European roadshows ahead

European roadshows ahead

A mission led by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak is scheduled to hold roadshows in Britain, France and Germany later this year as a last-ditch effort to boost Thai trade and investment.

According to Mr Somkid, economic ministries are consulting with the Foreign Affairs Ministry on the itinerary.

"Thailand aims in particular to underscore bilateral cooperation with Europe and a strategic partnership with one particular European nation such as the UK or France," he said.

In January, Thailand and Britain committed to moving ahead with a bilateral free-trade pact and agreed to set up a joint committee to work out the details.

At January's meeting between Mr Somkid and Alok Sharma, Britain's minister for Asia and the Pacific, the two countries proposed speeding up trade talks and boosting bilateral trade and investment.

Thailand and Britain agreed in principle last year during a visit to England by former deputy commerce minister Suvit Maesincee to work on a bilateral free-trade agreement to lessen the impact of Britain's vote to leave the EU.

Mr Somkid proposed at his meeting that economic cooperation be implemented on two levels: free trade and strategic partnership in specific industries.

The free-trade pact will take time and affect many parties, while a strategic partnership can, in specific areas where the two parties share common interests, be done more easily, deeply and quickly.

One such example is cooperation on how to use Thailand as a gateway to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Britain is Thailand's 19th-largest trade partner in the world and its second-largest partner in Europe.

Thailand's trade value with Britain came to US$5.86 billion (206.7 billion baht) last year, down 7.9% from 2015. Exports from Thailand accounted for $3.85 billion, up 0.7%, with imports falling 21% to 2.01 billion.

According to Mr Somkid, the government sees the time as right to tap the European market after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's successful visit to the US earlier this month.

More US companies are expected give Thailand a look after Gen Prayut's official visit.

"The prime minister has already declared that the general election will be held by November next year, hence the government will have only one year left to pursue its policy," Mr Somkid said.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT