Thailand is the new Detroit of South-East Asia

CHENNAI: The seventh edition of The Thailand Trade Show 2011, which was inaugurated by Dr Mayil Vahanan Natarajan, vice chancellor of TN Dr MGR Medical University, has all the cultural ingredients of Thailand. Starting with elegant dance performances every now and then, to handicrafts, food items, perfumes and aromatic oil, they kept up the Thailand spirit.Speaking to City Express after the inaugural ceremony, consul general of Royal Thai Consulate, Chanchai Charanvatnakit, said that with the economic crisis affecting America and Europe, countries like Thailand were focusing more on China and India.A 30-member delegation from across 20 provinces of Thailand, which is more of a fact-finding mission, is here in Chennai to know the business climate and investment opportunities, he added. “Once the team is back in Thailand, a strategy will be charted out paving the way for the visit of a higher delegation,” said Charanvatnakit.He also said that Chennai is the new Detroit of Asia; and Thailand, the Detroit of South-East Asia. And so, both can work together, as they have a lot in common.“Cholas inhabited Siam a thousand years ago and we have a temple in our country, which is more or less similar to the one in Mylapore,” explained Charanvatnakit.“Ramakien, a Thai version of Ramayana, has deeply influenced Thai literature, art and drama. Also, several socio-cultural habits and festivals of Thailand and India are similar,” he added.The expo provides a perfect venue for business between Thai and Indian businessmen, he said. “The business opportunities here shall not be limited only to export or import, but also to a two-way investment and trade services,” said Charanvatnakit.He also observed that the trade between India and Thailand has been growing steadily and was worth $6.65 billion in 2010. Interestingly, in the first half of this year, the total trade totalled to $4.16 billion. Also, there has been a hike of 29.07 per cent.