It is done to encourage and support Japanese direct investment activities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and this includes potential joint ventures between the countries’ firms.
Seminars are hosted, providing information about the investment ecosystem in Thailand while reviewing the country’s corporate and labour laws. A senior investment advisor was stationed at the office since 1996 to advice on setting up a joint venture. Besides, inquiries were responded on a daily basis and the advisor distributed information on different business opportunities to all the local companies that included Japanese subsidiaries.
Additionally, JETRO has introduced JOIN (JETRO Overseas Investment Cooperation) Scheme in order to promote direct investment from Japan as well as technology transfers. Under this scheme, Bangkok office offers assistance to the Japanese companies who are interested in investing in Thailand. Part of this assistance includes helping them conduct technical studies and surveys which will provide valuable information to businesses on potential investment opportunities.
Similarly, depending upon the JOIN scheme in February 2000, the JETRO has announced the JETRO Business Support Centre in Thailand (JETRO BSCT) in 2000 to boost the Thai economy. An investment survey was initiated for the same based on the recommendations by The BSCT project led by Mr. Noboru Hatakeyama, the CEO of JETRO Head Office and Chuan Leekpai, the then Prime Minister.
Since SMEs are assumed to be the most essential elements to economic recovery, the JETRO BSCT offers facilities to support them, including their export efforts. Apart from that, SMEs usually have limited budgets and therefore they face difficulty in getting essential information like the business laws and regulations, local government policies, and the recent market trends. So, the centre is designed to be a one-sto
p centre for the potential Japan direct investors in Thailand, offering them complete service. To sum up, the centre aims to help increase Japanese investments.
