NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, March 21 — Malaysian halal product producers have been urged to seize opportunities to collaborate with companies in Thailand to market their goods due to the high demand for halal food in the country.

Malaysian Ambassador to Thailand Datuk Jojie Samuel, recently concluded his two-day working visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat province, where he highlighted Malaysia’s renowned halal certification and the receptiveness of Thai consumers to Malaysian food products.

"We are hoping to see Malaysian halal product producers joint ventures with Thai companies to set up their factories here.

"With 30 per cent of the 1.5 million population here being Muslim, Nakhon Si Thammarat province is a strategic location to become a halal hub for Thailand’s market,” he told Bernama on Thursday.

Nakhon Si Thammarat, the second largest province in southern Thailand, lies 780 kilometres south of Bangkok along the Gulf of Thailand.

Jojie emphasised the province’s abundant resources in agriculture, fisheries, and poultry, which could complement the expertise of Malaysian halal food producers.

"Malaysian halal food producers can benefit from the province, which is situated near Krabi, Songkhla, Satun, and Yala with a higher Muslim population,” he said.

Furthermore, the ambassador proposed establishing a direct trading link for food products between the two countries to eliminate middlemen and reduce costs.

"Currently, some of these two countries’ products are traded through middlemen, and this has resulted in an increase in the cost and prices of goods,” he said.

He added that the link could later be extended to agricultural products, including beef, white shrimp, fruits, and vegetables.

During his two-day visit here, Jojie engaged with various stakeholders, including Malaysian rubber company Thung Yai Rubber Co Ltd. He also made a courtesy visit to the Governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Kajornkiat Rukpanichmanee, a courtesy visit to the Mayor of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Kanop Ketchart, and visited the integrated agriculture farm, Por Rak 2 Ru Farm, owned by Suparat Chuchai.

Jojie said his working visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat was a successful one, as it allowed him to understand the province’s capabilities and needs.

"We are always ready to facilitate Malaysians who wish to enter Thailand’s market, and with this visit, we hope to see an increase in trade and economic activities,” he said.

"With this visit, I hope to provide more information to Malaysian companies who wish to penetrate Thailand’s market, and vice versa for Thai companies, through a proper channel to cut down on Non-Tariff Measures (NTM) and Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB),” he added.

In 2023, Thailand was Malaysia’s seventh-largest trading partner globally, with a total trade of RM113.16 billion (US$24.83 billion) recorded. — Bernama