Thanks 4 another perspective. Always thought Bangkok was selling pt to establish many Japanese factories in Thailand.
Thanks doghead, Bangkok's selling point is what you mean, right?
I'm always interested in the Japanese diaspora in Bangkok. The first Japanese industrial park opened here in 1971. Think to that period in Asian history: where would you build manufacturing infrastructure in Asia, if you're a Japanese company? China? Viet Nam? Cambodia?
Thailand had the regional political stability at that time. Thai culture is conservative and politeness is prized. It's no coincidence that industrial parks spread across the Ayutthaya Plain--Thailand appreciated the infrastructure, revenue, and worker-training. Within a few decades they were manufacturing precision camera lenses and hard drives in factories there and the Eastern seaboard.
Global business was the selling point, and Thailand was/is the location. Bangkok is the logistical center. Over the decades businesses sprang up to cater to the needs of Japanese expats. Of course the sex business was among them, and it has evolved to the point where now you can visit a cafe where Thai women wearing pink/white maid outfits serve you waffles.
In the absence of international tourists, Japanese expats are more important than ever in terms of Bangkok-based business. It's not a huge segment, but Japanese eateries/supermarkets etc are keeping more than a few Thais employed at the moment. This biz is not highly visible, but we do have G-Diary anyway!
JtB
| |
