Despite more challenges from both international and domestic factors, in particular the increase of minimum wage to 300 baht, Thai SMEs should not only prepare to handle the challenges, but they also need to take advantage of AEC liberalizations to expand trade and investment in nearby countries having an abundance of resources and lower manufacturing costs, which will help increase competitiveness.
The best trade and investment opportunities for Thai SMEs are Indonesia and the CLMV countries. However, to determine which markets should target for investment, SMEs need to determine which advantages their business would like to build upon.