Chamber Study Exposes Investor Concerns in Thailand

Chamber Study Exposes Investor Concerns in Thailand

March 21, 2007

Lax Intellectual Property Law Enforcement and Economic
Controls Weighing on Foreign Investment Decisions


    BANGKOK, Thailand, March 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- 

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released results from a
new survey of 234 business executives from across five
continents showing that Thailand's new economic policies
and poor intellectual property safeguards could be
jeopardizing international investment.

    "Global businesses have a long history of
successfully working in Thailand, but recent feedback from
business leaders shows concern about their future,"
said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Daniel W. Christman, U.S. Chamber of
Commerce's senior vice president for international affairs.
"We need to do everything we can to work with the Thai
government to ensure that policies follow globally accepted
business practices, including regular consultations on
pending economic decisions that impact foreign companies
and investors operating in Thailand."

    The survey showed that 11% of executives indicate that
their companies have active expansion plans in Thailand and
another 40% report that their firms are currently looking at
future investment options. Fully 75% of executives say that
the recent military coup and controversial new economic
policies in Thailand -- such as currency controls, new
foreign ownership laws, and government decisions on
intellectual property rights regarding compulsory
pharmaceutical licenses -- would be factors in their final
decision on investments over the next three years. North
American business executives showed even more concern than
their counterparts from other regions of the world.

    Many executives report concerns that Thailand has weak
intellectual property laws and isn't going far enough to
enforce the laws it currently has. Thailand ranked third
among Southeast Asian nations for "very weak" IP
laws, faring better only than Vietnam and Indonesia. Fewer
than 1% think Thailand is "very effective" at
enforcing IP laws currently on the books.

    The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business
federation representing more than 3 million businesses and
organizations of every size, sector, and region. 


    For more information, please contact:

     Murray Hiebert
     U.S. Chamber of Commerce
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]