The government has to explain the benefits of the agreement to the public and put it before the legislative assembly before it can be implemented, he told more than 500 Japanese businesspeople at seminar in Tokyo hosted by the Board of Investment.

He said the government planned no changes to the draft deal arrived at by the former governments of both countries.

The pact has not been signed yet due to the political situation in Thailand following the September 19 coup.

Responding to concerns about the possibility of labour shortages due to the low Thai birth rate, Kosit said the government had put great effort into increasing the skilled labour force with cooperation from Japanese organisations. He conceded that Thailand also imported low-skilled labour from neighbouring countries.

Kosit assured a participant who asked about Thailand's adoption of the sufficiency-economy principle that the Kingdom would still be open for trade and investment with the outside world, but the focus would be on sustainable economic development.

Kosit also met Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akira Amari yesterday. He said after the meeting that he had explained the post-coup political and economic situation to Amari, and told him of the new government's intention to pursue the EPA.

Wichit Chaitrong

The Nation