On February 8, 2022, at 08.30 hours, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin led Mr. Oba Yuichi, Deputy Chief of Mission from the Embassy of Japan, Mr. Moriya Saika, Third Secretary from the Embassy of Japan, and Mr. Shiozaki San, Chairman of Minebea PCL and his delegation to meet with Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha, at the Purple Lounge, Thai Khu Fah Building, Government Houses. In the meeting, they expressed their gratitude for implementing the Factory Sandbox project to prevent and control the pandemic and for providing remedies and vaccination for 38,000 employees of the company. The efforts have given customers confidence in the production process, and the company has been able to continue production and exports, making the business run more efficiently. The company could overcome the Covid-19 crisis in the past year. The Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, also joined the occasion.
Mr. Suchart said that Minebea PCL is a large company that has continued to invest in Thailand for a long time. The company produces automotive parts, including bearings, different-sized motors, and medical equipment, sold around the world. It invests in 22 countries, and Thailand has 38,000 employees. On January 6, 2022, Mr. Shiozaki San, the company’s president, met with the Labour Minister to express his appreciation for the government in providing vaccination and remedies to the company’s employees, causing no impact on business outcomes. As a result, the company’s chief executives appreciate the sincerity of the Thai government towards foreign investors. It is a good sign where foreign investors can see the government’s good intentions. Therefore, he requested to meet with the Prime Minister to thank the government himself.
General Prayuth Chan-ocha said that he is pleased that Thailand and Japan have had a close relationship for a long time now and have cooperated in all dimensions. The government gives importance and considers the industrial sector, which is very important to the country’s economy. Especially in the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has implemented a factory pandemic prevention and control program (Factory Sandbox) to enable both small and large industrial sectors to have continuous production and drive the economy for Thailand to recover. Today, he thanked the Japanese government for agreeing with Thailand’s national policy and strategy and their confidence in investing in Thailand with a stable industrial sector. It is the only country that has maintained employment. The company has also trusted and selected Thailand as a new manufacturing investment base in line with Thailand’s BCG model and Japan’s Green Growth Strategy, which is environmentally conscious, reducing global warming, and saving energy. He confirmed that Thailand equally provides care and protection for all people, both Thais, and foreigners.
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Division of Public Relations
8 February 2022
