Thailand is emerging as strong economy in South-East Asia, and a factory comes into production daily in the new industrial estate set up in the suburbs of capital Bangkok, a sprawling metropolis, which is visited by millions of tourists every year.
In a bid to seek joint venture partners for its mega projects, the Punjab government sent a high level delegation, comprising two ministers, to Bangkok from September 19 to 23 on the instructions from the Punjab Chief Minister, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
The pursuit for joint venture partners from Thailand was prompted following a visit of a high level Thai trade delegation to Pakistan in the preceding week, which was led by its Trade Representative Prachuab, a former Thai foreign minister and a great exponent of economic relations with Pakistan.
During the four-day visit, the delegation held extensive talks with the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).
During the visit, it was observed that there was little awareness among the Thai businessmen about the quality engineering products and the abundant resources of seafood, fruits and vegetable and gems and precious stones, which constituted the most of the Pakistani exports.
It was decided that a single country exhibition of Pakistani products should be organised in Bangkok at the earliest.
A Pakistan-born Thai national and Director of the Board of Industries in Thailand, Chatish Sehgal, suggested that a Pakistani chamber of commerce would be set up to promote business relations with Pakistan.
The Pakistan delegation was helped in its pursuit of the trade with Thailand by a prominent Pakistani businessman, Chuadhry Sabahat Elahi, now a Thai national.
It would be unfair not to mention the hard work done by Thai Honorary Consul in Lahore Haider Rizvi for promoting the trade between the two countries, who helped a lot to arrange meetings of the delegation with the Thai officials and business leaders.
The delegation meeting with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) was less result-oriented as all the suggestions made by the Pakistani side were thwarted by an India- born Director Vinod Gupta, who discouraged the Pakistani side by saying that textile sector in Thailand was dominated by Indians and also Thais were shy of making investment outside the country.
The most encouraging response for Pakistan was received from the Thai Trade Representative Prachuab, Chairman of Amata Corporation, a giant power and infrastructure provider for industrial estates, Vikram Kramdit, and Chairman of Federation of Design and Construction (Fedcon) Viboon Sripraster.
The Fedcon is the leading architect firm, which designed the Asia's tallest 83-storey building in Bangkok and presently is constructing a new airport in the country. This firm has also jointly submitted a bid with the Nespak for the construction of New Murree, an ambitious project of the Punjab government.
A small business delegation from Karachi, sponsored by the Thai Consulate, was caught unaware in the crossfire in the war of investment launched by the Punjab government delegation.
The delegation was led by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Senior Vice-President, Engineer M.A. Jabbar, who had to relinquish his vintage position to Punjab Industries Minister Ajmal Cheema. The former, however, forcefully advocated the cause of private sector and presented a strategy for the development of economic ties with Thailand.
There was strange lack of co-ordination between the trade delegation and the Pakistan Embassy in Bangkok.
Ambassador Hussain Bux Banglzai and head of Chancery Nafees Zakariya totally ignored the delegation's official engagements, including meeting with the Thai Trade Representative and Deputy Minister of Commerce.
The only occasion when the Ambassador made his appearance was at the dinner hosted by Trade Representative Prachuab for the delegation.
No doubt, the delegation was received with great warmth and cordiality, the organisers made a very tight schedule for the visitors, which was stretched from 9 a. m to 11 p. m, leaving no time for the businessmen to visit their clients or talk about joint ventures, which was the main objective of the visit.
The Karachi businessmen have returned home with the innovative idea that Sindh should also have industrial zone on the pattern of Sunder Industrial Estate in Punjab.
A leading businessman Kamran Elahi, who visited the mass transit system in the Thai capital, suggested that the Sindh government should commit the Thai mass transit experts to execute its long-awaited mass transit project, which would greatly reduce the transport problem in the sprawling metropolis.
The delegation also included two young energetic businessmen from Naushera, NWFP, Badr and Abdul Rasheed, who were on the forefront in promoting trade with Thailand. Badr is planning to invite Thai businessmen to the traditional gem and jewellery fair due to held in Peshawar in October.