Firms urge more security

[rickfarang]

(Comment -Is this the time for speculative buying in the South?)

 

Bangkok Post, Monday 24 October 2005

Last updated 8:01 AM Thai local time

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Firms urge more security

 

Businessmen in Yala want better security from the government. Poj Paibulkasemsuthi, chairman of the Yala Chamber of Commerce, said the southern violence was affecting the local economy, especially tourism. Violence in southern border provinces including Yala kept scaring tourists away, he said.

 

The construction business was also affected, as people were reluctant to undertake developments. In Yala, quarries supply gravel to construction projects in the deep South and Songkhla.

 

Niwes Sirichai, president of the Yala Tourism Association, said the violence was prompting local people to flee. Learning that, tourists would not dare to visit Yala.

 

He urged the government to restore tourist confidence by guaranteeing safety. However, Mr Poj said local farmers were enjoying better sales as the state was securing their harvests and promoting sales in other parts of the country. ''Overall fruit sales this year are much better than 2004 because there were a number of yields last year and traders did not arrive to buy them. This year the government is helping us promote sales in Bangkok.''