Commerce suggests Thais expand food businesses to Chile

BANGKOK, April 7 (TNA) -- The food business in Chile is expanding, despite the sluggish economy, prompting the Thai Commerce Ministry to suggest that this is a good opportunity for Thai food and restaurant businesses to invest there. Commerce Minister Ms Apiradi Tantaporn said that the Office of International Trade Promotion in Santiago of Chile has reported that although various businesses in Chile have been affected by the sluggish economy, restaurant businesses, on the contrary, have been expanding. She said a closer look at the Chilean Excise Office showed that restaurant and food businesses there have generated an income of about 4.7 billion US dollars, an increase of about 42 per cent in the past decade, with the number of restaurants growing from 29,200 in 2000 to 40,000 in 2016. The International Trade Promotion office noted that the factors which contributed to the expansion of the restaurant business sector in Chile include the changing behaviour of consumers which opt to eat out more, as well as country's growing tourism sector. The minister said this is a good opportunity for Thai food and restaurant businesses to expand into Chile, as the restaurant sector is becoming extra popular among the local people. She said that apart from food export, this would also be a good chance for shop decorations and kitchen tools to be exported to Chile, and a good time for new Thai restaurants to start their businesses there as well. (TNA)