce
WEBSITES
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
http://www.mfa.go.th
• Department of American and South Pacific Affairs
http://aspa.mfa.go.th
• Royal Thai Embassy, Ottawa
http://www.thaiembassy.ca
• Royal Thai Consulate-General, Vancouver
http://thaicongenvancouver.org
• Embassy of Canada to Thailand
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/thailandthailande
• The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and
Banking (JSCCIB - Thailand)
http://www.jsccib.org