After having utilized the TOPTHAI project to increase Thai businesses’ online presence across multiple e-commerce platforms, the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) is still working to increase e-commerce opportunities for Thai products. Most recently, additional collaboration has been agreed with Lazada in promoting exports of Thai products to the global market.
Ministry of Commerce Permanent Secretary Keerati Rushchano presided over the opening of the TOPTHAI Cross Border e-Commerce Day 2023 event, enabling businesses to receive in-depth counseling from e-commerce platform representatives, financial institutes, and logistics providers. Participating businesses were also able to receive advice from representatives of Thaitrade.com — the DITP’s online platform for wholesale trade.
Thai entrepreneurs at the event received advice on engaging e-commerce markets abroad and were able to conduct business negotiations with leading e-commerce platforms. About 300 businesses participated in the event and about 72 business matches were expected to have been yielded.
DITP Director-General Phusit Ratanakul Sereroengrit revealed that over the 4 years since the commencement of the TOPTHAI program, about 2,000 Thai brands received help in establishing themselves on 7 leading e-commerce platforms. Said platforms comprise India’s Bigbasket.com, China’s Tmall China, the US’s Amazon, Taiwan’s PChome Thai, Cambodia’s Klangthai, Indonesia’s Blibli, and Southeast Asia’s Shopee platform. About 600 million baht has been generated for these 2,000 brands so far.
On Friday (September 22nd), the DITP signed a cooperation agreement with local e-commerce major Lazada. The cooperation is expected to raise sales of products traded under the TOPTHAI program, which now spans 8 e-commerce platforms, to 300 million baht within 3 years.
According to the DITP, stores participating under the TOPTHAI program sell good quality products that have passed through government agencies’ selection process. There are plans to expand cooperation under the TOPTHAI program to new markets as well as established markets that still have good potential, such as ASEAN, Europe, and the Middle East. (NNT)
