Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called on Japanese business leaders Tuesday to increase long-term investment and trade in Thailand.
Attending a breakfast meeting in Tokyo with the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren), Thaksin said his government plans to establish a Thai investment fund in cooperation with long-term investors from Japan.
As part of its efforts to create a better business environment for foreign companies, Thaksin was quoted in a news briefing as saying that Thailand is trying to expedite disposal of bad loans held by Thai companies after the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
According to Keidanren, more than 50 percent of foreign investment made in Thailand last year came from Japan.
Keidanren Chairman Takashi Imai said that Japanese businesses will continue to cooperate with their Thai counterparts in nurturing industries and human resources in Thailand and expanding exports from the country.
Imai will visit Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries in March and April as part of a business mission.