Business leaders outline new and ongoing challenges at seminar

PostToday hosts ‘Economic Drives’ seminar

Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, chairwoman and chief executive of WHA Corporation Pcl, spoke at an "Economic Drives" seminar hosted by PostToday on Friday. She addressed global economic uncertainties, with a particular focus on the potential consequences of Donald Trump's return to the US presidency. 



This shift could lead to more trade barriers with China, which has accelerated the relocation of manufacturing bases to Southeast Asia, with Thailand emerging as a key destination.

Jareeporn emphasised the importance of long-term business planning in such a shifting political landscape. She highlighted how industries like fossil fuels and banking might be impacted by the changes in US politics. Despite this, WHA remains optimistic about Thailand’s investment potential, while also exploring opportunities in other ASEAN markets, including Vietnam, for expansion.

In line with global sustainability efforts, WHA is also investing in electric vehicles, setting a target to deploy 20,000 EVs by 2030. This initiative is aimed at reducing costs and minimising carbon emissions. Furthermore, the company is expanding its industrial-estate business and evaluating a third Southeast Asian country with economic potential to support the ongoing relocation of manufacturing operations.

At the seminar, Ekaraj Panjavinin, chief digital officer at True Corporation, discussed the transformative impact of emerging technologies on business operations. 

He highlighted how artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud computing, big data, and edge computing are revolutionising such industries as finance, retail and networking by improving resource management, reducing IT (information technology) infrastructure costs, and enabling faster, more flexible service expansion.

Ekaraj noted that while past changes were driven by "digital transformation" to enhance efficiency, today’s technological advancements are pushing businesses towards "digital reinvention". This shift involves rethinking business models from the ground up, using innovation to reshape market structures. Ekaraj believes that in 2025, the technological revolution will bring forth new businesses, products, and services.

Phasu Liptapanlop, executive director of Proud Real Estate Pcl, spoke about the ongoing transition in Thailand’s real-estate and tourism industries. Although the tourism sector is recovering post-Covid-19, the number of international visitors has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. This year, the forecast number of foreign tourists is 38 million, which is close to last year’s figure but still below the 40 million visitors seen before the pandemic.

Despite the decline in numbers, Phasu noted an interesting trend: Spending per tourist is on the rise. The average spend per tourist in Thailand is 50,000 baht per person per trip, which is higher than the global average of 40,000 baht, signalling that Thailand is attracting more high-quality tourists rather than focusing solely on quantity. 

Additionally, there has been a notable increase in tourists from Russia and the Middle East, particularly in Phuket, where Russian tourists are staying longer and contributing to higher spending. The number of Iranian tourists has also risen sharply.

Phasu also addressed challenges in the real-estate sector, noting that global economic factors, particularly a China-US trade war, could impact foreign investment. With China being one of the major investors in Thai real estate, the slowdown in the Chinese economy and the government’s restrictions on capital outflows could reduce the purchasing power of Chinese investors.



Watson Thirapatrapong, country manager of AWS (Amazon Web Services) Thailand, spoke about the significant turning point in AI investment strategies this year. He highlighted how AI technology is being applied across various sectors in Thailand, with models being developed to accommodate local dialects and accents. This makes AI more accessible to users and helps businesses adapt to local needs.

Thai organisations are also focusing on developing AI that can work seamlessly with models from multiple providers, creating an AI Gateway platform that allows AI from different sources to collaborate. This development helps businesses choose the most effective and cost-efficient AI solutions without having to build their own systems.

Looking to the future, Watson emphasised the rise of “AI agents”, AI systems capable of proactive tasks, such as booking flights, hotels, or automating data analysis. 

AI is evolving beyond just answering questions. However, he cautioned that with the rapid growth of AI comes the responsibility to ensure data security and proper usage. Organisations must implement robust safeguards to protect against data breaches and ensure the responsible application of AI technology.

(2025/02/08-00:00)