Thailand, Singapore agree on strengthening relations

BANGKOK, December 9 (TNA) - Thailand and Singapore have agreed on further strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation, particularly in the business sector, between the two neighbouring nations, both are also member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters of the agreement upon her arrival in Bangkok on Thursday night, after paying a one-day official visit to the island state. Yingluck said that she met her Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, during which she expressed gratitude to the Singapore government for providing care to over 35,000 Thai nationals working in Singapore and to Singapore private business persons for having confidence in the Thai economy through their continued investment in the Thai Kingdom. The Pheu Thai premier acknowledged that she also thanked Singapore for providing financial assistance and necessities, worth about 100,000 Singapore dollars, to flood victims in Thailand and explained her government measures to jump start the Thai economy in the wake of massive floods over the past couple of months. According to the Thai prime minister, both sides also agreed that Singapore hosts the Singapore-Thailand Civil Service Exchange Programme in 2012 and the third meeting of the Singapore-Thailand Enhanced Economic Relations, which was last organised six years ago, and that a joint corruption suppression programme be implemented, as Singapore is now ranked one of the top countries in the world in good governance and corruption crackdowns. (TNA)