More Thais Show Interest in Investing in ASEAN

BANGKOK, Nov 15 (TNA) - More Thai business entrepreneurs have shown enthusiasm in investing in fellow member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the ASEAN Economic community (AEC) is due to implement at this year-end, said a senior Thai Commerce Ministry official. Mrs. Malee Choklumlerd, Director- General of the Commerce Ministry’s International Trade Promotion Department, said more Thai business players have shown interest in investing overseas in the past two years. As many as 18,958 Thai businessmen have asked for business information from the AEC Business Support Centre on how to conduct businesses in the 10-member countries of ASEAN in which more than 50 businessmen succeeded, she said. Offices of the Centre is set up at the Commerce Ministry headquarters in Bangkok and at nine cities of ASEAN member countries. Currently, Thailand’s exports to the nine ASEAN countries capture about 25 per cent of the country’s total exports and with the opening of AEC, the transfer of goods, services, investment and capital would become wider and easier. AEC has a combined population of more than 600 million. Realising about the widening business opportunity, the International Trade Promotion Department has revised its ‘Deepening ASEAN’ marketing strategy which calls for business penetration of each ASEAN member in 2016. The strategy also focuses on promoting the existing businessmen and new small- and medium-sized businessmen in doing businesses in the regional grouping. (TNA)