BANGKOK — Many Vietnamese products with high export potential are being displayed at the ‘Vietnamese Goods and Tourism Week in Thailand 2018’, which officially opened on August 22 in Bangkok, Thailand.

This is the third year in a row that the Vietnamese goods week has been organised in the city. Besides introducing Vietnamese goods to Thai customers, tourism is also promoted as part of this year’s progamme.

The event is a project in the framework of ‘Promote Vietnamese enterprises to directly participate in foreign distribution networks up to 2020’ which was endorsed by the Prime Minister in his Decision No 1513/QĐ-TTg dated September 3, 2015.

“In recent years, the Vietnamese Government has opened opportunities for local businesses to further expand their networks overseas, of which Thailand is a promising market. The ‘Vietnamese Goods and Tourism Week in Thailand’ is a critical activity within this framework,” said Đỗ Thắng Hải, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Việt Nam at the opening ceremony.

Thai Minister of Commerce Sontirat Sontijirawong said: “Thailand and Việt Nam have maintained countinuous relations for over 42 years. These relations have not been just diplomatic, but also strongly involved with economics, trade, investment, culture, education and tourism.”

Regarding trade cooperation in particular, the two countries have long exchanged goods and services, with trade volume and value increasing every year. The Thai private sector has been investing in Việt Nam as well as importing Vietnamese products, Sontijiwarong said.

Thailand is currently Việt Nam’s largest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the Department of Asia-Africa Markets under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Last year, Việt Nam-Thailand trade rose to US$15.3 billion from $11.5 billion in 2015, recording an average annual growth rate of 15.5 per cent.

Ending July 2018, bilateral trade reached around $9.5 billion, a rise of 14.2 per cent year-on-year. The two countries are striving to bring two-way trade to $20 billion by 2020 and ensure more balanced trade in the future.

About 60 Vietnamese firms participated in the event, of which 40 businesses exhibited goods, focusing on items with high export potential such as processed fruits, coffee, instant noodles, clothes and silk, as well as products representing the identity of the regions of Việt Nam such as vermicelli, mushrooms and handicrafts. Another 20 firms will attend the business matching session with buying teams from Central Group Thailand.

Nguyễn Long Hải, head of sales at Long Triều Coffee Company, said that this was the second year his company has brought products to the event. Last year, the firm was unable to find any customers because the product design and brewing type did not fit with Thai tastes.

"This year, we have brought a new product, coffee beans, mostly used for espresso machines, which are more suited to Thai customers’ habits. In addition, we renovated our design to make it more eye-catching, hoping to connect with Thai partners in the business matching session, as well as introduce a new coffee trend to Thais - filter coffee," Hải told Việt Nam News.

Vietnamese coffee on display at the event. — VNS Photo Mai Huong

Through this workshop, Vietnamese enterprises and suppliers will have a better opportunity to introduce products, learn about requirements and standards on quality and design of Thai customers, as well as exchange business methods with representatives from Central Group Thailand.

Philippe Broianigo, CEO of Central Group Vietnam and Big C Vietnam, revealed that Vietnamese goods worth $50-60 million were exported to Thailand through Central Group’s retail system last year and this number is expected to rise in the future.

New highlight of tourism

Tourism is a new highlight of this year’s event, initiated by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc last year, with the hope of drawing more Thai tourists to Việt Nam.

Việt Nam has huge tourism potential with natural beauty, distinctive culture and unique cuisine, which Thais find delicious. Many famous tour operators together with airlines and hotels such as Vietjet Air, Thai Airways, Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Accor and Group Asia Holidays attended the event.

This provides a good opportunity for tourism and travel businesses in Việt Nam to have direct contact with Thai tourists and to understand their needs, as well as to introduce attractive destinations around Việt Nam.

The event will run until August 26 at the Central World Plaza, one of the largest shopping destinations in Bangkok. — VNS