At the same time, southeast Asia is becoming a lot more competitive. In China, wages are rising and infrastructure is stretched, making southeast Asia a viable alternative to diversify business.
Thailand stands to benefit in the AEC because of its location and level of development. Geographically, it is surrounded by Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. Although these countries are relatively small, increased foreign direct investment is likely to help them flourish. As it stands, Thailand exports more to the four smallest (in terms of GDP) countries in Asean – Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia – than it does to the four largest countries in Europe – Germany, France, Italy and the UK.
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