Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has invited Japanese businesspeople to invest in Thailand's Land Bridge megaproject as the two countries mark 136 years of bilateral relations.
Mr Srettha is in Japan to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of Asean-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, which will be held on Sunday.
He is accompanied by a delegation of cabinet ministers, including Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
Mr Srettha on Friday met with the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Saito Ken, before delivering a speech at the Thailand-Japan Investment Forum. The forum was attended by more than 500 Japanese investors and businesspeople. This was the biggest business forum between the two countries since the Covid-19 pandemic eased.
Addressing the forum, Mr Srettha outlined the government's economic policy, which seeks to boost Thailand's economic growth and upgrade its global competitiveness.
"Thailand and Japan have enjoyed 136 years of amicable diplomatic relations, and bilateral ties between the two countries have gone from strength to strength in all dimensions, including the economy, trade, investment and social ties," he said.
"We are close friends at all levels, with cordial relations between the royal families of the two countries. The governments, businesses and people of the two countries also enjoy healthy ties.
"More than 6,000 companies from Japan have invested in Thailand, and there are also 80,000 Japanese in Thailand."
Mr Srettha said that the government has developed economic stimulus measures focusing on areas such as the digital economy, green economy, artificial intelligence, and startup research and development. He said these measures align with Japan's emphasis on technological innovations that are friendly to the environment.
"I hope Thailand will be a destination [for your investment]. Even though Thailand's economy has slowed down, the government has devised stimulus measures," he said.
"Regarding investment, the Board of Investment offers incentives to attract foreign investment in 4,000 projects. Investment from Japan has played a part in boosting Thailand's economic growth. I thank Japanese investors for attaching importance to Thailand."
Mr Srettha said the government has also prioritised infrastructure development, such as the Land Bridge megaproject to create a new logistics transport network connecting the Pacific and the Indian oceans with seaports, rail systems, and road systems.
"With the project, Thailand will become a major regional and global trade hub. I would like to invite the private sector in Japan to study and invest in the Land Bridge project to boost connectivity and create an efficient supply chain in the region," the prime minister said.
The 1-trillion-baht megaproject aims to develop a logistics network connecting Ranong along the Andaman Sea to Chumphon along the Gulf of Thailand. The project comprises deep-water ports in Ranong and Chumphon, a motorway cutting across the land to connect the two provinces and a railway system. It was initiated by the Prayut-Chan-o-cha government in 2021 to drive Thailand's economy.
Mr Srettha also met executives of Mitsui & Co, a leading global trading and investment company, for talks on possible cooperation in clean energy, which is expected to be used by the industry sector in Thailand in the future.