Government spokesperson reveals Prime Minister "very satisfied" with first day of Australia-New Zealand visit, meeting leading Australian private sector figures and receiving praise for Thailand as an investment destination.
Today (18 Aug.), Ms. Rachada Thanadirek, Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, disclosed the results of the first day of the official visit to Australia and New Zealand, saying that Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, held individual company meetings with executives of Canva Pty. Ltd., a world-leading technology company and visual communications platform provider, and delivered a keynote address at the "Thailand–Australia Investment and Business Partnership Reception" under the theme "Thailand and Australia, A Strategic Partnership for Growth," which was attended by more than 70 leading private-sector representatives from Thailand and Australia. He also visited and spoke with Thai entrepreneurs operating restaurants in the Thai Town community district.
The Prime Minister told the media after concluding his engagements that conversations with the private sector — both in individual company format such as with Canva, and in his capacity as chair of the Thailand–Australia Investment and Business Partnership Reception organised by the Board of Investment (BOI) — made it clear that major Australian corporations have strong confidence in Thailand's stability and potential, and regard Thailand as one of their top investment choices. Thailand possesses highly attractive factors for investors, and as we build greater national unity, those attractions will only grow more powerful.
The Prime Minister emphasised that this confidence stems from political stability and security, the country's logistics readiness, and the BOI's Thailand FastPass policy — a key mechanism that comprehensively resolves problems and removes obstacles for investors — all of which have led foreign business people to respond positively and view Thailand as a major investment target.
The Prime Minister said he has always had confidence in Thailand and has placed great importance on this visit in order to genuinely build investor confidence and listen to investors' needs. The results have been highly satisfying. In the first half of this year alone, the BOI reported investment totalling as high as 60,000 million Australian dollars, equivalent to approximately 1.4 trillion baht, and Australian technology can also effectively link and support supply chains within Thailand.
The Prime Minister further noted that Australia currently has a high demand for jet fuel, while Thailand has surplus jet fuel beyond domestic needs — a situation linked to its large-scale diesel production processes. Should the Australian government express intent, the Thai government is ready to consider deregulating related rules to open the way for jet fuel exports to Australia. In addition to meeting Australia's demand, this would also be an opportunity to increase Thailand's export value and generate income for the country.
The Prime Minister also addressed the issue of solutions for Thai labour in Australia, stating that the government will certainly need to hold discussions with the Australian side on this matter. From his on-the-ground visit to meet Thai restaurant operators in Thai Town, he found that the Thai restaurant business is growing but is facing a shortage of chefs and skilled workers, and the government will need to step in to negotiate and ease the relevant restrictions and obstacles.
At the same time, the government will need to assure the Australian side that Thai people coming to work today are not doing so by hiding or working illegally, but are workers ready to bring their abilities, skills, and expertise to create value for the Australian economy. Therefore, opening the opportunity for skilled Thai workers to work legally will support the growth of Australia's business sector and economy, and represents a genuine win-win benefit for both countries.
