“DITP” join hands with 8 entities in an alliance that will position Thaitrade.com on its way to becoming a World Class B2B E-Marketplace

 

The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce has joined hands with eight private entities, all of which are national and international organizations, as part of its strategy to speed up expansion efforts and the organization of proactive initiatives for its Thaitrade.com E-Marketplace project. The Thaitrade.com project incorporates and utilizes information technologies that are widely used in the international markets in order to add value to DITP’s array of services.  As a result, the Thaitrade.com E-Marketplace project will enable qualified Thai exporters and traders to reach out to international buyers from all regions in the world in a fast and cost-efficient manner. On the other hand, global buyers can be assured of quality and reliability of seller members of Thaitrade.com since all of them are screened by the DITP.

While Thaitrade.com is a means of enhancing the competitive edge of Thai products, it also lays the foundation for Thailand to become a leader in the regional and global E-Marketplaces through the signing of agreements with Alibaba.com, a world class B2B E-Marketplace, Thailand Post Company Limited and Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited, the great supporters in logistics and finance, along with other suitable, high-potential producers in the international market that will culminate in the creation of a trial group of Thai products to be introduced through Thaitrade.com.   This joining of hands will enable Thaitrade.com members to benefit from the respective strengths of each participating organization, while also leading to expand markets for Thai products.

The signing of the alliance agreement (MOU) took place between the Department of International Trade Promotion, the world class B2B E-Marketplace Alibaba.com, and seven alliance partners, namely the Thailand Post Company Limited; Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited; Pantavanij Company Limited; The Gems, Jewelry and Precious Metal Confederation of Thailand (GJPCT); The National Federation of Thai Textile Industries (N.F.T.T.I); The Associations of Thai Lifestyle Products Federation (TLPF); and Thai Frozen Foods Association (TFFA) on 9 February 2012 at the Design Pavilion Trend, Impact Muang Thong Thani. The signing of the MOU underscores the alliance’s commitment to jointly developing Thaitrade.com, with the intention of developing it to become a world class Thailand B2B E-Marketplace.

Mrs. Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, Director-General of the Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce revealed that as it currently stands, Thaitrade.com carries tremendous potential and readiness to evolve into a full-fledged trade and business negotiations arena.  In laying the groundwork for this, the DITP has established the basic infrastructures of an E-Marketplace in order to provide support to online business negotiations in a comprehensive manner.  In conjunction with its business development plan for continued business negotiation activities both online and offline, Thaitrade.com can in the future fully support the expansion of its membership, both in terms of ‘Buyers’ and ‘Sellers’.  In 2012 the DITP aims to increase the membership of Thaitrade.com to at least 4,000 Sellers and 10,000 Buyers. 

“In signing this MOU at this juncture, the DITP aims to enhance cooperation in expanding both our business bases and networks.  In terms of products to be traded, an emphasis will be placed on those product groups that are already strong and carry the potential to act as a “pioneering” group of products from Thailand. Efforts will also be put into the PR and promotion of Thaitrade.com so that it will be widely recognized abroad. As well, Buyers in the target markets will be invited to come together and conduct business negotiation activities, both online and offline. The E-Marketplace, therefore, is a way of both increasing opportunities in sales and of facilitating processes so that global buyers may conveniently source Thai products and services through Thailand’s B2B E-Marketplace.”

“Following the signing of the MOU, there will be further discussions on activities that have been planned — these will be jointly undertaken by the alliance partners in order to promote and PR the website, making Thaitrade.com more widely-known and recognized.  There will also be exchanges of ‘links’ on the main websites to allow viewers of each website to readily access information about our partners. The launch of this alliance between Thaitrade.com and the eight alliance organizations means that Buyers from around the world will now be able to access this information with great ease. Moreover, business matching initiatives for trading general products, as well as for specific groups of products, will be organized both online and offline.”

Through the partnership with Alibaba.com, there will be opportunities to share and exchange ‘links’.  Alibaba.com will also provide the promotional and PR space for Thaitrade.com on its ‘Thailand Channel’ webpage so that people who visit its website can simultaneously access information about Thaitrade.com. High potential Thaitrade.com ‘Seller’ members will be selected to participate in a business matching activity with foreign ‘Buyers’ who are similarly seeking fruitful partnerships. This initiative will be organized by Alibaba.com, which will also offer added services to Thaitrade.com members in the way of information and guidance to be provided by speakers who can impart practical knowledge about online trade business and other activities of the DEP.

As an alliance member, Thailand Post Company Limited will provide specific support to Thaitrade.com members regarding the transportation and distribution of products both domestically and internationally, offering relevant information and providing international transport services at special rates.

Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited has prepared consultation services and will offer comprehensive and appropriate financial services regarding international business for the purposes of accommodating exporters and traders’ business needs.  The Bank will also provide financial and other relevant services both domestically and internationally and will offer privileges in receiving financial services through special rates for Thaitrade.com members. Furthermore, the project will be promoted through websites, documents, journals and printed materials, as well as via other PR tools of the Bank.
Pantavanij Company Limited is Thailand’s local B2B E-marketplace, having operated for more than 10 years and grown at a rapid pace.  At present, the company has expanded its branches to various countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, and Turkey.  The company will collaborate on PR news relating to buyer demand through Thaitrade.com via its Pantavanij.com website, as well as disseminate news about the needs and wants of various large-scale Thai buyers to the members of Thaitrade.com.

The remaining alliance members — The Gems, Jewelry and Precious Metal Confederation of Thailand (GJPCT); The National Federation of Thai Textile Industries (N.F.T.T.I); The Associations of Thai Lifestyle Products Federation (TLPF); and Thai Frozen Foods Association (TFFA)– collectively provide a pool of traders and leading exporters of Thailand who have attained international standards of production. These exporters and traders have consistently demonstrated their ability to produce high quality standards of products, have an expertise in manufacturing, and carry the potential to export goods abroad.  They have joined the alliance in order to provide support and to drive forward the progress of Thaitrade.com so that it can become a truly world class Thailand B2B E-Marketplace.  Notable cooperative efforts include recruiting and selecting members of organizations through the alliance – those that are highly experienced and have the capacity to sell products for exports — to participate in the Thaitrade.com project.

All eight alliance members are determined and committed to working together in the PR and dissemination of news relating to the Traitrade.com E-Commerce marketplace and to providing information and updates on market demand and supply, as well as sharing the strengths and weaknesses of each organization and ultimately encouraging business trading through Thaitrade.com.

Currently, 3,201 traders have been selected to become members of Thaitrade.com comprising 42 groups of products; 64,498 items of products; and 447,703 visitors from more than 200 countries worldwide.  The countries that account for the highest number of visitors are: China, the Republic of Korea, India, the United States, Taiwan, the ASEAN countries, Australia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and Japan.  Of this group of visitors, 10,166 have already registered and joined Thaitrade.com as ‘Buyers’.  Additionally, Thaitrade.com has seen a large number of inquiries and exchanges between Buyers and Sellers.

The signing of the alliance agreement (MOU) between the Department of International Trade Promotion and the eight alliance entities is expected to culminate in meetings and further negotiations between Buyers and Sellers, thereby boosting the value of exports and expanding the market for Thai products across various regions around the globe.  With an increasing volume of Buyer members — all of who have been screened, selected, and endorsed by various federations and associations — as well as extending invitations to international buyers from the Thai Trade Centers all around the world to register as “qualified” Buyers, Thaitrade.com has become a credible and reputable B2B E-Marketplace.  Thaitrade.com thus represents another trading alternative that will help Thai traders to venture confidently into the realm of conducting business in the global market.

Interested Thai traders and exporters can join the Thaitrade.com project free of charge through several channels, such as through the project website www.thaitrade.com, via e-mail to: ecommerce@ditp.go.th, ecommerce.dep@gmail.com, through www.facebook.com/ThaitradeDotCom or in person at the Thaitrade.com booth at various trade exhibitions organized by the DEP.  For further information, please contact the DITP International Business Consulting Center at its hotline number 1169, or by facsimile number 02 547 5683-4.