Thailand boosts exports despite political changes

Thailand's Ministry of Commerce continues to step up export promotion activities despite domestic political changes.

Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, Director General of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) of Thailand, said that it is planning to organise 570 projects and 700 activities in 2026, both domestically and internationally, with an anticipated trade value of 140 billion THB (over 4.4 billion USD) to support nearly 300,000 businesses.

In the first seven months of 2025, the figure reached over 157 billion THB (4.9 billion USD), surpassing the target and expected to generate an additional 10 billion THB in trade value for the remainder of the year.

Sunantha affirmed that despite political changes, the department’s trade promotion activities will remain unchanged. It will continue to implement its planned schedule, including six upcoming international trade exhibitions in Thailand, such as the 73rd and 74th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fairs, THAIFEX-HOREC Asia 2026, THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2026, TILOG-Logistix 2026, and Bangkok RHVAC & E&E 2026.

For next year’s export promotion activities, the department will continue to prioritise entering new markets, she added.

In response to the US’s tariff policies, Thailand has intensified continuous export promotion efforts, establishing a dedicated task force to monitor the issue and allocating a budget of around 34 million THB to stimulate the economy. The programme aims to strengthen business development to adapt to the changing trade environment.

Sunantha stated that by expanding foundational cooperation, especially with international partners, Thailand will promote Top Thailand stores in online markets and enhance the thaitrade.com platform to attract more users and broaden marketing opportunities across all channels, including both B2C (business-to-consumer) and B2B (business-to-developer)./.

VNA