Kirita Pappiji, Director of International Economic and Development Policy Research at the Thai Development Research Institute, stated in an interview that China's economic growth and deepening industrial cooperation between China and Thailand will help Thailand maintain a recovery trend and respond to the risks posed by factors such as global economic slowdown to Thailand's economic growth prospects. Kirita stated that factors such as a slowdown in global economic growth, increased uncertainty in the US economy, geopolitical risks, fluctuations in the Thai baht exchange rate, and natural disasters will all put pressure on Thai exports, and it is expected that Thai exports will continue to shrink in the future. The Kaitai Research Center in Thailand predicts that the total export value of Thailand will shrink by 1.2% year-on-year in 2023. Kirita believes that China is an important trading partner of Thailand and ASEAN, a major provider of foreign direct investment, and a major source of tourists. China's economic growth will boost Thailand's economic growth prospects. According to data from the Thailand Investment Promotion Commission, in the first half of 2023, Thailand's foreign investment application amount reached 364.4 billion baht (approximately 75.1 billion yuan), a year-on-year increase of 70%. China is the largest source of foreign investment, with a total of 132 projects applied for, with an investment amount of 61.5 billion baht (approximately 12.7 billion yuan). Kirita stated that the production network cooperation between Thailand and China has been further strengthened, and the continuous growth of Chinese enterprises' investment in and construction of factories in Thailand has promoted the development of related industries such as electronics and new energy vehicles in Thailand. With the growth of labor market demand, Consumer confidence has been strengthened, and personal consumption of residents has continued to grow, which has had a positive impact on Thailand's economy. According to the data of the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, the Consumer confidence index of Thailand in June was 56.1, the seventh consecutive month that it remained above the confidence level. Kirita stated that the tourism industry, as a pillar industry in Thailand, has shown a sustained recovery trend recently, with foreign tourists, including Chinese tourists, exceeding expectations, providing strong impetus for Thailand's economic recovery. (New News Agency)