Sawatdee, Vladivostok! Thai businessmen eye Russian market

The new mission will concentrate of promoting Thai goods all around the Russian Far East, and seek projects for potential investment from Thailand. 

Head of the new office Ivan Nadein said Vladivostok was chosen as headquarters because it accumulates most of Thai imports. 

More than 90 per cent of all goods from the Land of Smiles - or ten million US dollars - have been imported into Vladivostok within the first eight months of 2016. 

'We have clear interest from Thai manufacturers in exploring Russia's huge market,' Nadein said. 

'Thailand exports fresh and dry fruit and by-products like jams and juices, soups, tea, coffee, spice and rice. 

'Another popular export is car parts. 

'We started working in the middle of October and already have 30 Russian and 20 Thai companies saying they would like to co-operate.'

Sawatdee, Vladivostok! Picture: Vladivostok FB community

The Kingdom of Thailand businessmen are attracted by Vladivostok's recently obtained status of Porto Franco, or free port, which gives tax preferences, less strict customs regulations and lower cost for ships coming into the port. 

With a population of 600,000, Vladivostok is located at the head of Golden Horn Bay, close to borders with China and North Korea. 

Home to the Russian Pacific fleet, it was actually a free port in the late 19th century when its status allowed duty-free goods to be imported from abroad. 

This turned it into one of the largest ports in the world along with the likes of Hamburg and London, but the status was removed in 1909.