Kunming-Bangkok thoroughfare has brought Yunnan and Thailand closer

On December 9, the “Tracing Out Our Kunming-Bangkok Thoroughfare” interviewing group came to the Thai Ministry of Commerce. Mrs.Vannaporn Ketudat, Director of the Office of AEC and Asia Trade Development, Thai Ministry of Commerce, said in the interview that the Kunming-Bangkok Highway has brought Yunnan and Thailand closer.

 “Yunnan is an important gateway for Thailand to access China. The opening of the Kunming-Bangkok Highway has promoted economic and trade exchanges between Yunnan and Thailand, and more and more goods are coming to Thailand by this thoroughfare from China,” she said.

In recent years, Yunnan-Thailand trade has been on the rise. In the first five months of 2015, bilateral trade volume reached 2.89 billion yuan, a 45.9 percent increase year on year. According to Mrs.Vannaporn Ketudat, Thailand mainly exports rubber, fruit and electronic products to Yunnan, while importing flowers, vegetables, phosphorus chemical products and electromechanical products from Yunnan. “With the opening of the Kunming-Bangkok Highway, transport between the two places is more convenient. Thai goods are no longer transported to Yunnan by sea and companies have more transport options. So trade volume has gradually increased.”

Investments between the two sides are booming. According to Mrs.Vannaporn Ketudat, statistics released by the Thai Ministry of Commerce show that Thai businesses have invested in more than 100 projects in Yunnan Province. These investors include not only well-known enterprises such as Chia Tai Group and TCC Group, but a large number of SMEs engaged in the catering and home supply industries as well. Yunnan enterprises prefer to make investments in northern Thailand, covering the import and export of agricultural products, mineral development, hotel management and so on.

 “Thailand attaches great importance to the Yunnan market, and Thai enterprises participate in the Kunming Trade Fair every year. In June 2015, the number of Thai companies participating in the event doubled from previous year and they achieved satisfactory results.”

Mrs. Vannaporn Ketudat said that China’s Belt and Road Initiative agrees with the Thai policy of encouraging enterprises to make overseas investments. As an important part of the Asian road network, the Kunming-Bangkok Highway aligns with the direction of transport infrastructure construction under the ASEAN framework. With the thoroughfare connecting both sides and similar policies on both sides, more project cooperation and exchanges naturally follow.

With the China-Thailand high-speed rail added to the agenda, Mrs. Vannaporn Ketudat is looking forward to travelling to Yunnan by train. She is very confident about the future of Yunnan-Thailand interconnection.

Kunming-Bangkok thoroughfare has brought Yunnan and Thailand closer

On December 9, the Tracing Out Our Kunming-Bangkok Thoroughfare interviewing group came to the Thai Ministry of Commerce. Mrs.Vannaporn Ketudat, Director of the Office of AEC and Asia Trade Development, Thai Ministry of Commerce, said in the interview that the Kunming-Bangkok Highway has brought Yunnan and Thailand closer. Yunnan is an important gateway for Thailand to access China. The opening of the Kunming-Bangkok Highway has promoted economic and trade exchanges between Yunnan and Thailand, and more and more goods are coming to Thailand by this thoroughfare from China, she said. In recent years, Yunnan-Thailand trade has been on the rise. In the first five months of 2015, bilateral trade volume reached 2.89 billion yuan, a 45.9 percent increase year on year. According to Mrs.Vannaporn Ketudat, Thailand mainly exports rubber, fruit and electronic products to Yunnan, while importing flowers, vegetables, phosphorus chemical products and electromechanical products from Yunnan. With the opening of the Kunming-Bangkok Highway, transport between the two places is more convenient. Thai goods are no longer transported to Yunnan by sea and companies have more transport options. So trade volume has gradually increased. Investments between the two sides are booming. According to Mrs.Vannaporn Ketudat, statistics released by the Thai Ministry of Commerce show that Thai businesses have invested in more than 100 projects in Yunnan Province. These investors include not only well-known enterprises such as Chia Tai Group and TCC Group, but a large number of SMEs engaged in the catering and home supply industries as well. Yunnan enterprises prefer to make investments in northern Thailand, covering the import and export of agricultural products, mineral development, hotel management and so on. Thailand attaches great importance to the Yunnan market, and Thai enterprises participate in the Kunming Trade Fair every year. In June 2015, the number of Thai companies participating in the event doubled from previous year and they achieved satisfactory results. Mrs. Vannaporn Ketudat said that Chinas Belt and Road Initiative agrees with the Thai policy of encouraging enterprises to make overseas investments. As an important part of the Asian road network, the Kunming-Bangkok Highway aligns with the direction of transport infrastructure construction under the ASEAN framework. With the thoroughfare connecting both sides and similar policies on both sides, more project cooperation and exchanges naturally follow. With the China-Thailand high-speed rail added to the agenda, Mrs. Vannaporn Ketudat is looking forward to travelling to Yunnan by train. She is very confident about the future of Yunnan-Thailand interconnection.