Peter John van Haren, president of the International Chamber of Commerce, said foreign confidence in the Kingdom had dropped since the coup. He said the government should focus on promoting a democratic nation, which foreign investors consider an important factor.

"The government should announce its trade and investment regulations to ensure smooth operations for foreign investors," he said, adding that the sufficiency-economy policy is not clear.

Moreover, the government should amend the Foreign Business Act to give more clarity in terms of foreign shareholders, visas and work-permit approvals.

Pornsilp Patcharintanakul, deputy secretary-general of the Board of Trade, suggested the government set up a committee to follow up talks on free-trade agreements (FTAs) before proposing the results of negotiations to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).

He said the government should engage in bilateral talks to increase trade and investment opportunities in targeted markets.

The committee should consist of representatives from the NLA, private enterprises and non-government organisations. It would work as an intermediate organisation to create an understanding between the negotiating teams and the interim parliament, and would help the NLA make better decisions on whether to approve the proposed pacts, he said.

"The FTA committee should be set up within two weeks to ensure continuity of talks," he said. He expressed concern about the delay of the Thai-Japanese Economic Partnership Agreement. Japan is negotiating with Malaysia and the Philippines and also planning talks with Indonesia.

In addition, the Thai Chamber of Commerce in Pattani called on the government to increase local business people's confidence in the three troubled southernmost provinces.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation