During 31 August – 6 September 2014, H.E. Mr. Pitchayaphat Charnbhumidol, Ambassador of Thailand to Brazil, together with Ms. Ajarin Pattanapanchai, a senior Executive Investment Advisor of Board of Investment of Thailand and Mr. Khamhaeng Klasukhon, Director of Thai Trade Center in Sao Paulo, Board of Investment Officers and the Embassy secretary visited Sao Paulo and Curitiba, Parana with an aim to strengthen and promote business relations and opportunities between Thailand and Parana as well as those between ASEAN and Latin America. 

 

            During 31 August to 3 September 2014, Thai Ambassador and his delegation had meetings with many business agencies such as Investe Sao Paulo, ABBA National Supermarkets Association, ABIA Brazilian Food Industries Association to discuss ways and means to promote the joint venture, importation of Thai products and to exchange views on promotion of bilateral relations in various areas such as trade, investment, Thai food festival and tourism. 

 

            From 3 to 6 September 2014, Thai Ambassador led his party to visit Curitiba, Parana and co- organized the Trade and Investment Seminar with Federacao das Industrias de Parana – FIES which received good participation from various business sectors. In this seminar, the Ambassador presented the potential ways and means to increase bilateral trade and investment between Thailand and Brazil since Brazil and Thailand are considered each other’s market in South America and Asia. Moreover, Ms. Ajarin Pattanapanchai, a senior Executive Investment Advisor of Board of Investment of Thailand also gave her presentation entitled “Thailand: A Prime Destination for Doing Business in Southeast Asia” to attract foreign investors who are interested to invest in Thailand as well as policy to promote Thai investors to invest abroad. Lastly, Mr. Khamhaeng Klasukhon, Director of Thai Trade Center, highlighted opportunities and potential of Thai champion products possibly making inroads into the Brazilian market and invited Brazilian companies to attend various international trade fairs in Thailand. 

 

            In addition, the Ambassador and his delegation had a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Flavio Arns, Vice Governor of the State of Parana and Mr. Gustavo Bonato Fruet, the Mayor of Curitiba (the capital of Parana State). They exchanged views on how to strengthen the bilateral relations and increase collaborations in all dimensions, be they politics, economics, culture, tourism and people-to-people contact. The Thai Ambassador was well received and honored as the guest of the State of Panama. 

 

            Mr. Ambassador and his party also met with business executives from the leading companies in Parana, namely the Director of Casa Fiesta Supermarket and the President of the American Chamber of Commerce Association.  The Ambassador discussed ways and means to promote joint venture between Brazilian – Thai business people, importation of Thai products into Brazil and organize the Thai Food Festival, together with the cultural performance like Muay Thai or Thai Kick-boxing, which is very popular among local Brazilians in Parana.