Infrastructure and transport

Thailand road network covers more than 80,000 km, while the railway network has the total length of 5,000 km. Many projects for improving the infrastructures have been launched; hundreds of them are in the progress of realization in Bangkok in order to solve the problem of chaotic traffic in the capital. The notable project is the sky train (with two lines for total 23.5 km.) inaugurated in December 1999, and the first line of 20 km. of the metropolitan.

The airports: there are 109 airports in Thailand. The international airports are stationed in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Khon Khaen and Hat Yai. The new international airport “Suvarnbhumi” is in the process of construction in Samutprakarn, 30 km east of Bangkok. The new airport is supposed to help Thailand become the aviation hub in south East Asia.

The ports: there are 8 international ports. The most important one is in Bangkok which centralizes the most part of commercial navigation. Other important commercial stations are those of Map Ta phut and Laem Chabang (on eastern coast) and those of Songkhla and Phuket (in the South of the Country).

Foreign Trade

Principle export products (Statistics of 2005)
Exports that increased significantly in 2005 included canned fish, processed food, fresh canned and processed fruits and vegetables, rozen shrimp, processed chicken, vehicles and parts, computers and parts, polymers and plastic products, construction materials (steel and cement), gems and jewelry, rubber products, printed matter and paper, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Other products that had increased in exports included natural rubber, tapioca starch, electrical appliances, textiles, luggage, leather goods, furniture, and home decorative items.

Products that decreased in exports included rice, sugar (volume down 33.7 percent / value down 12.2 percent due to lower domestic production), topioca products (volume down 39.6 percent / value down 14.8 percent due to lower exports to Europe, because of lower domestic production and competition from European grains and American corn), fresh chilled and frozen chicken parts (volume down 82.9 percent / value down 70.0 percent due to fallout fro the bird flu outbreak). An upward trend in prices moderated the fall in value.

Major Export Markets
Exports to new markets increased 24.1 percent and to tradiional market 9.3 percent, boosting the share of new markey exports to 40.6 percent of total exports, demonstrating the effectiveness of cooperation between the government and private sectors as well as the impact of FTAs with new and traditional markets as follows:

Exports to FTA markets: India (up 67.7 percent), Australia (up 28.9 percent) and China (up 29.1 percent)

Exports to other new markets: Latin America (up 37.7 percent), Indochina and Myanmar (up 26.0 percent), the Middle East (up 25.7 percent), Hong Kong (up 24.7 percent), Eastern Europe (up 23.5 percent), Souh Korea (up 21.6 percent) and Africa (up 14.7 percent)

Exports to traditional markets increased 9.3 percent: Japan (up 12.3 percent) ASEAN (5 countries: up 10.9 percent), the US (up 10.0 percent), and the EU (15 countries: up 3.5 percent)

Exchange with Italy

Thai products exported to Italy (2006)

Italian products imported to Thailand 2006

Foreign investment

Principle sectors of foreign investment toward the country
services and infrastructures (32%), chemical and plastic products (27%), metal treatment (14%), agricultural products (13%), electronic and electric articles (8%)

Principle sectors of Italian investment toward the country
metal products and machine tools (79.64%), agricultural products (19.10%) and services (1.26%)

Principle sectors of the country investment in other countries
industrial products (76.5%), agricultural products (11%), agro-industrial products (7.4%), mineral products and natural energy (2.9%)

Principle sectors of the country investment in Italy
general employment machines (16.7%), preserved fish and fish products (9.4%) agricultural products (7.2%) motor vehicles (6.4%) jewelry and goldsmith articles (4.8%)

Normative and legislative aspects

Regulations of exchange

Custom clearance and documents of importation: the procedure for custom clearance of goods is similar; both those arrives by land and by air and marine transportation. To begin the custom clearance procedure, the importer has to complete a module of importation and hand it in with a copy of bill of lading, pro-forma invoice, shipment bill, declaration of importation, and also certificate of origin, in case it is required, to the Customs Office.

After submitting the documents, the importer has to pay the duty, the VAT (value added tax) and excise tax. In case the total amount of customs or urgent clearance is not required, it is possible to leave the deposit. Goods which are not cleared through customs within 2 months from the date of arrival are subject to the confiscation, as well as they are goods declared “dangerous material” so that they cannot start the clearance procedure within the period scheduled by the Director of Customs.

Customs classification of goods: Goods are classified with the Harmonized System in compliance with international agreement.

Restriction of importation: Money, rubber, rubber works, tobacco and the end of tobacco works, living and dead animals, arms, ammunition and its parts and accessories, drugs and narcotics, beverages, alcohols, sugar and sugar products, scale. There is the obligation to obtain the permission and certificate (of origin, of quality, etc) in order to determine categories of goods.

Temporary importation: it is possible to get the advantages of temporary importation regime in case of the shows and fairs, seminars, conventions, vocational meetings and international conferences. The tax exemption of importation is granted to the following conditions:

Each goods temporary imported in occasion of seminars or conventions must be re-exported within 6 months from the date of importation .Goods in regime of temporary importation are those imported in view of fair events organized by the Thai Government or by institutions of foreign countries or by the private or foreign accredited organizations. Goods imported for the free distribution are duty-free, on condition that their quantity is appropriate and insignificant unit value, and have a logo or symbol which makes them link tightly to the manifestation.

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