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Thai politics

Notes from Commerce Minister Kittiratt’s FCCT Talk

Last night Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong gave a talk at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) on the country’s economy following the floods.

The FCCT site has more info on Kittiratt and provides some background information on the talk.

Below is what I tweeted last night. I have no additional observations to share at this time, but I thought these short notes — though perhaps none of them are surprising — may be interesting to those who follow Thai economic matters.

These are in reverse chronological order.

  • 2. Kittiratt: wouldn’t mind if Thaksin chooses to “not to come back to Thailand for a while,” but he cld help w/ investor confidence.
  • 1. Comm. Min. Kittiratt says former PM Thaksin has no official role in helping restore foreign investors’ confidence.
  • Commerce Min. Kittiratt at @fccthai: government has no plan to change rice pledging scheme.
  • 2. Was once manager of Thai national soccer team. Stadium never full til played Myanmar. Thailand scored and place was quiet, he says.
  • 1. Kittiratt says official figure for foreign workers must be higher than stated 1.9 million. He thinks it’s higher than 5 million.
  • Er, make that: Kittirat says Thai economy is too export dependent. Should rebalance and stimulate domestic demand, he says.
  • Kittirat: Thailand too exports. Jokes that he’d like to rename Dept. of Export Promotion the Dept. of International Trade Promotion.
  • At @Fccthai for Thai Dep. PM/Commerce Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong talk on Thai economy. Will tweet any interesting tidbits.

(All emphasis mine.)