The bombing of the Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection in the heart of Bangkok is unlikely to hurt foreign investment, as most of the major foreign investors remain committed to Thailand, say foreign chambers of commerce.
Darren Buckley, president the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AmCham), said the US remained one of Thailand’s major foreign investors.
Cumulative investment in Thailand
by the US stands at US$17 billion, while US companies employ 25,000 Thais, he said.
“We have a long history here. Monday’s incident was shocking and saddening. But it doesn’t mean that we will change our commitment,” Mr Buckley said.
He said AmCham was confident the government would pursue all means necessary to help improve the situation and the economy.
“The US will remain a major investor in Thailand, and Monday’s incident cannot deter us,” he added.
The Board of Investment (BoI) ranks the US as the second-largest investor country in Thailand.
In the first half of the year, the BoI awarded new promotions and privileges for investments worth 22.4 billion baht.
Topping the rankings is Japan, with investment valued at 87.8 billion baht in the first half.