Thai private sector ready for AC

PATHUM THANI, THAILAND, January 7 (TNA) - Thailand's private sector appears to be ready for the ASEAN Community (AC), set to be formed by the end of 2015, in terms of its knowledge and experiences in competition in the AC. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, at an international seminar on “ASEAN Youth in the ASEAN Community and the Global Community held at Thammasat University on the outskirts of Bangkok, Surin Pitsuwan, former secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), made the comment, acknowledging, however, that the Thai bureaucratic and political sectors appear to remain having discontinued and unclear directions, as well as sufficient knowledge and capabilities to protect the national interest in the AC. Surin, who is also a former Thai foreign minister, attributed the unreadiness to the deep-rooted patronage in the Thai bureaucratic sector, which blocks capable officials from reaching key positions where the national interest can be protected. The ex-ASEAN secretary-general also saw Thai politics having been trapped in different stances, suggesting that the domestic politics be further developed to quickly ensure participation of all sectors with general acceptance. According to the former ASEAN chief, the development would allow Thailand to have capable representatives in negotiations with other ASEAN member countries. Asked about entire ASEAN's readiness to become a single community, the former ASEAN chief noted that ASEAN has not been a single body as intended, citing as an example that the 10-member bloc has not developed a single market where non-tariff trade barriers are lifted. The seminar on “ASEAN Youth in the ASEAN Community and the Global Community”, being held at the Rangsit Campus of Thammasat University from January 6-12, is aimed at encouraging regional younger generations to be aware of their roles as global citizens and at allowing them to exchange their experiences. (TNA)