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| Emergency Center to Help Exporters through Political Tumult |
| UPDATE : 12 March 2010 |
A coordination center has been established to help exporters cope with any emergency stemming from the anti-government red-shirt protests. Meanwhile, the private sector calls for no violence to minimize the impact of the political tension on the economy.
A meeting of the Export Promotion Department and private institutions, including the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai International Freight Forwarders Association, the Thai National Shippers' Council and the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association, has resolved to set up a coordination center to help exporters deal with the impact of the anti-government protests.
Export Promotion Department Director General Srirat Rastapana said measures must be mapped out to address the problems while exporters have done their best to inform foreign customers about the current political situation in the country.
Srirat believes the protesters will not be able to block all major routes of transportation in Bangkok.
President of Thai International Freight Forwarders Association, Suwit Ratanachinda, said exporters can ship their products via Lat Krabang Inland Container Depot in eastern Bangkok as well as Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi if the protesters seize the Bangkok Port.
He added that U-Tapao Airport in Rayong will be a viable alternative for air freight forwarders.
Boonchai Chokwatana, president of Sahapat Group, Thailand's leading consumer product conglomerate, admitted that the private sector is worried about the political situation as it is still unclear how the rally will evolve.
Boonchai was confident that the government will be able to control the situation and asked the demonstrators to rally in a peaceful manner.
Without any political turmoil, he believes that the Thai economy will expand 3 or 4 percent as targeted for 2010.
CEO of Siam Cement Group, Kan Trakulhoon, believes the red-shirt protests will be peaceful.
He added that any violent outbreak will have the biggest impact on the tourism industry and it will also ruin investor confidence.
Kan predicted that the 2010 economy can grow as much as 5 percent if the political upheaval quickly comes to an end.
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