Chalermpol Thanchitt

The Thai ambassador in Dhaka yesterday unveiled a series of Thai investment proposals for Bangladesh ranging from highway construction to oil exploration and luxury hotels.
However, Chalermpol Thanchitt also expressed his concern over the stringent conditions attached to work permits in Bangladesh and over the regulation of foreign investment.
Thanchitt made the comments following a meeting with Finance Advisers Mirza Azizul Islam at the secretariat office yesterday.
Thanchitt said the company Italian-Thai Development (ITD), a Thai construction company, has appointed a local representative in Bangladesh to negotiate with the government over participation in the proposed Dhaka-Chittagong Express Way.
A high level team from the ITD will visit Dhaka soon to start talks with the government on the issue.
ITD first entered the international construction arena in 1974 in Malaysia with the construction of 500 km of highways and bridges in the ensuing 10 years, 40 km of roads in Nepal in 1976, and a 400 metre long highway tunnel in Saudi Arabia in 1983.
The ambassador said Thailand's national petroleum company PTTEP will participate in the offshore exploration bidding in Bangladesh.
The top-ten listed company on the Thailand Stock Exchange PTTEP operates more than 30 projects around the world and has a workforce of over 2,000.
Another investment proposal could come from Dusit Thani, a hotel chain wanting to establish a five star hotel in Chittagong. Company representatives have already started talks with the government, the ambassador said.
During his meeting with the adviser, Thanchitt said the government of Bangladesh should relax some of the rules regarding foreign direct investment, adding, some of these rules and regulations do not help foreign investors.
“In order to attract foreign direct investment these regulations should be more conducive," Thanchitt said.
He said Thai workers who have been staying for five years in Bangladesh are forced to return to Thailand, something that is a problem for Thai industries here.
He also said some new airline companies, who started business in Bangladesh, are interested in starting flights to and from different destinations in Bangladesh.