Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said he backed moves to create an ASEAN single market as member countries have to pool their efforts to make the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) a reality by 2015.

With a population of more than 500 million people, a regional economy of 1.51 trillion USD, and regional combined trade worth 1.70 trillion USD, ASEAN will be a market to watch, the prime minister said at the 6th ASEAN Leadership Forum 2009 in Bangkok.

The AEC would attract investors, he was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post on June 19.

The AEC plan has lofty aspirations. It aims to be a single market serving as a manufacturing base for transnational conglomerates. It will be a highly competitive economic region.

Member countries' level of economic development will not be disparate. And the community will be connected to the global economy via trade agreements and other economic activities.

Once ASEAN becomes a single market, products, services, capital and skilled labour will be able to move around the region freely.

Production bases will be streamlined throughout the region, so all products and services could be effectively distributed within ASEAN, the PM added.

Governments of ASEAN countries will do everything they can to steer the region out of the economic crisis, said the Bangkok Post. They are also working to build up supportive conditions for business operations at the same time.

All member countries are implementing similar policies to stimulate their domestic economies. They are also ready to fight trade protectionism since free trade is the key engine to drive the region's economic growth, PM Abhisit said./.