Thailand promotes e-commerce

BANGKOK, August 31 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Commerce, promotes local business operators to expand their businesses internationally through electronic commerce (e-commerce). Whichai Phochanakij, Deputy Director-General of the ministry's Department of Business Development, told journalists on Monday despite Thailand's economic slowdown in the first half of this year, e-commerce in the country has been growing rapidly. Whichai estimated that the value of e-commerce in Thailand should reach 768 billion baht last year, a 50 per cent surge from 2013, noting that 12,573 local business operators have already registered their e-commerce and operated 14,268 business websites. Whichai foresaw that the value of e-commerce in Thailand should exceed 1 trillion baht within two years. According to the senior official, his department, in cooperation with the private sector, will also organize the E-Commerce Day 2015 at the Ministry of Commerce on the outskirts of Bangkok from September 9-10, with the concept of “empowering your business with digital commerce”, aimed to promote and enable Thai business operators to use e-commerce as an important tool to expand their businesses internationally. The senior official revealed that highlights of the two-day event will be the launch of the “DBD Verified” logo his department uses to certify credible online business operators to help promote their e-commerce. (TNA)