Bangkok--18 Sep--BBL Bangkok Bank will lead a group of Thai small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on a study mission to Taiwan to learn about successful SME role models in Taiwan. This is the first time the bank has taken a group of Thai entrepreneurs to Taiwan. The SME operators who will join the first study mission to Taiwan are mostly directors and members of the Bualuang Club, a gathering of SME operators who are Bangkok Bank’s customers. Bangkok Bank Executive Vice President Virasak Sutanthavibul said the objective of the trip is to help Thai SMEs to prepare themselves for intensifying global competition. “Bangkok Bank and the Bualuang Club chose Taiwan for our first study mission because it is one of the most successful countries in the world in terms of SME development. All industrial and high-technology goods made in Taiwan are assembled from components manufactured by SMEs. This industrial structure is very similar to what we have in Thailand,” Mr. Virasak said. The group will visit several factories in Taiwan during September 18-23, 2007. The mission has received support from a number of Taiwanese agencies, namely the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA), the Ministry of Economic Affairs; the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (TEEMA), the National Association of SMEs, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, as well as Bangkok Bank which has three branches in Taiwan based in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung. The Bualuang Club was established by SME operators who are customers of Bangkok Bank. Its main goal is to encourage members to acquire business and technical expertise so that they can compete in global markets. Bangkok Bank is also assisting the government with its investment promotion activities. The bank has been commissioned by Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) to act as their agent to attract investments to Thailand, and to seek opportunities for Thai businesses looking to expand their operations within the Southeast Asian region. On behalf of the BOI, the bank is organizing a one-week seminar in Taiwan in November this year to provide useful information to Taiwanese investors interested in expanding their businesses to Thailand and ASEAN. For more information, please contact: Promporn Vejjajiva (Tang) Tel: 0-2530-2709 Thanatchaporn Jaruwanakul (Gift) Tel: 0-2353-5348