South Koreans keen on Thailand
South
Korean investors are eager to expand investment in Thailand after focusing on Vietnam for the past several years.
South Koreans have paid more attention to Thailand since Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak visited South Korea in 2016, said his spokesman Nathporn Chatusripitak.
Mr Nathporn was citing South Korean ambassador Noh Kwang-il, who yesterday met Mr Somkid and Kobsak Pootrakool, the Prime Minister’s Office minister.
During Mr Somkid’s visit, he urged South Korean investors to consider Thailand. The trip also saw the first meeting of the Korea-Thailand Committee on Economic Cooperation (Kotcom).
Mr Somkid told South Korean representatives that they could invest in special promotion zones in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), which could benefit from South Korea’s expertise in high technology.
The deputy prime minister also urged South Koreans to invest in the Pink Line and Yellow Line train routes under a public-private partnership agreement.
South Korean contractors can also bid for construction contracts of the Bangkok-Rayong and Bangkok-Hua Hin highspeed train projects, he said.
In addition, Mr Somkid asked South Koreans to join the bidding process to operate duty-free shops at Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports, where the existing concessions are scheduled to expire in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
The two countries also conducted a blueprint for new economic cooperation initiatives and the development of the Huai Luang water diversion project.
Mr Nathporn said South Korea has proposed organising the second meeting of Kotcom to enhance economic cooperation.
That meeting is expected to be organised in South Korea by the middle of this year, when Mr Somkid is scheduled to lead a delegation to the country.