Thai-ing the knot: Thailand pushes for free trade deal with gulf nations
Thailand is advancing negotiations on a free trade agreement with Gulf countries to boost trade, tourism, and investment.
Nalinee Taveesin, the chair of Thai Trade Representatives, described the Gulf countries as Thailand’s most significant market in the Middle East, with trade between the two regions reaching approximately US$36 billion last year.
Non-oil and natural gas trade saw nearly a 10% growth, maintaining a positive trend.
Previously on February 19, Nalinee met with Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), at the GCC Secretariat. Both parties recognised the importance of fostering close relations and sharing expertise across various sectors.
Nalinee suggested focusing on collaboration in tourism, particularly health tourism, food security, and soft power, where Thailand holds considerable expertise.
The discussions included exploring the potential and procedures for negotiating an FTA, along with the development of a Memorandum of Understanding. Nalinee also led a delegation of public and private sector representatives from the food industry to meet with Othaim Supermarket, a leading retail chain in Saudi Arabia with 408 branches across major cities, reported Bangkok Post.
The supermarket, known for high-quality consumer goods and food, showed interest in Thai products, highlighting a growing demand for imports, notably ready-to-eat meals, corn, and tuna.
The Thai delegation also engaged with Sitaf, a prominent distributor of premium food products and ingredients in Saudi Arabia, mainly catering to upscale restaurants and hotels.
Discussions centred on increasing Thai food imports into Saudi Arabia, especially for the aviation sector, with various nuts and instant noodles in high demand, presenting an opportunity for Thailand, Nalinee noted.
In other news, to boost Thai tourist arrivals and balance the growing number of Indian tourists visiting Thailand, India is offering Thai travellers a 30-day visa-free entry until the end of 2025.
The Indian government announced that Thai visitors could now apply for an e-tourist visa online without paying any entry fee, encouraging more Thais to explore India.
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