BoI to host fair next Feb

BANGKOK, Dec 1 (TNA) -- Approximately 2,500 leading Thai and foreign business people are expected to join the ‘Opportunity Thailand Seminar’ to be held next February 15 and to be organised by the Board of Investment (BoI), said Hirunya Suchinai, secretary-general of BoI. Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha will preside over the opening ceremony of the fair to be held at IMPACT Exhibition Center, Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi, said Ms Hirunya. The prime minister is expected to announce that Thailand is ready to promote investment under the new investment law which extends privileges to investors to 13 from current 8 years plus special incentives which would boost investor competiveness in designated areas specified by BoI, she said. Apart from several leading business people which have accepted the invitation to participate the fair, the BoI will allow both local and foreign media to witness successful firms which have received BoI promotional privileges. As for the visit to three key Chinese cities including Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Beijing by high-ranking officials of BoI, Commerce and the Science and Technology ministries between December 7-11, she said leading Chinese firms including Alibaba Group have agreed to increase investment in Thailand in the future. Senior executives of these firms have also accepted the invitation to participate the fair next February, said Ms Hirunya. Also, senior bankers of the Bank of China told Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak during the visit that the bank would extend higher loans to their customers to enable them to invest in the kingdom, she added. (TNA)