Ex-Thai PM Abhisit Eyes Economic Rebound After Floods

[webfact]

Ex-Thai PM eyes economic rebound after floods

TOKYO, March 2, 2012 (AFP) - Former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Friday he expects the kingdom's economy to rebound in the first quarter of 2012 as firms increase output following last year's devastating floods.

Abhisit made his comments on a visit to Japan where he had been meeting industry leaders as part of a drive to reassure businesses thinking of fleeing the country as a result of the disaster.

Among those whose businesses suffered when heavy rains brought chaos to swathes of the country was car giant Honda, which was forced to suspended operations at one of its factories in October.

The plant in central Ayutthaya province lost more than 1,000 cars when they were submerged in the muddy waters that also swamped Bangkok, an image Abhisit said became "the symbol of the industrial damage from the flooding".

"I would say that the majority of companies have already resumed operations, many of them at the pre-crisis level," Abhisit told journalists in Tokyo.

"Yesterday at my meeting with Honda, they confirmed by the end of this month they will be back in operation. So we expect a quite strong rebound in the first quarter this year."

Honda said it plans to restart the Ayutthaya plant by the end of March and expects to have operations back to normal in early April.

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.

A recent survey showed almost one in 10 Japanese manufacturers with operations in Thailand now plans to relocate out of the kingdom.

Electronics makers were particularly hard hit, with more than half directly affected by the disaster, according to the poll of 1,345 companies by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce Bangkok (JCCB).

The JCCB has urged the Thai government to speed up the implementation of a flood control plan.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-03-02

[Orac]

I would love to hear what his answer was to the question he must have been asked as to what Thailand was doing to make sure this didn't happen again.

[OzMick]

I would love to hear what his answer was to the question he must have been asked as to what Thailand was doing to make sure this didn't happen again.

They couldn't get an answer from the PM?

[Orac]

I would love to hear what his answer was to the question he must have been asked as to what Thailand was doing to make sure this didn't happen again.

They couldn't get an answer from the PM?

She doesn't get there for another week or so.

[Reasonableman]

I would love to hear what his answer was to the question he must have been asked as to what Thailand was doing to make sure this didn't happen again.

They couldn't get an answer from the PM?

She doesn't get there for another week or so.

I daresay they'll both be singing from the same hymn book.

[OzMick]

I would love to hear what his answer was to the question he must have been asked as to what Thailand was doing to make sure this didn't happen again.

They couldn't get an answer from the PM?

She doesn't get there for another week or so.

I daresay they'll both be singing from the same hymn book.

Without a doubt, and Abhisit without a script.

[Orac]

^^

It must have been difficult for him to reassure the Japanese given his position in Thailand that the government is not doing enough:

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255502170004

I am sure that as an experienced politician he was able to pull it off diplomatically - I would just be interested to know how he did it.

[ginjag]

Taking in the experience of Abhisit and Yingluck their personalities, communication skills, diplomatic standing, honesty, If I were Japanese I certainly would know who I would feel most comfortable with, if his visit was a bonus for Thailand then good job done. The P.M. should be in there first doing the nations bit, but doesn't seem to have the time, relaxing during government meetings more the like. I do think this is Abhisits best role, the sort of top of the range foreign minister, rather than trying to keep all the pigs happy in parliament.

[hellodolly]

I would love to hear what his answer was to the question he must have been asked as to what Thailand was doing to make sure this didn't happen again.

They couldn't get an answer from the PM?

She doesn't get there for another week or so.

Thought she had already been there once and her clone brother also.

[1bbcd5]

He's the one on the right, twylight.

[MEL1]

"Yesterday at my meeting with Honda, they confirmed by the end of this month they will be back in operation. So we expect a quite strong rebound in the first quarter this year."

We?

The Japanese companies, or Thailand itself?

Of course production will be upped. Car companies don't churn out cars with no orders. There were people waiting for that lot of 1,000.

I'll cack my keks if floods do come again, after all this hype about foreign investment, and incentive, criteria being met!

-mel.

[Bakseedaa]

I would love to hear what his answer was to the question he must have been asked as to what Thailand was doing to make sure this didn't happen again.

They couldn't get an answer from the PM?

She doesn't get there for another week or so.

Is there a Four Seasond Hotel in Tokyo..... ?