An interesting piece in the past week’s Economist regarding Thailand and it’s relationship with China.  My viewpoint on Thailand’s relationship with China is that no matter what the Economist says China plays a damn important role in Thailand’s future on the economic front, (1) today Chinese tourists are already represent the highest %age of all travelers to Thailand (2) Exports wise China is already is in the top 3 % of nations Thailand exports to (3) Investment into Thailand from Chinese firms will only continue to increase, yes the size may be insiginificant to what China invests in its provinces, but relatively for Thailand’s economy it will be substantial, we have already seen CP group partner with MG for automotives, True selling a stake to China Mobile (these are the big ones) and I’m fairly certain we’ll see more in the future.

So China is here to stay and going forward will play a much more significant role in the economic future of Thailand

The leaders of the coup have been hoping to play a “China card” in their game with the Americans. This takes the form of a threat: that they will seek closer ties with China, if America persists with its objections to the coup. And so they talk of upgrading ties with China “at all levels”. The Chinese leadership, for its part, has lent moral support to the Thai generals by using the conditions which led to their coup as an example of the chaos that comes with “Western-style” democracy.
There have also been signs of closer economic ties between China and Thailand. Weeks after the coup China Mobile, which is owned by the Chinese state, bought into True Corp, a big telecoms firm backed by Dhanin Chearavanont, a Thai billionaire who is of Chinese descent (as are nearly all of Thailand’s billionaires). The junta has sanctioned two high-speed railways worth $23 billion that are seen as vital future links to China. And it has waived visa fees for Chinese tourists.

Source: The Economist