ASIA - The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has used a business forum in Taipei to attract more buyers and sellers to Thailand trade shows.
The event was held to explore how Thailand’s exhibition industry can help introduce Taiwanese businesses to opportunities in the ASEAN region, as well as showcasing incentives for Taiwanese trade and travel associations.
According to TCEB, core industries that attract Taiwan businesses include electronics, machinery and metals, textiles, plastic chemical, and medical instruments. Thailand’s trade shows accommodating these include Manufacturing Expo 2012, InterPlas Thailand 2012, Fastener Fair Thailand 2012, METALEX 2012, GFT 2012 and Thailand Lab 2012.
Thailand and Taiwan already have established bilateral trade relations, and in 2011 Thailand’s trade value with Taiwan was worth US$10.5bn, placing it fifth among trade partners from other ASEAN countries.
Trade between the two countries has shown a growth trend over the past decade, with exports rising by 16.1 per cent andimports by 14.8 per cent last year, according to TCEB figures. Key industries the two countries are placing emphasis on include electrical and electronic products, metal, machinery, chemicals and textile.
The business forum was attended by industrial players from both countries, including the executive director of Thailand’s Trade and Economic Office, Mr Kriangsak Kittichaisaree; the secretary general of the Bureau of Foreign Trade Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan, Ms Chiang Wen-Juo; and the executive VP of Taiwan’s External Trade Development Council, Mr Walter Yeh, who shared their insight on the future collaboration of both countries in the ASEAN era.
The audience also heard from the director of Thai Trade Center at Taipei, Ms Pitinun Samanvorawong on ‘AEC and Business Opportunity in ASEAN through Thailand’s Exhibition Platform and Bilateral Trade between Taiwan and Thailand’.
Mrs Supawan Teerarat, director of TCEB’s exhibition department, said: “Thailand’s exhibition industry, with the upcoming rise of ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, could be used to help springboardbusiness and extend the reach in ASEAN market.
“Considering the fact that Thailand’s exhibition industry marks the highest growth in ASEAN at 70 per cent growthrate annually, in terms of event space sold and the top 10 visitors and exhibitors are from ASEAN countries, this puts Thailand in a leading position to help businesses tap into the emerging markets of the region.”
According to the latest statistics compiled by UFI, Thailand’s exhibition industry has a total value of US$132m, gained through 75 events at eight venues. Its exhibition space totals 432,500sqm every year.
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry recently announced it will ask for THB209m (US$6.59m) to bring a private firm on-board to develop and manage the delayed new expo centre in the north of the country.
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