Cambodia (Phnom Penh)
Besides the fascinating Khmer culture and the amazing temples like Angkor Wat the first image that came to many people’s minds in the past was not a good one. The history of this country is a troubled one, leading to many decades of war and torture.
But current day Cambodia is a country that is striving to find its place in South East Asia and ASEAN as a place open for investment, interesting project opportunities and tourism. How many lists this year have mentioned Cambodia as one of the top-10 places to visit.
Regarding business opportunities, new projects, tourism infrastructure and the circular economy offer chances for Austrian companies. We have a small, but active and reliable network in Phnom Penh to help Austria with getting access to the right people and decision makers in Cambodia. Michael Friedl was pleased to had a chance to discuss this with our partners from the European Union in Phnom Penh, the EuroCham Cambodia, DFDL Cambodia, our trusted right hand and consultant Martin Saram and many more.
Laos (Vientiane)
The countries of Laos and Austria have some things in common. Both have less than 10 Mio. inhabitants, both are landlocked countries depending on good relations with their neighboring countries and both generate a lot of their energy through hydropower. In the case of Laos it is even more than 90%.
These were some of the things that were discussed during Michael Friedl's business trip to Lao PDR, but also what other sectors might be of interest for Austrian companies to engage in when we talk about this culturally rich country in Southeast Asia. Austria is already involved in some hydropower projects that will contribute to the energy supply of neighboring Thailand. Other projects of interest would be in the agro-tourism sector or in the fields of railway expansion, infrastructure development and circular economy.
We are very happy to have good partners on the ground, starting from the EuroCham Laos with Stefano Pighin on the helm, helping to organize a fantastic program with official meetings. Discussions at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as well as the EU delegation in Laos helped understand the current projects and development focus of the country. Great to see Thomas Neidhardt, a banking expert in Southeast Asia and learn about the particuliarities of doing business in Laos.
Thailand (Chiang Mai)
During Igor Lukic's business trip to Chiang Mai, he had the opportunity to explore the city’s dynamic digital landscape. A standout visit was to Yellow Co-Working, a state-of-the-art hub and Web3 startup incubator that serves as a nexus for digital nomads and entrepreneurs.
Chiang Mai has evolved into a major digital hub in Thailand, attracting a diverse community of remote workers and innovators. The city offers an affordable cost of living and abundant coworking spaces, making it an ideal environment for digital nomads.
Notably, Thailand ranks among the top destinations for digital nomads, with approximately 12% of this global community choosing the country as their base.
With such a strong digital ecosystem, there are exciting opportunities for businesses looking to engage with this growing market!
