Bangkok--20 Nov--Thai Airways Today (19 November 2007) at the Operations Center Building, Thai Airways International, Suvarnabhumi Airport, the company’s Cargo and Mail Commercial business unit entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a contract signing ceremony to establish a Thai perishables distribution center in Europe, through Munich Airport, Germany. The MOU was signed between Mr. Vorapravat Suebsaeng, THAI’s Managing Director, Cargo and Mail Commercial, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, Mr. Kovit Thanyarattakul, Chairman, Thai AirFreight Forwarders Association (TAFA), Mr. Peter Trautmann, Chief Operating Officer, Munich International Airport, and Mr. Roger Scheifele, CEO and President, Cargogate Flughafen Muenchen. Honorable guests attended from the Ministry of Commerce, Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative, Department of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Transport, Thai Chamber of Commerce, and the National Logistics Office, who witnessed the ceremony. Mr. Vorapravat Suebsaeng, THAI’s Managing Director, Cargo and Mail Commercial, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, said that the establishment of the Thai Perishables Distribution Center at Munich Airport is made possible through a joint cooperation with Thai AirFreight Forwarders Association (TAFA), Munich Airport International, and Cargogate Flughafen Muenchen, in order to aid in distributing Thai agricultural products into Europe and South East Europe. Jointly, the cooperative will consider and negotiate to establish a working framework in order to achieve the project’s objectives. Munich International Airport will serve as the gateway for cargo shipment of Thai agricultural products from Thailand and distribute them to destinations in Europe and South East Europe. Agricultural products sent from Thailand will receive cooperation from the Thai AirFreight Forwarders Association (TAFA) and THAI through an operational management and temperature control cargo system at THAI’s Perishable Center at Suvarnabhumi Airport, through to arrival in Munich, with cooperation of the 4 companies concerned. Cargogate also proposed designs for the Perishables Distribution Center for fresh fruit and produce, with development of the business plan. TAFA members intend to invest in the establishment of the center and arrange meetings with the Thai Government, in support of investment from the Thai private sector in this project and in accordance with the Bavarian Government policy to support and approve of joint venture plans for Thai investors in cooperation with Munich Airport, accordingly. The role of THAI’s Cargo and Mail Commercial business unit will support this project by allocating space for the shipments on behalf of Thai agricultural exporters and set special rates as deemed appropriate for parties sending produce to Munich. As well, the business will serve amongst the project working group to support public sector exports, increasing long-term profitability due to agricultural product exportation from parties using the service.