OSAKA, June 28 — Japanese investors are more confident of Thailand’s flood prevention measures after participating in a seminar on Thailand’s investment promotion policy in this Japanese city on Thursday.
Held by Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), a seminar led by Thai Industry Minister Pongsvas Svasti on Thailand’s industrial strategy and its investment promotion and water management plan was presented to about 400 participants.
The minister said Japanese investors gained confidence that Thailand’s infrastructure development measures can prevent future floods.
Osaka is home to Japan’s largest electronics and electric appliance production industries and is an important centre for attracting Japan’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to invest in Thailand.
Thai representatives also clarified the Thailand’s economic situation, emphasising that it has quickly and strongly revived, while inviting investors in Osaka, mostly in the metals industry, to invest and support the automotive industry in Thailand.
So far construction of embankments has not started at Ayutthaya’s Saharattananakorn Industrial Estate, but the Industry Ministry is considering a temporary flood prevention measure within a budget of Bt100 million. Any industrial estate can use this sum of money, according to Mr Pongsvas.
In a related response, Deputy Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan told the Japanese audience that his ministry will elevate the road level in front of Saharattananakorn Industrial Estate as flood prevention, while the industrial park must build flood embankments to link with the road.
Meanwhile, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) Secretary-General Akom Termpittayapaisit addressed Japanese investors at the seminar regarding factors in support of Japanese investments in Thailand such as labour, infrastructure, the transport network, railway development, road network linkages to ASEAN countries, and hydropower dam construction as in a Thai-Lao project for energy security.
Japanese investors rank first as foreign investors in Thailand, counting as 45 per cent of BOI’s investment promotion application projects for the first five months of this year.
