The private sector expects the value of Thailand's cross-border trade to grow by 15% this year.
Niyom Wairatpanich, a vice-chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the private sector is fully confident that trade value will reach 1.7 trillion baht.
Thailand's border trade normally includes trade with neighbouring countries and transhipments through them.
Cross-border trade prospects are expected to flourish once the government's planned special economic zones (SEZs) start up, Mr Niyom said.
SEZ development is a major policy aimed at boosting investment and trade in border areas. The government decided two years ago to set up industrial estates in SEZs in 10 provinces for the purposes of agriculture, industry, logistics and tourism.
Tak, Sa Kaeo, Trat, Mukdahan, Songkhla and Nong Khai were designated for the first phase. Chiang Rai, Kanchanaburi, Narathiwat and Nakhon Phanom were named for the second phase.
According to the National Economic and Social Development Board, investment is starting to flow into the government's SEZs with 39 projects worth 7.2 billion baht applying for promotional privileges from the Board of Investment (BoI).
The BoI expects investment applications to reach 10 billion baht by year-end.
The Finance Ministry recently floated an idea to provide tax incentives to traders in border towns to boost transactions.
Thais are allowed to buy products to be sold in border towns with a cap of 20,000 baht per month per person to prevent non-border towns from being affected.
Electronic payment will be the sole channel available for transactions in border towns to stem smuggling products for sale in non-border towns.
Operators who put consumer goods and machinery sought by neighbouring countries up for sale in border towns would be subject to lower income tax, value-added tax and customs duty, according to Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong.
But Mr Niyom urged the government to help unlock what is still deemed obstacles to border trade such as the hand-carried goods regulation that restricts the value of goods to only about 7,000 baht.
Imports of certain farm products such as maize from neighbouring countries should be facilitated, while trucks should be allowed to enter Thailand for at least three kilometres, he said. Trucks are currently not allowed to cross the border.