On 20 February 2017, H.E. Mr. Virasakdi Futrakul, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs hosted a welcome reception on the occasion of the 1st APEC Business Advisory Council Meeting  of 2017 (ABAC 1/2017) at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok. The reception was attended by hundreds of high-profile guests.

            The participants consisted of executives from leading businesses such as Walmart, Mitsubishi Corporation, J P Morgan and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China as well as  high-ranking officials of APEC member economies such as Deputy Minister of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam and Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam.

            The event was not only a great opportunity to connect business and government sector from APEC’s 21 economies together, but also a forum to present Thailand’s economic potential through exhibitions and presentations from both Thai government agencies and new generation SMEs. The ministry also organised a special TED Talk session to present Thailand’s best practices in economic and social development through inspiring remarks by young successful startups of Thailand.

            This reception highlighted the leading role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in bridging business sector and government through Economic Diplomacy. Moreover, this event fulfilled Thailand’s strategy in enhancing SMEs’ profile internationally, promoting Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and creating a knowledge-based economy under the Thailand 4.0 policy framework. In addition, this event is one of the plans to generate awareness and enhance Thailand’s role in APEC in preparing to bethe host of APEC 2022 Thailand.

            Key deliverables: 1. APEC Public-Private Partnership was strengthen;  2. Thai SMEs’ profile was raised internationally; 3. Success stories of Thai Startup’s role in promoting an inclusive and sustainable economic growth were shared; and, 4. Thailand’s economic potential was promoted to leading businessmen and concerned agencies.