Private investment in Thailand on the rise

BANGKOK, April 17 (TNA) - More than 3,000 new investment projects, totally worth about 233.71 billion bath, have been approved by the Thai government, resulting in rising private investment in the country. Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, who oversees economic affairs, told the public of the information on Friday while reporting at Bangkok's Government House on the interim Thai government's performances in its first six months in office in areas under his supervision. MR Pridiyathorn said he believes that private investment in the Thai economy in the second quarter this year should increase from the first quarter, as promotional privileges have been granted to new international investment plans. According to the Thai deputy premier, 3,084 new private investment projects with their combined capital of nearly 234 billion baht and planned employment of about 80,000 workers, have been officially approved. The deputy prime minister reported that the government's spending in the first quarter of this year expanded by 5.5 per cent, along with growing domestic tourism, and it is, thus, hoped, that Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) should grow by 4 per cent in the second quarter if exports improved. (TNA)