Macau ASEAN Chamber of Commerce delegation visits Thailand amid growing regional collaboration

The Macao ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce (MAICC) has embarked on a five-day business mission to Thailand, with scheduled stops in Pattaya and Bangkok. The delegation, led by Chairman Kelvin Tan Hai Ching, includes President Joyce Wong Yuk Sze, Vice Chairman Lao Chi Long, and over 20 representatives from member enterprises.

This marks the chamber’s second official visit to Thailand since its establishment.

The itinerary features high-level meetings with Thai government officials, including a formal visit to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, held last Friday.

After the meeting, chairman Tan told the Times that a trading company – which is a joint-venture between a Guangdong export company (Guang Wu) and local company MOS – is going to be established in the Macau SAR “to facilitate the cooperation and business initiatives between the company-members of the chamber and SMEs in the Greater Bay Area in trading and digital economy sectors with ASEAN countries.”

During the meeting with the deputy premier, the MAICC representatives also presented the key developments in Macau, namely regarding the connection Macau-Hengqin and the lead role of the city in the GBA.

The delegation also held discussions with other key political and economic officials, participating in business matchmaking sessions, and conducting site visits to leading Thai and Macau-invested companies operating in Thailand.

Chairman Tan emphasized that this mission focuses on aligning with Thailand’s national “Thailand 4.0” development strategy. 

“Our visit centers on sectors such as smart city infrastructure, renewable energy, and modern service industries,” he said in a press release issued by the chamber during the weekend. “The goal is to explore industrial collaboration between Thailand and Macau-backed enterprises, and to engage closely with organizations like the Thai Chinese New Generation Business Association.”

Vice Chairman Lao highlighted Thailand’s strategic role as a business gateway in Southeast Asia. “There are broad opportunities for Macau–Thailand cooperation, particularly in tourism, healthcare, and exhibitions,” he noted. “As someone working in creative arts and tech exhibitions, I’m already collaborating with Thai partners on several short-term initiatives scheduled for the coming year,” he said.

Edwin Kuok Wai Hang, a member of the delegation and representative from the steel and construction materials sector, expressed interest in Thailand’s expanding infrastructure and clean energy landscape. “With Thailand’s push for tourism recovery, electric vehicle infrastructure, and luxury hospitality developments, demand for construction steel and structural materials is rising,” he said in the note to the press. “We aim to align our capabilities with Thailand’s growth sectors and build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.”

The visit comes amid ongoing youth-led protests in Bangkok, where demonstrators continue to demand democratic reforms and economic transparency.

While the MAICC delegation’s program remains unaffected, the broader political climate underscores “the importance of sustained dialogue and stable regional engagement between ASEAN economies and external stakeholders,” the delegation head told the Times.

As explained by Kelvin Tan, ASEAN is already a major integrated economic community “with minimal taxation for goods and visa-free for people within it.”

“If you will, it works pretty much like the European Union, only with an over 700 million people combined market” that may surpass 1.2 million in the medium term.

*MDT is in Thailand at the invitation of MAICC

On the Macao ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce

Founded in 2009 to promote Macau’s integration with the ASEAN economic framework, MAICC serves as a platform for fostering trade, investment, and policy dialogue between Macau-based enterprises and their Southeast Asian counterparts. The Chamber works closely with regional business councils and young entrepreneur groups to create cross-border opportunities in emerging industries.

ASEAN is the acronym for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, composed of ten country-members and several observers.

East Timor will be the next country to join the chamber by year end.