PM in France

Chatrudee Theparat

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin hopes to receive France’s support towards the finalizing of the Thai-EU FTA.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin yesterday attended and delivered the remarks at the Thailand - France Business Forum. Deputy Government spokesperson Radklao Inthawong Suwankiri disclosed gist of his remarks.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin

He expressed sincere hope to receive France’s support towards the finalizing of the Thai-EU FTA. Once is signed It is predicted that EU’s exports to Thailand will be increased by over 40% and expand Thailand’s exports to the EU by over 25%. He believed hat private sectors from both countries hold the keys towards successful negotiation of the FTA.

The PM expressed appreciation for a very warm welcome, and stated that France was the first country in Europe he made an official visit after taking office. His second visit in the span of three months demonstrates the strong relations between the two countries.

Thailand is France's third-largest trading partner in ASEAN. The prime minister believed that under his administration, the country can and should be France’s largest partner in the region as business partnership between the two countries is strong. On people-to-people front, there are around 30,000 Thais living in France.

While around 40,000 French nationals are living in Thailand, the second highest number of French expats in Asia. Last year, about 270,000 tourists from France visited Thailand while France welcomed almost 200,000 Thais.

Recently, the Thai government has just launched the “IGNITE THAILAND” vision to elevate Thailand into a global hub in eight sectors. These are tourism, wellness & medical, agriculture & food, aviation, logistics, future mobility, digital economy, and finance.

In conclusion, the prime minister underlined two key points: First, he believed that more people-to-people contacts bring about greater understanding, trust, and confidence. Therefore, he encouraged Thai and French people to reach out and visit each other as much as possible. Thailand facilitates visits by granting visa-free entry and stay to French nationals, and hopes to receive France’s support on visa exemption in the Schengen area for Thai passport holders.

Second, Thailand is open for business, with clear policy direction and favorable incentives. It is the government’s strong commitment that what should be done in order to facilitate and support the private sector. The prime minister expressed hope to see Franco-Thai economic and business partnership blossom, and that the participants find this Forum fruitful.

Thailand - France Business Forum is successfully held with an aim to build upon the momentum of the prime minister’s official visit to France on March 11, 2024. The Forum promotes mutual trade and investment in the potential fields of mutual interest, including energy, circular industry , mobility / construction / transportation, food & beverages, hospitality and sustainable cities.