Thai PM to speak on Asia's future in Japan

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday morning left Bangkok for Tokyo to attend an international forum on "The Future of Asia" in Japan.

Yingluck will visit Japan Wednesday to Saturday, according to a Thai government press release,

She will speak on "Investing in the Future of Asia" at the forum on "The Future of Asia"at the invitation of Japan's Nikkei media corporation.

The Thai premier will share her vision on the future direction of Asia as a continuously growing and strengthening region, and will raise possible issues of challenge that may slow down Asian growth as well as possible solutions that members of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)can join forces in solving and tackling such challenges so that the future of Asia will not be harmed, the press release said.

The international conference is held annually by Nikkei and the Japan Center for Economic Research with the objective of promoting stability in Asia.

The Thai premier will on Thursday be granted an audience with Crown Prince Naruhito and hold bilateral talks with her Japanese counterpart Shinso Abe.

On the bilateral meeting with the Japanese Premier on Thursday, both parties plan to highlight relations in both social and economic dimensions as well as economic and investment cooperation. Yingluck intends to boost confidence of the Japanese private sector on the maintenance and expansion of their production bases in Thailand, promote strategic partnership in the economic area with Japan, and do away with investment obstructions of the Japanese investors in Thailand.

Yingluck is accompanied by Thai business leaders from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to observe the operation of SMEs in Japan.

The premier will arrive Bangkok 10.30 p.m. local time of Saturday.