Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt met Wen Jan Pin, secretary of Shantou Municipal Party Committee, and his delegation at City Hall on Friday to discuss cooperation in economy, culture and education.

Chadchart said he was glad that Shantou and Bangkok have resumed ties, adding that he welcomed more than 4,000 participants to the World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention (WCEC) in Bangkok last month. He said the convention signified the strong bond between Thais and the Chinese.

“Shantou and Bangkok are similar in many aspects, such as size, population and economy,” he said. “Bangkok welcomes investors and businesspeople from Shantou who are interested in conducting business in Thailand, and we will ensure that they receive full support.”

At the meeting, both sides also expressed interest in further cooperation in economy, technology, culture, education and tourism.

Shantou, sometimes known as Santow, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of the Chinese province of Guangdong. As of the 2020 census, Shantou has a population of 5,502,031 with an administrative area of 2,248.39 square kilometres.

Shantou locals migrated to Thailand during the Ayutthaya period (1351-1767) for trade as well as to escape famine and natural disasters on the mainland. They brought with them the Teochew dialect and several cultural elements that are now fused with those of local Thais.

Shantou is known for its modern manufacturing technology, with canning, garments, lithography, plastic and toys being some of the principal products.

Toys are the city’s leading exports, with up to US$400 million worth of toys being exported every year.
Shantou also aims to become a financial centre and leader in energy, chemical, drugs and medical supplies, logistics, e-commerce and modern agriculture. The city has cooperated with Taiwan for investment in electricity, light bulbs and biotechnology.