The Foreign Trade Department will soon open five cross-border trade centres to help Thai traders and investors.
The centres will provide customs information between Thailand and neighbouring countries as well as help solve problems related to cross-border trade under the Asean Free Trade Agreement (AFTA).
Vichak Visetnoi, director-general of the department, said cross-border trade was expected to grow considerably under seamless trade.
"The centres will also provide early warning to Thai traders to become more aware of rising non-tariff barriers imposed by trading partners," Vichak said.
The centres will be set up at the cross-border checkpoints in Sa Kaew and Si Sa Ket near Cambodia, in Nong Khai near Laos, in Tak near Burma, and in Songkhla near Malaysia.
Under the AFTA liberalisation plan, the Commerce Ministry has targeted increasing cross-border trade between Thailand and its neighbours Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Burma from the current Bt800 billion to Bt1 trillion by 2013.
Vichak added that the centres would also provide investment information.
Private enterprises will be encouraged to engage in business-matching, and trade exhibitions and roadshows will be organised in the targeted markets.
