Hub of Hubs

@Arthuristheboy asked a good question

https://t.co/0kvEzjhJgq How many hubs does Thailand have? Can't do a poll cos @Twitter wants my location to 'customize my experience' first.

— SonnyStitt (@Arthuristheboy) February 12, 2017

Reuters : Thai shopping mall developers plan to invest more than 103 billion baht ($2.83 billion) over the next three years to expand and open new stores as part of a drive to promote Thailand as a regional shopping hub, a private body said on Tuesday.

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By 2017, the 10-member shopping mall group of developers will have a combined shopping area of more than 14 million square metres, versus 12 million square metres now, said Wallaya, also senior executive of Central Pattana Pcl, Thailand's largest shopping mall developer.

The group represents 67 percent of Thailand's total market, which is expected to have 21 million square metres of shopping area by 2017 from 18 million now, she said.

NATION : The International Trade Promotion Department will promote its website, Thaitrade.com, by linking it to leading websites of the country's trading partners with a view to it being used as a hub for online trading in the region.   

Under the collaboration plan, the department will initially forge closer ties with China's Alibaba, South Korea's TradeKorea.com, India's TradeIndia.com and Vietnam's VietTrade.com to link each country's online traders and shoppers.

Bangkok Post

The development of Asean Commercial & Business hub on 78-rai plot near Chatuchak market and Mor Chit bus terminal is planned.

Thailand : International Education hub of Asean

We covered this ambitious vision for Thailand to become the International Education Hub by ISAT (International School Association of Thailand) in February 2015.

Fast forward to today, Thai Government just announced that the Ministry of Education is setting up an agency that will help making the Education Hub plan a reality.

Thailand :: the biggest digital nomad hubs in the world

Delje.com : The government plans to redevelop U-Tapao, a former Vietnam War-era Air Force base located near the tourist resort of Pattaya, around 140 kilometres from Bangkok.

It would be the third airport to serve the capital, along with Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports.

U-Tapao currently receives chartered flights from Russia and China, but Transport Minister Prajin Juntong told reporters he wants to make it a low-cost carrier hub. 

Deal Street Asia : Thailand’s listed warehouse and factory developer WHA Corporation has signed the memorandum of understanding with NTT Facilities, Japan based information technology and data centre operator, to form a joint venture in setting up the first such facility in Thailand.

This data centre would respond to the government’s policy to promote Thailand to be the regional digital hub in the future, said WHA’s chief executive Somyos Anantaprayoon.

Asia One : South Korea will propose a US$4.8-billion (S$6.5 b) "rail canal" project for Thailand's consideration, aiming to provide a new trade lane via this country's land bridge.

The project would entail the new concept of a "dry canal" for conveying ships by rail. The 57-kilometre route would run from Ranong province's Kra Buri district on the west to Chumphon on the east, Jinyu Choi, director-general of the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI), said after at a seminar.

Thailand has high potential to transfer biomass and biogas technology to other Asean members in the next five years, say industry experts.

With abundant biomass resources and the government's past success in promoting bioenergy, the country holds a strategic position in promoting biomass use throughout Asean, said Assoc Prof Sirintornthep Towprayoon, a bioenergy lecturer at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT).

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Thailand is preparing to become a global production hub of electric vehicles (EVs), as demand has risen rapidly over the past five years and is expected to keep growing, says Science and Technology Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj.

Being an EV hub would help the country capitalise on strong demand for EV auto parts and batteries.

"EVs are expected to be the new industry trend, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and saving limited oil resources," Mr Pichet said at the opening ceremony of this year's Auto Parts Tech Day at Thailand Science Park in Pathum Thani province.

Nation : Thailand Post Distribution, a new subsidiary of the Kingdom's postal service, aims to provide total logistics solutions throughout Indochina and make Thailand the regional logistics hub by 2019.

Nation : Mazda has designated Thailand as its spare-parts distribution hub for Asean and global exports, and has officially opened a new parts distribution centre in Samut Prakan in order to improve the quality of its after-sales service.

#rice, #rubber, & soon #palmoil

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He also touched upon a suggestion that the Public Warehouse Organization (PWO) purchase and store raw palm oil from refinery and selling it back to the market when demand precedes supply. General Chatchai said the PWO would only buy the oil when there are no other options available.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNECO5805200010004

Hub of Hubs economy at work.

Via @photo_journ

“The move  is said to centralize rice transaction across the globe, which reduces the likelihood of price fluctuation for Thai rice. According to Mr. Niwat, this will  also increase the opportunity for Thai farmers to find overseas markets for their products.”