BANGKOK, Jan 29 – Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra hailed “Thailand Night” as a success, with more-than-expected visitors, and said she was confident that it would attract more investors to do business in Thailand.
Ms Yingluck Shinawatra attended the annual 42th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland’s Davos from January 26-29.
The prime minister said before leaving Zurich International Airport back to Thailand that the “Thailand Night” held on January 27 to build confidence among investors was hailed a success, as the number of visitors – both current and potential new investors – was higher than expected.
“I’m confident that this success will draw more participants to the 20th World Economic Forum on East Asia hosted by Thailand from May 30-June 1. More investors will be interested in Thailand because the country has a strong position and potential for investment,” the premier said.
Ms Yingluck said regarding bilateral talks with Swiss President Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf that she invited Switzerland to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, to be held in Laos, PDR. Moreover, the issue of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Thailand and Switzerland was also discussed during the talks and she would bring the issue to the Cabinet meeting. If successful, it would boost trade and tourism between the two countries and strengthen bilateral relations, she added.
Speaking about her interviews with CNBC and Euro News, the premier said the media asked about the situation in Thailand, concerning water management and internal security. She gave them confidence the situation has returned to normal and Thailand is now a peaceful country. Regarding the country’s economic growth, she told them Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) is targeted to grow five percent this year.
Touching on an earlier terror alert in Thailand, she said the WEF meeting did not ask about the travel warning alert to Thailand related to a possible terror plot. Many countries have already withdrawn the alerts. Ms Yingluck said the lack of inquiries meant that other countries are confident that it is safe to travel to Thailand.
Ms Yingluck is due to arrive in Thailand at around 1:35 pm local time on Sunday (Jan 29).
