The enormous new "Japanese Lifestyle Mall" opens on Wed in Ekamai. Quite a large mall, it is designed to look like an enormous wave, and one has to hope that design plan was finalized before last year's enormous wave. Otherwise, the "wave look" would be more perverse than ironic.
There is something of an exodus underway from Japan at the moment. I doubt this is going unnoticed to some TDers. Not just big Japanese companies such as Toyota, which I think in the near future will have operations here rivaling those it maintains in Japan (I work on their AR every year), but a great many SMEs are moving manufacturing and in some cases entire operations here. While the floods of last year took a number of companies by surprise and did have a major impact on supply chains, I think for most Japanese individuals and companies Thailand is still the most attractive option, with Japanese companies starting to get cold feet about China for a number of reasons and, despite an appreciation for the Vietnamese work ethic not really finding what they need infrastructure-wise in Vietnam (not to mention finding even more corruption). Japanese feel welcome in Thailand for a number of cultural and historical reasons. They bitch about the corruption and stupidity at least as much as farangs, but unlike many farangs I think they rather appreciate the (comparatively) polite, arm's-length attitude of the Thais toward foreigners with money, because it mirrors their own.
Thought I'd post this to see what others on here are hearing about the influx of Japanese to Thailand.
About us | GATEWAY EKAMAI
ABOUT GATEWAY EKAMAI
Gateway Ekamai, a new lifestyle shopping mall distinctive from other community malls sprouting around town. Distinct with remarkable ambience of Japanese lifestyle an extraordinary new experience for clients; coupled with remarkable location right in the heart of Ekamai, a junction of business and residential area.
Commanding an area more over 93,000 sq. m. The main concept are including the culture and lifestyle of the Japanese. The main selling point is the Japan Town zone with the original recipe’s Japanese restaurants that opened the first store in Thailand.
Furthermore, Gateway Ekamai is divided into 8 floors. Complete with shops and services such as variety of authentic Japanese restaurants, choices of international cuisines, supermarket, lifestyle fashion outlets, beauty and health shops, IT store and edutainment center.
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They definitely get the Enganese (or, if you prefer, Japlish) right.