Businesses of overseas Vietnamese are emissaries launching Vietnamese products to the world

WVR - After over two years of being separated from Vietnam by the Covid-19 pandemic, from July 3-11, Mr. Ho Van Lam, Chairman of the Business Association of Thai-Vietnam (BAOTV) and owner of the VT Namnueng, recently had the opportunity to return to his homeland to participate in the program "Connecting overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Thailand with Vietnamese localities.”

Bountiful MoUs

According to Mr. Lam, the 10-day trip had a heavy schedule, traveling through provinces and cities from the South to the North of Vietnam (Da Nang, Quang Nam, Kien Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Giang, and Ha Noi). Also, it has great significance to overseas Vietnamese (OV) businesses in Thailand.

Mr. Ho Van Lam, Chairman of the Business Association of Thai-Vietnam (BAOTV) and owner of the VT Namnueng
Mr. Ho Van Lam, Chairman of the Business Association of Thai-Vietnam (BAOTV) and owner of VT Namnueng

The trip was a good opportunity for Thai and Vietnamese businesses to meet, exchange, connect, cooperate and research the business and investment environment.

Participating in the program "Connecting Overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Thailand with Vietnamese localities”, OVs had the opportunity to approach Vietnamese localities, thereby further establishing solidarity and expressing the desire to contribute to the process of integration, construction and development of the country.

BAOTV Chairman announced that 20 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between BAOTV and Vietnamese business associations and between OV businesses in Thailand and Vietnamese businesses in many fields such as clothing, hotels, high-tech agriculture, local specialties, etc.

“This is the first positive sign that will pave the way for cooperation between business associations and businesses of the two countries. I hope in the near future, businesses will bring Vietnamese goods to Thailand and vice versa,” he stated.

The Chairman also revealed that to implement the Prime Minister's Decision No. 1797/QD-TTG on mobilizing OVs to participate in introducing and consuming products and developing distribution channels of Vietnamese goods abroad from 2020-2024, the association has inaugurated the Vietnamese Goods Exhibition Center, located in VT-Namnueng shopping mall in the northeastern province of Udon Thani.

This exhibition center will display and introduce Vietnamese products to OVs and Thai people.

Mr. Lam stressed: “We are prepared to help Vietnamese businesses display their products for free. Currently, BAOTV owns a separate company with a charter capital of 15 billion VND which is expected to increase over time.

We will use these funds, especially for trading and bringing Vietnamese products to Thailand.”

BAOTV currently has over 500 businesses with 13 branches throughout the provinces of Thailand. The association has many successful Vietnamese-born Thai businessmen with assets reaching up to 100 million USD.
Vietnamese products displayed at a Thai expo. (PhotoL: Ministry of Industry and Trade)
Vietnamese products displayed at a Thai expo. (Photo: Ministry of Industry and Trade)

Always looking towards the homeland

Before the pandemic, Mr. Lam used to visit Vietnam with his family about three times a year.

"Every time I return, I see that the country has changed and developed with time. What impresses me the most is the solidarity of the homeland and the people. It gives me the feeling of home. All of this urges me to do something to contribute to my homeland and country,” he said.

That is why, despite owning a large business in 50 Thai provinces, Mr. Ho always looks toward Vietnam and ponders how to bring Vietnamese goods to Thailand.

The Chairman of BAOTV realizes that there is still a lot of fiscal space for Vietnamese goods to be imported to Thailand.

In addition to BAOTV's efforts, Mr. Ho suggested the Embassy of Vietnam in Thailand and relevant agencies continue to support this country to reduce technical barriers to exporting goods; strengthen road, sea and air traffic connections between the two countries, especially in the Northeast region of Thailand where many OVs live.

Alongside that, it is necessary to strengthen negotiations in order for Thailand to widely recognize Vietnamese product standards, strengthen marketing and research, and focus on packaging and food safety criteria.

Moreover, promotion, trade, tourism, and investment activities in Thailand must continue to be held. Then, Thai corporations, businesses, and people, especially OVs, will have the opportunity to trade with Vietnamese companies.

“The OV community in general and the OV community in Thailand in particular, are integral parts and important sources of labor of the Vietnamese ethnic community. That is why it is completely possible that we - overseas Vietnamese businesses - are the emissaries bringing Vietnamese products to the world,” the Chairman stated.

From July 3-11, the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese cooperated with the Embassy of Vietnam in Thailand to organize the program "Connecting overseas Vietnamese businesses in Thailand with the Vietnamese people” in 6 provinces and cities, which are Da Nang, Quang Nam, Kien Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Giang, and Ha Noi.

This is the Committee’s first program in the scheme to bring OV businessmen back to the country to do business with localities in Vietnam.

From July 3-11, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, in cooperation with the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand, organized the program "Connecting Overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Thailand with Vietnamese localities” in 6 provinces and cities, which are Da Nang, Quang Nam, Kien Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Giang, and Ha Noi.

This is the Committee’s first program in the scheme to bring OVs entrepreneurs back to the country to do business with Vietnamese localities.

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(Translated by Quang Dao)