Thai industry minister visits Japan

BANGKOK, February 12 (TNA) - Thai Industry Minister Atchaka Sibunruang is paying a visit to Japan, scheduled for February 12-15, to invite investors from three big Japanese prefectures to Thailand. Atchaka told journalists before her departure on Friday that she will meet executives and business operators in Japan's Hokuriku Region, in which Fukui Prefecture is located. Atchaka said she will also hold a meeting with Fukui Governor Issei Nishikawa, who supports the 13th Otagai Forum in Japan, noting that the meeting, in which 10 technological companies will take part, results from a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Japan's Fukui Prefecture and Thailand's Industry Ministry. According to minister, Japan's Fukui Prefecture is outstanding for garment, textile, carbon fiber and eyeglass frames and its 20 companies have run 11 plants in Thailand, mostly textile facilities, with their combined investment fund of about 7 billion baht. The minister revealed that she will also invite Seiren Co and Nikka Co to expand their investment in Thailand. Seiren is a world market leader in automotive upholstery materials and Nikka extracts bio silica from rice husk for textile and metal production. Besides, the Thai industry minister will visit Toyama Prefecture, where she will meet the Toyama governor, while also visiting Fujikoshi Co which produces robots, and Toyama Kankyo Seibi Co which is in environment-related and water supply business. The minister acknowledged that her ministry considers Japanese investment as highly important because it has formed some 40 per cent of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand. The Thai Ministry of Industry has, meanwhile, signed MOUs with 19 administrative organizations in Japan to promote industrial cooperation. (TNA)