Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak is stepping up plans to strengthen a trade link between Thailand and Hong Kong to facilitate investment by serving as a "gateway" to one another's regions.
The plans look set to gain more momentum following his meeting with Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, during her two-day trip to Thailand, which ended Monday.
Issues on new economic cooperation, especially a move to use Hong Kong as a route to Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, known as GBA, dominated their talks.
Mr Somkid said Ms Lam agreed with him to jointly develop closer economic ties between the GBA and Thailand, which will also serve as a gateway for Chinese investors to reach Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand, known as CLMVT.
GBA is the Chinese government's scheme to link nine cities in the coastal province of Guangdong -- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing -- with Hong Kong and Macao in a move to establish a new business hub.
Mr Somkid asked Ms Lam to establish a Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Thailand by the end of the year to facilitate trade and investment between Thai and Hong Kong business operators.
On Monday, Mr Somkid accepted the Hong Kong government's invitation to join the 2018 Belt and Road Summit to be held on June 28.
In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, a US$1.5 trillion infrastructure project covering 80 countries.
The scheme, which is based on the concept of the Silk Road, an ancient trade route linking the East and the West, is aimed at linking China with Southeast Asia, Africa and Eurasia through a complex network of ports, roads, railways and industrial parks.
During Monday's meeting, Mr Somkid and Ms Lam also discussed art and education cooperation, especially an idea to have Hong Kong educational institutions set up branches in Thailand.
Last Thursday Mr Somkid also met Chui Sai On, the chief executive of the Macau Special Administration Region, to discuss another business plan.
They agreed to set up a joint committee to work on economic cooperation between Thailand and the Pan-Pearl River Delta, or PPRD.
The delta, which covers 11 southern Chinese provinces, Hong Kong and Macau, is another major economic zone and part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.