Prime Minister receives leaders of 7 leading corporations of Thailand

Prime Minister receives Mr. Thammasak Sethaudom - Chairman and CEO of SCG Group - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

These leaders include: Mr. Thammasak Sethaudom - Chairman and CEO of SCG Group; Mr. Soopakij Chearavanont - Chairman of Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group; Ms. Somhatai Panichewa, CEO of AMATA Group; Ms. Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, Chairwoman of the Executive Committee and CEO of WHA Group; Mr. Ton Chirathivat - Chief Digital Officer and Founding Family Member of Central Retail Group; Mr. Chongrak Rattanapian - Chairman of Kasikornbank; Mr. Jormsup Lochaya - Chairman of Super Energy Group. These businesses all have investment projects in Vietnam.

SCG (Siam Cement Group) is one of the leading industrial groups in Southeast Asia, established in 1913 in Thailand. In Vietnam, SCG invested in a petrochemical complex project in Long Son commune, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province with a total capital of more than 5 billion USD, which has been completed, put into operation and is being expanded. This is the largest FDI project in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and the leading project in the country.

Prime Minister receives Mr. Soopakij Chearavanont - Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Charoen Pokphand (CP Group) is Thailand's largest private conglomerate, founded in 1921 in Bangkok. CP operates in Vietnam through integrated agri -industrial and food businesses.

AMATA is one of the leading industrial park developers in Thailand and Southeast Asia. In Thailand, Amata owns and manages large-scale industrial parks such as Amata City Chonburi and Amata City Rayong, which attract hundreds of multinational corporations. In Vietnam, AMATA has 7 projects with a total investment of 860 million USD, attracting 220 multinational investors with a total registered capital of about 6.7 billion USD, creating more than 60,000 jobs.

WHA Group is a leading developer in Thailand and Southeast Asia in the fields of logistics infrastructure development, industrial real estate, utilities and energy, digital solutions, with a total asset size of 6.5 billion USD. WHA's industrial parks have attracted more than 46 billion USD. Vietnam is a key country in WHA's expansion strategy.

Prime Minister receives Ms. Somhatai Panichewa, General Director of AMATA Group - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Central Retail is one of the leading multi-sector retail groups in Thailand, belonging to Central Group. In Vietnam, Central Retail started operating in 2012 and has become one of the largest foreign-invested retailers, with more than 340 stores and shopping malls in more than 40 provinces and cities.

Kasikornbank is one of the leading commercial banks in Thailand. In Vietnam, Kasikornbank has expanded its operations by establishing a branch in Ho Chi Minh City in August 2021.

Prime Minister receives Ms. Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, Chairwoman of the Executive Committee and General Director of WHA Group - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Super Energy is Thailand's leading energy group, specializing in renewable energy investments such as solar, wind and biomass, with operations in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia.

During the meetings with the Prime Minister, representatives of the corporations highly appreciated Vietnam's determination and recent efforts in implementing strategic and revolutionary breakthroughs such as streamlining the apparatus, reforming institutions and administrative procedures, and determination to develop strongly in the new era; believing that Vietnam will overcome difficulties and challenges in the current context to continue developing.

Thanking the Prime Minister and Vietnamese agencies and localities for their active support and companionship, the corporations affirmed their commitment to continue long-term operations and expand investment in Vietnam; and made a number of recommendations and proposals to speed up the implementation of projects.

Prime Minister receives Mr. Ton Chirathivat - Chief Digital Officer and Founding Family Member of Central Retail Group - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Successful investors make Vietnam successful.

At the meetings, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand has continuously developed, deepened and become comprehensive.

In 2024, two-way trade turnover will reach more than 20 billion USD, an increase of 6.4% compared to 2023. The two sides are aiming for a turnover of 25 billion USD in the coming time, in accordance with the Vietnam - Thailand High-level Joint Statement.

Thai investors have invested in 767 projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of nearly 15 billion USD, ranking 9th among 150 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. In contrast, Vietnam has invested in 22 projects in Thailand with a total capital of nearly 35 million USD.

The Prime Minister highly appreciated the efforts and long-term commitment of corporations in investing and developing business activities in Vietnam, thereby actively contributing to the economic cooperation and friendship between the two countries.

2025 is the year Vietnam will "accelerate, break through, and reach the finish line" to successfully complete the socio-economic development goals for the 2021-2025 period, thereby creating the premise to prepare to enter a new era - the era of striving, developing wealth, civilization, and prosperity of the nation, successfully achieving the goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2045.

Prime Minister receives Mr. Chongrak Rattanapian - Chairman of Kasikornbank - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

In the context of complicated developments in the world economy, the Vietnamese Government is implementing many solutions to "turn danger into opportunity", determined to grow at over 8% in 2025 and double digits in the period of 2026-2030.

Accordingly, Vietnam focuses on drastically and effectively implementing three breakthroughs in institutions, infrastructure and human resources, ensuring "open institutions, smooth infrastructure, smart governance"; promoting the development of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation; developing the private economy as the most important driving force of the national economy.

In particular, Vietnam is continuing to perfect its institutions - "the bottleneck of bottlenecks" to unblock all resources for development, making efforts to further improve the investment and business environment in the coming time, while drastically implementing the revolution of streamlining the apparatus, improving the efficiency, effectiveness and efficiency of state management, promoting decentralization and delegation of power to localities, reforming administrative procedures, strongly shifting from pre-inspection to post-inspection, shifting the administrative apparatus from a passive state to proactively serving people and businesses, with the goal that from July 1, the new apparatus will operate more smoothly and effectively, making decisions and solving problems more quickly.

The Prime Minister asked Thai corporations and banks to continue expanding their operations and investing in areas of strength and new areas such as digital economy, green economy, circular economy, emerging industries, and high technology.

Prime Minister receives Mr. Jormsup Lochaya - Chairman of Super Energy Group - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

According to the Prime Minister, Vietnam is strongly reforming to speed up the process of site clearance and project procedures, so investors also need to fulfill their commitments, be more active, urgent, quick and effective in implementing projects.

The Prime Minister suggested that corporations and banks, with their experience and network of partners, continue to support attracting reputable Thai and foreign enterprises to learn about and implement effective investment projects in Vietnam; strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese enterprises to help improve technological capacity, engineering, management skills, develop human resources, especially high-quality human resources, and participate deeply in regional and global value chains; support experience sharing and consultation to help the Government continue to perfect appropriate and effective institutions and policy mechanisms.

Regarding CP Group, Thailand's largest private corporation, the Prime Minister emphasized that Vietnam's national construction and development cannot lack agriculture; in Vietnam's strategy for the coming years and the next 100 years, agriculture is still an important pillar, a field that needs to develop in the direction of high-tech, ecological agriculture, civilized farmers, and modern countryside. Therefore, CP's operations in Vietnam are in line with the trend, especially with Vietnam's export market being rapidly expanded around the world.

The Prime Minister suggested that the Government promote the application of high technology, digital transformation, increase labor productivity; make the most of local raw materials; strengthen training and use of local human resources, including Vietnamese leaders and managers to reduce costs; sign long-term contracts with raw material areas; increase deep processing of Vietnam's strong and branded agricultural products and take advantage of the market network from the FTAs ​​that Vietnam has signed.

Regarding Kasikornbank, the Prime Minister proposed participating in developing international financial centers in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, and participating in restructuring weak credit institutions.

The Prime Minister affirmed that, with the spirit of "harmonious benefits and shared risks", the Vietnamese Government will always accompany and create a favorable investment environment for businesses and investors, including Thai investors, to operate successfully, comply with legal regulations, and contribute to the development and prosperity of the two countries.

Regarding the proposals of enterprises, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh specifically directed ministries and branches to urgently resolve them with a specific deadline; at the same time, assigned Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc to be the head of the working group to continue resolving the difficulties and problems of Thai enterprises.

The Prime Minister hopes that in the current context, both sides will promote the spirit of listening, understanding, sharing, accompanying and cooperating to overcome difficulties and challenges and continue to reap success.

Faced with the impact of tariff policies of other countries, the Prime Minister said that Vietnam remains calm and courageous, has appropriate, timely and effective response solutions, especially with partners diversifying markets, products and supply chains in the context of narrowing and affected markets.

Suggesting that Thai businesses in Vietnam also strive for double-digit growth and effective operations, the Prime Minister emphasized: Vietnam must first be successful to create an environment and ecosystem for businesses and investors to succeed, and if businesses and investors are successful, Vietnam will also be successful.

Ha Van

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/thu-tuong-tiep-lanh-dao-7-tap-doan-hang-dau-cua-thai-lan-102250516195456922.htm