FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

40 Thai subcontractors seek business in Myanmar

40 Thai subcontractors seek business in Myanmar

THE THAI Subcontracting Promotion Association (TSPA) will accompany more than 40 part-makers to the Intermach and Subcon Myanmar 2015 with the hope of establishing a link and partnership with Myanmar manufacturers.

 
“All our members want to expand their markets and are willing to cooperate with companies in neighbouring countries,” said Somkiat Chupukcharoen, president of TSPA and managing director of SCC Tech Co. “We want to know more about Myanmar people and culture, etc. We must know each other first. Only then will we be able to cooperate through the means of establishing partnerships or starting small businesses.”
At the press conference last Thursday, Somkiat noted that the association, which has more than 400 members, is seeking to cooperate more closely with the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Myanmar Industries Association.
“The event is timed perfectly ahead of the launch of the Asean Economic Community,” he said.
The industrial machinery and subcontracting exhibition is set for September 24-26 at Tatmadaw Hall in Yangon. 
Somkiat sees outstanding business opportunities in Myanmar following the country’s liberalisation. He said low competition, many small enterprises and good brand awareness are some of the advantages offered by Myanmar. To him, the most promising sectors in the next two or three years are automotive spare parts, energy, commodities, food and beverages. 
He said strong ties with local businesses would make it easier and cheaper for Thai companies to build brands and market products in Myanmar. He warned local businesses to not just consider the price, but also the quality of Thai products, which is attractive to customers. 
“Last year, Thai businesses that joined the show managed to find local partners. We hope to share our experience and technical know-how with Myanmar businesses including small and medium enterprises. We want to support Myanmar’s business community with quality products from Thailand. We want to forge partnerships with local businesses and grow together with customers in Yangon,” he said.
Aung Thein, vice chairman of Myanmar Industries Association, has welcomed this move and foresees closer cooperation between the two countries in areas such as automotive, electronics and the electrical industry.
“This event is designed to help improve productivity and upgrade industrial standards by bringing new technologies into the manufacturing process. This will help to further advance Myanmar’s manufacturing industry in terms of product quality and capabilities,” he said.
Sanchai Noombunnam, group director of UBM Asia (Thailand) Co Ltd, which organised the event, said Thai products would be showcased along with more than 300 items from over 100 world-class brands and eight countries. The products on display in the Thai Pavilion will include industrial components such as metals, plastics and rubber parts. 
“Myanmar manufacturers will also benefit from seminar, which will be held throughout the show and provide knowledge and know-how on how the Myanmar market and industry works,” he said. 
 
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