The chamber's southern chapter also wants security agencies to ensure the safety of businessmen in the deep South because of fears they might shift out of the area and leave foreign investors to scoop up assets, particularly land, at fire-sale prices.

After a members' meeting yesterday, secretary-general Dusit Nontanakorn said the main agenda was the repercussions from the violence in the four southernmost provinces. Members shared the view that the government should accelerate laying out the CCTV network and repairing damaged nodes so militants can be caught.

A tax deduction would enhance private firms' ability to install CCTV facilities on their premises.

The chamber will submit its plan to the joint public-private committee meeting next month, then push for it to go the Cabinet.

Somkiat Anuras, deputy secretary-general of the chamber, said the southern violence had hit the tourism industry hardest. The government needs to provide tighter security for the private sector.

Somkiat, also chairman of the Southern Border Committee, said damage from the latest bombings had not been estimated yet, but the confidence of consumers and businessmen had taken a big hit.

Some companies have already left the area due to the danger and some foreign investors have stepped in to take over all their assets, which reduced the cost of setting up new businesses.

Meanwhile, Bank of Thailand governor Tarisa Watanagase said at a dinner talk organised by the Indian-Thai Chamber of Commerce that economic uncertainty this year would be more severe than the past few years due to pending elections and the bombs on New Year's Eve. But she believed that consumption would improve in the second half to due to lower interest rates.