Thai Southern border provinces to be designated "special investment zones"

The Thai government is looking at declaring the country's troubled southernmost provinces as special investment zones, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said on Friday.

Somkid raised the issue on Friday when flagging a meeting to discuss a change of government policy on investment promotion, the Thai News Agency reported.

He said ways to boost investment in the violence-plagued southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat would be put on high agenda.

The three Muslim-majority areas were likely to be designated as special investment zones to upgrade the development of three main industries -- tourism, food processing, and high technology.

To attract investors, he said the government would try to develop human resources, boost incentives, and build basic infrastructure.

He added the government would not only come up with tax measures, but also seek cooperation from many ministries to work out other measures to attract investment.

Source: Xinhua