Thai SMEs operators urged to prepare for AEC by 2015

BANGKOK, February 2 (TNA) - Thailand’s Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Promotion has urged local SMEs in various industries to prepare for the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. Deputy chief of the Office of SMEs Promotion Wimolkan Kosumas made the call in Bangkok Thursday at an ASEAN SMEs Forum, organized as part of Thailand’s Industrial Fair 2012, acknowledging that Thailand has comparative advantages over neighboring countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in food, rubber, jewelry, plastic and chemical industries. Wimolkan, therefore, suggested that Thai SME operators not only focus on production, but also create a distribution network in the 10-member ASEAN bloc. Wimolkan cautioned, however, that neighboring ASEAN countries have comparative advantages over Thailand in the furniture industry; thus urging Thai furniture manufacturers to distinguish their products through value additions. According to the Deputy chief of the Office of SMEs Promotion, her office has set up a service center for local SMEs to facilitate their investment in ASEAN and their access to available funds and also offer training in ASEAN languages, targeting to match at least 500 pairs of Thai SMEs and other regional SMEs this year to create a total trade value of at least 500 million baht. (TNA)