Thai martial law viewed positive on overseas markets, not affect border trade

BANGKOK, May 20 (TNA) - Major overseas markets have positively responded to the imposition of martial law throughout Thailand. Phatai Sooksommai, Director of the Thai Trade Center in Japan, told TNA on Tuesday that Japanese people have viewed the nationwide martial law imposition beneficial to the Thai economy because it could relieve the domestic political strife. Phatai assessed, however, that the martial law imposition should have short-term impacts on Japanese visitors' arrivals in Thailand, including investors and tourists, but it should not affect cargo deliveries. Pilai Siripanich, Director of the Thai Trade Center in Los Angeles, also revealed that the United States has understood the political situation in Thailand and the value of Thai exports to the US marekt should, thus, grow by 3 per cent this year, as earlier targeted. Meanwhile, Thailand's border trade appeared to have not been affected by the nationwide martial law enforcement. Cross-border businesses and activities along the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo Province in the Thai East remained normal on Tuesday although more security officers have been deployed at the province's Arunyaprathet Border Checkpoint. Cambodian traders expressed no worries over Thailand's internal situation, saying Cambodian people, namely business operators and tourists, would continue crossing the border for business and traveling purposes as usual. In Nongkhai Province in the Thai Northeast bordering Laos, Thai, Lao and other foreign tourists continued crossing the common border at the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge as usual. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications Sukree Sittiwanitch, in the meantime, assigned TAT offices in 27 countries to explain to people and travel agencies in their respective jurisdictions that Thailand's martial law has been imposed to maintain peace and order but it has not affected normal ways of life and activities of local people and international visitors who are, nonetheless, welcome to call the TAT hotline, 1672, to ask for updated information and suggestions.(TNA)