Government to boost Thai exports to meet target

BANGKOK, August 16 (TNA) - Deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol says that the government and the private sector are joining forces to boost Thai exports in the second half of this year to meet national export growth of about 15 per cent on average in 2012 as earlier targeted. Poom told journalists despite the eurozone debt crisis and the fluctuation of oil prices and foreign exchange rates, Thailand is trying to maintain traditional export markets and to penetrate new markets. Poom acknowledged although the Chinese and the Indian markets have slowed down to some extents, with the Chinese economy growing by 7-8 per cent currently, instead of some 9 per cent previosuly, China remains a promising market for Thai exports. According to the deputy commerce minister, concerned authorities are also monitoring economic conditions worldwide and reviewing Thai export promotion strategies on a weekly basis; so, his ministry has maintained its earlier projection that Thai exports should expand by 15 per cent year-on-year in 2012 amid some internal and external risk factors. (TNA)