Sri Lanka’s PM highlights investment potential at a business forum in Bangkok
Daily FT: The Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Thailand, in collaboration with the Thai-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce, organised the ‘Invest Sri Lanka’ business forum on 3 April at the Grande Centre Point Surawong Hotel in Bangkok.
The event, graced by the presence of Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, brought together over 80 prominent Thai and international business leaders.
The forum was convened on the sidelines of the 6th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit, held in Bangkok from 2 to 4 April. It served as a timely platform to promote Sri Lanka as an attractive destination for trade and investment.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Amarasuriya highlighted Sri Lanka’s emerging political and economic stability and emphasised that the country is poised to become “the world’s next success story.” She invited international investors to be a part of Sri Lanka’s transformative growth journey, underscoring the Government’s commitment to building a resilient and inclusive economy.
Further, the Prime Minister stated that the Government of Sri Lanka has overseen clear signs of economic recovery following the pandemic and economic crisis. She highlighted that the country is now entering a new era, characterised by robust infrastructure development and the rise of a highly skilled workforce. She also noted the rapid surge in foreign tourist arrivals in early 2025 and expressed optimism for a record-breaking year for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector.
Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand Wijayanthi Edirisinghe welcomed the distinguished guests and business representatives, and acknowledged Thailand’s longstanding economic engagement with Sri Lanka, noting that Thailand contributed $ 97 million in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Sri Lanka between 2008 and 2024.
Ambassador Edirisinghe further encouraged Thai investors to take advantage of the evolving investment landscape in Sri Lanka and highlighted enabling legal frameworks, such as the Bilateral Investment Treaty and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, which facilitate smooth bilateral investment flows.
OSL take:
The ongoing economic activities in the country and the overall economic expansion have shown the resilience, strength and growth of Sri Lanka’s economy that has managed to overcome the impact of the economic crisis faced by the country in 2022. Sri Lanka’s economic performance since 2022 has attracted the attention of many foreign businesses/investors who have shown an increase in confidence in Sri Lanka and an interest in exploring the expanding businesses/investment opportunities in the country. With Sri Lanka targeting on becoming a hub in the South Asian region supported by the strong trade ties enjoyed by the country with many foreign countries and the continuing improvements in the ease of doing business environment in the country, Sri Lanka is showing a strong growth momentum and an increasing business potential. It is in such a backdrop that Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister has highlighted the investment potential in Sri Lanka to Thai businesses/investors. Given that Sri Lanka has also signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Thailand, Thai businesses/investors could confidently explore the expanding business/investment opportunities. They could also look at expanding operations locally and regionally through partnerships or joint ventures with local businesses.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20250409/Z_3 |