Thailand courts U.S. green investors, GE says it is ready

Go green. Go Thailand. That was the message from Thailand’s Foreign Minister to American investors when he visited New York last week to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). America’s General Electric (GE) responded by saying it is ready to help the Kingdom decarbonize.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai touted Thailand’s embrace of the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy as its guiding development model during a speech at a reception to honor the Thai delegation hosted by the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC). ASEAN is the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand is one of the founders.

Minister Don said that the BCG economy would help Thailand become more resilient and sustainable and achieve more balanced economic growth. It is the centerpiece of Thailand 4.0, the Kingdom’s 20-year national strategy to raise its level of development and become even more competitive in the global market.

Thailand relies on investment as well as exports to drive its economy, and Don added that the Kingdom very much wants more investment from the U.S., especially in businesses and industries that are part of the BCG economic model.

He also said that Thailand is seeking more investments in low-carbon industries, renewable energy, the digital economy, smart electronics and the bio-industry.

At the same time, Boston-based General Electric (GE) responded that its power division is engaging with Thailand to help the Kingdom transition to renewable energy sources and achieve decarbonization.

Amol Mody, President of Services at G.E. Gas Power Asia, mentioned that Thailand deserves praise for its decision to invest in safe, clean and secure carbon-neutral technologies and capabilities for long-term sustainability.

As part of that, G.E. is involved in several joint ventures with the government and private industry. In recent years, “wind turbines with 400 megawatts generation capacity and gas turbines generating approximately 61 gigawatts were installed in Thailand,” he said.

Photo courtesy of https://thaiembdc.org/