Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has assured foreign investors that Thailand's policies will be designed to support long-term investment even though his government is due to step down in the near future.
The Thai government will do everything within its means to support foreign direct investment (FDI), he said.
Gen Prayut was speaking yesterday at a seminar entitled "Our Economy: Building for the Future" hosted by the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand (JFCCT).
After extending several measures and privileges to foreign investors, the government believes most of them already present for years will stay, he said.
However, Gen Prayut remains concerned that new investors may be reluctant to invest here.
"Please be assured this government will do everything to help support your business here," he said.
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Gen Prayut said even though his government would step down sometime in the next few years, all the policies had been designed with long-term support in mind.
"Please be confident about our policies and kindly give us time to put the country's economy in order so as to pass through the transition period safely and successfully," he said.
The prime minister said new measures aimed at facilitating FDI included the cluster scheme, special economic zones and huge infrastructure megaprojects.
Members of the audience praised Gen Prayut's remarks and expressed optimism about investing further in Thailand.
Rolf-Dieter Daniel, president of the European Association for Business and Commerce in Thailand, said European investors felt more confident about Thailand since the country had improved the business atmosphere.
Investment growth in Thailand has dropped slightly this year due largely to the weak global economy, which has deterred local investment expansion and hurt Thailand's competitiveness.
However, Mr Daniel said European investors still opted to invest in Thailand for the long term.
He admitted minor problems regarding intellectual property remained and urged the government to address this issue for the sake of increased research and development activities.
The government should also provide financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises, which would in turn serve to support the economy in general, Mr Daniel said.
"The cluster policy is also a good step towards attracting high-growth industries," he said.
"However, it's not going to help very much. It would be so much easier and faster to promote the service industry."
JFCCT chairman Stanley Kang said his group supported the government's policies and expected they would eventually lead to increased investment.
"After listening to [Gen Prayut's] briefing, the JFCCT will submit investor and business's comments on the policies to the government by the end of November," he said. "These will reflect investors' opinions on the policies."