Doing Business in East Asia

Abstract

When operating a business in a foreign country there are many things to take into consideration. He or she must know the facts about the environmental regulations in that particular country. He or she must also know the working hours and minimum wage rules and regulations of that country. He or she must also take into consideration if one agrees with the environmental regulations and wages of the country that business is planning on being conducted within.

Thailand faces problems with its air, water and pollution. Due to growth in the industries, which has contributed to high levels of air pollution. Half of the countries factories are located in are in the Bangkok metropolitan area. Bangkok and some of the central region contribute over sixty percent of the country's industrial emissions. Most of the power plants burn fossil fuels for the use of energy production. Some of the other factors may include agricultural burning, burning of garbage, fires in the forest and open fire cooking.

Some of the other sources that contribute the air pollution in Thailand may include the large amount of motorcycles, which make up for more than half of the vehicles that are on the road. This is not includes the diesel trucks and buses in Thailand.

Water pollution is the most critical environmental problem in Thailand today. Some parts of Thailand are subject to drought especially in the northeastern region. The water in Thailand is polluted with high levels of industrial and domestic wastewater. Years ago thousands of fish died due to industrial river pollution.

There have been many health problems in Thailand due to the toxins and heavy metals in the water. With the polluted water many people have been exposed to typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis, trachoma and other diseases. There have also been cases of skin diseases, liver cancer and birth defects.

Workers hours and pay rates in Thailand are administered by the Department of Labor, Protection and Welfare. These laws are vital to any company considering during business in Thailand. The maximum number of hours a employee work are similar the work hours in the United State

An employee can work eight hours per day or 48 hours per week. If the work is deemed to be hazardous then the employee can only work seven hours per day and no more than 42 hours per week. "The minimum daily wage rate varies, depending upon location, from 137 baht (US$ 3.43) in some provincial areas to 175 baht (US$ 4.38) in Bangkok. Salaries for full-time office and management staff range from approximately 15,000 baht per month (US$ 375) for general office staff to 150,000 baht per month (US$ 3,750) for an IT manager. www.businessinasia.com.

Chart below gives examples of positions and salaries in Thailand.

No in my I do not think that the countries environmental regulations are sufficient. There should be better regulations in place to protect the health of the people. If the water is polluted and can cause major