Thai - Brazilian cooperation can help Thailand’s economy

Brazil, a great South American nation is now known as a BRIC country, one of the four emerging economic super powers, and expected to become a powerful and influential country in the world. There is huge potential in Brazil for future prosperity as it is a large country having abundant resources and a large population of nearly 300 million in possession of advanced technology and a variety of available expertise. It is therefore time for Thailand to get to know and foster a strong relationship with Brazil.

Last September I visited Brazil and saw that rapid advancement had occurred in their country across a large spectrum of fields initiated by a long term plan that a visionary leader had realized would be needed. These projects were thus started more than a decade ago. Some advancements that Thailand would find useful are:

A) Alternative energy advancements
Today, Brazil has zero-waste technology in producing ethanol from sugarcane. The majority of automobiles in Brazil run on ethanol, which costs about 18 baht per litre, compared to petroleum gas at nearly twice the price. Brazil has very advanced technology and expertise in producing ethanol from sugarcane. They have also pursued research to increase their sugarcane crop yield to be two to three times higher than before. Their success in producing ethanol from sugarcane should be a good way to develop alternative energy in Thailand.

B) R&D advancements
Brazil’s science and technology advancement is strong, with all R&D developments encouraged for use in the business-place. Incubation centres exist nationwide to assist with the application of new technologies to business. These centres help to nurture new businesses by letting their business units be part of the centre for four to five years until they can stand on their own.

Thai universities should grasp their opportunity to foster an academic relationship with Brazilian universities - several being among the world’s top 100 universities, producing an abundance of research and innovations.

Some things I would suggest for Thailand to initiate cooperation with Brazil are:

1) Set up a Brazilian study centre in Thailand
As an initial step toward substantial cooperation, it will be important for Thai people to know and understand this country and its people, or our business dealings will be difficult together. This centre should be university attached, and Thai government supported study centres in Brazil should also be established for cooperation and exchange in research, business, education, economic development, culture, and so on.

2) Promote the Brazilian-Portuguese language
At present there are few languages taught as alternate foreign languages, but being able to communicate in Brazilian-Portuguese would enhance the opportunity for Thai people to know Brazil and its people better. This language should be taught at school and university level.

Thailand should substantially benefit from greater cooperation with this future powerful and influential country. By improving our knowledge of Brazil as a country, a good route will be provided by which we can enjoy a cordial relationship with Brazil and look toward greater economic, business, and social cooperation in the future.

Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak
Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School , Harvard University
kriengsak@kriengsak.com, kriengsak.com, drdancando.com