On January 24, 2024, the International College of KMUTNB was honored by H.E. Mr. Patricio Powell Osorio, Ambassador of the Republic of Chile to the Kingdom of Thailand to give a special talk to our Third-Year students on Chile’s economy and business opportunities.

The Republic of Chile has many unique characters as being a long and narrow country, with a remarkable variety of landscapes and climates : from the driest place on Earth like Atacama Desert in the North, lush green central region, to Tundra and polar climate towards the east and south of the country. Chile is also the closest country to the South Pole! However, the country strives to maintain its status as one of the most economically and socially stable countries in South America and is classified a high-income economy with a per capita income of USD 15,355 in 2022. The Northern region of Chile is home to the world’s largest copper mine “Escondida” which produces 5% of global supplies. The country also boasts growing fishing and fishery, logging, and agricultural industries, being one the world top producers of fruits (such as high-quality cherry and blueberry enjoyed worldwide) and 2^nd largest exporter of salmon (26% of the worldwide supply!), and among top wine producing countries. 

Chile is ranked number one in Latin America for ease of doing business, competitiveness, business environment, and food security.  With over 30 free trade agreements connecting 88% of the world’s economy Chile is open and established for doing business. Moving forward to a sustainable future, Chile is a world leader in low-cost green energy with one of the largest lithium reserves in the world. 

The Thai-Chilean relationship became firmer in 2015 with the establishment of the first FTA between the two countries. The Thailand-Chile FTA means there is a 0% tariff on 100% of the products. There is a lot the two countries share such as adventure tourism and the need to sustain growth by using English in the global market. 

This activity is part of the learning experience for BBA International Trade and Business Logistics. It’s the first of the “Embassy Talk Series” in 2024 following an inspiring 2023 series and part of expanding to be truly international.