Mukdahan hosts first Border Trade Fair to boost economy

Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai inaugurates the first Border Trade Fair in Mukdahan, aiming to boost the border economy and facilitate fruit exports through the Mukdahan checkpoint.

The event also included a visit to the One-Stop Service Center (OSS) in Mukdahan – Nakhon Phanom to support exporters.

The inaugural Border Trade Fair in Mukdahan province, which takes place from February 29 to March 3, marks a strategic move to stimulate trade activities along Thailand’s border regions and enhance the economic potential of the border checkpoints. The Ministry of Commerce selected Mukdahan as one of the key provinces to host border trade promotion activities for this year, aligning with the government’s policy to open up trade routes in all four directions to neighbouring countries.

Last year, the border and cross-border trade in Mukdahan province amassed a value of approximately 340 billion baht. With the operational readiness of the One-Stop Service (OSS) centres in Mukdahan, an increase in trade value is anticipated in 2024, offering enhanced convenience to traders and entrepreneurs.

The government has placed significant importance on the economic development of border provinces, with Mukdahan being a pivotal northeastern hub due to its logistical and transport routes connecting to Laos, Vietnam, and China. The prime transport route R9 and the second Friendship Bridge border crossing in Mukdahan serve as vital conduits for border and cross-border trade.

The Department of Foreign Trade, under the Ministry of Commerce, has a policy to accelerate and promote border and cross-border trade between Thailand and neighbouring countries. This year’s Border Trade Fair is the first of its kind for 2024, integrating efforts with seven partner agencies, including the Department of Foreign Trade, Mukdahan province, the Department for International Trade Promotion, the Mukdahan Commercial Office, the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank), the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank), and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

Product variety

The event features four main activities: showcasing and selling Thai and neighbouring countries’ products across 120 booths, including processed food and beverages, herbal products, clothing, jewellery, handicrafts, and community enterprise products; financial advisory booths from Thailand’s leading banks; business matching sessions between border traders and importers from neighbouring countries; a seminar on leveraging AI for profitable trading, and a meeting to monitor the border trade situation in Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom provinces, reported KhaoSod.

The readiness of the OSS centres in both Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan will support the upcoming fruit export season, driving the local economy and offering Thai entrepreneurs opportunities to expand into neighbouring markets. The initiative is expected to foster economic growth and increase the value of Thai-Lao border trade.