Alibaba Group, Huawei to invest in Thailand's EEC

BANGKOK, March 26 (TNA) - Two Chinese online business giants, Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., will invest in the Thai government-supported Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), which will be particularly beneficial to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups. Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana, told journalists of the update on March 25, saying that Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Chinese Alibaba Group, will visit Thailand next month to announce the readiness of his e-commerce business giant to participate in the "Smart Digital Hub CLMVT" Project in the EEC, under which Thai SMEs and those of neighboring Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, will be supported to more resort to the advanced digital technology for running their businesses. Besides, Thai farmers and those of the four neighboring countries in the ASEAN Community (AC) will be promoted and supported to resort to the e-commerce system to sell and distribute their products. According to the minister, Jack Ma's Alibaba Group is ready to use and share the same model he has successfully developed in China to promote SMEs and startups in the EEC. The minister revealed that the Alibaba Group will also help promote Thailand's potential tourist destinations which have not yet been popular or wellknown to international visitors to be in accordance with the Thai government's ongoing tourism stimulus measures. The minister stated that Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. is also interested in co-investing with Thailand to set up an IoT Digital Center in the EEC, as Huawei is a leader in the Internet of Things (IoT). "The Thai government will also seek cooperation from Huawei to develop a Smart City in the EEC, in which the Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) will be used for the communication connectity via cell phone networks", the minister noted. (TNA)