Flood Pains

Bangkok is responsible for 40% of Thailand GDP.

Which makes it all the more painful to recall this World Bank report from last year, in which the agency said rising temperatures and sea levels will increase risk of floods in Bangkok fourfold by 2050.

Most of the Top 10 EMS companies have operations in Thailand, and Cal-Comp (no. 6) and Fabrinet (no. 19) have most of their production there. It’s a major center for automotive production and, of course, a leading site for hard disk drives.

It’s also yet another reminder that access to cheap labor is only one component in the decision on  where to locate supply chains.

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About Mike

Mike Buetow is president of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (pcea.net). He previously was editor-in-chief of Circuits Assembly magazine, the leading publication for electronics manufacturing, and PCD&F, the leading publication for printed circuit design and fabrication. He spent 21 years as vice president and editorial director of UP Media Group, for which he oversaw all editorial and production aspects. He has more than 30 years' experience in the electronics industry, including six years at IPC, an electronics trade association, at which he was a technical projects manager and communications director. He has also held editorial positions at SMT Magazine, community newspapers and in book publishing. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois. Follow Mike on Twitter: @mikebuetow