The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) has teamed up with Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) to accelerate the development of new S-curve industries in the post Covid-19 period.

New industries will become a key mechanism to drive the economy and implement Thailand's ambition to be a regional trade hub for logistics and labour through 10 select industries, said Kalin Sarasin, chairman of the TCC, on Thursday.

He was speaking at a press conference on Thursday to announce the launch of a virtual conference entitled "New S-curve Season 2". With more than 100,000 members nationwide, the TCC wants to help Thai businesses in the same supply chain of the country's 10 S-curve industries for business and social development, he said.

Five new S-curve industries being developed are digital, medical, robotics, aviation and logistics, and biofuel and biochemical industries, he said. These industries are all seen as playing a part in the future of the economy in the post Covid-19 period, he said. In the aviation industry, for instance, Thailand should aim to attract more foreign investors to invest in its aircraft repairing centre that should now be resized from its initial scale, he said.

Following the success in introducing the first five S-curve industries in Season 1 that ran between August and September, Season 2 in which five more S-curve industries are highlighted in a series of seminars to be aired on Facebook live streaming by Post Today, the Bangkok Post and www.zipeventapp.com from Nov 30 until Jan 28 next year, said Salanroj Sutaschuto, director of Central and Eastern Regional Office of the TCEB.

The first five S-curve industries are next-generation automotive, smart electronics, affluent medical and wellness tourism, agriculture and biotechnology and food for the future. Sirima Limviriyalers, Senior Executive Vice President of Bangkok Post Plc, said the seminars on five more S-curve industries will benefit entrepreneurs, government organisations, academics and individuals interested in this topic. "The economy isn't actually as bad as we thought it was given the high rate of spending under the government's economic stimulus programmes such as the Rao Thiaw Duay Kan tourism promotion, co-payment scheme and shopping for tax deductions schemes," said Mr Kalin.

Mr Kalin also welcomed Thailand's decision to join the new Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement, signed over the weekend at the 37th Asean Leadership Summit. The deal creates the world's largest free trade bloc.