Commerce Ministry encourages exporters to target Hong Kong

NONTHABURI, May 30 (TNA) -- The Commerce Ministry is proceeding with the Thailand Best Friend project to promote exports to Hong Kong. Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong has ordered the Department of International Trade Promotion to proceed with the Thailand Best Friend project with Hong Kong as its initial goal. Four trade influencers in Hong Kong have been selected to help promote Thailand in relation to its trade, investment, tourism, products and services. The four include Roger Wu who is a writer, TV show host and blogger whose website Thailandfans.com has about 33 million followers. Mr Wu has been cooperating with the Thai commerce office in Hong Kong on promoting Thailand and Thai products. Another one is Willy Lin, director of the Hong Kong-Thailand Business Council. He has played important roles in promoting trade relations at government-to-government and business people levels. The third is Lam Wai Chun who runs 759 Store with more than 200 branches in Hong Kong. The fourth influencer is Michael Lam, a famous food critic also known as the Young God of Eating who is also a columnist in Mingpao Weekly and Eat Travel Weekly magazines. The commerce minister said Hong Kong was an important gateway to southern China and Thailand played the same role for Hong Kong leading to its nieghbouring countries like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Hong Kong is the 8 most important trading partner of Thailand with trade value estimated at US$15.22 billion last year, rising by 16.5% year-on-year. Mr Sontirat expected the value of Thai exports to Hong Kong to grow by 8% this year. Leading exports include gems, jewelry, computers and parts, electronic circuits, breakers, electrical appliances, transistors, diodes, clocks and parts, internal combustion engines and parts, plastic pellets and rice. (TNA)