Thailand to boost exports to US and promote health services

BANGKOK, January 26 (TNA) - Deputy Commerce Minister Siriwat Kajornprasart says that Thailand will boost exports to the United States and will develop the Kingdom as a center of health and beauty services in the region in the foreseeable future. Siriwat told reporters that more flood-affected exporters in Thailand are resuming their businesses and he expects most of the flood-hit exporting firms will resume their operations in the second quarter of this year. Siriwat assessed that US economic stimulus measures should boost Thai exports in almost all categories to the US market in the coming months and total Thai exports to the US economy this year should, therefore, rise by 8-10 per cent; while overall Thai exports should grow by 15 per cent in 2012. According to the deputy commerce minister, Thailand's exports of health and beauty products alone should expand by at least 20 per cent this year, as several countries have paid more attention to health and beauty; so, his ministry plans to develop Thailand as a regional hub of health and beauty services in the coming years to earn the country over 200 billion baht revenues from the products annually. The deputy commerce minister on Wednesday inaugurated the 13th Thailand Health and Beauty Show, held on a 6,000-square-meter area at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre or BITEC in Bang Na area from January 25-29, aimed mainly to promote and boost exports of Thai health and beauty products. The Thai Ministry of Commerce's Department of Export Promotion also uses the five-day event as a regional forum for negotiations between Thai and foreign traders on health and beauty businesses, paving the way for Thailand to be a regional center of health and beauty businesses in the future. The 13th Thailand Health and Beauty Show, organized with the theme of “The Paradise of Beauty and Wellness, is drawing relevant operators from Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan and at least 20,000 visitors and operators participating in the five-day event is expected to generate a total of over 100 million baht revenue. (TNA)