Thai
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has sought to restore confidence in Thailand
by pointing out that the Kingdom remains a good place for investment due to its
status as a regional hub and gateway.
Yingluck gave her assurance while taking part
in the 42nd World Economic Forum (WEF) here, on Friday (early yesterday Bangkok
time) in a bid to regain the confidence of foreign leaders and investors. She
affirmed that Thailand had prepared measures to prevent a repeat of last year's
massive flood crisis, which caused widespread damage.
The Thai prime minister also said women were a
strong symbol of non-violence and would play important roles in bringing about
political reconciliation in Thailand.
She cited Burmese opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, whom she recently met during an official visit to Burma, as a person
with a passion for democracy and a global symbol of non-violence.
The Thai prime minister's vision of women in
society and their role was in contrast to Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg, who
called for the "ambition gap" between men and women to be closed.
Yingluck said parents don't usually raise their daughters to be ambitious;
female equality may have improved at work but not at home; and successful men
were better liked, while successful females were less popular.
Yingluck and Sandberg were both in a WEF
session on "Women as the Way Forward" along with Desmond Tutu, the
retired South African archbishop; Michelle Bachelet, the head of UN Women, and
Al Zain Talal, CEO of Bahrain Mumtalakat. The session was moderated by Nicholas
Kristof from The New York Times.
Yingluck took the podium to deliver her
opening remarks in Thai with simultaneous translation but answered questions
from the floor in English. She underscored the importance of education and
access to finance for women when asked by a Korean member of the audience if
there was a policy to stop sex tourism in Thailand.
"No women will want to hurt themselves -
if we give them the opportunity to better themselves," Yingluck said.
In her opening remarks, Yingluck said that as
a woman, she was proud to be Thai, as she had a chance to receive an education,
run a company and become the first female prime minister.
She called for an end to women's inequity and
violence in society. She said women had positive features that could better
society - such as attention to details and good understanding, and attention to
children and youth. Women also had the ability to save, and made a greater
financial contribution to the raising of families.
Speaking to hundreds at the international WEF
audience, Yingluck said that her government had set up a fund to support women
and to promote universal education for girls.
Tutu said support for women in society was an
obvious necessity given all the positive attributes they give to society. It
was a solution to the world's problems. Women, he said, had compassion,
gentleness and caring.
Yingluck said that women, when they get the
chance to become leaders, make positive contributions to society.
The Thai PM also participated in a discussion
with business leaders and CEOs on "Public-Private Interaction on
Thailand" - to seek ways to develop the country's economic potential, plus
its policy on water management and long-term reform measures.
The prime minister invited WEF members to
attend an East Asia meeting in Bangkok, which will be held on May 31-June 1.
The forum's theme is "Shaping the Region's Future through
Connectivity".
On Friday night, Yingluck hosted a
"Thailand Night" for participants at the Davos forum. The event was
well attended by more than 600 guests most of them global corporate leaders who
braved the cold weather and many other competing events. It featured Thai food,
a fashion show, muay Thai boxing and classical Thai dances.
The prime minister assured guests that the
Thai government was on top of the flood problem and that the country was back
in business as a premier investment hub in the region.
The event was well attended by Thai corporate
leaders, with the chief executives of PTT, Thai Airways, Bangkok Bank and Thai
Beverage attending. Both the foreign and finance ministers joined the event and
foreign guests stayed late into the night.
Pana Janviroj
The Nation
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment