General Chatchai Sarikulya, Minister of Commerce, opened the conference and delivered the operational policy to Office of International Trade Promotion and Office of Commercial Affairs in the region, on Monday, March 16, 2015, at the Ministry of Commerce.

 

General Chatchai Sarikulya, Minister of Commerce, said the opening speech delivering the operational policy to Commercial Diplomats of the International Trade Promotion Office in foreign countries and Directors of the Commercial Office in the region more than 60 locations around the world. In this occasion, he led representatives of suppliers and buyers from abroad into Thailand International Furniture Fair 2015 (TIFF 2015) and Bangkok International Fashion Fair & Bangkok International Leather Fair 2015 (BIFF & BIL 2015) to follow up on the implementation of export strategy that the Ministry of Commerce set up by 4 strategies, including Proactive Management on Rice and Agricultural Products, Handling the Cost of Living, Moving Forward on Export, and Moving Forward to ASEAN Community, which was an important implementation. Particularly, Commercial Diplomats needed to engage in the export strategy, accelerating and pushing exports in the short term to achieve the long term goal, sustaining Thailand’s export. They also exchanged views on the direction of effective operation for progress of Thai economic development and enhancement of our competitive ability in the future.

          Due to the current global economic situation is likely to slow down, IMF lowered its forecast for global economic growth in 2015 to 3.5% (as of Jan 2015). While the economies of the main trading partners of Thailand grew at a slowdown rate, these macroeconomic factors affected the export sector of Thailand.   

          Therefore, “The export-Driven Strategy should focus on intensive strategic marketing, new markets and creative trading opportunity expansion as said by General Prayut Chan-ocha Prime Minister on the program “Restoring Happiness to Thailand” having the public notified the government policy about the importance of moving forward to open new markets, so Commercial Diplomats needed to give precedence to proactive operation of the Ministry of Commerce. The markets would be divided into 4 groups including ASEAN market group, moderate-developed economic market group such as China, India, and Australia, moderate-developed economic market group such as USA, EU, Japan, and new market such as Africa, in order to determine a clear goal/strategy. The implemented parts were as followed. 

For the moderate-developed economic market group, during this March trade delegations from South Korea (15-19 Mar), Hong Kong (1-4 Apr), as examples, would come to negotiate and order Thai fruits; and trade delegations from Turkey (17-21 Mar) would come to order rubber products; in addition, trade delegations from India would come for FTA Thai-India negotiation during April 22-23, 2015. For the ASEAN market group, trade delegations from Malaysia would come to order Thai fruit on April 2. 

However, Thailand's export was coping with the challenges from both internal factors and external factors, currency issue, domestic political conflicts, as well as continuing decline of oil price and agricultural product price. All of them impacted on exports. From such a situation Commercial Diplomats needed to work harder to promote and support the private sector to do business abroad. Commercial Diplomats should have a sense of businessman, work closely and proactively with businessmen, focus on activities accelerating exports as strategy defined, and disseminate information by utilizing more digital technology according to Digital Economy policy, in order to disseminate information of the country, especially information about trade and information useful for business facilitations. Commercial Diplomats should also be the agency to gather depth information in the country where that Commercial Diplomat in charge.