Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva embarks on a key visit to the Indian capital New Delhi Monday during which he aims to boost trade and economic ties with India.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, Industry Minister Chaiwut Bannawat and Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot will accompany him.
During the visit, Abhisit is scheduled to meet at least 50 leading businessmen interested in investing in Thailand.
Thailand wants to speed up negotiations for the inclusion of goods left out of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India, amid projections that bilateral trade will touch USD 10 billion US in 2012.
Thailand and India agreed to cut tariffs on 82 items under an early harvest scheme in 2006. Thailand also wants the agreement to cover the investment and service sectors.
Bilateral trade in 2010 touched USD 6.7 billion.
Thailand's Trade Representative Kiat Sittheeamorn said trade was expected to grow once Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
becomes a single market by 2015.
Businessmen can make use of the East-West Corridor for land transport between Thailand and India via Myanmar which is being built,
he said Prominent Thai investments in India include in the fields of petrochemical, hotels, telecommunications, food processing and
construction.
Tourism is another sector which can be further promoted between the two countries, Kiat said adding that about 80,000 Indians visited Thailand last year, while 67,000 Thais visited India.