Nevada seeks investors

The NREDC is one of 40 investment-promotion centres established and acknowledged by Congress. All of them are mandated to search for new investment from outside the US.

Dee Mallas, the Thai-American senior director of the NREDC, said the agency planned to invite families and investors in a new EB-5 investment scheme called under the Immigration Act of 1990.

An EB-5 visa allows a foreigner to invest in the US and receive a "green card", or permanent residency, for the entire family, allowing them to live and work in the US.

Investing in a high-employment zone requires a minimum of US$1 million (Bt34 million), while a low-employment zone needs investment of only $500,000.

The NREDC is planning more than $400 million worth of projects in Las Vegas.

A hotel will be the biggest development, costing $50 million to $70 million. It will feature 600 rooms targeted at the middle market. Some projects, such as computer and information technology and medical centres, are also being planned.

Although Las Vegas, Nevada's largest city, is already packed with 150,000 rooms, it still has the potential to grow, as it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US. More than 40 million locals and foreigners visited the city last year.

"Many Thai hotels are opening branches abroad, mostly in Asia and Europe, but not so much in the US. This move is expected to help Thais spread their business there," she said.

The NREDC has targeted 50 Thai families joining the scheme this year, she added.