Prime Minister Shinawatra:
Ladies and gentlemen of the
media, let me start by once
again welcoming President
Barack Obama and his delegation
to Thailand.
Thailand is the first country
President Obama chose to visit
following with his
decisive reelection
less than two weeks ago.
We appreciate the significance
of the gesture, Mr. President.
And we all thank you
for being here today.
President Obama's visit is the
perfect occasion to launch a
celebration of 180th
anniversary of Thai-U.S.
diplomatic relations next year.
I thank both President Obama and
Secretary Clinton for actively
promote Thai-U.S. relations
and for the United States'
constructive engagement in Asia.
This afternoon I had the honor
of accompanying the President
for an audience with His Majesty
the King, reflecting the close
relationship between our two
countries at the highest level.
Lastly, at the bilateral
meetings, we had productive and
wide-ranging discussions, and
mostly of friendly partnership.
Thailand is the oldest
treaty ally of the U.S.
in Asia, and a long-lasting one
because of our shared commitment
to democracy, human
rights, and free markets.
I expressed to the President
that it is my firm commitment
to the people to preserve and
protect democratic systems,
and I appreciate the
President's support of
democracy in Thailand.
And I agree with him that
democracy will lead to economic
process, as we agree that
celebrating -- success is
not enough.
We look to the future and to
build an even stronger strategic
partnership that benefit both
countries and indeed the broader
regions, ASEAN and Asia Pacific.
On the economic front, to
generate growth and create jobs
for both Thai and Americans,
the President and I agree to
redouble our effort to promote
trade and investment and
people-to-people exchanges.
We will also strengthen
our cooperation in energy
and food securities.
Furthermore, we agree that
Thailand is a strategic location
and a hub for ASEAN
connectivities and the ASEAN
economic communities, AEC.
We will work together to make
the regions an engine of growth,
contributing toward
global economic stability
and sustainabilities.
Within this context, I informed
the President that Thailand will
initiate negotiations on the
Trans-Pacific Partnership,
or TPP, which will engage all
stakeholders and undertake the
necessary domestic
legislative process to
make it become a reality.
The President and I had
wide-ranging discussions about
regional issues, and I welcome
his upcoming historic visit to
Myanmar and Cambodia.
We welcome the United States
bringing new focus on Southeast
Asia, and believe our bilateral
partnership can help contribute
to regional peace,
securities, and prosperities.
But our cooperation
goes beyond the region.
At the global level, Thailand
is concerned with the trade of
weapons of mass
destruction, or WMD.
Therefore, I informed the
President that Thailand will
join the Proliferation
Security Initiative, or PSI.
We believe that PSI will help
to win WMD from falling into
the wrong hands, which is in
the shared interest of all.
The President and I also
discussed on how to tackle
transnational crimes, and in
particular, human trafficking.
I reaffirmed my commitment to
fight human trafficking, which
equals to modern slavery.
We also discussed cooperation on
combatting terrorism and how to
deal with the climate change
issue, especially in the term
of disaster relief.
Finally, we recognized the
importance of continued
high-level exchange and
consultations between our
two countries.
As part of our growing
partnership, the President and I
agree to stay in close touch and
to have our minister and agency
to do the same on the rich
agenda we discussed today.
Thank you for your time.
Speaker:
Thank you very much.
And now I would invite the
Honorable Barack Obama,
President of the be United
States to say a few words.
President Obama:
Well, thank you very much.
Good evening to the people
of Thailand who have welcomed
me so graciously.
And let me say --
Sawatdee khrap.
(laughter)
I will say that the Prime
Minister's English is much
better than my Thai.
(laughter)
But I want to say thank you so
much, Madam Prime Minister, for
your very warm welcome, your
generous words, and the sense
of partnership that you
bring to our work today.
As you indicated, Asia is my
first foreign trip since our
election in the United States,
and Thailand is my first stop.
And this is no accident.
As I said many times, the
United States is and always
will be a Pacific nation.
As the fastest-growing region in
the world, the Asia Pacific will
shape so much of our security
and prosperity in the century
ahead, and it is critical to
creating jobs and opportunity
for the American people.
And that's why I've made
restoring American engagement
in this region a top
priority as President.
And the cornerstone of our
strategy is our strong and
enduring treaty alliances,
which includes our alliance
with Thailand.
Thailand is America's
oldest friend in Asia.
Next year will mark 180 years
of diplomatic relations.
We've been treaty allies,
committed to our common defense,
for nearly 60 years.
Our men and women in uniform
have stood together and they've
bled together.
Our businesspeople and our
entrepreneurs work together
to create jobs for
both of our peoples.
Our diplomats, development
experts, researchers, and
student partners every day work
together so that our citizens
and the people across this
region can live in peace and
security and dignity.
Most recently, the people of
Thailand have worked to restore
and strengthen your own
democracy, and we are very
admiring of the efforts
that had been made.
Earlier today, I had the great
honor of having an audience
before His Majesty the King, a
leader of wisdom and dignity who
embodies the identity
and unity of this nation.
And today, I'm proud
to stand beside the
democratically-elected leader
of Thailand, and to reaffirm the
importance of upholding
democracy, governance, rule of
law, and universal human rights
-- all of which I know, Madam
Prime Minister, that you
believe in very deeply.
When we met in Bali last
year, the Prime Minister and I
discussed how we could deepen
and broaden the partnership
between our countries.
And with this visit, I'm pleased
that we've agreed to a series of
efforts that revitalize our
alliance to meet the challenges
and opportunities of our time.
First, we're deepening
our security cooperation.
Our military has already trained
and exercised together, and
we're already close partners
in preventing terrorism and
combatting narco-traffic.
Now we have a new, broader
vision for our alliance.
We're going to improve the
ability of our militaries to
operate together, and we'll help
Thai forces assume even greater
responsibilities in the region,
from maritime security to
disaster relief to
preventing piracy.
I especially want to commend
Thailand for joining the
Proliferation Security
Initiative that prevents
the spread of weapons
of mass destruction.
And, taken together, these steps
advance our shared vision of a
secure and peaceful Asia
Pacific where the rights
and responsibilities of
all nations are upheld.
Second, we're taking new steps
to expand trade and investment.
The United States is already one
of Thailand's biggest trading
partners, and we're already
one of the biggest investors
in Thailand.
But we believe we can do
even more, so we've agreed
to reconvene our trade and
investment council to explore
new ways that our companies
and our entrepreneurs can do
business together.
We'll continue to work with our
APEC partners to reduce barriers
and move toward a
seamless regional economy.
And we'll work together as
Thailand begins to lay the
groundwork for joining
high-standard trade agreements,
such as the Trans-Pacific
Partnership.
All of this will advance our
vision of a region where trade
is free and fair, and all
nations play by the rules.
Third, on this 50th anniversary
of the Peace Corps in Thailand,
we're moving ahead with
new partnerships to promote
development and human dignity.
We'll focus on public health;
developing a vaccine for
HIV/AIDS; and ensuring that
development is sustainable,
especially in regions
along the Mekong River.
I recently announced new steps
that the United States is taking
to confront the scourge of human
trafficking -- modern slavery.
Thailand is also taking new
steps to address this challenge,
including measures to
better protect and empower
women and girls.
And I'm very pleased to see
the leadership that the Prime
Minister has taken on what I
think we all agree is a very
important issue.
And given Thailand's role as an
emerging donor country, I'm very
pleased that our two nations
will be working more closely
to promote development in other
countries, including fighting
malaria along the
Thai-Burma border.
We also welcome, by the way,
the leadership that Thailand
has taken in protecting wildlife
around the world; it's something
that Thailand should
be very proud of.
Finally, we discussed a
range of regional challenges.
Thailand has supported the
cause of democracy in Burma,
protecting dissidents, hosting
refugees, and promoting reform.
And I very much appreciate the
Prime Minister's insights as I
prepare to visit Burma tomorrow.
As a founding member of ASEAN,
Thailand will play an important
role in our meetings
in Cambodia.
And I especially want to thank
our Thai friends for being so
supportive of our role in the
East Asia Summit, which should
be the premier forum for
discussing regional challenges,
including maritime security.
So once again, Madam Prime
Minister, I want to thank you
for your hospitality and your
partnership, and because of the
progress that we've made today
I think we've put the U.S.-Thai
alliance on an even firmer
footing for many years to come.
And tonight I look forward
to celebrating the bonds of
friendship between our peoples,
and also enjoying some Thai
food, which is one
of my favorites.
So thank you very much.
Kob khun krab.
Speaker:
Thank you very
much, Mr. President.
And now we will take a few
questions from the floor.
I would ask, if I have not
already mentioned so, to ask you
to identify your
name and affiliation.
We have about four questions.
And so the first question
is to the Thai media.
So could I have the
first question, please?
The Press:
Good evening.
I'm (indiscernible), I
represent (inaudible) newspaper
here in Thailand.
This question goes to both
of you, Mr. President and
Mrs. Prime Minister.
You both talked about democracy
in Thailand, but my question is
this: Are you both satisfied
with how democracies -- I mean,
this restoration of democracy
right now in Thailand?
I'm talking about the situation
that those who are responsible
for 2010 crackdown is still not
pursued by laws, and usually you
have these laws that criminalize
any criticism against the King
very harshly, including an
American citizen -- Joe Gordon.
You have many political
prisoners and recorded
human rights abuse.
I mean, in your opinion, I
mean, how could you call
this situation satisfying?
And, Mr. President, which
Thai cuisine dish is your
favorite again?
Could you be more specific?
(laughter)
Thank you, sir.
Speaker:
The Prime Minister may
answer the question first.
Prime Minister Shinawatra:
Okay. Let me answer the
question on democracy today.
I think the destination of ours
is the stability of democracy,
because democracy, we believe
that it would be fundamental of
economic growth in the future.
So the destination to go
with that region is that
the national reconciliation.
But for Thailand's situation,
I think we will stick with the
principle of true democracy by
using the -- the rule of law and
the due process, and make sure
that all the things will be
equal and fair basis.
And in Thailand, also, we aim
for -- would like to see the
national reconciliation.
So our position will be with the
passion, and with the peaceful
way, and using the democracy
way will be the place to
solve the problem.
Thank you.
President Obama:
Well, let me just say, first
of all, that democracy is not
something that is static; it's
something that we constantly
have to work on.
The United States has the oldest
democracy in the world, but we
constantly have to, as citizens,
work to make sure that it is
working to include everybody, to
make sure that the freedoms that
are in our Constitution -- the
freedom of speech, the freedom
of worship -- that those
are practiced and observed.
And so the work of
democracy never stops.
And I think that what you're
seeing here in Thailand is a
democratically-elected Prime
Minister who is committed to
democracy, committed to rule
of law, committed to freedom
of speech and the
press and assembly.
But obviously, what's true in
Thailand, as is true in America,
is that all citizens have to
remain vigilant and there's
almost -- there's always
improvements to be made.
And I very much congratulate the
Prime Minister on her commitment
to democracy, and I know that
many of the reforms that she
continues to be interested in
are ones that will strengthen
democracy even further in
Thailand and will serve as
a good example for
the region as a whole.
In terms of Thai
cuisine, I like it all.
And I've looked over the menu
for this evening's dinner and it
looks very good, which is good
because I'm also very hungry.
(laughter)
So I think I saved my appetite,
and I'm looking forward to
having some authentic Thai food.
Speaker:
Thank you very much.
The second question
comes from the U.S. media.
I'd like to call on the
Washington Post, please.
The Press:
Thank you very much.
Madam Prime Minister, thank you
for hosting us with the American
media as well as the rest of
the President's delegation.
Mr. President, you will make
history tomorrow as the first
U.S. President to visit Burma.
But human rights activists
have warned that your trip is
premature given the escalating
ethnic violence that have left
hundreds dead and up to
100,000 people displaced
in that country.
Your own NSC Director for Human
Rights said the other day that
people are "living
in fear and terror."
Why are you moving so quickly to
endorse the Burmese leadership
and reward them with
a personal visit?
And given some of the recent
setbacks to democratic movements
in the Middle East, why are you
so confident that Burma will
continue down the
path of reform?
And to the Madam Prime
Minister as well, as a U.S.
ally and a neighbor of Myanmar
and Burma, are you satisfied
that President Sein is doing
enough to stop the ethnic
violence and protect
human rights there?
And do you believe President
Obama's visit is premature or
appropriately timed?
Thank you.
President Obama:
Well, first of all, I think it's
important to recognize, David,
this is not an endorsement
of the Burmese government.
This is an acknowledgement
that there's a process underway
inside that country that even a
year and a half, two years ago,
nobody foresaw.
President Sein is taking
steps that move us in a
better direction.
You have Aung San Suu Kyi now
an elected member of Parliament.
You've seen political
prisoners released.
There is an articulated
commitment to further
political reform.
But I don't think anybody is
under any illusion that Burma
has arrived; that they're
where they need to be.
On the other hand, if we
waited to engage until they
had achieved a perfect
democracy, my suspicion
is we'd be waiting
an awful long time.
And one of the goals of this
trip is to highlight the
progress that has been made, but
also to give voice to the much
greater progress that needs
to be made in the future.
So when I address the Burmese
public as the first President
who has ever visited that
country, what they'll hear from
me is that we congratulate them
on having opened the door to a
country that respects human
rights and respects political
freedom, and it is -- saying
that it's committed towards a
more democratic government.
But what they'll also hear
is that the country has a
long way to go.
And I'm not somebody who thinks
that the United States should
just stand on the sidelines and
not want to get its hands dirty
when there is an opportunity
for us to encourage the better
impulses inside a country.
And, in part, I'm taking my
guidance from what Aung San Suu
Kyi -- who I think knows quite a
bit about repression in Burma --
sees as the best means to
continue the development
and progress that's
being made there.
When she visited me in the Oval
Office, she was very encouraging
of the prospects of a visit.
And one of the things that we've
learned in countries around the
world is that change can happen
very fast if a spotlight is
shown on what's going on in a
country and the people there
start believing that their
voices are heard around
the world.
And one of the things that
we can do as an international
community is make sure that
the people of Burma know we're
paying attention to them,
we're listening to them,
we care about them.
And this visit allows
me to do that in a
fairly dramatic fashion.
But we understand this is
going to be a work in progress.
And what we've done is calibrate
our concrete policies and
responses based on the
understanding that more work
needs to be done.
And if we see backsliding
and slipping, then we're
in a position to
respond appropriately.
But my hope is that we will
continue on a positive track,
and hopefully my visit will
be able to encourage that.
Prime Minister Shinawatra:
For myself, I think on the case
of the Myanmar situation -- I
think now we can see that --
from my observation -- and also,
I have thorough chance to visit
in Myanmar -- we see a lot of
progress on the political
reform from the government.
And I think from the basic that
we have been told -- I think we
believe that the fundamental of
economic growth and prosperous
for this is stability
of democracy.
Because if people in the region
-- we believe that democracy
will be the way for the country
to keep free and fair, and also
reduce the gap of the people.
So that's why we believe this
is the right destination.
So in the case of Myanmar,
Thailand -- as our neighbor
country of Myanmar.
So we want to help our
neighbor with very sincerity.
And truly, we want to see people
of Myanmar to have the better
life, to have the better
education, to have better
development if we lead from
far away and we close that gap.
So I don't think we can be able
to raise up the profile of our
regions -- and especially on the
year 2015 will be the year of
the communities of ASEAN as one.
So it is -- will be necessary
for us to work closely with
Myanmar to make sure that their
political reform will come in
the right track.
But for us alone, I think
we need the support from
international now to keep the
-- because Myanmar also already
opened the door.
So I think this is important for
international country to work
with them, helping them, and
make sure that they reinstall --
they bring the true democracy
in term of -- the real democracy
that the international law with
the practice and close the gap,
and make sure that people
will have better life and
better jobs.
Thank you.
Speaker:
Thank you very much,
Mr. President and
Madam Prime Minister.
The third question
goes to the Thai media.
Please state your question.
The Press:
Thank you, Madam Prime
Minister and Mr. President.
I'm from Thai Public
Broadcasting Service.
First question I'd like to ask
Mr. President: What are your
priorities in your new Asia
policy, and where does Thailand
fit in that policy?
And to Madam Prime Minister,
what is the plan of the Thai
government in pursuing
TPP with the U.S?
Thank you.
President Obama:
Well, when I announced our
desire to pivot and focus
on the Asia Pacific region,
in part it was a response
to a decade in which we
understandably, as a country,
had been focused on issues
of terrorism; the situation
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And as a consequence, I think
we had not had the same kind of
presence in a region that is
growing faster, developing
faster than any place
else in the world.
And we have historically been an
Asia Pacific power, and I wanted
to make sure that all our
friends and partners throughout
the region understood that we
see this as a central region
for our growth
and our prosperity,
and it's not one
that we can neglect.
So in terms of my priorities
-- number one: expanding trade
and investment.
We believe that in working with
countries in the region, we can
create more jobs and more
opportunity for our own people
in the United States and
for people in the region.
And obviously we already have
a strong trade and investment
relationship with a country
like Thailand, but we think
we can do even more.
And the trade and investment
council that we've set up will
further explore ways in which we
can synchronize our economies so
that entrepreneurs and
businesspeople who want to trade
and want to produce products,
want to take advantage of
opportunities in both
countries, will have an
easier time doing so.
Our second priority is
maintaining the stability
that allows for prosperity,
and that means that our security
arrangements in the region
are extremely important.
Once again, Thailand is a
central part of that as our
oldest treaty ally in Asia --
one that has not only worked
with us here regionally, but
also does outstanding work
performing peace-keeping
activities around the world.
I want to make sure that we
continue to strengthen those
relationships not only for
purposes of dealing with
potential security threats, but
also humanitarian responses.
We've seen, in this region, a
number of devastating natural
disasters, and when we have
strong cooperation and training
between our countries then
we're in a stronger position
to respond quickly.
And Thailand I think, having
experienced its own floods,
understands the
importance of this.
A third area that's important
is human development.
We've already discussed how
important it is for us to work
together on issues of human
trafficking and forced labor.
We all believe that our
countries will prosper if
children are getting a good
education; if public health
systems are set up to deal
with issues like HIV/AIDS,
or drug-resistant malaria.
Those are all issues where
countries working together
can do more than countries
working by themselves.
And so scientific exchanges,
medical exchanges, working
together on development
issues -- all of that becomes
very important.
And because Thailand I think
is more successful economically
than some of its neighbors,
it's now in a position to be
a donor country.
And for us to be able to partner
with Thailand -- for example,
USAID -- working with the
Thailand -- the Thai development
agency to help people in the
Mekong River area develop and
be able to prosper, to
have greater food security,
to deal with public health
challenges -- that's an
outstanding partnership for us.
And finally, I think our goal in
the region is to make sure that
there is an international -- or
a regional architecture through
mechanisms like the U.S./ASEAN
dialogue or the East Asia Summit
that allows us to work through
tensions, conflicts, differences
in a constructive way; in a way
that is -- allows us to resolve
these differences in a
peaceful and orderly fashion.
And I think that Thailand's
leadership in those institutions
has been extraordinarily
important.
So we expect to work with all
the countries in the region.
But obviously the cornerstone of
our work in Asia begins with our
alliances, and the long-standing
friendship between our two
countries makes this a very
appropriate place for me to
stop in my first trip
after my reelection.
Prime Minister Shinawatra:
Thank you.
For talking the TPP -- one thing
that -- we believe that on the
economic growth in the future,
I think we need more growth.
And the way to more growth is on
the basic of the -- economic on
the free and fair basic,
and also the free market.
This is -- I think, all the
other countries will have been
growing off the economic and
stability of the economy, so
this is very important for the
country who bring growth and who
-- more the future and stability
of the economic growth.
What we would like to work on
share and fair and also free
market, so that's why Thailand
saw the TPP as very important
for the future.
But, of course, that -- I think
in the beginning, of course the
concern and the readiness of the
country will be another issue
that we can work parallely,
by the way, by using, like the
capacity-building and also
the readiness of the things.
And after that, I think we can
work along and understand --
because sometimes the benefit
would be better to invite all
other countries.
So it means that you have
more market, you have new
market to work.
So that's why we see
this is important.
But along the way, we can work
with the capacity-building by
the time we get ready.
Thank you.
Speaker:
Thank you very much.
The last question goes
to Bloomberg News, please.
The Press:
Thank you. I'm Margaret
Talev with Bloomberg News.
Mr. President, you're here
of course to talk about Asia,
but much of the world's
attention and yours is also
being diverted back to
the Middle East now and
the situation in Gaza.
You're calling for a
de-escalation of the violence
between the Israelis
and the Palestinians.
I'd like to ask you, do you
believe that a movement of
Israeli ground troops into Gaza
would be an escalation, and do
you support such a move anyhow?
And are you concerned that the
Arab Spring, at least in the
near term, has
made matters worse?
And does the violence there
complicate your pivot to Asia?
And, Madam Prime Minister, you
may know, the President's first
visit today was to the royal
monastery where he told a monk
that he will need a lot
of prayer to help the U.S.
avoid a fiscal crisis.
It was sort of a joke
-- kind of, right?
What can emerging democracies
in Asia take away from how
difficult it has been for the
President to get Congress to
agree to budget
negotiations with him?
And why shouldn't China's
system of government look more
appealing in this region when
you confront a situation like
this in the U.S.? Thank you.
President Obama:
Well, let me start with Gaza.
Let's understand what the
precipitating event here was
that's causing the current
crisis, and that was an
ever-escalating number of
missiles; they were landing
not just in Israeli territory,
but in areas that are populated.
And there's no country on Earth
that would tolerate missiles
raining down on its citizens
from outside its borders.
So we are fully supportive of
Israel's right to defend itself
from missiles landing on
people's homes and workplaces
and potentially
killing civilians.
And we will continue to support
Israel's right to defend itself.
Now, what is also true is, is
that we are actively working
with all the parties in the
region to see if we can end
those missiles being fired
without further escalation
of violence in the region.
And so I've had several
conversations with Prime
Minister Netanyahu.
I've had several conversations
with President Morsi of Egypt.
I've spoken to Prime Minister
Erdogan of Turkey, who was
visiting Egypt right
in the midst of what
was happening in Gaza.
And my message to all of them
was that Israel has every right
to expect that it does not
have missiles fired into
its territory.
If that can be accomplished
without a ramping-up of military
activity in Gaza, that's
preferable; that's not just
preferable for the people of
Gaza, it's also preferable for
Israelis -- because if Israeli
troops are in Gaza, they're much
more at risk of incurring
fatalities or being wounded.
We're going to have to see what
kind of progress we can make in
the next 24, 36, 48 hours.
But what I've said to President
Morsi and Prime Minister Erdogan
is that those who champion the
cause of the Palestinians should
recognize that if we see a
further escalation of the
situation in Gaza, then the
likelihood of us getting back
on any kind of peace track that
leads to a two-state solution is
going to be pushed off
way into the future.
And so if we're serious
about wanting to resolve this
situation and create a genuine
peace process, it starts with no
more missiles being fired into
Israel's territory, and that
then gives us the space to try
to deal with these longstanding
conflicts that exist.
In terms of the impact of the
Arab Spring, let's just remember
that the exact same situation
arose just a couple of years
ago, before the Arab Spring.
So I don't think anybody would
suggest somehow that it's unique
to democratization in the region
that there's a conflict between
the Israelis and
the Palestinians.
That's been going on
for several decades now.
I do think that as Egyptians,
Tunisians, others have more of
a voice in their government,
it becomes more important for
all the players, including the
United States, to speak directly
to those populations and to
deliver a message that peace is
preferable to war; that this is
an issue that can be resolved if
the parties are willing to sit
down and negotiate directly;
that violence is not an answer;
and that there are no shortcuts
to the hard work of trying
to bring about what I think
is the best option -- two
states living side by side
in peace and security.
And that's a message that you
can't just direct at a single
figure in these Arab countries;
now you've got to be able to
deliver that message
across the board.
And that will probably
be a little bit harder.
But the truth is, is that for
any peace that was going to
last, that was going
to be necessary anyway.
Last point -- I know it wasn't
directed at me, it was directed
at the Prime Minister, but I'm
just going to make this point.
First of all, I always
believe in prayer.
I believe in prayer when I go
to church back home, and if a
Buddhist monk is wishing me
well, I'm going to take whatever
good vibes he can give me
to try to deal with some
challenges back home.
I'm confident that we can get
our fiscal situation dealt with.
And I think it's important to
recognize that, yes, democracy
is a little messier than
alternative systems of
government, but that's because
democracy allows everybody to
have a voice.
And that system of government
lasts, and it's legitimate, and
when agreements are finally
struck, you know that nobody
is being left out of
the conversation.
And that's the reason for our
stability and our prosperity.
And the notion somehow that you
can take shortcuts and avoid
democracy, and that that somehow
is going to be the mechanism
whereby you deliver
economic growth, I think
is absolutely false.
I think over time, when you look
at the most prosperous nations
on this Earth, they are the ones
in which every individual, every
citizen, feels like if they
put in the effort, if they're
working hard, that those efforts
bear fruit; that a government
respects them and observes rule
of law and doesn't take their
property without due process;
and they don't have to pay a
bribe to start a business or
get a telephone installed.
And it's worked for us for over
200 years now, and I think it's
going to work for Thailand
and it's going to work for
this entire region.
And the alternative, I think, is
a false hope that, over time, I
think erodes and collapses
under the weight of people whose
aspirations are not being met.
I know you didn't direct that
question at me, but I just
wanted to make sure the Prime
Minister didn't get put on the
spot without me having
something to say about that.
Prime Minister Shinawatra:
For my answer, I think I'll
talk about the basics of the
economic growth.
I think we still believe
that, from my statements,
that democracy will
be the fundamental.
I think this is still valid.
But this is the one way of the
basic -- of the fundamental,
because as long as you have
the stability in the political,
so it will be the
stability of economic.
But, anyway, in the economic,
we'll be -- have to understand
the cause and the root cause of
the problem in the right way to
solve the problem.
And also that, as you work with
the -- stick with the principle
of the financial, but along
the way you need to balance the
growth of the economy.
Because I think still have any
place on the blue ocean so we
can -- as long as you fight the
right place and the right time.
So the growth --
it's still growing.
So I think that I
believe like that.
Thank you.
Speaker:
Thank you very much,
ladies and gentlemen.
Just a final program note.
The joint press statement
in English and unofficial
translation in Thai will
be circulated shortly.
So we thank you for
your cooperation.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Madam Prime Minister.
This concludes the
joint press conference.
And please be seated while the
principals leave for a very
well-deserved official dinner.
Thank you very much.
President Obama:
Kob khun krab.
Prime Minister Shinawatra:
Kob khun krab.
(applause)
