BEING close neighbours, Malaysians and Thais have a unique opportunity to learn from each other through exploration and discovery.
Pulau Tikus assemblyman Joshua Woo shared this during the ‘Investment Banking and Business Transactions with Thailand’ discussion session at the Royal Thai Consulate General in Penang today.
“Malaysians and Thais can come together to learn from each other and discover new insights,” Woo remarked.
“I encourage everyone to explore, discover, and learn beyond our borders. We should not confine ourselves to one place.
“We must also avoid limiting our experiences to familiar terrain and not stay within our comfort zones, lest we miss out on the world.
He expressed his hope that Malaysian businesses and organisations will continue to flourish, not only making the nation proud but also strengthening the friendship with neighbouring Thailand.
Woo recommended several must-visit places in the southern part of Thailand and encouraged Penangites to explore them.
“Hatyai Municipal City Park offers a serene retreat with its green spaces.
“In Songkhla, the Ancient fort-8 at Hua Khao Daeng highlights the city’s history, something similar to our Fort Cornwallis.
“Songkhla’s old town also bears resemblance to the heritage zones in our UNESCO World Heritage Site in George Town.
“Another significant place is Yala, which focuses on sustainable urban planning and is progressing towards becoming a smart city,” Woo said.
The outgoing Thai consul general in Penang, Raschada Jiwalai, thanked everyone for the support and cooperation received during his tenure as Consul General.
“Penang is like my second home. If there is any help needed regarding Thailand and Penang affairs, please contact me, I will gladly offer my input,” Jiwalai said.
He shared that while his successor is being appointed, the office will be managed by deputy consul general, Suratchaya Palawongse Pear.
Jiwalai also expressed his hope that Penang government leaders would visit Thailand to further strengthen diplomatic relations.
Bangkok Bank Berhad (BBB) Malaysia chief executive officer Kanet Buranasin gave an overview of the bank’s operations in Malaysia.
According to Buranasin, there are a total of five branches of BBB in Malaysia, with its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and additional branches in Penang (Juru Autocity), Johor Bahru (Taman Molek and Jalan Bakri), and Klang (Bandar Botanic).
Among the topics discussed during the session were green transition policy, digital industry, creative industry, smart electronics, EV (electronic vehicles), transactions, currency exchange, investments in Thailand, cross-border QR payment and many others.
The cross-border QR payment method applies to Malaysian tourists in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, China and Korea.
They can use their preferred mobile banking or eWallet app to scan the QRIS (Indonesia), NETS (Singapore), PromptPay (Thailand), or Alipay (China) QR code when making payments to participating merchants.
Story & Pix by Tanushalini Moroter