Yamato, a major Japanese logistics company, expressed an interest in co-investing with Thailand to build "certification hubs" for agricultural products at airports in both countries, said Jatuporn Niemsuk, a director of the International Affairs Division of the Ministry of Transport's Office of the Permanent Secretary.
Ms Jatuporn said the ministry has also spoken to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan about ways to develop infrastructure in Thailand to host 5,000 Japanese companies.
She said the Airports of Thailand (AOT) has started constructing a "certification hub" at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is where many agricultural products are inspected and certified before being moved to other countries under the government-to-government (G2G) agreement. The centre is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
Ms Jatuporn said Yamato is interested in joining the project by opening hubs in Tokyo Narita and Kansai International Airport in Japan.
"Premium lanes will also be available early next year to forward fresh products to international consumers as soon as possible to maintain their freshness. There are 30,000 tonnes of export products that need to be expedited each year," she said.