UK and Thailand develop business partnership

Ambassador Mark Kent accompanied a delegation of Thai business leaders on a visit to the UK from the 22 to 25 June 2014. The visit programme focused on developing trade and investment cooperation between the UK and Thailand.

Opportunities in Thailand

The visit enabled UK businesses to hear about developments in Thailand, and learn more about the opportunities for UK companies in south east Asia’s second largest economy.

Thailand is ranked 18th of 189 countries in the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ survey. It offers opportunities for British businesses across a diverse range of sectors including:

• agri-business, food processing, food and drink
• consumer products
• automobiles
• advanced engineering and aerospace
• renewable energy
• services (business, financial and professional)
• digital TV
• smart city technologies
• education and skills

Visit programme

The visit programme included:

• a roundtable discussion on investing in the UK
• a seminar for UK companies on the opportunities and challenges of doing business and investing in Thailand (over 90 attendees)
• briefings on the UK’s world leading capabilities in the food, drink, bio-fuels and financial services sectors
• briefing on entrepreneurship including ‘Sirius’, the UK government backed programme to support graduate entrepreneurs
• meeting with the British Chambers of Commerce, the Board of Trade and Thai Chamber’s counterpart organisation in the UK

The delegation also met with the Rt Hon Mike Weatherley, Chair of the ASEAN All Party Parliamentary Group and other MPs with an interest in Thailand.

Delegation

The delegation was led by the Board of Trade / Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Investment. It included senior representatives from some of Thailand’s leading companies including:

• Central Retail Corporation
• Thai Bev
• Mitr Phol
• Bangkok Bank
• Thanachart Bank
• CP Foods

Further information

UK Trade & Investment Thailand

Follow British Ambassador Mark Kent on twitter @KentBKK

Follow the British Embassy Bangkok on Twitter and Facebook

Photostream of UKinThailand