Thailand's rank of Doing Business likely to be up in 2018

BANGKOK, January 16 (TNA) - Thailand's Doing Business updated status, set to be announced by the US-based World Bank in late 2018, is likely to be up by 20 ranks. Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office Kobsak Pootrakool told journalists of the positive prospect on Tuesday, after a meeting of relevant parties in Bangkok, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, to follow up issues viewed to help boost Thailand's competitiveness and Doing Business status in 2018. Kobsak revealed that the meeting discussed and prepared a calendar on Thailand's actions to be submitted to the World Bank as part of its global Doing Business survey in mid-2018, prior to its issuance of its Doing Business Report 2018 in late October. The minister assessed that Thailand's Doing Business status in 2018, to be ranked by the World Bank, should be up by about 20 positions, admitting, however, that more improvements are needed in the country's construction and some other business sectors, including revisions of digital laws and some others. Meanwhile, Tosaporn Sirisamphan, Secretary-General of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC), told reporters it is expected that Thailand's Doing Business updated status, to be ranked by the World Bank late this year, should be up to the 24th position, from the 46th position last year, making the Thai Kingdom, if so, become one of the world's top two economies whose Doing Business status are fastest improving. For the next step, the OPDC top official said Thailand would then target to raise the country's Doing Business status to be among the world's 20 best economies in the future. (TNA)