ASEAN to be food supplier for the world: Thai entrepreneur THANH LIEM-VIET TOAN Supachai Verapuchong is seen during an interview with Tuoitrenews at a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City in this August 6, 2013 picture. Viet Toan A dynamic Thai entrepreneur sat down for an interview withTuoitrenews on Tuesday, discussing the future of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its vision of a single market in 2015, ahead of the ASEAN Day (August 8). Supachai Verapuchong, deputy managing director of Thai Nakorn Patana, one of Thailand’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, said that building trust will help Southeast Asia to achieve its goal of becoming a united economic community. Supachai said that he still senses some mistrust between regional governments due to history and differing political systems. But he insisted that ASEAN leaders have had more understanding of each other over the time. The entrepreneur strongly believes in “win-win” cooperation between ASEAN countries in the future despite the seeming return of protectionism in the region, Supachai underscored.   ASEAN has set a goal to build a single economic community in 2015. As an entrepreneur who has worked for many years across the countries in the region, do you think this goal is achievable? I have to say it is achievable, of course if certain conditions are met. According to my knowledge and experience, we still have mistrust among ASEAN countries because of many reasons. From an entrepreneur’s viewpoint, one of the reasons may be that we still feel we are competitors and not a part of the ASEAN community. Regional governments may say that we have good cooperation now but I believe we have to draw a roadmap for how to build trust among ASEAN countries in order to achieve our goal. In your opinion, what should ASEAN political leaders do in order to form that community? As I have said, there is still some mistrust among us. It may be because of history, for example from 1960 to 1975, Thailand and the US government supported each other while the latter supported South Vietnam, and China and the Soviet Union provided help to North Vietnam. Other historical events in our neighboring countries Cambodia and Laos play a role as well. Another reason could be politics. As you can see, Thailand has been through unrest for the past six years as we have so many conflicts among political parties. In the meantime, Vietnam and Laos have maintained stability thanks to a one-party political system. The two governments are thus able to control the situation so as to change and develop their countries. All this has created the mistrust I have been talking about. But I believe, once again, that we can settle everything by creating trust among our ASEAN countries.    A good sign I can see is ASEAN leaders have had more understanding of each other over the time. It is very important that leaders have the same goal, think in the same way, and look towards the same direction. In that fashion, together we will produce successful outcomes and reach our goal. Your business is focused on northern ASEAN, can you explain it? I have worked in this region since 1991, and traveled around Southeast Asian countries. My company has an office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and we also have affiliates in Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia in the southern part of the ASEAN region. But I focus more on the five countries in the north, including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Geographically, the southern part consists of many islands so I know well as a businessman that it is not good for logistics. Conversely, northern ASEAN is mainland, which makes it easier for transportation. In addition, the uniformity of culture and religion in the northern part is also an advantage. Most of the people here follow the same religion, with 70 to 90 percent of them practicing Buddhism. What is your vision of ASEAN in the next 10-15 years? I would like to point out that ASEAN has a big population of 600 million. While we are doing fine with the birth rate – Vietnam’s population, for instance, will hit 120 million people in the next 15 years, I believe – people in such big markets as Europe and the US just want to have free life and do not want to have many kids. So I think we will become the labor supplier for the world in the future. It is also noteworthy that climate change makes it more difficult to produce food in Europe and the US. So who will provide food to the world? I think only Asia. And the only region that can assume that alternative role is ASEAN. In the 15-20 years we will be the food supplier for the world as we have plants, animals, land, and more than enough water.    Even that is not the end of the story. Today it takes you no more than six hours to fly from India and China, with a combined population of 2.7 billion, to ASEAN. We absolutely can become the best destination for tourists from these two giant markets and around the globe as long as we manage to do proper promotion. So excited at the so-called “without borders” and “globalization” for only a short time, regional countries seem to return to protectionism now so as to defend their own interests. Do you think there will still be an opportunity for "win-win" cooperation in the future? If we look at a specific nation as a family, we will see that the father (government) would always like his children (people) to be growing, have good health, and be wealthy. They think about their own family first before they think about another family. This is the truth, and this is the real world. However, I do believe in “win-win” cooperation if we understand each country’s will. ASEAN governments should build trust and then their people will trust each other. And trust is the most important element in the whole process.  Once trust has been developed, ASEAN governments should then foster good, humble, and peaceful cooperation to find a balance in all fields. Let us take tourism for example. We should coordinate to promote each country’s advantage to visitors, like those who enjoy seeing mountains and meeting ethnic people should go to Dien Bien, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum in Vietnam, for fans of lovely islands Cambodia’s Sihanoukville should be their choice, and Thailand would be the perfect place for beautiful beaches. Founded in 1979, Thai Nakorn Patana has a workforce of 5,000 people in Southeast Asia. Despite its focus on pharmaceutical products, the firm also owns three five-star Sofitel hotels together with a number of resorts in Thailand and Cambodia. In Vietnam, it distributes medicine and energy drinks, with a production plant in the central province of Phu Yen and offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.