The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is driving four economic corridor projects, all supporting conferences as a platform to enhance trade and investment with neighbouring countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS).
The projects are part of Thai Government policy designed to strengthen the country’s position as a regional hub, as well as linking in to China’s One Belt One Road initiative. They also promote Thailand’s regional cities.
Mrs Nichapa Yoswee (pictured), TCEB’s Senior Vice President – Business, said the four GMS economic corridor projects reflect TCEB’s role as a co-creator of business opportunities, under its ‘Thailand Redefine Your Business Events’ branding.
“TCEB has a policy to use conferences and tradeshows as a tool to drive economic growth and generate economic impacts. So far four conferences have been held in regional provinces located in the economic corridors that connect with GMS countries. Co-hosted and supported financially by TCEB, the conferences have led to a total value of business exchange between 2018 and 2019 of 307m baht (US$10.17m),” said Mrs Nichapa.
The first conference is the International Conference on Luang Prabang-Indochina-Mawlamyine Economic Corridor (LIMEC), which spans two cities in Lao PDR, five Thai provinces in the lower northern region, and three key cities in the south-eastern part of Myanmar. Co-hosted by TCEB, the conference has been held in Thailand for the fifth consecutive year since 2015, each one attracting over 400 delegates. TCEB’s involvement has contributed to 20 business exchanges in 2018 alone, totalling 226m baht in such sectors as agriculture, food, construction, logistics, health and tourism.
The Cambodia-Vietnam-Thailand Economic Corridor Cooperation Conference (CVTEC) was hosted in 2018 in Pattaya and 2019 in Rayong where a MOU has now been signed between the three countries to open an oceanic transportation route along the southern coast of Vietnam, Cambodia and the eastern coast of Thailand in the four Thai provinces of Trat, Chanthaburi, Rayong and Chonburi.
Co-hosted by TCEB, the conference aims at promoting trade, tourism, logistics and business travel or MICE between the three countries. The trial operation of the oceanic transportation route will begin in 2020.
The GMS Logistic Forum was started in Bangkok in 2018 and the second edition held in Khon Kaen in 2019. Both editions attracted around 450 delegates, mostly logistics operators from the six GMS countries. In 2019, table-top sessions were launched at the event, leading to 112 business matching with the total value of 12 million baht.
An inaugural event, the GMS Thailand e-Commerce Economic Corridor (GTEC), was hosted by TCEB in Chiang Rai in July 2019 to provide a platform to link Thai community entrepreneurs with Chinese e-commerce platform operator. It resulted in orders for Thai products worth 70m baht
