Thai Trade Delegate Touts Opportunities for Businesses
by March 19, 2012 11:35 am 117 views
At a seminar hosted March 5th at the Arkansas World Trade Center in Rogers, trade officials from Thailand spoke about trade opportunities with their country.
The Thai Trade Center, based in New York, helps manufacturers, farmers and others find markets for their goods in Thailand and helps buyers find sources for needed products.
Somjin Plengkhum, executive director of the Thai Trade Center, described her role as a business “matchmaker,” helping to connect buyers and sellers in Thailand and the U.S.
Many U.S. companies already have a presence in Thailand, including Kellogg, McCormick, Dow, General Electric and Pepsico, Plengkhum said. The nation has a growing aviation industry, and is the world’s 12th largest auto manufacturer.
Bangkok hosts trade fairs in areas such as food, fashion, auto parts and accessories, and gifts and housewares, she said. Her office organizes trade missions to bring buyers to these fairs.
According to the AWTC, Arkansas exported more than $12 million worth of goods to Thailand in 2010.
The mission of the AWTC, an affiliate of the University of Arkansas, is to provide international trade services to Arkansas companies, agricultural producers and entrepreneurs, and to educate students in global commerce.