In an exclusive interview with Ensign Media, publishers of Property Report South East Asia and Business Report Thailand, former prime minister Tony Blair said Thailand is an ideal base for British companies wanting to access the rapidly growing ASEAN markets, while in turn, the UK still presents great opportunities for Thai investors. “I think Thailand’s potentially a great gateway for the UK into ASEAN,” he said. “As the ASEAN countries become more powerful, Thailand is a good base for British companies.”
In terms of reciprocal trade, Blair highlighted the UK’s continued appeal as a global financial capital, an appeal that is borne out by continued investment in London property by Asian investors, despite wider economic concerns.
“We have a pre-eminence in financial services in the UK that we should be keeping and be very proud of,”he said. “The UK is still a good place too invest. Europe and the West is going through a very troubled economic time. It will have to take some fundamental decisions about the single currency but there are still fantastic opportunities in the long term.”
Blair was speaking after addressing the Thai Board of Investment’s CEO Forum in Bangkok where he gave a keynote speech on The Challenges and Opportunities in a Globalised World. He also pointed to the British education system as a continued strength, citing “English language, higher education and the reputation of the British as open minded and willing to get out in the world on our merits”, but also added a note of caution.
“We’ve got great connections to the past but you can’t trade on those. You’ve got to use those by showing that you’ve got a modern minded attitude to the future. We’ve got great advantages in this region and we should use them.”
Article Provided By “Property Report Asia”