Alibaba says there is big demand in China for Thai goods and services, so it’s doing its best to make sure its cloud and platforms are going to be used to sell them there.
The government of Thailand and Alibaba have entered into a strategic digital transformation agreement that will drive the country’s Thailand 4.0 policy. Under the partnership, agencies of the Thai government and business units of Alibaba will work closely together in a number of areas, including ecommerce, digital logistics, tourism and training.
The deal will also make sure Thailand can generate as much wealth out of its Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Alibaba Group and the Thai government previously kick-started joint efforts in 2016 to help Thai entrepreneurs gain access to new markets and take advantage of digital innovation.
Thai deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak said: “Alibaba has decided to invest in a Smart Digital Hub in the EEC area. The Hub will be an important platform to link Thai products to not only China but also global markets. The strategic cooperation will bring benefits to Thai SMEs and the tourism industry, while pushing forward digital economic development in Thailand.”
Jack Ma, executive chairman and co-founder of Alibaba Group, said: “China is on its way to becoming the world’s largest consumer, driven by rising income and a growing middle class of 300m. There is no better time than now for trade-oriented countries to seize this opportunity to export to China as the country continues to open its doors wider for global trade.”
He said: “Given Thailand’s unique strengths in people and culture we are confident of its future and growth potential under the government’s Thailand 4.0 policy. We are committed to being a long term partner of Thailand to help enable its digital transformation.”
As part of Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor initiative covering the three eastern provinces of Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong, Alibaba’s smart digital logistics business, Cainiao Network, will establish a Smart Digital Hub in the EEC. The Hub will utilise Cainiao’s data and logistics technologies and processes to optimise the cross-border flow of goods, not only between Thailand and China, but also with other markets.
Smart Digital Hub operations are expected to commence in 2019. Alibaba will also continue its efforts to connect Thai SMEs to Alibaba’s 500m active users in the Chinese ecommerce market, as well as other global ecommerce opportunities, through a partnership with Thai ministries that includes providing them training.
Sourced from Data Economy written by Anthony Savvas