In brief :NI firms arrive on a trade mission
Senior executives from five Northern Ireland companies will be in Bangkok from tomorrow to Tuesday to strengthen trade links and explore other business opportunities such as joint ventures and technology agreements with local firms.
The delegation, organised by Invest Northern Ireland, a UK government economic development agency, is being assisted by commercial staff at the British Embassy. The mission is the latest in a series of Invest NI trade development initiatives to markets in Asean. Most of the participating companies already have business in Thailand and the wider Southeast Asia region. "This is a small but highly focused group that comprises companies with considerable experience of business in the Asean region," said Invest NI mission manager Claire Gadd.
Tong Herr boost Malaysia's Tong Herr Resources said its Thai plant had helped the group to boost sales to the United States. "The US government does not impose import duties on our stainless-steel fastener products from Thailand," said executive director BL Tan. "The US market generated about 6 per cent of the group's revenue in 2006, compared with about one per cent in 2005," he said, adding that Tong Herr Resources aimed to increase the US contribution to at least 10 per cent next year. The plant in Thailand in its first year of operations in 2006 generated about 6 million ringgit (Bt56.9 million) pre-tax profit on revenue of M$31 million. "We are also making plans to expand our facility in Thailand," Tan added.
Travel road show The 2007 Post-ITB Andaman Roadshow to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris from March 12-24 was held within days of Thailand's participation in ITB Berlin, the world's largest travel show. The series of road shows was jointly organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand's offices in Paris and Phuket. Andaman Roadshow participants assured European counterparts that Phang Nga, Krabi and Phuket had recovered from the 2004 tsunami and were open and ready for business. Members of the Thai delegation from the Andaman provinces included representatives from TAT Phuket, the governor of Phang Nga, representatives of the Krabi Tourist Association and other provincial travel and hotel associations and private sector representatives from the three provinces. TAT Paris extended invitations to 50 local travel trade representatives in each of the European capitals. The Thai ambassadors to The Hague and Paris were also present during the Post-ITB Andaman Roadshow presentations.
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