Thai private sector wants AEC to begin at end of 2015

BANGKOK, March 12 (TNA) - A recent survey has shown that most of business operators in Thailand, or over 95 per cent, want the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) to be postponed to the end of 2015, rather than the beginning of the year. Aat Pisanwanich, Director of the Center for International Trade Studies of Bangkok-based University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, told reporters on Tuesday that the survey, conducted last year on the readiness and understanding of Thai business operators in production and service sectors for greater competition in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community found 95.56 per cent of the respondents wanted the formation of the AEC to be postponed from Jan 1, 2015, to the end of that year, as over half of the respondents were not ready for the growing competition in the AEC. Aat said the survey also found that 97.78 per cent of Thailand's large-scaled business firms knew more about the AEC; while the percentage among small and medium-sized enterprises stood at only 43.8 per cent. Aat acknowledged that the percentages of the respondents who knew nothing about the AEC were 80 per cent in the Thai agricultural sector, 94.74 per cent in the construction sector and 93.75 per cent in the livestock sector, suggesting that concerned officials use all media to frequently educate people on their respective areas on the matter. According to the director, AEC-related topics required elaboration by the local authorities include ASEAN product standards, liberal investment and free labor movements. (TNA)