BANGKOK, May 20 – Thailand’s Commerce Ministry conceded today that a downward assessment of this year export prospects is possible unless export performance improves in the second half of the year.
Speaking at a meeting of Thai government commercial attaches based in 62 countries worldwide, International Trade Promotion Department director-general Srirat Rastapana said the ministry wanted to reconsider Thailand’s export situation in each of the world’s regions, and would listen to reports on any export obstacles for further export improvement.
Ms Srirat said attention would be focused on main export markets such as the United States, Europe and Japan.
Today’s meeting’s result will be reported to the commerce minister in order to forecast export directions as well as plan marketing strategies for both new and existing markets.
The meeting agreed that ASEAN and other Asian markets will still be the markets that Thailand should concentrate on to compensate for losses incurred from other markets, while this year’s export target growth of 8-9 per cent might not be adjusted at a lower rate if the economic situations in the second of this year improve.
Chulit Stavorn at Thailand’s Commercial Affairs Office in London said trade between Thailand and the UK in the first quarter expanded 4.4 per cent, which was better than that with other European countries. He said Thai food is still popular among European consumers, resulting in overall trade with the EU expanding 4-5 per cent.
He believed Thai exports to the EU this year can expand by 2 per cent. Commercial attaches in Europe will hold a ‘Trade of Thailand-Trade of London’ fair later this year to promote Thai goods to the UK.
