Srettha’s zealous diplomatic outreach to secure investments yet to bear fruit

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has set a record for the most number of foreign trips by a premier in just four months in office, but he has little to show for it in terms of economic dividends for the country.

Branding himself as the chief salesman of Thailand, Srettha said in early December that his government’s goal was to bring capital and technology to the country, to shake up an economy that has been sluggish for nearly a decade.

He said that Thailand was invisible in international economic forums over the past few years, and the country had failed to achieve any new trade pacts, singling out its failure to strike bilateral free trade agreements that would help the economy.

Srettha has visited 10 countries within four months of taking office in early September. He has met most of the major world leaders, including United States President Joe Biden, China’s President Xi…