Governmental support also contributed to the recovery of firms in Thailand. Support from the Japanese
government enabled directly affected Japanese factories to send Thai workers to Japan to engage
in alternate production in Japan during the floods. According to Japan’s Ministry of Justice, as of the
end of September 2012, a total of 5342 Thai workers entered Japan under this scheme. The Thai government
also provided support such as issuing courtesy visas to Japanese workers to allow them to
engage in recovery work at affected firms. Additionally, Thailand’s Board of Investment allowed
duty-free imports of alternate capital goods. It also offered increased benefits (e.g., an eight-year
exemption from corporate tax) for new or expansive investment, particularly in flooded areas such
as Ayutthaya Province. All this contributed to the quicker recovery of the affected firms.