The declaration of a state of emergency by the government has no impact on the investment climate as investors look for long-term prospects which are still bright, secretary-general of the Board of Investment (BOI) Dr Atchaka Siboonruang said.

Dr Atchaka said several carmakers are still interested in moving ahead with their energy-saving vehicle or eco-car projects.

"Nissan has already unveiled and marketed its eco-car in Thailand, while Suzuki is now building its plant here," the BOI secretary said on Friday.

Nissan and Mitsubishi had confirmed their intention to use Thailand as their eco-car production bases for exporting to markets worldwide, she added.

Toyota and Tata are now making preparations for eco-car production projects, according to Dr Atchaka.

In addition, US investors already investing in Thailand had pledged to invest more, Dr Atchaka said.

The BOI expects applications for investment privileges to reach 500 billion baht in 2010.