Thai-Japanese relations get a new boost

Stability and the rule of law in Thailand were two important messages that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was able to deliver during his three-day working visit to Japan at the weekend. During the trip, he assured Japanese investors that their money will grow in Thailand because the country has been, and will continue to be, the best place for the yen. Past investment records are testimony to this. His speech to the Japanese business community drew a 1,000 strong audience, which shows that Japanese investors still take Thailand seriously.

Japanese investors are very sensible. They know the good places to put their money and the bad places to stay away from. If their investments are not seen as safe, they will look elsewhere. Abhisit stressed the political situation in Thailand has returned to normalcy and that stability will continue to increase as the government tackles economic woes and the issues that have divided Thai society. He said his top priority is reconciliation between the various conflicting groups in Thai society. Only justice and the rule of law will be able to help Thailand through this still-difficult period. Abhisit also stressed that Thailand respects human rights and is serious about punishing the perpetrators of rights violations and inhumane acts, whether these involve the plight of Rohingya refugees or the insurgency in the southern provinces.

As the Asean chair and host of the Asean summit later this month, Thailand's strong assurances to one of the regional grouping's most important dialogue partners is pivotal. Tokyo's confidence in the Asean chair and its stability will have good resonance when the Asean Plus Three (China, Japan and South Korea) leaders meet later on.

For the Japanese people as a whole, Abhisit had a special message that they are always welcome in Thailand, which continues to be one of their favourite holiday destinations. After the airport seizures last year, the number of Japanese tourists visiting Thailand dropped dramatically from the 1.3 million-level before the incident to around 900,000. In foreign currency terms, the loss ran into millions of dollars. The Thai prime minister reiterated that such an incident will not occur again. Extra measures are being taken to ensure the smooth operation of the region's air hub, and severe penalties will be applied to anyone involved in such incidents.

Beyond these points, Abhisit and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso discussed ways to rejuvenate long-standing Thai-Japanese relations, to make them dynamic and results-oriented. As well as infrastructure projects, there are opportunities for the Japanese business community to increase investment in new areas, especially "green" energy, in which Japan has technological know-how. This is an area in which the two governments need to cooperate and draft a common plan. Thailand will provide incentives and other packages from the Board of Investment to attract new investors in this sector.

Another new area is food security. Although Thailand is one of the world's largest food producers, it does not have a strategic blueprint that takes into consideration global needs. Japan, one of the world's biggest food importing countries, can help Thailand in planning for such food security.

With its modern medical facilities, Thailand can also develop into a medical hub for Japanese citizens. Taking care of older people from Japan will become a new business area. With the number of senior citizens in Japan increasing rapidly, several countries in the region are interested in the same idea. Thailand cannot be complacent about this opportunity. Training of additional nurses will be required, as will Japanese language ability.

Thai-Japanese relations are important because they are based on long-standing trust, mutual interest and common values. Apart from the government-to-government level, both countries have strong people-to-people ties, judging from the number of tourists and civil society links. At the highest level, the Thai monarchy and Japanese imperial family are extremely close, and this has provided a strong foundation for friendship.