BANGKOK, 15 January 2013 Former ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan is calling on Thailand to take urgent steps to develop logistics and human resources in order to ensure Thailand’s readiness for the integration of ASEAN Community.
Mr Surin said at the “AEC Forum 2013” in Bangkok, that in order to make Thailand an AEC capital, Thailand needs more concrete and integrated government policies to build confidence among foreign investors. He elaborated that in the past 7-8 years, Thailand had seen less foreign direct investments, due to the political conflicts that were going on in the country. He said corruption was another factor damaging investment atmosphere and should be addressed as a national agenda with all sectors’ cooperation.
The former ASEAN secretary general said Thai people need to develop more skills, especially in the field of languages, like English, Chinese, Japanese, and Hindi, as a way to enhance their participation in the regional integration.
He said even though Thailand holds a geographical advantage over other ASEAN nations, Thailand still has a lot to improve, especially its transportation system, so that when the AEC is introduced, Thailand will be able to facilitate shipping services of both importing and exporting businesses.
