Thai PM begins official visit to Japan

[StrontiumDog]

Thai PM begins official visit to Japan

Thai PM begins official visit to Japan

วันอังคาร ที่ 06 มี.ค. 2555



BANGKOK, March 6 - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday afternoon left for Japan on her official visit aimed at regaining confidence among Japanese investors in response to Thailand’s flood-related measures

Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister/Commerce Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Finance Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and other ministers, Prime Minister Yingluck is scheduled to visit Japan from today through Friday.

Her visit is aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries and restoring confidence among investors concerning Thailand’s actions to restore the industrial sector after last year's devastating floods. She will reassure Japanese investors that her government is doing its best to prevent flooding in the future as Japan is Thailand’s major trade partner and a large number of Japanese businesspersons already invest in Thailand.

Ms Yingluck said she would clarify both political and economic issues to all groups of investors, those who have already invested in Thailand and those who want to invest more.

Thai businesspersons who are interested in investing in Japan have joined the trip and will have a chance to meet their Japanese counterparts, she said.

Using the negotiation linkages of the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Office will help boost trade value of exports and will establish investment strategies and tax measures.

The Thai prime minister will also visit the tsunami-hit Sendai region to give moral support to tsunami victims and Thai workers there. Thailand and Japan will also exchange their experience regarding natural disasters.

Regarding Hiroyuki Muramoto, the slain Japanese Reuters cameraman shot dead during the 2010 protest in Bangkok, the premier said a letter of condolence on her behalf will be delivered to his family. Ms Yingluck herself, however, will be unable to meet his relatives due to her already full schedule.

The family of the slain Japanese cameraman are entitled to be compensated by the Thai government. The ministry of foreign affairs will work out to pay the compensation to them.

The cabinet on Tuesday approved in principle compensating people affected by recent political protests. (MCOT online news)

[StrontiumDog]

PM confident about regaining Japanese investor confidence - The Nation

PM confident about regaining Japanese investor confidence

The Nation March 6, 2012 4:45 pm


Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is convinced that her three-day visit to Japan will strengthen Japanese investor confidence in the Thai economy.

Speaking to the media before leaving for Tokyo, the prime minister said that during her visit she would be holding discussions with businesses who have already invested in Thailand as well as others who have not yet made presence felt here.

She is hopeful that a Japanese business relocation will not take place after last year's floods. She also expressed readiness to answer all questions.

Many Japanese firms and industrial estates were hit hard by the inundation and some companies are reportedly planning to move to a new country.

Regarding the petition of villagers in Ayutthaya against the flood-wall construction plans of industrial estates, she said that the government must do its best while waiting for the Central Administrative Court's decision on this matter. She added that without the walls or something concrete, it would be difficult to restore investor confidence.

Thirty-nine villagers on Tuesday filed the petition, citing that the giant floodwalls would lead to a deluge if they were able to sustain the power of the floodwaters. This would harm properties nearby.

The prime minister will have an audience with Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito, as well as meet with her Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda to discuss a wide range of issues covering mutual interests.

She will use the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations to promote the strategic partnership in terms of political ties, security concerns, the economy and social aspects at both bilateral and multilateral levels

The premier is scheduled to deliver a speech at a seminar on investment opportunities in Thailand. The event will be attended by many members of the Japanese business community.

The visit of the Thai prime minister coincides with the anniversary of last year's earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan on March 11. Yingluck is scheduled to visit affected areas in Sendai, Miyaki Prefecture.

[StrontiumDog]

Photo from Getty Images


Getty Images 1 hour ago
Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (C) greets well-wishers upon her arrival at the Tokyo International airport in Tokyo on March 6, 2012. Shinawatra is on a four-day visit during which she will visit March 11 earthquake and tsunami hit areas.

Photo from Getty Images


Getty Images 1 hour ago
Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra departs from the Tokyo International airport right after her arrival in Tokyo on March 6, 2012.

Photo from Getty Images


Getty Images 1 hour ago
Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (C) greets well-wishers upon her arrival at the Tokyo International airport in Tokyo on March 6, 2012.

[StrontiumDog]

Thai PM in Japan to boost confidence after floods - Yahoo!


Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, pictured during her meeting with Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tadashi Okamura, in Tokyo, on March 7.

Thai PM in Japan to boost confidence after floods


AFP News – 37 minutes ago

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday kicked off her campaign to regain the confidence of Japanese investors after last year's devastating floods, on her first full day in Tokyo.

Yingluck, leading a delegation from the Thai business sector, met Japanese investors and was set to meet members of the country's tourism and commercial industries later on the day.

"We have a very busy schedule of meetings, focusing on trade, business and tourism," she said Tuesday before touching down in the Japanese capital.

"The visit will also provide the opportunity to underline the fact that we are very much open for business again after the recent floods."

Thailand suffered a double-digit contraction in the final three months of 2011, the sharpest on record, as the worst floods in half a century pummelled the nation's industrial sector.

The months-long floods took a heavy toll on Thailand's industrial heartland north of Bangkok, with many factories forced to close temporarily.

Yingluck also met Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano, who asked the country to take measures to prevent floods during this year's rainy season.

He also proposed the sale to Thailand of Japan's observation satellite system to help the country monitor and forecast flood damage, a ministry official said.

Yingluck is due to meet Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in the evening.

[StrontiumDog]

Thai PM reaffirms Thailand as Japan's strong economic partner

Thai PM reaffirms Thailand as Japan's strong economic partner

วันพุธ ที่ 07 มี.ค. 2555


JAPAN, March 7 - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday boosted confidence among Japanese investors and affirmed Thailand's readiness to be Japan's strong economic partner, during her official visit to the country this week, beginning Tuesday and ending on Saturday.

Ms Yingluck spoke at a seminar organised by Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI), 'Thailand creating the future', as part of the agency’s roadshows to boost foreign investor confidence. The seminar was attended by over 1,200 Japanese investors.

According to the Thai premier, Japan is a highly important trading partner for Thailand and both countries have had long relations. She said Thailand is increasing its potential to attract Japanese investments.

Due to Thailand's flood crisis last year, Ms Yingluck said her government allocated a budget of Bt350 billion to implement an effective water management plan to protect industrial estates where many Japanese plants are located, while integrated centres to deal with flood problems immediately are to be set up and ready by the end of this month. She said she was confident that foreign investments in Thailand can be protected, as a result.

Thailand has a policy to support production and a dynamic economy, while having measures on corporate income tax reduction, infrastructure and transport development such as high-speed train construction and deep sea ports to link with other countries in the region.

Ms Yingluck said Thailand will be a distribution centre for moving Japanese goods to other member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

She noted Thailand will continue as the best choice for Japan's continuing private investment, thanks to her administration's policy, the strong Thai economy, skilled workers, an outstanding industrial sector and secure capital reserves.

The Thai prime minister is meeting with other Japanese representatives and investors to boost their confidence on how Thailand is rehabilitating its economy after last year's flood crisis, to clarify sustainable solutions to flood problems, to provide assistance guidelines to Japan's industrial sector in Thailand, and to offer guidelines to Japanese investors on investment expansion in the country.

Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano met with Ms Yingluck and expressed understanding of the Thai government’s priority to tackle water problems. He expressed appreciation for Thailand’s aid to the Japanese business sector when dealing with the floods.

Mr Yukio said he supported investments in Thailand and its solutions for flooding, while affirming he will push for more trade between the two countries. He said that Thailand will continue to be his country’s investment base in the ASEAN region.

Other representatives whom the Thai premier is to meet with and discuss include those from small and medium-sized enterprises, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as Japanese and Thai university students to express thanks for the Thai government on assisting Japan during its earthquake and tsunami last year.

Ms Yingluck is meeting with Japan's prime minister Yoshihiko Noda and his full cabinet on Wednesday evening for stronger Thai-Japanese relations for more tangible strategic measures of the two countries.

A press conference on bilateral relations will be made following the formal discussion, after which the Japanese premier will host a dinner to honour his Thai counterpart. (MCOT online news)

[StrontiumDog]

'Unbeatable Thailand' - PM's speech | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

'Unbeatable Thailand' - PM's speech

• Published: 7/03/2012 at 05:08 PM
• Online news:

This is the full text of the speech on Wednesday by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at an investment seminar at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. The title of the speech was, "Unbeatable Thailand, Unparalleled Opportunities"

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honoured to be here in Japan and I would like to thank our friends from the private sector for being here today.

Thailand and Japan are old friends whose economic future is linked to one another. From the establishment of diplomatic relations 125 years ago to the Strategic Partnership with an Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA) today, Japan and the private sector have played a key role in Thailand’s development. The strong ties between Thailand and Japan will be even more important as the world increasingly look to Asia to be the main driver of sustain global growth.

Japan is Thailand’s largest trading partner. Our exports to Japan grew by 8.3 percent last year. You are also Thailand’s largest investor. Japanese investments applying for Board of Investment promotion was 49 percent of total FDI last year. Japanese firms are doing more research, development and product design in Thailand. Moreover, the Thai Parliament has approved further negotiations under JTEPA in five areas, including trade, rules of origin, services, investment and implementing JTEPA commitments.

Last year, both Thailand and Japan suffered from the floods. But with your kind support, we have managed to emerge even stronger. Thailand will always be grateful for your help and for the confidence that you have in us.

I am pleased to inform you that, we are in the process of implementing an effective water management system to protect the communities and the important economic and industrial zones.

First, we are currently managing the existing dams by lowering the water level. This will allow the dams to store more water during the peak rainy season.

Second, we have identified natural water retention areas, which will act as another important source of water storage. These areas have direct links to the main rivers to allow for quick release of water after the flooding. In addition, we have already started to enhance the infrastructures system including sluice gates, canals, pumping stations and dykes.

Third, measures to protect the economic zones will include investment in the protective barriers around industrial estates. Roads will be elevated to ensure access for delivery of goods and services; this will ensure that industrial supply chain and logistics will not be disrupted. Furthermore, we are also improving water flow through the canals, in order to drain water quickly into the Gulf of Thailand.

Fourth, a single command center is in place to ensure effective management and timely response. In addition, we are also improving the forecasting and early warning system.

To ensure the success of these plans, around 47 billion yen (18 billion baht) will be spent this year and around 915 billion yen (350 billion baht) will be spent over the next couple of years. In addition, I have also personally visited all the key sites in the plan to gain their support.

In addition to the water management plans, the Government has also initiated several financial packages to assist the Japanese companies affected from the flooding including low interest rates loans to assist in building the flood protection barriers as well as an insurance fund to support those affected.

Despite the floods, our economic fundamentals continue to be strong. We have high level of foreign exchange reserves and a sound fiscal position with low public debt of GDP at around 40 percent. Because of this, the Thai economy is expected to rebound strongly. The forecast for economic growth this year is about 5.5 to 6.5 percent. I would also like to point out that, even with the floods, over 1.1 million Japanese tourists still visited Thailand last year, which is an increase of around 13 percent.

Our Government will continue to implement policies to accommodate foreign investment in Thailand. The corporate income tax has been reduced from 30 percent to 23 percent this year and will be further reduced to 20 percent next year. Several barriers have been removed to make it easier to set up regional headquarters in Thailand. Furthermore, Thai skilled labour continues to be an important asset for foreign companies.

Thailand is the existing hub for your products to a more connected ASEAN Community. This single market and production base currently comprises over 600 million consumers, a combined GDP of some 143.4 trillion yen and an annual economic growth of some 5 percent.

This Community opens up opportunities in regional growth areas such as transportation, energy, health care, tourism and agriculture. Given Thailand’s comparative advantage in some of these areas, we will be able to match the growing dynamism of the ASEAN Community and the growth of Japan’s investments in the region.

To support regional connectivity in the GMS and ASEAN, the Government is committed to invest in logistics and transportation network including roads and rails that will link Thailand with our neighbours through the important economic corridors. This will be supported by not only the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity but also the ASEAN Plus Three Connectivity Partnership involving China, Japan and the Republic of Korea which Thailand initiated.

One key project that strengthens regional connectivity is the Dawei deep sea port project which is being developed in cooperation with our close neighbours Myanmar. The success of this project, which is promoted by the Myanmar Government, will not only promote growth and development in Myanmar but also enhance Japanese investments in Thailand as well as the region. This will enhance our links with South Asia, East Asia and beyond.

In conclusion, I can reassure you that Thailand remains the best choice for your continued investment. I am confident that with our strong fundamentals, our supportive policies, our natural assets, and based on our mutual interests, the Thailand –Japan partnership will continue to grow, with the Japanese private sector continuing to serve as a key pillar of this partnership for many years to come.

Thank you.

[StrontiumDog]

Japan praises Yingluck on flood action | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

Japan praises Yingluck on flood action

• Published: 7/03/2012 at 04:39 PM
• Online news:

TOKYO - Japan’s Trade minister Yukio Edano on Wednesday praised the dedication of the Yingluck Shinawatra administration in combatting last year’s catastrophic floods and in helping affected Japanese investors, but urged Thailand to introduce a better flood data management system.

Mr Yukio made his comment at a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is on the first day of her three-day trip in Japan, in Tokyo this morning.

During the meeting, Mr Yukio conveyed his compliments to Ms Yingluck’s and her government’s dedication in handling the flood crisis last year.

He thanked the Thai government for its measures to help Japanese businesses affected by the deluge, including changing tax regulations that obstructed the post-flood investment process and responding to calls by the Japanese firms.

Mr Yukio said he understood the situation, and that Thai flood victims had called for the Yingluck government to speed up relief operations even though the authorities were doing their best.

Japan had a similar experience during times of disaster.

The Japanese minister asked Ms Yingluck about Thailand’s flood-intervention measures and said management of quick and accurate flood situation data should be a top priority in the government’s flood-control plans.

Japan would continue to use Thailand as a production base in the region and wanted to promote more trade between the two countries, Mr Yukio said.

Ms Yingluck told Mr Yukio that both short- and long-term plans for flood rehabilitation and protection had been drawn up. They had begun with the restoration and improvement of the efficiency of existing water management facilities as an urgent agenda scheduled to be completed this month.

Ms Yingluck said the business sector and the government would allocate two thirds of the budgets needed for the planned construction of flood prevention dykes around industrial estates to handle future floods.

[DJ Pat]

I'll give Yingluck another 6 months before she will stop getting away with using her looks to charm.

Then she'll become just another bitter, aging cackle voiced Thai lady who is past it.

[thehighlander959]

I am not sure that Toyota/Honda/Isuzu will be taken in by crap being spouted by these liars.
There will be nothing in place in Thailand to prevent further flooding. Its their Water Management and regulatory board that is the big problem.

Bangkok is right in the centre of the soup bowl, as far as I know heavy rain goes downhill if its not managed. The high ground to the north of Bangkok will always deluge down towards the capital.
They need a system in place to take all the flood water around Bangkok forget the Chao Phraya river its silted up most of the year and large vessels can,t go or don,t go past Bangkok due to the depth of the river in most places.

I have a friend who designed dykes around the Ijselmeer in Holland, and all he has done is laugh his tits off at all the bullshit being spouted about good Water Management Procedures and Directives.

His comment: Their Thais they are only interested in where the next dollar is coming from..

[robuzo]

I am not sure that Toyota/Honda/Isuzu will be taken in by crap being spouted by these liars.

I'm sure they are looking for alternatives to Thailand. At the moment those are few for most companies. The issue as I see it is

Bangkok is right in the centre of the soup bowl, as far as I know heavy rain goes downhill if its not managed. The high ground to the north of Bangkok will always deluge down towards the capital.

I like to know why the geniuses at the Japanese (and other nationalities, but especially the Js) didn't notice this before investing bazillions constructing expensive facilities in Ayutthaya and other places located in what some call the Chao Praya floodplain. I mean, given how the Japanese are such a superior race with the best engineers, etc. Clearly they hadn't put their most genius minds on site selection . Sure, maybe the Thais fooled them somehow, but being fooled by one's intellectual inferiors isn't much of an excuse. But we all know that the Japanese never f*ck up, it is always the result of one or another species of perfidy.

[thehighlander959]

Maybe the reason is because the Thais paid millions in subsidies to Honda to put the factory in Ayutthaya. This is not a new problem in Thailand it has been overlooked for years.
No wonder the Vietnamese are laughing their socks off the Thai government would fuck up a brand new pussy...... and its only going to get worse with these clowns no matter which government is in power.

[robuzo]

Maybe the reason is because the Thais paid millions in subsidies to Honda to put the factory in Ayutthaya. This is not a new problem in Thailand it has been overlooked for years.

That could be a major reason for Honda's, Furukawa Sky's, and others' choice of Ayutthaya and their subsequent woes, but I doubt the subsidies could have been sufficient to compensate for the lost equipment and supply chain problems, so in any case they made a bad choice in their site selections. After so many other problems over the years that the Japanese have had with the Thais, such as the tollway, one might have expected them to know better than to listen to the Thais.

[thehighlander959]

Your right,
I work for Qatar Petroleum/Qatar Gas, the Qataris knocked back a trade deal with Thailand concerning LPG/LNG not so long ago when the Thais attempted to stiff them... on a particular contract.
Now the Thais are buying from a middleman (might be Thaksin ) and its costing them a fortune.

[Thaihome]

^
Shows you the difference in perspectives. PTT says they cancelled the long term deal because they felt Qatar was taking advantage of the spike in LNG prices after the Japan earthquake to gouge them. The deal did not have a set price but was based on “market price” at the time of each shipment. They bought the first two shipments to commission the new LNG terminal in Rayong from Qatar, but have now gone out into the market to buy more. Understand the next shipment is coming from Nigeria LNG. I think it is due this month.

[thehighlander959]

If they thought they were getting stiffed by Qatar, wait until the Nigerians are finished with them????
Lets see how many middlemen in Nigeria are looking for their cut especially in Abuja and Lagos before the shipments delivered.

[Thaihome]

If they thought they were getting stiffed by Qatar, wait until the Nigerians are finished with them????
Lets see how many middlemen in Nigeria are looking for their cut especially in Abuja and Lagos before the shipments delivered.

This is apparently just a one off buy on the spot market. PTT doesn’t really need the LNG and is going to operate the terminal and at something like 20% capacity. At this point they are basically just injecting the LNG into the Map Ta Phut super header to raise the BTU content a bit and run the plant.

Right now Qatar dominates the LNG market with something like half the worldwide capacity, Nigeria, Australia, and Russia combined don’t match them. That is going to change significantly over the next 5-10 years as at least 3 maybe 5 Australian LNG plants come on line. In 10 years Australia will likely exceed Qatar in production. The LNG industry is going through major shakeups, between the upcoming huge increase Australian production and the US entering the export market, nobody is sure what will happen to prices.

In addition to PTT building the Rayong LNG terminal and looking increasing its capacity, rumor is PTTEP is looking to buy a stake in one of the upcoming Australian LNG plants in order to secure a reliable reasonably priced source. They are thinking far ahead to when the GOF gas starts to dwindle and the LNG market mybe going through a glut. The hope of getting anything significant from the Cambodian overlapping area is not looking too likely.

[StrontiumDog]

Japan investors 'still sceptical' - The Nation

Japan investors 'still sceptical'

PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION March 9, 2012 1:00 am


Despite Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's visit to their country this week, Japanese investors remain doubtful whether Thailand can prevent a repeat of last year's severe floods as the government does not seem to have a clear time frame for its action plan, private enterprises said yesterday.

The private sector called on the government to prioritise the country's problem management after ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced that he would come back to Thailand within this year.

Phongsak Assakul, chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand and the Thai Chamber of Commerce, who joined Yingluck's official visit to Japan, said the mission had helped boost the confidence of Japanese investors after the government laid out clear plans for both short- and long-term flood management to 1,200 entrepreneurs.

However, investors questioned the effectiveness of the flood-prevention measures as the government did not give a clear time frame for starting either its short-term or long-term action plans.

Phongsak urged the government to set a clear time frame to assure both Thai and foreign investors so that they will have the confidence to continue investing in Thailand.

Yingluck's mission to Japan, leading a group of Thai business?people, started on Tuesday and is scheduled to end today. The mission aimed to boost the confidence of Japanese investors in Thailand's water-management measures. Japanese investors were among the worst hit during the severe inunda?tion late last year.

Board of Trade secretary-general Vichai Assarasakorn said private enterprises wanted the government to focus on the country's benefit as the issue of utmost concern. He said it should carefully prioritise its tasks, as some moves could lead to conflict.

He called on the government to solve the current problems regarding flooding, corruption, the rising cost of living, and social difficulties as priorities before raising any issues that could lead to political conflict and curtail economic growth.

Moreover, Vichai said the government should not be too stringent on price controls as private enterprises were facing higher costs of production.

He said enterprises would increase the retail prices of goods reasonably, as they are highly concerned about competitiveness. The government should increase efficiency by creating alternatives for consumers while allowing the market mechanism to do its work so as to balance fair benefits for enterprises and consumers.

[StrontiumDog]

Yingluck meets prince, visits tsunami-ravaged northeast | Bangkok Post: news

Yingluck meets prince, visits tsunami-ravaged northeast

• Published: 9/03/2012 at 01:54 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra met Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito yesterday and wished his father Emperor Akihito, who underwent heart bypass surgery last month, a speedy recovery.

The prince thanked Ms Yingluck for her concern and for her planned visit to a tsunami-hit city in northeast Japan, the Imperial Household Agency said.

Ms Yingluck later went to Natori City in Miyagi prefecture to offer condolences and support for those affected by the March 11, 2010 earthquake and tsunami.

While there, the prime minister laid a wreath and observed a minute's silence for the people who died in the tragedy.

Ms Yingluck also met about 100 Thai employees of Japanese firms, whose factories were affected by flooding in Thailand last year.

The Thai workers are working in Japan until the flood-ravaged factories are operational again.

She later visited a shelter for disaster victims in Medeshima to offer them moral support.

Ms Yingluck's four-day visit to Japan is aimed at regaining investor confidence after flooding in Thailand last year.

However, Eleanor Warnock, writing in a blog for the Wall Street Journal said Ms Yingluck's speech in Thai to the Japan Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday left many executives bemused.

For seven minutes, Ms Yingluck spoke to the hundred-strong audience without any accompanying translation, leaving many of the attending business leaders wondering quite what she was talking about, Ms Warnock wrote.

Delegates were handed a copy of her speech notes, translated into Japanese, but she chose to speak in Thai rather than in English.

Ms Yingluck then left the room in silence, smiling and bowing as she went.

[StrontiumDog]

"For seven minutes, Ms Yingluck spoke to the hundred-strong audience without any accompanying translation, leaving many of the attending business leaders wondering quite what she was talking about, Ms Warnock wrote.

Delegates were handed a copy of her speech notes, translated into Japanese, but she chose to speak in Thai rather than in English.

Ms Yingluck then left the room in silence, smiling and bowing as she went."

[StrontiumDog]

Photo from Reuters Pictures


Reuters Pictures 21 hours ago
Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (R) chats with Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito (L) at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo March 8, 2012, in this handout photo released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. Yingluck is in Japan for a four-day visit.

Photo from Reuters Pictures


Reuters Pictures 21 hours ago
Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (L) is welcomed by Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito (R) at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo March 8, 2012, in this handout photo released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. Yingluck is in Japan for a four-day visit.

Photo from Reuters Pictures


Reuters Pictures 20 hours ago
Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra offers a greeting after placing flowers at an area damaged by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Natori, Miyagi prefecture March 8, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the disasters.

Photo from Reuters Pictures


Reuters Pictures 20 hours ago
Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra bows after offering flowers at an area damaged by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Natori, Miyagi prefecture, March 8, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the disasters.

Photo from Reuters Pictures


Reuters Pictures 20 hours ago
Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra speaks to the media after offering flowers at an area damaged by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Natori, Miyagi prefecture, March 8, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the disasters.

[StrontiumDog]

Quite a furore this article has caused......here's the article, see the comments from the Government underneath.....

Some Japanese Still in the Dark Over Thailand’s Flood Plan - Japan Real Time - WSJ

• March 8, 2012, 7:24 PM JST

Some Japanese Still in the Dark Over Thailand’s Flood Plan

By Eleanor Warnock

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s mission to reassure Japanese investors rattled by last year’s supply chain-busting floods appears to be getting something of a mixed response.

Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra meets with Japanese residents in Natoti, Miyagi prefecture in the tsunami disaster zone on March 8.

Her government has promoted Ms. Yingluck’s visit to Japan this week as an opportunity to win back the confidence of Japanese businesses affected by the devastating floods. The inundation knocked out the distribution of crucial car and electronics components world wide. Japanese firms were particularly badly affected. Japan is the single largest foreign investor in the country, and a Japan External Trade Organization survey released earlier this month reported that 67% of firms exporting to or investing in Thailand were hit by the deluge, which also claimed several hundred lives and drenched large swathes of the capital, Bangkok.

Not surprisingly, many Japanese executives were keen to hear about Thailand’s $11 billion plan to shore up its flood defenses, which was drafted in part by Ms. Yingluck’s brother, former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who now lives overseas after Thailand’s armed forces ousted him from power in 2006.

So, with a Japanese-language copy of her speech already handed out to an eager audience at the Japan Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, Ms. Yingluck arrived to make her big pitch – in Thai.

For seven minutes, Ms. Yingluck, 44 years old, spoke to the hundred-strong audience without any accompanying translation, leaving many of the attending business leaders wondering quite what she was talking about and awkwardly scanning their hand-outs for clues.

Ms. Yingluck then left the room in silence, smiling and bowing as she went.

A representative from a travel company remarked that attendees were appreciative of Ms. Yingluck’s attempts to boost their confidence and explain Thailand’s new flood-prevention measures. But he also said it was “a bit weird” that her team didn’t provide a simultaneous translation.

Perhaps stranger still, Ms. Yingluck, who has a master’s degree from Kentucky State University in the U.S., could have chosen to speak in English, a language which some people in the audience also speak. It could be, though, that Ms. Yingluck wasn’t entirely confident in English. A video of her greeting visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Thailand last year by saying “overcome” instead of “welcome” got heavy play on YouTube, while Ms. Yingluck’s political opponents sometimes unfavorably compare her prowess with the language with that of her predecessor, Eton-and-Oxford educated Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Thai government officials couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

-----
tulsathit ‏ @tulsathit

Foreign Ministry has questioned the motive of WSJ reporter who wrote a blog article on Yingluck's public speech in Japan.

Foreign Ministry says it hopes the WSJ blog article does not reflect the news organisation's overall attitude toward Thailand.

Foreign Ministry also suggests WSJ blog goes against the paper's attempt to be different from tabloids.

The letter of protest was signed by Thani Thongpakdi, chief of Foreign Ministry's information dept.

[StrontiumDog]

Big Japanese firms plan to increase investment | Bangkok Post: news

Big Japanese firms plan to increase investment

• Published: 9/03/2012 at 06:42 PM
• Online news: Local News

TOKYO - Senior executives of 10 major Japanese companies confirmed they have plans to expand their investments in Thailand, but asked for tax incentives, during a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Tokyo on Friday morning.

Top management people from Toshiba, Honda, Toyota, Nissan Motors, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Isuzu Motors, Suzuki Motor Corporation and Bridgestone Corporation, industrial conglomerate Mitsui and services provider Marubeni attended the meeting - all major investors with large production bases in Thailand.

Reporters were invited into the meeting.

The industry chiefs praised the Yingluck government's efforts to combat the flood crisis and help the flood victims.

They also expressed satisfaction with the government’s water resources management plans, flood prevention projects and the offering of tax privilege schemes.

The Japanese executives expressed their continuing confidence in Thailand as a production base and said they would speed up expansion plans for their facilities in Thailand.

However, they also asked for more investment tax incentives to encourage additional investment and for a reduction in the bureaucratic red tape that hampers the running of their businesses.


Photo REUTERS

Prime Minister Yingluck expressed her regret at problems the Japanese firms experienced in the Nava Nakhon and Bangkadi industrial estates inundated by last year’s devastating flood.

She gave an assurance that there will be no recurrence of the great flood. The short- and long-term flood prevention measures being introduced by her government at a cost of 350 billion baht would ensure this.

Ms Yingluck said Thailand has several strong points that would help it become a trade and investment base for the Asean Economic Community after it is launched in 2015.

Replying to the tax incentive call, Ms Yingluck said the government has since Jan 1, 2012 reduced corporate income tax from 30 per cent to 23 per cent, and it would be further cut to 20 per cent on Jan 1, 2013.

The Board of Investment had already offered tax exemption for the imports of machinery by inundated manufacturers, she added.

She also assured the top management of Japan firms that the investment promotion policies of the BOI will not be changed even though there is a change in the government.

Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, Industry Minister Pongsavas Svasti and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul also attended the meeting.

Ms Yingluck was due to conclude her visit today and return to Bangkok tonight.

[StrontiumDog]

Govt raps WSJ criticism of PM's Thai-language speech - The Nation

Govt raps WSJ criticism of PM's Thai-language speech

THE NATION March 10, 2012 1:00 am

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the prime minister's personal spokesman yesterday defended her giving a speech in Thai during her visit to Japan, after an article in The Wall Street Journal criticised Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's decision not to address the audience in English.

Written translations of the speech in both English and Japanese were available to the media, according to Suranand Vejjajiva, Yingluck's personal spokesman. The Journal's story refers only to a Japanese translation.

Department of Information director-general Thani Thongphakdi, who is also the Foreign Ministry's spokesman, sent a letter to the editor of the New York-based business newspaper explaining that it was agreed in advance that the prime minister would deliver her address in Thai, while the Japanese side would do so in their own language.

In his letter dated yesterday, Thani wrote: "Due to the time constraint, both sides wanted to provide as much time as possible for the ensuing networking session between the private sectors of both countries. This is normal practice at such events."

Thani also questioned the reporter's motive in writing the article. "I sincerely hope this is not the direction to be taken by a respected newspaper such as yours," he concluded.

Suranand offered a similar explanation to reporters at Government House yesterday. He said written translations of Yingluck's speech in Japanese and English were made available to participants at a function at the Japan Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

"It was agreed with the event organisers. The Japanese side spoke in Japanese and the prime minister in Thai. If the agreement called for her to speak in English, she would have done so. There are no reasons to think that the prime minister cannot speak English. The complete translations were available in print," Suranand said.

He added that it was not a case of the prime minister making a mistake or "blunder", although he acknowledged there might have been some flaws in coordination with the organisers.

Wall Street Journal reporter Eleanor Warnock wrote in a Thursday article headlined "Some Japanese still in the dark over Thailand's flood plan" that Yingluck made her seven-minute speech to the hundred-strong audience without any accompanying translation. This left many of the attending business leaders wondering quite what she was talking about and "awkwardly scanning their handouts for clues", the report said.

"With a Japanese-language copy of her speech already handed out to an eager audience, Ms Yingluck arrived to make her big pitch - in Thai," the report said, referring to the PM's bid to win back the confidence of Japanese businesses hit by last year's devastating floods.

It also quoted a representative from a travel company who said it was "a bit weird" that Yingluck's team did not provide a simultaneous translation.

The report also noted that US-educated Yingluck could have chosen to speak in English. "It could be, though, that Ms Yingluck wasn't entirely confident in English. A video of her greeting visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Thailand last year by saying 'overcome' instead of 'welcome' got heavy play on YouTube," wrote the reporter. Yingluck began her Japan trip on Tuesday and returned to Thailand yesterday.

[DJ Pat]

Ms. Yingluck’s political opponents sometimes unfavorably compare her prowess with the language with that of her predecessor, Eton-and-Oxford educated Abhisit Vejjajiva.
.

He sounds chillingly rather too British

[SteveCM]

Meet the Editors - March 9: Yingluck attacked over Thai-language press conference in Japan

Uploaded by TheNationDigital on Mar 9, 2012




And still some chortle.....

In passing, interesting to note the differences in coverage from the Bkk Post and The Nation of this [cough] "furore".....