BANGKOK, Feb 15 – Thailand will set up a trade promotion centre and nine bureaux in Southeast Asia to prepare for trade and investment expansion in the region, according to the Commerce Ministry.
Nantawan Sakuntanark, director general of the International Trade Promotion Department, said the move was in accord with the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) next year.
New bureaux will be opened in Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Yangon, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila and Jakarta.
The trade promotion bureaux will coordinate with the private sector in sourcing raw materials in ASEAN countries, proactively support Thai entrepreneurs and improve Thai investors’ competitive edge in global market, she said.
Business, marketing, accounting and legal consultations will be offered to investors and to build up partnership with other agencies in registration of patents and copyrights, and applications for investment promotional privileges.
The centres will cover Asia and Oceania countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia.
Thailand’s exports to ASEAN countries reached US$59.3 billion last year, a 4.99 per cent increase from the preceding year.
