globalEDGE Blog - By Tag: Thailand

Excessive flooding in Thailand has not only made life a challenge for locals, but global businesses are experiencing hardships due to the harsh monsoon season as well. Many technology suppliers are located in Thailand and have suffered because of the massive flooding and have caused a significant supply chain back up. Several have lost large amounts of inventory and suffered excessive property damage. Some say it could take up to a year for these plants to begin operating at normal capacity again.

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As global food prices continue to rise, rice is no exception. In Thailand, extreme rain and government regulation are also expected to contribute to a sudden hike in rice prices.

Thailand has around 8 million rice farmers, and currently accounts for about 30 percent of global rice exports. However, the Thai government is stepping in to increase local prices, so that share is likely to drop. The Thai government hopes the increase in prices will benefit local struggling farmers increase their income. Unfortunately, the increase in prices also means that Thailand rice exports will be less competitive internationally. Some say that other countries, such as India and Vietnam, will be able to make up for what Thailand does not export but global price increases are still likely. With other countries becoming larger international players in the rice market the Thai government may end up rethinking its rice pricing policy.

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Over the last 100 years, transportation has taken some significant leaps.  With the invention of the car and its proliferation to countries around the world, individuals were empowered to go where they wanted, when they wanted.  However, as the boundaries of distance decreased with an increase in vehicle quality and reliability, so did the world’s desire to travel even further and at greater speeds.  The latest potential advance in human transportation is the proliferation of high-speed rail.

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