PM invites Japan to join Thailand's mega-investment

TOKYO, May 23 (TNA) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has invited Japan to join the Thai government's new mega-investment plans, including those under the Dawei deep seaport and industrial estate projects in neighbouring Myanmar. Newly-appointed Thai Government Spokesman Theerat Rattanasewee told TNA on Thursday that Premier Yingluck, who is on a working visit to Japan from May 22-25 to attend the 19th International Conference on "The Future of Asia", made the invitation during an interview to staffs of the NHK Channel and Aera Magazine in Tokyo. Theerat said that the Thai prime minister also expressed her hope to see tourism cooperation between the Japanese public and private sectors to help further enhance bilateral tourism and other areas of relations between Bangkok and Tokyo. In the interview, Premier Yingluck also responded to a question about Thailand's political strife, by explaining that she is leading the country toward peace and progress and she has tried to improve domestic atmosphere over the past two years, partly through public forums to listen to people's opinions. The prime minister acknowledged that she intends to encourage Thai people to step forward in a democratic manner and to restore national peace. The prime minister also answered a question on her roles and those of exiled ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is her elder brother, insisting that she has her own directions of national administration, but does not ignore her elder brother’s popular administrative initiatives. (TNA)