Parties highlight trade policies

Proposals span free trade, agriculture and new markets, but gaps remain, write Somhatai Mosika and Boonsong Lipimas

- 

As government policy plays a crucial role in shaping the direction of the country's international trade, key political parties have outlined policies such as accelerating free trade agreement negotiations, developing value-added products and integrating into the global supply chain.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Bhumjaithai Party's trade policies are centred around the "Trade Plus-Thailand Plus" strategy, which highlights global connectivity and mutual benefits.

Suphajee Suthumpun, a member of the Bhumjaithai's trade and economic team, presented the concept of barter trade, which involves negotiating large government procurement contracts for weapons, aircraft and submarines in exchange for Thai agricultural products.

To improve the agricultural sector, farm production should be aligned with market demand, while developing geographical indication branding for agricultural products is also important, she said.

She referred to supply chain integration, which aims to embed Thai products into the global supply chains of trading partners. For example, selling chemicals to India for processing and reexport to third countries.

"Thailand should not simply sell products for domestic consumption by the trading partners. Instead, we need to explore how Thai products can be processed or reexported to multiple destinations," she said.

EXPLORING NEW MARKETS

The People's Party has presented an innovative trade and investment strategy called "Look North-Go South".

Look North aims to attract technology and capital from East Asian industrial nations by tailoring approaches to each country's specific needs.

Go South seeks to penetrate emerging export markets with growing purchasing power such as Indonesia, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Thailand will leverage its strengths in consumer goods, automotive production, and electronics to serve the growing middle class in these markets.