Thai private sector to organise new brainstorming session on solving domestic political problems

BANGKOK, January 7 (TNA) - Thailand’s seven private-run business organisations are inviting other parties to soon join in a new brainstorming session, aimed at solving domestic political problems and protecting the national economy from a recession, Payungsak Chartsutipol, Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), acknowledged on Wednesday that representatives of the Thai business organisations are approaching all concerned parties, including the Constitution Court, politicians, academics and community development organisations, to attend the new brainstorming session, expected to be held either late this week or next week. The seven Thai private organisations include the FTI, the Board of Trade of Thailand, the Tourism Council of Thailand, the Thai Bankers’ Association, the Federation of Thai Capital Market Organisations, the Stock Exchange of Thailand and the Thai Listed Companies Association. Thailand’s anti-government protesters have announced to “shut down Bangkok” from January 13 onwards, aimed at ousting Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her Cabinet to pave the way for a national reform. As several institutions have projected that Thailand’s economic growth in 2014 should be around 3-4 per cent, the FTI chief cautioned that the national economic growth should, however, diminish if the domestic political protests were dragged on, noting that every decline of 1 per cent in growth would affect the Thai economy equivalent to 120 billion baht.(TNA)