Thai govt not invited for chamber's annual meet

[webfact]

Govt not invited for chamber's annual meet
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) has decided not to invite the prime minister or her representatives to its annual meeting in Trang this week, to avoid being pulled into politics.

"The Thai political [situation] is fragile currently. The chamber has carefully considered that we should not get involved with the [current] events as it could lead to misunderstanding ... [The chamber] expects to see a political solution and stronger growth soon," said TCC chairman Isara Vongkusolkit.

This is the second time the TCC has made such a decision. In 2009, then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva also had to cancel his plans to participate in the chamber's annual meeting in Chiang Mai, because of protests by the red shirts.

This year, the TCC had invited Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to speak at the closing ceremony of the meeting, to be held from tomorrow to Sunday (Nov 22-24) in the southern city of Trang. Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong was then scheduled to replace Yingluck and receive proposals from the TCC after the meeting. But now he has been advised to cancel his participation too.

The 31st TCC annual meeting |will be held under the theme of "Change Minds and Change Me, to Be Excellent".

Isara said private enterprise this year would focus on developing competitiveness to ensure the survival and growth of Thai enterprises after the Asean Economic Community comes into effect in 2015.

Somkiat Anuras, vice chairman of the TCC, said about 1,300 businesspeople and media from around the country were expected to take part in the annual meeting. The chamber will brainstorm ideas and strategies to promote growth of business, and will sum up those proposals to the government.

Although the government will not join the event, the proposals coming out of the meeting will be related to it during the next meeting of the Joint Public-Private Committee.

Asked about Parliament's endorsement late on Tuesday of the Bt2-trillion infrastructure development project, Isara said the chamber supported the mega-project, but the government and involved enterprises needed to ensure transparency.

He said that if the project could be implemented next year, it should help boost the economy. However, if there are any delays, that may slow growth.


-- The Nation 2013-11-21

[Thainy Tim]

Haha... The shame of it. They obviously don't want their meeting sullied by this disgraced rabble who just embarrass themselves, their voters and their nation on an almost daily basis.

Also it would fly in the face of their theme..... "Change Minds and Change Me, to Be Excellent".

That would be undermined the moment anyone from this government stepped into the room.

[GeorgeO]

Haha... The shame of it. They obviously don't want their meeting sullied by this disgraced rabble who just embarrass themselves, their voters and their nation on an almost daily basis.

Also it would fly in the face of their theme..... "Change Minds and Change Me, to Be Excellent".

That would be undermined the moment anyone from this government stepped into the room.

Yes, a major snub to be added to all the 'no confidence' vibes coming out of other major institutions here, such as University Committees who opposed to Amnesty Bill.

[Jim walker]

Would they have had anything constructive to say anyway.

[Local Drunk]

Now Yingluck has the problem of deciding what she won't be wearing to the Chamber's annual meet...

Edited November 22, 2013 by Local Drunk

[Artisi]

Such a crying shame, another excellent photos-shoot opportunity gone.

[JoeThePoster]

Trang? Now, whose home town is that?

[Artisi]

self delete - double post

Edited November 22, 2013 by Artisi

[boomerangutang]

Not invited to the most boring do-nothing meeting of the year? Shucks.

[Ricardo]

Would they have had anything constructive to say anyway.

One assumes that a polite "thank-you", for the priority-treatment of the cut in Corporate-tax, might have been forthcoming ?

[trevor4]

Haha... The shame of it. They obviously don't want their meeting sullied by this disgraced rabble who just embarrass themselves, their voters and their nation on an almost daily basis.

Also it would fly in the face of their theme..... "Change Minds and Change Me, to Be Excellent".

That would be undermined the moment anyone from this government stepped into the room.

Yes, a major snub to be added to all the 'no confidence' vibes coming out of other major institutions here, such as University Committees who opposed to Amnesty Bill.

"shame"..."disgraced"... "snub".. .

all very accurate descriptions...

and because of that, good basis for Yingluck to sue the Chamber of Commerce for defamation by not inviting her.

The ShinCorp battalion of lawyers is no doubt preparing the papers now.

[Thai at Heart]

Maybe they have a tip off that the government will have changed by then??