ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Thailand to Pakistan Chakkrid Krachaiwong has said Thai investors want to invest in Pakistan but coordination is needed from the relevant stakeholders in the host country.

During a visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Mr Krachaiwong said his country was ready to finalise a free trade agreement with Pakistan as negotiations on it had reached the final stage and it was now up to Pakistan to expedite it.

He added that Thai Air was resuming itsflights from Karachi,Lahore andIslamabad. Many Pakistanis visit Thailand and the ambassador stressed that they should also play a role to increase trade between the two countries.

“Many Thai investors want to invest in Pakistan, but they do not know where to invest,” Mr Krachaiwong said, adding both the countries should focus on promoting bilateral investment to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

He invited Pakistani business community to display their products in “Thailand Industrial Fair 2024” to be held in January next year.

The ambassador and his delegation identified seafood, mangoes, halal food and halal cosmetics as potential areas for two-way trade.

Kamolwan Siriposil, economic counsellor and deputy head of mission, Khemathat Archawathamrong, counsellor, also accompanied him.

ICCI President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said he would take up the issue of FTA with relevant Pakistani authorities for swift progress as it would help increase trade between Pakistan and Thailand.

He said trade between the two countries was in limited items and there was a need to diversify it.

He added that the government had established a Special Investment Facilitation Council to facilitate investments in defence, agriculture, minerals, IT and telecom, energyand othersectors. He stressed that the Thai investors should take advantage of these opportunities in Pakistan.

He said tourism sector was another promising area of mutual cooperation asPakistan’s rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes offered greatattractionstoThai tourists. Pakistan can learn from Thailand’s success in tourism industry, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2023