Targeted strategies to boost exports being devised
The ministry’s International Trade Promotion Department will allocate the largest proportion of its trade-promotion budget for ASEAN markets, focusing on Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Malee Choklumlerd, director-general of the department, said it had been allocated a budget of Bt2 billion for the upcoming fiscal year, and up to 25 per cent would be spent on export-promotion activities in ASEAN countries, focusing on CLMV. ASEAN member states are major trading partners of Thailand, with 25 per cent of Thai export value earned from this region. Meanwhile, the National Food Institute expects the export of Thai foods to grow by 7 per cent this year to Bt972 billion, higher than the previous estimate of 5.6-per-cent expansion.
