On 11 June 2010, at the Banyan Tree Hotel, Bangkok, Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave a keynote speech at the Special British Chamber of Commerce Thailand Luncheon, organized by the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT). Participants to the event were 58 representatives from more than 30 major British companies based in Thailand.
In his keynote speech, Foreign Minister Kasit reassured the BCCT of Thailand’s adherence to the principles of liberal democracy. At the national level, the Royal Thai Government would pursue the national reconciliation plan and promote an environment which is conducive to the dialogue among all parties concerned in the society. As for the international level, Thailand has been participating in democratic mechanisms at both bilateral and multilateral levels. Recently, Thailand has been elected to be a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (term 2010-2013), receiving the second-highest vote out of 14 candidates. Also, Thailand has been increasing its international role as a donor country, as seen in its continued assistance to neighboring countries through various frameworks, and will continue to do so in the areas of peacekeeping and disaster management.
Foreign Minister Kasit also stated the Thai Government’s policy to promote areas of investment that British investors could take part, namely renewable energy, agro-industry, creative economy, and education. The United Kingdom has advanced technological know-how in these areas that could play a vital role in joint development with Thailand. The Kingdom could also be an output base for British entrepreneurs in selling their products to other countries.
The BCCT was established in 1946, making it the longest-standing foreign chamber of commerce in Thailand and the oldest British Chamber of Commerce in Asia. The Special BCCT Luncheon is an important event regularly organized by the BCCT, where key persons from the government and private sectors are invited to give keynote speeches on topics of interests to the BCCT members.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th