Thailand wants to be a gateway of ASEAN

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has urged governmental agencies to get ready for the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015 as numerous changes will affect the country’s public, private and civil sectors.
Thai Prime Minister YingluckShinawatra has urged governmental agencies to get ready for theformation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015 as numerouschanges will affect the country’s public, private and civil sectors.

Opening the exhibition “Thailand’s EconomicFuture under the ASEAN Community”, she urged the country to enhance itscompetitiveness to prepare for challenges as well as opportunities fromthe AEC’s formation.

ASEAN will become a singlemarket of 600 million people by 2015, pushing greater connectivity inthe region. Therefore, Thailand needs to make good use of itsstrategic location to act as a gateway of ASEAN, the PM said.

TheThai Government is promoting an infrastructure project worth 2 trillionTHB to better the country’s connection with neighbouring ASEAN members.It has also outlined eight strategies for the country’s integrationinto the AEC.

She said that to be a trade, investment andtourism gateway of ASEAN, Thailand needs to make preparations in allaspects, and the Government is creating favourable conditions for allsectors to realise this target when the AEC is formed.

Theexhibition, which will run until November 6, aims to improve knowledgeon ASEAN and showcase Thailand’s competitiveness in the region. TheVietnamese Embassy’s Trade Office joined other regional countries at theevent.-VNA

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