Srettha satisfied with his meetings in Japan, pushes for investments
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said he was very satisfied with his meetings with several Japanese businessmen on Friday.
The Thai PM is currently in Tokyo to attract investment from Japanese investors, including for Thailand’s proposed 1-trillion-baht (US$28.6 billion) Land Bridge.
Srettha met Japan’s new Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ken Saito, and attended the “Thailand-Japan Investment Forum” organised by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI).
After that, he met seven Japanese automakers — including Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Isuzu, Mazda and Toyota — in a bid to attract investment in electric vehicles (EVs).
The discussions also covered clean energy, which will be the main topic during the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit to mark the 50th anniversary of their relationship on Sunday.
During the meeting, Honda and Isuzu told Srettha that they planned to invest a total of 82 billion baht in the next five years in Thailand.
"The discussion with Japanese automakers aimed to accelerate investments in EVs as these automakers have operated in Thailand for 50-60 years," the PM told the press during an interview at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo.
Srettha said he was very satisfied with the meetings throughout the day, confirming that Japan remained an important partner for Thailand.
"There is nothing to worry about [the meeting with Japanese businessmen], but we tried to encourage them to accelerate investment because the world has changed a lot," he said.
The PM also expressed confidence that all projects under his government would achieve success within its four-year term. However, he was uncertain how long it could take for adaptation of hydrogen vehicles.
Srettha also told the press that he had requested a holiday break from December 19 to 22 to take a trip with his 96-year-old mother and two children who will return to Thailand soon.
However, he confirmed that he was available all the time even when he was on holiday. "In this era, you can work around the clock if you have a smartphone," the PM said, adding that it was the duty of the country’s leader.
The Thai PM left the hotel at 5pm (Japan time) to take a walk with his team in Ginza district.
Srettha told the press that walking in Japan is comfortable thanks to the around 10 degrees Celsius temperature. He added that he usually went to supermarkets while travelling overseas to purchase vegetables and fruits.
