BANGKOK, Aug 16 (TNA) -- US businessmen want to invest more in high-speed broadband and express delivery service businesses in Thailand, said Thai Commerce Minister Pornthiva Nakasai on Sunday.

However, they remain concerned about Thai trade regulations, especially price appraisals by the customs department and excise taxes, said Mrs Pornthiva after meeting members of the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), led by its chairman Alexander C. Feldman.

Mrs. Pornthiva said she had told USABC members that Thailand welcomes US investment and is ready to facilitate American investors, while its laws and regulations are already in line with World Trade Organization regulations and should not pose a problem to investors.

Mrs Pornthiva said she had also told the USABC Thai government has a policy to suppress violations on intellectual property rights (IPR) in the country and a policy committee has been established by having Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as its chairman.

The government has also launched campaigns for Thai businessmen to create their own products and that private American businessmen should help explain this to their government so that Thailand would be withdrawn from Washington’s Priority Watch List (PWL), Mrs Pornthiva told USABC members.

The US Trade Representative in April this year released its annual report which placed Thailand along with 11 other countries on priority watch listing of trading partners that provided an inadequate level of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement. (TNA

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-- TNA 16/08/09

Hello, I am all for more high-speed broadband in Thailand as some places do not get good connections. It will cost a lot, but the investors should be looking in the long term as the internet will be here a long time. Cheers.

Competition may help reduce prices.