Distribution planned for Japanese SMEs' goods in Thailand
Japanese business operators plan to set up a centre in Thailand to distribute products made by Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises, the Thai Industry Ministry said.
Japanese operators are confident in the purchasing power of Thai consumers, which is higher than in Vietnam and Myanmar, as well as Thai consumers’ emphasis on quality and safety of the goods they buy rather than just low prices as in those other two countries.
Japanese businesspeople plan to invite Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to the Ginza goods-distribution centre during her visit to their country from May 22-24 to pave the way for distribution of Thai SMEs’ goods and those from Otop (One Tambon One Product) in Japan.
Industry Minister Prasert Boonchaisuk has met with Yoshifumi Ichizawa, president of the Federation of Japanese Trading Associations, and said Japanese business operators had considered a few sites in Asean, such as Myanmar and Vietnam, for a distribution centre for Japanese SMEs’ goods, and that Bangkok was the most suitable location. Both Japanese and Thai SMEs’ goods will be handled by the centre, which will include Japanese cultural and technology goods, as well as foodstuffs, ceramics and garments.
Eighty per cent of Japanese SMEs are members of the Federation of Japanese Trading Associations, Ichizawa said. Most of them are small firms with high technological capabilities and readiness to do business overseas, he added.
In a separate matter, Prasert said his ministry would provide Bt1.754 billion in financial support to the four industrial estates that have built dykes for flood prevention. They are Bangpa-in Industrial Park, Hi-Tech Industrial Estate, Bangkadi Industrial Park, and Rojana Industrial Park. The amount is equivalent to two-thirds of their construction cost.
Prasert said the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand was in the process of setting up industrial zones for both local and foreign SMEs and those interested in developing the zones should apply to do so before the end of this month.
However, no such applications have been received. If there are still no applications by the deadline, the authority will consider extending the application period or may ask major developers to allocate at least 100 rai (16 hectares) of their land to set up the SME industrial estates.
