Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, second left, walks towards a car upon her arrival at the Haneda International airport in Tokyo on Wednesday. The prime minister is on a four-day visit to Japan. (AFP photo)
Confidence, trust and friendship will bring benefits for both countries, the prime minister told a forum on "Building a Strong Foundation for Thailand and Asean" on Wednesday, shortly after arriving in Tokyo for a four-day official visit.
Ms Yingluck strongly reaffirmed confidence in the Dawei project, which aims to turn a quiet Myanmar town into a thriving Indian Ocean port and industrial zone. She said Dawei port, after construction, will be able to serve industries inside an area of 200 square kilometres, and serve as a gateway for South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Thailand and Myanmar have joined hands on the project. They are looking for foreign investors for actual construction, and to set up factories once the industrial zone is working. The project, one of the biggest in Myanmar, has failed to build any enthusiasm among potential backers, including Japan.
The prime minister also called on Wednesday for Japanese businesses to take part in her own pet project, the 2-trillion-baht infrastructure programme, which includes building dual-track and high-speed rail, and the water management scheme worth 350 billion baht.
Japan is already Thailand's top investor, accounting for 1.3 trillion yen (340,000 billion baht). Bilateral trade is currently 7.5 trillion yen per year.
Ms Yingluck will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday. The vist is her second to Japan since she became prime minister.
