Stock Exchange of Thailand exec

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Thai flags are seen outside of the Stock Exchange of Thailand in Bangkok on January 8, 2018.

Twenty years ago, Thai exports to the U.S., Europe and Japan each accounted for 20 percent, according to the SET executive, but “that has changed abruptly during the last 10 to 20 years,” he said.

“The effect of the exporting to the U.S. becomes less important to our country than in the past. However, I would not say it is not impacted because many countries in Southeast Asia or in China also do indirect export to the U.S.” he pointed out.

Indirect export refers to Thailand exporting goods to nations that then go on to export the goods to the U.S. That indirect economic effect can accumulate over time, the chief strategist said.

Currently, Southeast Asia is Thailand’s biggest export market, followed by China, Peetathawatchai said.

“We export the most to ASEAN countries and secondly to China. So you could say that the relationship on trade for Thailand seems to be more dependent on regional economy, the Asia economy, than the U.S. trade we have at the moment,” he said.