BANGKOK: The commerce Ministry has responded to the exports slowdown by strengthening its plan to promote service exports, in particular healthcare and wellness items, by adopting the South Korean model for their promotion. Chantira Jimreivat Vivatrat, deputy director-general of the International Trade Promotion Department, said the department would promote businesses such as spas, hospitals and cosmetic surgery as it foresees a good opportunity to raise related revenues.
She said Thailand could be promoted as a healthcare and wellness service centre, as those businesses have been well accepted by foreigners. According to the Commerce Ministry, exports for the service sector are worth US$53 billion (Bt1.9 trillion) a year. The government expects that export revenues from the service sector will grow beyond $55 billion this year.
Under the service-business promotion plan, the department will focus on developed markets and specific target groups such as the elderly and younger people who are greatly concerned about health and beauty. Lalida Jivanuntapravat, director of the department’s Service Trade and Logistics Office, said that on a visit to South Korea to learn about its cosmetics industry, people there suggested Thailand could become a centre for healthcare and beauty in Asean. The South Korean government foresees Thailand as having good potential to produce goods and services to serve the beauty industry, Lalida said.
She said that to promote the growth of the sector, the department would soon invite traders and buyers from overseas for a field trip to Thai plants and a trade fair related to beauty and healthcare. She said the department would also create a story for each product as a strategy to increase their values.
