Songsak SaicheuaDirector – General

Department of American and South Pacific Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand

OVERVIEW OF THAILAND - CANADA BUSINESS AND

ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

The 1st Thailand – Canada Business Meeting

20 March 2015Dusit Thani Bangkok

Canada vs Thailand

25.95 THB/1CAD

(18MAR15)

Thailand Overall Economic Figures

Thailand’s Ranking

1st

1st

2n

d

Affordability in cost of living and quality of life (HSBC Expat Explorer Survey 2013)

Best Spots for Medical Adventure (Lonely Planet 2010)

Overall Expat Experience(HSBC Expat Experience Report 2013)

6th Dealing with Construction Permits(World Bank Group, Doing Business Ranking 2015)

6th Thailand Has 6th Largest Urban Area in East Asia(World Bank Group, 2015)

Thailand’s Ranking

10t

h

28t

h

31st

30t

h

World’s best places to retire to 2014 (International Living’s Annual Global Retirement Index)Ease of Doing Business 2014(28th out of 189, World Bank)

Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015 (31st out of 144, WEF)World GDP ranking 2013(30th of 214 economies - World Bank, 16 December 2014 )

•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.

WORLD BANK : THAILAND - COUNTRY FINDINGSTHAILAND HAS 6TH LARGEST URBAN AREA IN

EAST ASIA

• Thailand-Canada established diplomatic relations on 8 November 1961

• 50th anniversary of Thailand-

Canada relations in 2011

THAILAND- CANADA DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

• In 1967, Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand paid a visit to Canada and also attended the Expo’67 in Montreal.

THAILAND-CANADA RELATIONS: HIGH- LEVEL VISITS

Their Majesties visited the Canadian Red Cross Association

PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER OFFICIAL VISIT TO THAILAND 22-23

MARCH 2012

• 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.

THAI PEOPLE IN CANADA

China13.6%

Japan13.3%

USA7.8%

Malaysia5.5%

UAE4.2%

Singapore4.1%

Indonesia4%

Australia3.3%

Hong Kong3.1%

South Korea

2.8%

Others38%

THAILAND’S TRADE PARTNERS 2013

Canada 0.4%

Source: Ministry of Commerce

–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)

THAILAND-CANADA ECONOMIC RELATIONS

Source: Ministry of Commerce

• 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/thailand- thailande

• The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB - Thailand)

http://www.jsccib.org

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