CHIANG MAI, Dec 17 — Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday said she believed that foreign investors still have confidence in Thailand’s economy and that many companies would not move their production bases out of Thailand.
In her weekly programme, “Yingluck Government meets the People,” broadcast live on television for the first time this week from Waroros Market in Chiang Mai, the premier appeared live on air on the programme in which Mr Suranand Vejjajiva, a former minister to the prime minister’s office, served as the moderator.
Ms Yingluck, in her first visit to her home town in Chiang Mai since taking office in August, said that foreign investors still have confidence in maintaining their plants in Thailand and have studied measures for a long-term flood prevention plan.
She said that in January, the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management would come up with plans to assure and build confidence among foreign businessmen about flood prevention measures.
She said the overall flood situation was gradually improving but some areas were still under standing water including in Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Pathom provinces.
Provincial governors were instructed to rush pumping of water to dry the areas as soon as possible as a new year gift for flood victims, she said.
The premier said she wanted to see December as a month for rehabilitation, particularly to tackle the garbage problem, so that people could return to their normal lives in January.
Deputy Prime Minister/Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit was assigned to look after the short and long term rehabilitation planning.
Ms Yingluck admitted that during recent months, the government could not achieve promised goals as planned because of the flood crisis, and only some projects had been successfully initiated, such as rice mortgage scheme, tax cut for first-home buyers, and tax cut for first-car buyers.
However, she said the government is still determined to further carry out the policies that were announced during the election campaign.
The premier said the government would continue promoting the tourism industry and invited the public to visit the International Horticultural Exposition Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2011 in Chiang Mai.
