New Thai PM Meets Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, and US Tech Leaders in Push for Investment
In an effort to revive the struggling Thai economy, the new prime minister has met with Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, and leaders from major US technology and investment companies, including Google and Microsoft.
The kingdom’s financial fortunes were severely harmed by the suspension of tourism during the epidemic, but Srettha Thavisin, a former real estate magnate who became power last month, has promised to turn things around. He first spoke with Musk in New York at the UN General Assembly, when he emphasized Thailand’s commitment to the SDGs.
We had a wonderful discussion about @Tesla, @spaceX, and @starlink technology, Srettha wrote early on Friday on X, previously Twitter. “We anticipate having more discussions.”
One of the top automakers in Southeast Asia, Thailand is aiming to switch to producing electric cars. Japanese manufacturers have historically controlled a large portion of the production, but Chinese EV manufacturers are gaining ground.
Additionally, Srettha shared images of her interactions with Larry Fink, CEO of financial firm BlackRock, and leaders from Google, Microsoft, and other companies. “The meeting aimed at possible investment in Thailand, in particular to support clean energy-related enterprises’ investment expansion and production in Thailand,” Srettha wrote of his interaction with Fink.
Thai growth is expected to be between 2.5 and 3.5 percent this year, but Srettha wants to increase this to 5% in the next years to reverse a period of stagnation during the almost ten years of military-backed rule.
His tech executive charm blitz coincides with other nations in the area looking to profit from US investments in clean technology and Washington’s determination to diversify away from an excessive reliance on China for essential components and resources.
Vietnam and the United States agreed to a pact last week that includes agreements on superconductors and rare earth minerals in an effort to increase the communist state’s involvement in the high-tech supply chain.
