In a major new export-promotion drive, |the government plans to dispatch 18 trade missions to more than 20 targeted markets |in an effort to achieve its goal of 14-per-cent export growth to US$173 billion (Bt5.6 trillion) this year.
Discussing the need for the missions, Srirat said it is essential that Thailand increase cooperation with high-level officials and trade partners overseas. Department officials declined to comment on the budgets for the trade missions, but the cost of 18 such road shows - particularly to the fast-growing economies in Asia, Africa and Latin America included in the itinerary (see below) - would likely run into millions of baht. It has been speculated that the ministry is rushing to spend its travel budget, fearing a significant cut in the budget next fiscal year if it does not. Earlier, a House committee wanted to know why the ministry had used only 30 per cent of its approved budget in the first nine months of the fiscal year from October 1.
Each mission will be led by Porntiva or another high-level ministry official. Representatives of the private sector will be invited to participate, with business-matching sessions planned during the trips.
The first mission will be to Laos from June 30 to July 4, in part to celebrate 60 years of Thai-Lao relations. Subsequent missions, which will be conducted through October, will include stops in Cambodia, Indonesia, Burma, Vietnam, several Latin American countries, Qatar, Jordan, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, Angola, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, Algeria, Lebanon, China, India, Bangladesh and Australia.