Thai PM promises to support strong economic partnership with Japan

JAPAN, March 7 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday presented good opportunities and strong support for Japanese investment projects in Thailand and vowed to develop strong economic partnership with Japan. Yingluck, who is in the middle of her official visit to Japan from March 6-10, delivered her speech on “Thailand creating the future” at a business seminar in Japan this morning, organized by the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) and attended by about 1,200 Japanese business operators and investors. The Thai premier said that Japan is an important trading partner of Thailand and both Tokyo and Bangkok have good relations for a long time, her government, therefore, has unparalleled proposals for Japanese business persons and investors, including flood prevention systems worth 350 billion baht and integrated and effective water management plans to protect industrial sites. The prime minister also mentioned reduction in Thailand's corporate income tax and better transportation, including high-speed trains and deep-sea ports which will also improve transportation links in the region, saying that she expects Thailand to effectively distribute Japanese exports to Southeast Asian nations. Premier Yingluck told the seminar that she believes Thailand's strong economic fundamentals, including labour, industrial excellence and healthy foreign exchange reserves, still make the Thai economy a best destination for long-term international investment projects of the private sector, and that her administration's clear policy to welcome more investment will further strengthen the economic partnership and growth of both Japan and Thailand. (TNA)