Thailand urged to hurriedly prepare for AEC

BANGKOK, May 18 (TNA) - A leading Thai business operator views that the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015 will benefit Thailand, urging the Thai government and the private sector to, therefore, prepare for growing competition once the single market in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is established. The leading Thai businessman, Sarasin Viraphol, who is executive vice president of the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, Thailand's largest agri-business conglomerate, predicted at a seminar on the future of Thailand in the AEC, held in Bangkok on Friday, that Thailand should greatly benefit from the establishment of the AEC, as the country will, at least, have a chance to prepare itself for the growing globalization presently. Sarasin told the seminar that the Thai government, however, needs to support the local private sector in the present globalization with its clear strategies and its adoption of international agreements, assessing that Thailand can be a regional business hub due to its strategic location and potential, but the country needs considerable development of its workers to attract substantial investment projects in the coming years. Sarasin also suggested that the Thai government prove its transparency and government officials further develop themselves to be professional and efficient while refraining from being a tool of any particular party. The CP executive proposed that the Thai government review its overall policies on farm product prices to solve the problem of expensive products local consumers are facing. Meanwhile, Apirak Kosayodhin, a former Democrat Bangkok governor who is now the head of a House sub-committee on economic development, pointed out that the Puea Thai (เพื่อไทย) Party-led government's 300-baht daily minimum wage policy has reduced Thailand's wage competitiveness among Southeast Asian countries, recommending that the government then improve workers’ skills, covering their language skills, and the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs so that they can compete with other regional competitors and also fund more research and development projects on Thai farm products.(TNA) '