Thailand to expand businesses into Indonesian market

BANGKOK, April 25 (TNA) - A Thai business delegation will pay a four-day visit to Indonesia, starting from May 6, aimed at exploring ways to expand Thai exports and businesses into the world's largest archipelagic nation. Captain Suwipan Thisyamondol, Deputy Director-General of the Thai Ministry of Commerce's Department of International Trade Promotion, told journalists on Friday that the upcoming visit will provide a good opportunity for the Thai business delegation to not only explore the Indonesian market, but to find business partners and enlarge Thai exports to the largest neighbouring market in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 4 per cent this year as targeted. Captain Suwipan said that Thai commercial counselors worldwide will also hold a meeting next month to review Thailand’s targeted export growth this year, now set at 5 per cent. Prior to the upcoming visit to the Indonesian market by the Thai business delegation, the department on Friday, meanwhile, organised a seminar on how Thai business operators can widen their exports and investment into Indonesia, entitled "Insight Indonesia", as part of Thailand's preparations for the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. According to the senior official, Indonesia is receiving immense interest from foreign investors, witnessed by rising foreign investment in the country, by about 20 per cent annually, as Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) has grown about 6 per cent annually over the past several consecutive years, but foreign investment in Indonesia still faces such as obstacles a global economic slowdown and the country's laws which remain protecting only Indonesian businesses. (TNA)