Japan Investors 'Still Sceptical' Of Thailand

[webfact]

Japan investors 'still sceptical'

PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI

The Nation

TOKYO: -- 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 effective?ness 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 govern?ment 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-man?agement measures. Japanese investors were among the worst hit dur?ing the severe inundation 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 strin?gent 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 con?cerned 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.

-- The Nation 2012-03-09

[sparebox2]

Another perfect photo.

keep it coming.

Great photographers you have.

[Katipo]

Another perfect photo.

keep it coming.

Great photographers you have.

She looks so much like her brother it makes me shiver some times.

[laurentbkk]

well I am also very suspicious about the government action for the next flood ... my company has been under water for 5 weeks , my house also I still wait for the promised help , the promised money and the promised NEVER HAPPEN again ... LOL and after they are surprise about skeptical Japanese investors ? come on, be realistic here ..this is business not Disneyland .Until the government bring some answer for possible floods this year again I would be as skeptical as the Japanese.

[animatic]

Skeptical Japanese Investors?

Seems they must have been doing business in Thailand for some time,

so they come by their skepticism naturally, in large doses.

Edited March 9, 2012 by animatic

[mowgus]

I don't see why they are concerned... ask any Thai and they'll tell you they don't need foreign investors. Realistically though, I hope they heed this warning and correct the issue. If they don't, and the flooding of the industrial estates happens again, they will have no hope of recovery for a long time.

[Sharp]

Sure there skeptical she spoke only in THAI THE WHOLE TIME nobody had a clue wot she saying...

Translaters HELLO

[doggie888888]

Awww, I think the reporter might be a little generous? If my factory was flooded and the crisis management was like an episode of Fawlty Towers and if I have lived here long enough to see the reality of Thai politics, I think "cynical" might be a more accurate assessment of what the Japanese are feeling.

[pisico]

Japanese investors skeptical about Thailand?

I wonder why.

Thais, from yellows to reds, are so self-absorbed in their Thainess that cannot imagine that there is something wrong with them and their country. Not that Thais are wicked or bad people. They just live in a different dimension of reality. Being thoughtless and instinctual is what defines their mind set.

Floods? Even Thai scientists postulate the principle of "learning to live with them". Floods are not the same as an earthquake. However, in both cases, the consequences of such natural events can be lessened. The Khmer in the year 1545 had already and extensive water management to save water for drought and to divert and channel waters into Tonle Sap lake. During that time, there was not a Phonm Penh and Angkor Wat had a population of 1 million people. Thailand is ritualistic, fatalistic and animistic. Those are the hindrances to retooling the way the country thinks and acts.

The headline is hardly a political statement (although it was crafted as one) but one that exposes the frailties of Thailand and a harbinger of the perception of this country by investors from other latitudes.

[OzMick]

Plodprasop visits if she fails to convince, he has this plan for floating factories.

Edited March 9, 2012 by OzMick

[Unkomoncents]

"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."

Reading things like this makes my heart sink. Look at what the Thai government has been able to accomplish over the last 15 years since the 1997 financial collapse. There are so many serious, serious problems the Thai government needs to address. When I see Yingluck, Chalerm and company on television and compare them with officials from Indonesia (the Foreign Minister warned against antiquated, cold war mentalities regarding bilateral military treaties between countries; <deleted>! Can you imagine a Thai government official even being able to verbalize some of those words in English let alone make sense of them) and Malaysia (PM talking about first world infrastructure in Malaysia but the problem of persisting 3rd World mentalities in the country) on BBC, Channel NewsAsia, and the Australia Network, all I can do is sigh. Thais are intent on maintaining incredibly provincial perspectives and political feuds at a time when the world is quickly integrating and developing. It's genuinely scary.

[ballpoint]

What's with all the question marks in the report? Freudian slips?

"effective?ness

govern?ment

business?people

con?cerned "

All too appropriate for this ineffective ungovernment of con(wo)men.

[exeter]

Here in Nakhon Sawan, I was shown a picture of the PM saying we were going to get a 3m flood wall, it had to be built by the 31st May or else. Well thats the story that was translated from Thai Lat. Well to date I can see nothing new, nothing that looks like its about to happen, I wonder if the Iphones and tablet computers are fairing any better?

Perhaps the floods will be cancelled this year! If I were an overseas investors I would like to see something concrete. If I were a Thai I would too.

[Pib]

But what the Thai govt hasn't told anyone yet is that they now have a flood-prevention secret weapon which is a secret, underground sandbag manufacturing facility that will ensure enough sandbags will be ready this rainy season, even if the rains last 40 days and 40 nights. They are still keeping this secret since the sandbag testing and environmental impact assessment is still not complete.

[webfact]

Thai Chamber of Commerce: Japanese investor satisfied & more confident in Thailand

BANGKOK, 9 March 2012 (NNT) - The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) has been upbeat about positive responses from Japanese investors during the prime minister's official visit to restore confidence among businesspeople from one of Asia's economic powerhouses.

TCC Chairman Pongsak Assakul, who joined Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in an official road show to Japan this week, revealed on Thursday that more than 1,200 Japanese investors attended a special session in which the Thai PM discussed the government's economic policies and flood prevention measures.

Mr. Pongsak stated that attending investors have been convinced by Thailand's commitment to saving itself from future flooding, through short-, medium- and long-term measures, although some remained skeptical about the implementation of the plans, which lacks concrete timeframe.

In related news, the TCC Chairman commented that rising cost of living in Thailand is reflecting the upward adjustment by market mechanism and cost of goods, under the current highly competitive market condition.

However, Mr. Pongsak believes that higher prices will neither pose serious threat against the Thai economy nor lead to further inflationary problem.

-- NNT 2012-03-09

[bigbamboo]

Another perfect photo.

keep it coming.

Great photographers you have.

She looks so much like her brother it makes me shiver some times.

It is uncanny, she could almost be bro' in drag in some pics! Back to the point, the Japanese will of course show they are sceptical because it makes good business sense to keep the Thais on the back foot.

Edited March 9, 2012 by bigbamboo

[animatic]

Thai Chamber of Commerce: Japanese investor satisfied & more confident in Thailand

BANGKOK, 9 March 2012 (NNT) - The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) has been upbeat about positive responses from Japanese investors during the prime minister's official visit to restore confidence among businesspeople from one of Asia's economic powerhouses.

TCC Chairman Pongsak Assakul, who joined Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in an official road show to Japan this week, revealed on Thursday that more than 1,200 Japanese investors attended a special session in which the Thai PM discussed the government's economic policies and flood prevention measures.

Mr. Pongsak stated that attending investors have been convinced by Thailand's commitment to saving itself from future flooding, through short-, medium- and long-term measures, although some remained skeptical about the implementation of the plans, which lacks concrete timeframe.

In related news, the TCC Chairman commented that rising cost of living in Thailand is reflecting the upward adjustment by market mechanism and cost of goods, under the current highly competitive market condition.

However, Mr. Pongsak believes that higher prices will neither pose serious threat against the Thai economy nor lead to further inflationary problem.

-- NNT 2012-03-09

Just cheerleading, nothing of real substance.

[DtemJai]

http://blogs.wsj.com...i+Pm+japan+trip

[damo]

Maybe shes been reading the bible?

[TheWalkingMan]

http://blogs.wsj.com...i+Pm+japan+trip

Here is a bit from the link above...

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.

LOL

That was the big event for the Japanese investors? I would bet that the Japanese business leaders are crunching the numbers for new locations.

She did not even take any questions from the audience. Maybe she did a Q&A in the lobby or with government officials.

[animatic]

http://blogs.wsj.com...i+Pm+japan+trip

Here is a bit from the link above...

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.

LOL

That was the big event for the Japanese investors? I would bet that the Japanese business leaders are crunching the numbers for new locations.

She did not even take any questions from the audience. Maybe she did a Q&A in the lobby or with government officials.

Q & A??

More like C & R, Cut and Run.

[bluebluewater]

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

She was late to a meeting at a hotel

[h90]

well I am also very suspicious about the government action for the next flood ... my company has been under water for 5 weeks , my house also I still wait for the promised help , the promised money and the promised NEVER HAPPEN again ... LOL and after they are surprise about skeptical Japanese investors ? come on, be realistic here ..this is business not Disneyland .Until the government bring some answer for possible floods this year again I would be as skeptical as the Japanese.

For me similar. If I would have trusted the government I would have lost everything I own. Here most people believe are sure that next year there will be a worse flood. We are building concrete walls and change the company in something between a bunker and immobile submarine....

[KIWIBATCH]

Where I live in Pinklao we are already prepared and ready for the next flood which will come nothing surer......we have our barriers already built. These have been carefully designed using great mountains of rubbish and water damaged belongings from the last flood.

We have carefully worked out that these will divert any water naturally into "Soi Monkey-cheeks". (as we are going to need more water damaged belongings for next years "barriers")......sort of a self-sustaining theory we thought.

Another preventative measure which we thought of ourselves and didnt require any scientists or water management experts to work out is that we have raised the bottom of the klongs by throwing in the sandbags from the last flood...yep thousands of them.....we think this will make the water go away (travel) faster (the water not being not so deep)....to ensure this will work we have heaved in as much other junk as we can lay our hands on this includes, motorcycles, bits of steel, plastic bags full of household rubbish, you name it we threw it...!!!

yep we are prepared...and we did it without any help from the Government

[looping]

This article seems to contain a very clear message: Work on flood prevention rather than bringing back your brother which will cause political instability. They reiterate this point, as if it will be the final straw for their investors.

[rubl]

http://blogs.wsj.com...i+Pm+japan+trip

Here is a bit from the link above...

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.

LOL

That was the big event for the Japanese investors? I would bet that the Japanese business leaders are crunching the numbers for new locations.

She did not even take any questions from the audience. Maybe she did a Q&A in the lobby or with government officials.

Reminds me of the first training session I was asked to give for a local customer here. I was still young and (fairly) innocent. I wondered why my Thai collegue asked me to stop for a moment after four/five minutes. It seemed a translation was necessary.

[letitbe]

"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."

Reading things like this makes my heart sink. Look at what the Thai government has been able to accomplish over the last 15 years since the 1997 financial collapse. There are so many serious, serious problems the Thai government needs to address. When I see Yingluck, Chalerm and company on television and compare them with officials from Indonesia (the Foreign Minister warned against antiquated, cold war mentalities regarding bilateral military treaties between countries; <deleted>! Can you imagine a Thai government official even being able to verbalize some of those words in English let alone make sense of them) and Malaysia (PM talking about first world infrastructure in Malaysia but the problem of persisting 3rd World mentalities in the country) on BBC, Channel NewsAsia, and the Australia Network, all I can do is sigh. Thais are intent on maintaining incredibly provincial perspectives and political feuds at a time when the world is quickly integrating and developing. It's genuinely scary.

"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."

Reading things like this makes my heart sink. Look at what the Thai government has been able to accomplish over the last 15 years since the 1997 financial collapse. There are so many serious, serious problems the Thai government needs to address. When I see Yingluck, Chalerm and company on television and compare them with officials from Indonesia (the Foreign Minister warned against antiquated, cold war mentalities regarding bilateral military treaties between countries; <deleted>! Can you imagine a Thai government official even being able to verbalize some of those words in English let alone make sense of them) and Malaysia (PM talking about first world infrastructure in Malaysia but the problem of persisting 3rd World mentalities in the country) on BBC, Channel NewsAsia, and the Australia Network, all I can do is sigh. Thais are intent on maintaining incredibly provincial perspectives and political feuds at a time when the world is quickly integrating and developing. It's genuinely scary.

so thailand does not join rat race maybe not a bad thing. Maybe thailand can easily live just as a playground for relieving stress of those working and living in rat holes like singapore Hong Kong estates around europe and trailer parks. Whatever doom mongers say Thailand has food and if you look around seems to have restaurants full of Thais even in very poor areas. I have not seen much of helplessness and despair you see so much these days in west and more developed countries. They will be poorer and stay poorer but so what. Just a thought as I sip my wine in my castle surrounded a lovely family and a great life and one who gave up trying to do any business here but its still a great place to live. however best to leave your main investments outside and if Taksin gets back it will just get worse and worse. My only real concern after 17+ years here is their is a real danger of either a one party Mugabwie state or massive political upheaval and many beutiful places have been easily destroyed by just one evil nasty megalomanic. Dont worry about business getting worse worry about one evil man taking total control and all that will result.

[MaiChai]

I recon rainy season will come early this year. The hot season will be short. Why? Well have you seen how big the mangos are on the trees; normally they aren't this early in the year. Anyone wanting to backup my theory? Nature has a habit of predicting these things (unlike weathermen). Look at the ants who climb when they think its going to rain... Mind you I have seen the ants get it wrong

[UbonOz]

http://blogs.wsj.com...i+Pm+japan+trip

Read the twelve comments in this article. It appears to be Japanese people making the comments.

[MAJIC]

It's come as no surprise that Japanese business people are sceptical,and doubtful,that The Government can control flooding,

I wonder if last years pathetic fiasco,had anything to do with it?

Edited March 9, 2012 by MAJIC