Dhaka calls for direct seaport connectivity between Chittagong and Thailand’s Ranong
Thai Embassy in Dhaka will organize a road show to celebrate the 50 years of diplomatic relation between Bangladesh and Thailand next year, said Thai ambassador Makawadee Sumitmor at a bilateral business meeting with DCCI on Tuesday.
Rizwan Rahman, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) led the meeting with the Thai ambassador at Chamber building here.
The ambassador said that Thai government is planning to open the country step by step and by next two months it will be possible to open fully easing Covid-19 restrictions.
Makawadee Sumitmor said that still there is a trade gap between these two friendly countries.
She also said that expansion of India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral route will boost trade in this region.
Rizwan Rahman underlined direct port connectivity between Chittagong and Ranong sea ports for boosting existing trade.
During the meeting, Rizwan said that the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Thailand reached $ 837.06 million in 2019-20. Bangladesh’s total export to Thailand was only $35.46 million whereas import from Thailand was $801.3 million in 2020.
Export from Bangladesh saw an upward trend in 2021 as it reached $39 million from $35.46 million of 2020.
In terms of FDI stock in Bangladesh, Thailand is the 15th largest investor in this country but there are huge untapped opportunities for Thai investors especially in the areas of infrastructure, automotive and light engineering, agro and food processing and tourism and health services, DCCI president mentioned.
He also requested the ambassador to relocate Thai labour intensive industries to Bangladesh.
He further said that bilateral FTA or PTA would facilitate increasing trade and investment.