A beautiful friendship was recently born between Bangkok and Malaysia’s George Town, capital of the Penang state. The partnership comes in the form of a MoU, a memorandum of understanding. What do both parties have to gain?
Penang’s Lim Guan Eng, the chairman of the city, says that he wants to propel Penang to the status of an “international city” by drawing foreign investment, boosting tourism, and practicing sustainable consumption of resources. Penang also seeks to understand the resilient nature of the tourism industry post-flood and how Penang can further its own interests to become a larger tourist destination.
The shortage of specialized labor in Penang is an opportunity to invite Thais who excel in engineering and industrial skills to work closer to home, instead of seeking employment in the Western world. In a addition to an inviting job market, Penang also offers a market for Thai-produced goods and services like electronics, automation, plastics, and software development.
Aside from business opportunities, the MoU offers a way for Thai students to study English in Malaysia, as English is more widespread in Penang than most Thai cities. Students also have the option of taking classes in commercial studies set in an area where heavy foreign investment is occurring.
The partnership also provides a model for Bangkok to follow in order to be classified as an international historical treasure. Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand said “”George Town gives us the aspiration to propose Bangkok as a World Heritage Site, and it is a good chance for us to learn from the city,” according to The Bangkok Post.
