More than 50 foreign firms allowed to run businesses in Thailand in Sept 2014

BANGKOK, September 19 (TNA) - A total of 52 foreign firms, with their combined investment fund of about 43.86 billion baht, have been allowed to run their businesses in Thailand in September 2014 alone, creating about 20,820 new jobs for the Thai economy. Pongpan Gearaviriyapun, Director-General of the Thai Ministry of Commerce's Department of Business Development, told journalists of the update on Friday, saying that the green light was given to the 52 foreign firms at a meeting of the Foreign Business Committee, held in Bangkok earlier this week. Pongpan said, 35 out of the 52 firms, with a combined investment fund of about 43.3 billion baht, were allowed to operate in the Thai monetary and service sectors, followed by six firms, with a combined investment fund of 522 million baht, were approved to run their brokerage businesses. Pongpan reported that the number of foreign firms allowed to operate their businesses in Thailand in September 2014 increased by 44 per cent from a month earlier, while their combined investment fund stood at about 42.69 billion, with those approved belonging to Japanese, Hong Kong, Chinese, Dutch, South Korean and Australian operators. According to the senior official, a total of 313 foreign firms, with their combined investment fund of about 58.08 billion baht, were allowed to set up their businesses in Thailand during the first nine months of this year, up 11 per cent year-on-year in terms of number and 44.1 billion baht in terms of total investment fund. (TNA)