BoT Senior Director for Domestic Economy Department, Suchart Sakkankosone, said most of the projects, currently non-performing, had already received loans from financial institutions with affixed transaction fees and interests.

Mr Suchart also relayed the Japan External Trade Organization’s (JETRO) negative sentiments towards investment in Thailand, saying that the government should take this into consideration since Japan was Thailand’s most important and biggest investor.

The 65 projects have combined loans of 200 billion THB. 95 billion THB has been used.

President of the Federation of Thai Industries, Santi Wilassakdanont, said JETRO’s concerns over the Map Ta Phut problem would be discussed by the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking of the three private institutions on 11 January. The president said it was necessary for the government to inform JETRO of its past actions to tackle the Map Ta Phut impasse since the bank’s opinions would affect new Japanese investors’ decisions.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will visit the Map Ta Phut industrial estate on 16 January 2010 to monitor compensations and the use of 872 million THB for five suspended projects.