Private sector proposes WEC development in Lower Thai North

PHITSANULOK, THAILAND, December 25 (TNA) - The private sector has proposed that the Thai government carry out its plan on the development of the Western Economic Corridor (WEC), in which many potential provinces in the Lower Thai North are included. Chaikom Sakunrak, provincial chief of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) in Sukhothai Province, told journalists on Monday that the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) in the lower northern Sukhothai, Tak and Phitsanulok raised the issue at a meeting held in Phitsanulok earlier in the day between the Ministry of Commerce, led by Commerce Minister Sonthirat Sonthijirawong himself, and representatives of the private sector. Chaikom noted that the WEC development project, in which Sukhothai, Tak and Phitsanulok Provinces in the Lower Thai North are included, was initiated more than 20 years ago, but it has not yet been concretely progressed. Chaikom pointed out that the lower northern Thai region has high economic growth potential, especially Mae Sot area in Tak where its annual border trade has exceeded 100 billion baht, boosted by expanding trade links between the local Thai border market and the immense Indian marker, where there are over 1.3 billion population, through Myanmar. The provincial FTI chief, thus, urged the Thai government to speed up its development of the WEC project, to maintain business opportunities of the Lower Thai North for having potential to become a hub of regional trade, investment, tourism, logistics, international forums and medical services. Meanwhile, Chawaphan Chawacharoenphan, chief of Tak's Chamber of Chamber, said that the Tak Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mae Sot area has been growing at a satisfactory rate, calling on the Thai government to relax its immigration and cross-border tourism regulations for migrant workers and travellers to welcome not only those from Myanmar's Myawaddy Town, but also those from other areas in Myanmar and India. (TNA) ,