Thailand’s exhibitions

Thailand’s exhibitions is a vibrant marketplace for ASEAN

The “Bangkok – Exhibition City of ASEAN” campaign highlights Bangkok as the gateway to ASEAN. The capital city’s world-class infrastructure and the Thai government’s pro-business policies have created a strong foundation for international trade and investment. Many exhibitions in Thailand today serve the ASEAN market and capture the emerging business opportunities of the region.

2015 will see the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) – a free-trade entity made up of the 10 ASEAN member nations. It promises to be a vast consumer market of more than 600 million people. The AEC is also expected to become a new production base and source for raw materials and labour. Companies from around the world are now exploring this new market at Thailand’s exhibitions.

Under the “Bangkok – The Exhibition City of ASEAN” campaign, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau supports flagship exhibitions that represent the best in their respective trades.

Geographic Advantage
Situated in the heart of mainland Southeast Asia, Thailand serves as a gateway to the emerging economies of the Greater Mekong Sub region.

Thailand has a land area of 513,115 sq. kms. (approx. 127 million acres). It has borders with Malaysia (south), Myanmar (west & north), Laos (north & northeast) and Cambodia (southeast), while the whole of the east coast from Cambodia to Malaysia faces the Gulf of Thailand and the west coast faces the Andaman Sea. Geographically, the country is divided into five zones: the fertile central plains the arid northeast plateau, the mountainous north; the rich agricultural coastal plain in the east; and the southern peninsula.

The nation’s strategic position has influenced many aspects of the Thai society and culture through migrations of peoples over many centuries. As such it serves as a gateway to the emerging economies of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, while its position within ASEAN provides easy access to what is regarded today as the largest growing economic market.

The capital Bangkok, with its well-developed infrastructure, political and economic stability, and consistent openness to foreign investment, has been a magnet for international companies looking for a strategic location to set up or expand business.

Thai & ASEAN Community
The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) aims to create an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2020. The AEC would have a combined population of over 575 million and total trade exceeding US$ 1,400 billion.

ASEAN Economic Community
The ASEAN Vision 2020 aims to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region, in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities by 2020.

Free Trade Area
Underpinning the AEC is the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), a preferential tariff scheme to promote the free flow of goods within ASEAN that are manufactured locally within any ASEAN country.

Comprehensive Investment Area
The ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Area (ACIA) will encourage the free flow of investment within ASEAN. Its main principles are:
1. All industries are to be opened up for investment, with exclusions to be phased out according to schedules
2. National treatment is granted immediately to ASEAN investors with few exclusions
3. Elimination of investment impediments
4. Streamlining of investment process and procedures
5. Enhancing transparency
6. Undertaking investment facilitation measures

by Leland Barr