Thai govt urged to prepare private sector for AEC
Suchart Sritama (The Nation), The Asia News Network, Bangkok, Thailand | Mon, 12/26/2011 10:26 AM
The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is calling on the government to encourage the private sector to enter neighbouring countries in a bid to penetrate more regional markets once the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) kicks off in 2015.
"Small- and medium-sized operators with capital not exceeding 200 million baht (US$6.3 million) should move to other areas in the region. However, they need full support and advice on investment regulations, taxation and other necessary information," Kongkrit Hiranyakit, president of policy and planning at TCT, said.
He added that the government should make this move from next year so industries have three years to prepare before the AEC is implemented.
The AEC will not just provide huge opportunities for Thai businesses, but will also bring investment from other countries. However, one of the urgent matters that should be addressed from the beginning is to set up an investment centre that provides information to entrepreneurs about overseas investment.
"Key official bodies, such as the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Board of Investment, Commerce Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, can help," he said.
In addition, Thai operators can build a network with their regional counterparts to cut down on their operating costs and ensure transparency.
The Thai Hotels Association (THA) is calling on the public and private sector to improve |their standards and develop new products in order to retain the country's top-destination status.
The association is also asking its members to enhance competitiveness by providing special training on human skills, particularly foreign languages.
Currently, 35 per cent of the total visitors to Thailand come from a third region, and the country is ranked No. 1 among ASEAN countries with 74 million visitors.
In order to cope with the growth of intra-region travel, TAT is promoting regional routes along the Mekong River. The agency is also planning to develop Thailand and ASEAN into single travel destinations.
