BANGKOK, Sept 23 – Thailand must speed up its exports given disappointing growth at only 1 per cent in the first eight months of this year and a predicted failure to achieve the projected 7-7.5 per cent growth for the entire year, Deputy Prime Minister/Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisarn said today.
He chaired a workshop with Thai commercial attaches assigned to 62 countries and the private sector to together find out urgent measures to push up Thailand’s exports in the remaining quarter and review this
year’s export projection.
Exports in August expanded by 4 per cent but at an average of only 1 per cent since January.
He said a conclusion on readjustment of export projections and measures to jack up exports should be made by the end of October, foreseeing positive export expansion in Q4.
There are many overseas orders in Q4, but Thailand will have to penetrate new markets and push for exports in every sector including agricultural produce and industrial manufacturing, he said.
Concentration must be given to the Asian market and border trade, he said.
Exports to China have declined, he admitted, but said that the total value was rather high.
