Prayut to meet Prince Naruhito, witness signing of bilateral pacts

During the three-day visit, Prayut will also witness the signing of two documents promoting cooperation on a high-speed railway and trade and investment, Government Spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp said.

The documents are a memorandum of intent on cooperation for a high-speed railway, which will be signed by the two Transport ministries, and a memorandum of cooperation to promote Thai business in Japan. The Japan External Trade Organisation, the Joint Committee of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Thai Industries and Thai Bankers’ Association will sign the second memorandum, he said.

Apart from meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Prayut is scheduled to meet key people from the private sector such as the president of the Japanese Business Federation (Keidanren), top officials of five economic organisations, the chief of the Japan-Thailand Business Forum, and executives of Japanese corporations that have invested in Thailand. 

The highlight of Prayut’s visit is the cooperation on the railway system, as he plans to propose that Japan help develop a high-speed rail link between the province of Kanchanaburi and Laem Chabang on the Eastern Seaboard, Yongyuth said. 

The prime minister will also discuss the development of the Dawei Special Economic Zone in Myanmar with Japanese leaders and the private sector as Thailand wants Japanese participation in the process, he said. 

In preparation of the link-up, Prayut will ride a high-speed Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Osaka. He will also be given a chance to check out the so-called bullet train’s operating system. 

Meanwhile, Meng Jianzhu, a member of the Chinese Politburo, met with Prayut yesterday to reaffirm China’s plan to cooperate on railways and purchase of farm products, Yongyuth said. 

At the meeting, Prayut expressed his thanks for the communist country’s understanding of Thailand’s political situation and sent his best regards to President Xi Jinping, Yongyuth said.