Alibaba In Talks With Thailand's WHA Over E-commerce Park Site

WHA chief executive Jareeporn Jarukornsakul says the logistics facility development company are expecting to finalise a huge amount of land sales this year.  Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba are in discussions with WHA Corporation Plc, a Stock Exchange of Thailand listed company and the nation’s largest developer of built-to-suit logistics facilities, over plans to purchase land to develop its “fifth generation e-commerce park” in Thailand, according to WHA chief executive Jareeporn Jarukornsakul. A plot in the Hemaraj industrial estate in Rayong province to the east of Pattaya, appears to be the most likely location for the park, which is set to be not just a logistics hub supporting Alibaba’s business in the region but also house production plants for Thai and foreign SMEs. WHA say they expect to have up to 1,000 rai (160 hectares) of land developed and ready to sell during this year. WHA is the largest stakeholder in the Hemaraj industrial estate, which has already sold around 600 rai to local and foreign investors. The site is roughly 20 kilometres from U-tapao airport, a former military facility that the Thai government is helping to transform into a commercial airport that will accommodate their flagship project, the Eastern Economic Corridor. For more on this story, click here.