Thai PM's Myanmar visit - 'Best time for cooperation'

[webfact]

'Best time for cooperation'
Sasithorn Ongdee,
Anapat Deechuay
The Nation


Myanmar President Thein Sein, left, watches as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha greets Myanmar officials upon his arrival in the capital Nay Pyi Taw for a two-day visit to boost ties and cooperation.

Having a military govt will help boost ties with Myanmar, Prayut says before flying to Nay Pyi Taw

BANGKOK: -- With a military government in charge, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said this was the best time for Thailand and Myanmar to forge cooperation for mutual benefit in terms of security and economic interests.

"Previously, when the governments have had some problems, we could use military communication to clear the way and now is the best time for relations [with the military having taken over running of the country]. We will support democracy in Myanmar, too," Prayut told reporters before his departure to Nay Pyi Taw yesterday for a two-day visit.

Quasi-democratic Myanmar is the first foreign country that General Prayut is visiting as prime minister of Thailand after he seized power in a coup on May 22.

Prayut yesterday met with Myanmar President Thein Sein, who is also a four-star general, and discussed a wide range of regional and bilateral issues. The main focus was on Asean affairs, border development for security and economic links.

Although the long boundary has not yet been demarcated, Prayut said he would not allow the problem of the boundary line to undermine cooperation for border development.

"We need more cooperation on this issue to make our border secure for the safety of people who cross the border in and out to work. We will also talk about the welfare of [Myanmar migrant] workers," he said.

He would explain the Koh Tao murder case in which two Myanmar nationals have been charged with murder and rape of two British nationals last month, he said.

"We don't blame any nationals. It doesn't matter what nationality they are. We just say they are migrants who committed crimes and I don't want the issue to jeopardise relations with Myanmar," he said.

Prime Minister Prayut also talked about the joint development project at Dawei Special Economic Zone in southern Myanmar during his meeting with Thein Sein.

The mega-project was initiated by the previous government as a strategic port for regional logistics to link Myanmar with the eastern part of Southeast Asia and to connect Thailand with the Indian Ocean. It will be closely watched whether Prayut's government continues the Dawei "push". The PM said earlier that the project was important for Asean connectivity and for Thailand's border development.

Dawei Development Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD), expressed strong confidence that the Dawei industrial estate and deep-sea port project would progress after Prayut's visit.

Dawei Development's managing director Somjet Thinaphong said yesterday he believed that if there were talks between the two governments, the project would have to move ahead as the framework of the development remains.

ITD, Thailand's leading construction firm, struggled to get the US$8-billion project off the ground as it had had to deal with funding problems, complicated land expropriation in Myanmar, and political turmoil in Thailand.

The project is located on 200 square kilometres in Dawei Special Economic Zone, west of Kanchanaburi province. Former premier Yingluck Shinawatra also sought to push the project on a government-to-government basis.

Somjet, however, was confident there would be a positive impact from the project on Thailand and Myanmar, as well as Vietnam and Cambodia.

"If Thailand joins hands with Myanmar on development for the Dawei project, this will help create an economic corridor for Asean from the Mekong sub-region beyond to Malaysia and Singapore," he said.

Somjet said the main factor was convincing Myanmar to see benefit from the Dawei project.

He insisted that Dawei Development, which was established to handle the project, still continued to develop the site by dividing it into many phases. The first phase would involve about 20,000 rai of land (32 square kilometres) to serve light industries and needed around Bt30 billion in funding, which was being mobilised, to finance infrastructure in the area.

Somjet said the company expected to spend three years completing the initial phase while inviting operators and manufacturers to invest in the industrial estate.

Partners would be sought both locally and internationally. There would be foreign partners in Taiwan and Saudi Arabia, but in regard to Japan, there would be cooperation at two levels - state and corporate, he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Best-time-for-cooperation-30245161.html


-- The Nation 2014-10-10

[Suriya4]

Fancy dress party? Rainbow team? Why no one told prayuth first?

[NongKhaiKid]

A military govt will help boost ties with Myanmar !

What a pathetic statement as there's more to the world than just his brothers in arms and the world has many countries that don't like coups and dictatorships so how does he boost ties with them OR do they not matter a la Thainess ?

[Boxclever]

Sure it's the best time for cooperation, the two military dictators are now running the countries, what better time to plunder the coffers?

[Ve37]

Sure it's the best time for cooperation, the two military dictators are now running the countries, what better time to plunder the coffers?

No,...I believe you missed the point. When "Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said this was the best time for Thailand and Myanmar to forge cooperation"....he meant that his astrologer said is was the best time.

[noitom]

Two military dictators back slapping and glad handing.

[Krataiboy]

"We will support democracy in Myanmar, too,"

. . . "too"?

[rickirs]

"Best Time for cooperation."

Yes, both military-led governments share many common traits for cooperation.

[fasteddie]

Birds of a feather!

[MZurf]

Cool hats. Looks like they're off to bed as soon as they've pressed El Jefe's flesh.

[Chanthaburi]

Dear <deleted> god.

How this shit is even possible 2014? I'm so done with this thai shit that i dont even bother whar year they say it's.