On July 1, 2024, the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur hosted the IGNITE THAILAND in Kuala Lumpur conference: Enhancing Thailand-Malaysia Cross Border Connectivity Through Public-Private Partnership in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event comprised an Economic Forum and Business Matching activities. Ms. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia, and Dr. Mohd Shaharin Bin Umar, Director of Regional Development Division, representing the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Economy of Malaysia, jointly delivered opening remarks. The conference featured distinguished speakers from both Thai and Malaysian public and private sectors.
During the conference, the Director of the International Cooperation Strategy and Coordination Division, representing the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), delivered a presentation on “Thailand-Malaysia Cross Border Physical Connectivity Projects with Trade and Investment Opportunities.” The presentation provided updates on the latest developments in Thailand-Malaysia border area connectivity projects and highlighted trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. The presentation covered four main areas: (1) Current economic overview of Thailand and the Southern region, (2) Area-based development plans, such as the Southern Region Development Plan, the Southern Border Provinces Group Development Plan, the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) development, and the strategic plan of the Joint Development Strategy for Border Areas (JDS), which is primarily driven by NESDC, (3) Infrastructure connectivity, summarizing the progress of various projects including road connections, railway links, airport projects, and the development of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the Southern region to enhance travel and transportation potential between the two countries, and (4) Trade and investment opportunities, outlining opportunities in key industries under the IGNITE Thailand policy, as well as investment promotion policies for SEC and SEZ areas in Southern Thailand.
The conference was attended by over 200 participants and served as a crucial platform for promoting understanding and exchanging the latest information on Thailand-Malaysia border connectivity projects, as well as trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. It also strengthened relationships within the Thai-Malaysian private sector networks, enabling Thai businesses to effectively prepare for entry into the Malaysian market, particularly food and halal businesses from Thailand’s Southern region. This aligns with the government’s proactive economic diplomacy policy and the IGNITE Thailand policy, which aims to promote Thailand as a global industrial hub.
