On 28 August 2014, Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered the Opening Address under the theme of “ASEAN Connectivity +6”, on behalf of   the Head of National Council for Peace and Order, at the Seminar on “AEC and SMEs Challenges: Nest Steps (Phase 5), held at the Plaza Athenee Bangkok, a Royal Meridien Hotel. This seminar was co-hosted by the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) and the AEC Prompt Committee of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand.

The seminar aimed to raise the awareness of Thai SMEs entrepreneurs to better prepare themselves for both opportunities and challenges that may arise in the wake of the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The Permanent Secretary emphasized the importance of “enhancing connectivity” in its multi-dimensions and called for the accelerated efforts from all relevant agencies to develop the infrastructure and transport linkages in Thailand and further connect the linkages to other ASEAN countries, India, Japan and China in order to transform Thailand from a transport corridor into the economic corridor and the centre of regional economic activities.

Mr. Sihasak also urged Thai SMEs entrepreneurs to adjust themselves for the new challenges and look beyond the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community. He stressed the need for SMEs to explore the potential opportunities from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) once implemented and the wider East Asia Economic Community in the future. He also touched that while the geo-economics of the region is moving in the positive direction of deeper integration and sustainable growth, also one needed to take into account the current geo-politics trend of the region related to peace and security in the region, as this would have an impact on strong economic growth.