The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is co-hosting and supporting conferences as a platform to enhance trade and investment with Thailand’s neighbouring countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), in line with the Thai Government’s economic policy to strengthen Thailand’s position as a regional hub. All projects are initiated with the objective to help realise Thailand’s economic corridors in various regions that are linked with the GMS countries and the CLMV (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam) bloc as well as, to strengthen linkage with China’s One Belt One Road initiative. “TCEB has a policy to use conference and trade show as a tool to drive economic growth and generate economic impacts. So far four conferences have been held in regional provinces located in the economic corridors that connect with GMS countries,” said Nichapa Yoswee, TCEB’s senior vice president –business. Co-hosted and supported financially by TCEB, the conferences have gathered entrepreneurs from Thailand, CLMV and GMS to form networks and join table-top sessions for business exchange. The total value of business exchange between 2018 and 2019 is now stands at 307 million baht. The first conference was International Conference on Luang Prabang-Indochina-Mawlamyine Economic Corridor (LIMEC), which spans two cities in Lao PDR, five Thai provinces in the lower northern region, and three key cities in the south-eastern part of Myanmar. Co-hosted by TCEB with the Provincial Chapters of the Federation of Thai Industries, Provincial Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Council of Thailand, the conference has been held in Thailand for the fifth consecutive year since 2015 – each one attracting between 400 to 500 delegates. TCEB’s involvement has contributed to 20 business exchanges in 2018 alone, totalling 226 million baht in such sectors as agriculture, food, construction, logistics, health and tourism. Cambodia-Vietnam-Thailand Economic Corridor Cooperation Conference (CVTEC) was hosted in 2018 in Pattaya and 2019 in Rayong where MOU has now been signed between the three countries to open oceanic transportation route along the southern coast of Vietnam, Cambodia and eastern coast of Thailand in the four Thai provinces of Trat, Chanthaburi, Rayong and Chonburi. The trial operation of the oceanic transportation route will begin in 2020 when table top business sessions will be launched with TCEB support for the first time for CVTEC. GMS Logistic Forum was started in Bangkok in 2018 and the second edition in Khon Kaen in 2019. Both editions attracted around 450 delegates and logistics operators from the six GMS countries. GMS Thailand e-Commerce Economic Corridor (GTEC) had its inaugural event in Chiang Rai in July this year to provide a platform to link Thai community entrepreneurs with Chinese e-commerce platform operator, resulting in placement order for Thai products worth 70 million baht. TCEB also aim is to drive GTEC as e-commerce economic corridor and plans, to stage GTEC annually and rotate it to all regions of Thailand. Beginning with the Northeast in 2020 and the southern region in 2021. GTEC is run by Thai-Chinese Strategic Research Centre, International College of Digital Innovation (Chiang Mai University), Ministry of Commerce Biz Club and Thai-Shenzhen Friendship Association. |