DPM:More Japanese investors are welcome to Thailand

BANGKOK, September 12 (TNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who oversees economic affairs, says that Thailand is ready to welcome and take care of more Japanese investors in the country. Somkid stressed on the policy while delivering a speech at an activity on strategic economic cooperation between Japan and Thailand, held in Bangkok on Tuesday, noting that the Thai Kingdom is located at a geographical center of emerging regional economies, including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, known as the CLMV group, and those taking part in China's One Belt One Road Policy. Somkid pointed out that many Japanese corporations, namely Toyota Motor Thailand and Ajinomoto (Thailand) Co., Ltd, have invested in Thailand for 40-50 years, showing their familiarity with and confidence in the Thai Kingdom as if their home country. The deputy premier announced that Thailand is ready to cut more trade and investment barriers, together with speeding up the further development of the local agricultural sector, value-added innovations and advanced industries for the future to support the progress of the newly-established Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), eyed for new investment projects by Japanese and other international businesses. The deputy premier invited Japanese investors to support the Thai government's policy on developing the balanced national economic growth through strengthening local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the so-called start-up entrepreneurs by expanding their investment projects in the Thai economy and technological transfer. Besides, the deputy prime minister proposed that Japan and Thailand join forces in revitalizing two huge free trade areas (FTAs) in the region, namely the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), comprising the ASEAN Community (AC) and its six dialogue partners, including Japan, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) despite the exclusion of the United States. (TNA)