During 20 – 23 March 2016, H.E. Mr. Pitchayaphant Charnbhumidol, Ambassador of Thailand to Brazil, together with Ms. Korbsiri Iamsuri, Director of Thailand Board of Investment New York Office and Mr. Siwalak Nacabdee, Director of Thai Trade Center in Sao Paulo, and the Embassy secretaries visited Florianópolis, the state of Santa Catarina with an aim to strengthen and promote trade and investment opportunities between Thailand and Santa Catarina.   

 

            The Ambassador and his delegation had a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. José Raimundo Colombo, Governor of the State of Santa Catarina and Mr. Cesar Souza Junior, Mayor of Florianópolis (the capital of Santa Catarina 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 contacts. Both sides agreed to develop cooperation in various fields such as (1) strengthening the educational cooperation between Thai Universities and Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) (2) enhancing the trade and investment relations and (3) promoting tourism through establishing sister cities between Krabi Province of Thailand and Florianópolis and Santa Catarina. The Thai Embassy was requested by the state to participate in Florianópolis Food Festival, usually held during September – October each year.   The Thai Ambassador was well received and honoured as the guest of the State of Santa Catarina.

 

            Mr. Ambassador and his party also met with business executives from the leading companies in Santa Catarina, namely the Digitro (Intelligent, II & Telecom company) and SCHMIDT Atacado (Jewelry and precious stone sellers). The “Team Thailand” also co-organized the Trade and Investment Seminar with Federacao das  Industrias  de Santa Catarina (FIESC) and Associação Comercial e Industrial de Florianópolis (ACIF) titled “Brazil – Thailand : Partnership for Growth”, with strong  participation from various business sectors. In the seminar, the Ambassador presented the potential ways and means to increase bilateral trade and investment between Thailand and Brazil. Brazil and Thailand are considered each other’s market in South America and Asia. Ms. Korbsiri Iamsuri, as a representative from the Board of Investment of Thailand also encouraged the participants to invest in Thailand as well as explained the policies to promote Thai investors to invest abroad. Lastly, Mr. Siwalak Nacabdee, Director of Thai Trade Center in São Paulo, 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.