Phumtham heads to Kazakhstan to hunt for new opportunities

Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai departed for Kazakhstan on Tuesday on a mission to explore new opportunities for Thai products, a senior official said.

Phumtham, who also doubles as deputy prime minister, will be in the Central Asian country until Sunday.

Witthayakorn Maneenetr, a Commerce Ministry inspector, said the minister is leading a delegation of senior commerce officials to visit the Eurasian nation and will hold bilateral talks with Kazakhstani Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.

The talks will focus on expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two nations.

During his visit, Phumtham will also meet Dr Mirgali Kunayev, the honorary consul for Thailand in Kazakhstan and Chatchawan Sakornsin, the Thai ambassador to Kazakhstan.

At this meeting, the minister will consult the two envoys about the possibility of opening an internal trade promotion office in Astana.
Witthayakorn said the aim of the visit is to find new markets for Thai exporters in line with Phumtham’s policies.

He said Kazakhstan is a key trading partner of Thailand and could serve as a gateway for Thai exporters to send goods to other countries in Central Asia, especially Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

While in Kazakhstan, Phumtham will also visit two Thai businesses – Bangkok Thai Café and Pattaya Spa. Both Almaty-based businesses have won the “Thai Select” label as they are considered to be promoting Thai soft power overseas.

Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country, located in Central Asia. It was once part of the Soviet Union but gained independence in 1991. Known for its vast steppes, deserts and mountains, the country is rich in natural resources, particularly oil and gas.

Kazakhstan is Thailand’s 88th trading partner and ranked second among trade partners of Eurasian Economic Union. It has a population of 20 million and is believed to be one of the richest countries in the region.