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For Immediate Release
July 29, 2010

Contact:
Anthony Nelson
Manager, Thailand Affairs
(202) 416-6708
anelson@usasean.org
 

U.S. Firms Remain Focused on Thailand's Strong Economic Potential

(Bangkok) Against a backdrop of robust economic growth in Thailand, a major delegation of U.S. companies organized by the US-ASEAN Business Council concluded a 3-day Business Mission to Bangkok today. Delegates from 22 leading U.S. companies met with a range of government officials, concluding Friday afternoon with a productive discussion with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The mission was co-led by Council Vice-President Marc Mealy and Laura Hudson of Chevron, Chair of the Council's Thailand Committee.

"The 22 companies on this mission are a reflection of the strong U.S. business interest and investment in Thailand. This is the Council’s 25th anniversary year, and during that time US-Thai bilateral trade has grown from less than $2.5 billion to over $30 billion annually,” said Council Vice President Marc Mealy. “We’ve been pleased to continue our productive dialogues on a range of issues with the Thai government this week, and we look forward continuing to search out ways to deepen and expand U.S. investment in Thailand.

Thailand’s economy is growing rapidly, with exports reaching record highs and projected GDP growth for the year now estimated at over 7%. Council members discussed ways to expand their businesses in Thailand while working to continue to improve issues such as Intellectual Property protection and reach clarity on regulatory issues such as environmental protections.

Council members met with the Prime Minister and his economic team including the President of the Thai Trade Representative Kiat Sittheamorn, and held separate meetings with Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya, Deputy Minister of Commerce Alongkorn Ponlaboot, Deputy Finance Minister Pradit, Assistant to the Minister of Industry Surapong Pongdejkhajorn, and Bangkok Governor Sukumbhand Paribatra, Council Members also were hosted and briefed by U.S. Ambassador Eric John and the U.S. Embassy team.



The companies represented on the mission included Abbott, Brown-Forman, Caterpillar, Chevron, The Coca-Cola Company, ConocoPhillips, Deloitte and Touche, Diageo, Federal Express, Ford, General Electric, GlaxoSmithKline, Google, Guardian, IBM, Merck, Oracle, Pfizer, Philip Morris, Time Warner, UPS, and Westinghouse.


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Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, the US-ASEAN Business Council represents over100 major U.S. Corporations, ranging from those who have been active in Southeast Asia for over 100 years to newcomers looking to expand their presence in one of the world’s most dynamic markets. The Council’s sectoral working groups, including Customs, Defense & Security, Energy, Financial Services, Food and Agriculture, Health & Life Sciences, Information & Communications Technology, and Infrastructure, bring together the pre-eminent companies in their fields to enable high-level dialogues that help resolve issues and drive innovation and investment. With long-established personal and professional relationships in ASEAN and Washington, the Council is the most effective conduit between decision-makers on both sides of the Pacific.

Learn how we are connecting American business to Southeast Asia at www.usasean.org.

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For Further Information Please Contact Anthony Nelson at anelson@usasean.org.