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BANGKOK - THE Thai prime minister said on Thursday Singapore's investment firm Temasek Holdings, whose business deal sparked protests leading to a 2006 coup, was still keen to invest in the kingdom.
'They said they would come back to invest here,' Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej told reporters after his one-day visit to Singapore on Wednesday.
'Thailand is an attractive country for investment and is a good friend of Singapore,' Mr Samak said.
Singapore's state-linked firm struck a deal with the family of then premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who sold a 49 per cent stake in telecom giant Shin Corp for US$1.9 billion (S$2.6 billion) in early 2006. Shin Corp was founded by Mr Thaksin.
The tax-free deal caused public outrage, triggering months of street protests demanding Mr Thaksin's resignation over alleged corruption and abuse of power.
Along with anti-Thaksin protests, Thais staged demonstrations in front of the Singapore embassy in Bangkok, demanding Temasek scrap the Shin Corp deal.
The protests led the September coup in 2006 ousting Mr Thaksin.
After the 49-per cent buyout of Shin Corp, a Temasek-led group of investors increased its total stake to 96 per cent through a mandatory offer.
The Shin Corp deal became the subject of a slate of criminal probes under the previous military government and led to tensions in relations between the two countries.
Temasek has said it complied with all laws and regulations in Thailand when it took over the firm. -- AFP
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