BANGKOK, Jan 13 — Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed all ministries to propose Thailand as a venue to host regional fora in the South East Asian region, according to Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, Deputy Spokesperson to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The move is part of the prime minister’s plan to push Thailand to become a hub of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Gen Sansern told a press conference on Tuesday after weekly cabinet meeting.
It is also expected to improve the image of Thailand, he said.
Meanwhile, Gen Sansern said the cabinet approved a budget of Bt30 billion for Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to support their fights against narcotics.
“Of the total budget, Bt20 million will be transferred to Myanmar, Bt5 million to Cambodia, Bt3 million to Vietnam and Bt1.5 million to Lao,” Gen Sansern said.
“The money may not be much but it shows Thailand’s determination to prevent smuggling of drugs into the country,” he said.
Gen Sansern said the cabinet also approved Thailand's ‘donation of US$25,000 in support operations of United Nations assistance to human trafficking victims.
It is the second time Thailand has donated to support the UN operations, he said, and the donation should reflect the country’s determination to combat the trafficking. (MCOT online news)
