Thailand launches SME IDOL 2018 program

BANGKOK, February 5 (TNA) - The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) is working together with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to launch the "SME IDOL 2018" program, the first of its kind in the country, to select 20 potential Thai SMEs to participate in the HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair, set to be held during April 20-23. OSMEP Director-General Suwanchai Lohawatanakul, SME Bank President Mongkon Leelatham and HKTDC Director for Thailand Sunny Chau announced the cooperative program at a joint press conference held in Bangkok on Monday, saying that the 20 selected Thai SMEs will have their products shown at the HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair 2018 in April. The SME Bank president told the press conference that SME Bank and OSMEP will first select Thai SMEs, 20 each, which produce household decoration materials and hand-made healthcare and spa products to participate in the SME IDOL 2018 program. The SME Bank president stated that SME Bank and OSMEP will later scale down the selected 40 Thai SMEs to the final 20 ones to be trained by business experts to enhance their competitiveness, covering the knowledge and skills on contract drafting, business bargaining techniques and e-commerce. "The finally-selected 20 Thai SMEs will have their products displayed at the HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair 2018 during April 20-23", stressed the SME Bank president. According to the SME Bank president, Thai SMEs being interested in the "SME IDOL 2018" program can submit their application forms online through the [www.sme.go.th] website during February 5-20. The OSMEP chief said, meanwhile, that OSMEP and SME Bank will also select 400 Thai SMEs, 200 each, to be accessible to and to be part of the HKTDC's online trade networks in the near future. (TNA)