Don’t miss the Asean bus

Economic powerhouse: This is Asean. That frequently cited combined GDP of US2.6 trillion, seventh largest economy in the world, poised to become the third largest, after only China and India, in 2030 or just after.

BREADTALK, a Singapore bakery, will open its first outlet in Myanmar in early 2017, in a franchise agreement with that country’s real estate giant the Shwe Taung Group. Breadtalk has spread to nearly 800 locations in primarily Asean countries.

A leading Singapore logistics group is looking to extend its trucking reach to Vientiane and as far as Kunming while driving also for the expansion of e-commerce across the region. Thai retail and real estate companies, such as the Central Group, have large footprints, particularly in continental South-East Asia, as they prepare and seek to tap demand and consumption from the growing and young middle classes in Asean.