OV businesses in Thailand, Laos foster partnerships with peers at home
The first Thailand-Vietnam-Laos Business Forum took place in Udon Thani province of Thailand on November 28, attracting 300 management officials and Vietnamese businesses from the three countries.
Addressing the event, Udon Thani Governor Wanchai Kongkasem spoke highly of the efforts of Vietnamese and Vietnamese-origin entrepreneurs in Laos and Thailand in the promotion of trade, investment and tourism activities.
He said that Udon Thani, which plays an important role in connecting Mekong Sub-region countries, including Vietnam and Laos, is willing to host activities to connect Vietnamese firms and Vietnamese-origin enterprises in Thailand.
For his part, Ambassador Ngo Huong Nam, vice chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, underlined that the Vietnamese Party and State have paid special attention to the Vietnamese communities abroad and overseas Vietnamese-related affairs.
He hailed the effective operations of the Thailand-Vietnam Business Association in connecting overseas Vietnamese enterprises in Thailand and their peers in Vietnam and Laos, contributing to promoting socio-economic development in the host country and mobilising resources for the growth of the homeland.
Peter Hong, permanent vice chairman and secretary general of the Business Association of Overseas Vietnamese, said the forum was a chance for enterprises of the three countries to meet and seek partnerships in trade, agriculture, high technology, culture, tourism, services and import-export activities, while helping to step up the export of Vietnamese products.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh said that the forum was a good opportunity to foster partnerships between Vietnamese enterprises in Thailand and Laos and their peers at home.
Thailand is a big economic partner of Vietnam and the ninth largest foreign investor with more than 600 projects worth more than US$13 billion. Two-way trade reached US$19.5 billion in 2021 and US$10.6 billion in the first six months of 2022. The two countries aim to raise the figure to US$25 billion in 2025.
At the event, participants discussed the strengths, demands and measures to promote their cooperation in investment, trade and tourism.
They signed dozens of deals in trade, hi-tech agriculture, culture, tourism, service and import-export.