Delegates cut the ribbons at the opening ceremony for the Vietnamese Week in Thailand 2023. — Photo Phương Thảo

By Mai Hương

BANGKOK — The sixth edition of the Vietnamese Week in Thailand 2023 was officially inaugurated in Bangkok on Wednesday at the CentralWorld, the world's largest shopping complex.

Under the theme "Magical Taste of Vietnam," this year's event marks a significant departure as it introduces and highlights the culture, tourism, and distinctive products from the Mekong Delta, HCM City, and the finest OCOP (One Commune, One Product) items from various provinces across Việt Nam.

Distinguished attendees included Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, Jurin Laksanawisit; Việt Nam's Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Đỗ Thắng Hải; Vice Chairman of Bạc Liêu Provincial People’s Committee, Huỳnh Chí Nguyện; as well as leaders from Mekong Delta Provinces and HCM City.

During the opening ceremony, Jurin Laksanawisit, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, remarked: "Thailand is presently Việt Nam's principal trading partner within the ASEAN region. In turn, Việt Nam holds the position of Thailand's fifth most crucial trading partner and the second largest within ASEAN. The organisation of Vietnamese Week in Thailand 2023 offers a valuable opportunity to reinforce the trade, investment, and tourism ties between our two countries."

In 2022, the combined import-export turnover between Việt Nam and Thailand reached an unprecedented US$21.6 billion, marking a 15.1 per cent surge compared to 2021. Both countries have established a bilateral trade target of at least $25 billion by 2025.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Đỗ Thắng Hải, highlighted the significance of the Vietnamese Week in Thailand: "This event holds a pivotal role in trade promotion and serves as a platform to introduce Vietnamese goods within Thailand. Through a collaborative effort between Central Retail and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, positive outcomes have been realised, proving beneficial to Vietnamese and Thai businesses alike."

Hải further elaborated that in order for Vietnamese goods to gain access and penetrate the distribution network of Central Retail Group, the group has worked in tandem with the ministry. This collaboration involved market research, the selection of enterprises with products suitable for the Thai market, the organisation of practical training courses, capacity enhancement for businesses, and the development of products tailored for the Thai market.

Visitors at the event. — VNS Photo Mai Hương

The Vietnamese Week in Thailand 2023 sees an unprecedented number of participants, with 100 companies showcasing their exceptional products from Việt Nam. These exhibits concentrate on specialty goods from Mekong Delta provinces such as Long An, Bến Tre, Kiên Giang, Bạc Liêu, Trà Vinh, Đồng Tháp and An Giang. Additionally, there are prominent products from HCM City, including specialty coffee, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, bird's nest, and handicrafts. The event also features carefully curated OCOP products from various Vietnamese provinces, suggested by the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Development.

Given the abundant natural resources and strong export processing capacities of the Mekong Delta region, coupled with HCM City's role as the economic powerhouse of the nation, the event is poised to create optimal circumstances for Vietnamese enterprises to successfully expand into the Thai market, thereby serving as a gateway to the international arena.

"We hold hopes that this will pave the way for a significant trade partnership, fostering growth and prosperity," stated Olivier Langlet, Group CEO of Central Retail in Việt Nam.

He further added: "We believe our contribution could go beyond being the green and sustainable retailer. As Việt Nam increasingly embraces a green and sustainable environment, we plan to introduce the purchase green, consume green, live green initiative in our upcoming editions."

The event welcomed many first-time participants, including several social impact businesses (SIBs) like Miss Ede Chocolate and Coffee and Sâm Bố Chính Hoàng Gia (Royal Bố Chính Gingseng) Co Ltd.

As part of the Vietnamese Week in Thailand 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam collaborated with Central Retail Vietnam to organise a business-matching conference. This event facilitated connections between Vietnamese businesses and the commercial team from Central Group in Thailand, utilising their diverse distribution channels including Food: Central Food Hall, Tops Super Store, Tops Market, Tops Daily, and mini go!; F&B: CRG; Hotel & Resort: CHR among others.

The event will run until August 20th, 2023. — VNS