NARATHIWAT: Thailand and Malaysia have expressed their commitment to expanding the border trade between southern Thailand and northern Peninsular Malaysia.
Sarote Suwattigul, who led the Thai delegation to the Southern Border Trade Fair, said it is a good initiative aimed at expanding trade cooperation in the region.
“We hope this trade fair can boost growth and investment in the three southern Thai provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.
“We also hope such programmes can enhance the good ties between Malaysian and Thai entrepreneurs, and help small and medium entrepreneurs to grow their trade to an international level,” he told reporters on Saturday.
The three-day trade fair that began on Friday at the Maharaj stadium in Sungai Golok was organised by the Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce Thailand, and featured 120 booths including 80 by traders from Thailand and 40 from Malaysia.
Also present were Malaysian consul general in Songkhla Mohd Afandi Abu Bakar; Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) ASEAN and Oceania Section director Raja Badrulnizam Raja Kamarzaman; and Thailand consul general in Kota Bharu Mongkol Singsomboon.
International Trade and Industry Ministry Kelantan director Nik Mohd Fahim Muhaimin expressed hope the event could increase the value of the border trade via Rantau Panjang and Sungai Golok.
Narathiwat, designated as one of Thailand’s Special Economic Development Zones, is an important gateway for border trade between Malaysia and Thailand. -- Bernama