Thai trade team eyeing Bengal tourism, food processing sectors

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Kolkata, May 19 : A delegation from Thailand , comprising representatives from Bangkok Bank Public Company Ltd and Thailand B oard of Investments, is going to visit Siliguri and Darjeeling in the next two days for cooperation in food & fruit processing, agro foods and tourism sectors. They will also visit Durgapur Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Ltd.

There is also a possibility of a ring road to be built in Kolkata by a Thai construction company. Currently, the company is surveying the roads in Kolkata and may soon submit a proposal to the state government in this regard.

"But it is only a possibility and nothing has been finalised yet," said Manop Mekprayoonthong, Thai consul general, at an interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in the city on Monday. "In North Bengal , this company is constructing a highway to Assam border," he said. But he refused to divulge further details.

The delegation also met West Bengal Industrial Development Corp (WBIDC) and Jute Corporation of India officials. They have shown interest in retail, automobiles, IT, banking, petrochemical and silk industries.

At present 34 projects, worth over $1 billion, on infrastructure, ceramics, food processing and others are under process between the North East and Thai private entrepreneurs.

Speaking on bilateral trade between the two countries, he was quoted as saying: "It is about $4 billion and we hope to take it to $10 billion by 2010."