"CPF CEO" views the business "food sector" exporting as just the beginning, believing the strategy "produce where you sell" the best is to be present locally there
On 31 Aug 2026, reporters reported that "Thairath Group" held its major annual dinner talk, "THAIRATH FORUM 2026," under the theme "Thailand in the New Global Order" at Eastin Grand Hotel Phayathai, aiming to explore ways to build bargaining power and enhance Thailand's competitiveness through four national and business leaders.
After Professor (Special) Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai, Chairman of Chulalongkorn University Council and former Deputy Prime Minister, opened the forum on "Thailand’s Blueprint for the New Global Order: Direction and Survival under the New Global Order," sharing perspectives on the landscape and new global order amid trade wars, trade barriers, and competition in energy and technology,
the event proceeded with a Panel Talk titled "The New Global Order: Impact and Opportunities Amongst Superpowers’ Struggle," featuring insights from Thai private sector leaders with income bases in multiple countries worldwide.
The second topic discussed was "ASEAN’s Golden Opportunity and Asia’s Rise," where the moderator asked, "In terms of the food supply chain and agricultural sector, ASEAN and Asia are becoming key bases to absorb shocks from global markets. How does CPF see the potential and new growth of the food industry in ASEAN amid the China-U.S. rivalry?"
Mr. Prasit Boonduangprasert, CEO of Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited, revealed, "Because our company has a wide-spread base, many have invited us to invest. Most invitations are not for Europe but for Asia, where there is still significant growth potential—this is a new growth area.
Thailand remains a place with substantial growth, especially in food, where the key factor is population size. Large countries like the Philippines are new markets with opportunities for us. Vietnam is another major country. We believe there are many opportunities to expand in Asia.
To be honest, competition in Asia is not very intense, and competitors' capabilities may be somewhat limited.
However, we remain cautious. In Asia, the fastest mover is China. Although China is large, it is beginning to expand abroad. We must consider whether to form alliances or compete, but Asia remains the best growth area.
When asked if the U.S.-China situation presents a good opportunity for Asia’s food industry, Mr. Prasit replied, "In the food sector, exporting is truly just the beginning. The best approach is to be present locally. Exporting alone is not very effective. Our internal strategy is 'produce where you sell.' If there is a good opportunity, and after evaluating that competition is at a level where we can win, we should invest there directly. We may have some advantages since we already invest in many countries with different competitive approaches. We leverage the diverse knowledge to develop the company together. This is an advantage for companies investing abroad because management technologies vary by country."
For example, in developing our pork business, we use knowledge from Thailand and China, which have different connections. We also invest in Russia, acquiring Russian technology, and in Canada, obtaining some technologies. Although the products are the same, there are differences. We combine all this knowledge to maximize benefits."