Thailand's border trade expected to grow by at least 15% in 2018

BANGKOK, March 12 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Commerce has targeted to boost the country's border trade to about 1.5 trillion baht in 2018, or at least 15 per cent year-on-year growth. Adul Chotinisakorn, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Foreign Trade, told journalists of the target on Monday, noting that his department plans to help Thai business operators to penetrate minor border cities of neighboring countries in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), especially those in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, known as the CLMV group, as suggested by Thai Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong. Adul said under the plan, his department will also promote and support Thai business operators to set up goods distribution centers and send Thai business delegations to visit and explore trade and investment opportunities in targeted minor cities of neighboring countries, as well as organize activities to create or expand trading networks with their counterparts in the countries and hold border trade fairs in all Thai regions to stimulate border trade and local consumption over the next couple of months. According to the senior official, the targeted minor cities include Lao PDR's Champasak Province, Myanmar's Shan State, Malaysia's Alor Setar City of the Kedah State and Indonesia's Medan City of North Sumatra Province. The senior official expressed his confidence that the plan should boost Thailand's border trade to reach 1.5 trillion baht this year, or at least 15 per cent year-on-year, from 1.3 trillion baht last year. (TNA)