Bangladesh-Thailand : Potentials from Partnership

Addressing the inaugural session of a seminar on ” Bangladesh-Thailand: Potentials from Partnership,” organized by the Thai Embassy marking the 36th founding anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries at a hotel, the Foreign Secretary Touhis Hossain said that for strengthening the trade relations between two countries stress has to be laid on increasing Thailand’s imports from Bangladesh.

Hossain said Thai exports to Bangladesh increased US $ 414 million in 2006-07 from US $ 158 million in 2001-02 where as Bangladesh’s exports unfortunately hovered around US $ 20 million. He said excluding India, the largest number of Bangladeshis visit Thailand for tourism, business, medical treatment and for shopping.

Ambassador of Thailand Chalermpol Thanchitt said that the annual trade volume between the two countries is US $ 500 million and that the Thai investment was US $ 3.5 million in Bangladesh in 2007. He said about 50,000 Bangladeshis annually visit Thailand while the number of Thai people visiting Bangladesh is about 6400.

The two leaders hoped that the cooperation and friendship between the two countries could be could be built upon further for the progress of the two countries and peoples.