CI T Y O N T H E MOVE Bangkok regains its bustle Having endured their most challenging test to date, movers in Thailands vibrant capital city have enjoyed a return to strength as the last pandemic restrictions have been removed. New obstacles persist, but agile businesses are thriving. Andrew Mourant reports W elcome to Bangkok! Thailands hyperactive capital, the venue for the upcoming annual FIDI conference, is likely to leave indelible memories an ever-growing and changing city... an assault on the senses... the sights, sounds, smells, and energy are second to none. So says Paul Ware, General Manager of Asian Tigers Thailand, who has lived and breathed the city for 25 years. Hes worked through floods, military coups, political division, the red shirt/yellow shirt protests; seen costs rise and foreign investment cut. Now, post-pandemic Bangkok has reverted to its febrile state. The country has shrugged off much of its COVID hangover, and 1 October this year became the landmark day that saw all remaining restrictions on movement finally lifted. Its been a test of endurance and there are now economic stirrings of the right kind, including a revival of the hotel and hospitality industry so crucial to Thailands fortunes. The government is encouraging new inward investment, in electric vehicle (EV) production, for example. The automotive manufacturing area around Rayong, on the 44 FF308 Dec-Jan 23 pp44-51 City on the move Bangkok.indd 44 05/12/2022 17:04