REGIONAL> Development
Thailand offers tax-free projects to lure Hubei investment
(China Daily Hubei Bureau)
Updated: 2009-03-18 10:43

"Hubei enterprises willing to invest in Thailand will be exempted from corporation income tax for eight years at the most," said Palley，director of the Shanghai Bureau of Thailand Board of Investment（BOI）amid the launch of Hubei-Thailand investment promotion．

The director also said he was expecting Hubei's auto enterprises to invest in his country．

The Hubei promotion was part of the overseas promotion campaign of （BOI） and would last for six months．The foreign investment luring campaign came at the backdrop of the economic revitalization initiated by the new Thai government since it took power last year．

News report said that the Southeast Asian country was ambitious in its auto industry with an aim of membership of the world top ten auto manufacturing countries．Foreign investment into preferential industries of the country will be tax－free from three to eight years．

Palley said most-looking-forward-to industries like auto industry "would be free from restriction of foreign shareholding and the proportion of domestic production"．In addition，foreign investors will have the right to purchase land in the name of their companies and enjoy "PERMNENT" land ownership．

As one of the pillar enterprises in the central China province，Dongfeng Motor Corporation has been persistently exploiting the Southeast Asian market．From the end of 2007，Dongfeng has in total sent 56 natural-gas-fueled motors and established four 4s shops．More than 1000 natural-gas-consuming motors will be sold around the globe with the Southeast Asian market including Thailand as the main aim．

In addition to the auto and spare parts industries，the Thai Investment Promotion Commission also listed agricultural products and food processing，electronics， fashion，value-added and alternative energy industries as inviting areas and welcomed investment from Hubei．