TMTA Meets President of Thailand's Trade Representatives
- Thai Muslim Trade Association TMTA
- Jul 23, 2025
- 3 min read
"Dr. Nalinee Thavisin" Discusses Public-Private Partnership with TMTA President to Drive Thai Halal Industry to Global Markets, Establish Muslim Tourism Standards
Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at Command Building 1, Government House – Dr. Nalinee Thavisin, President of Thailand's Trade Representatives, revealed that she held discussions with Mr. Marut Mekloy, President of the Thai Muslim Trade Association (TMTA), to explore collaborative approaches for propelling Thailand's halal industry onto the global stage.
The meeting included Mr. Phassakorn Chairat, Director of the Office of Industrial Economics, Ms. Yuwapa Jaiboon, Acting Director of the Food Institute under the Ministry of Industry, and relevant officials. This meeting represents a significant step in integrating public-private cooperation to elevate Thailand's role in the global halal economy while empowering Thai entrepreneurs to compete sustainably in this high-growth market.
Dr. Nalinee expressed admiration for TMTA's role as the organization approaches its 10th anniversary this year, currently boasting a network of over 300-400 members. TMTA plays a crucial role in connecting halal entrepreneurs both domestically and internationally, particularly in providing guidance on production, services, market entry, and regulatory advisement—all vital for enhancing Thai private sector capabilities in accessing the continuously growing global Muslim market. Importantly, TMTA serves as Thailand's representative in the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD), an organization that unites Islamic chambers of commerce from 57 countries worldwide.
Dr. Nalinee further revealed that the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) recognizes Thailand's potential as a leading country in halal industry and Muslim-friendly services in the region. Therefore, there are plans to organize a major ICCD Reception Bangkok in Bangkok this September, inviting high-level leaders from policy and business sectors in Thailand's halal-related industries, along with ICCD's network, to collaborate and brainstorm approaches for developing Thailand's halal economy across various dimensions including sector, innovation, tourism, and investment, while systematically creating connections with the global Muslim network.
Dr. Nalinee added that discussions also covered developing and promoting Thailand as a premier destination for Muslim tourists, particularly through the "Global Muslim-Friendly Hospitality Index (GMHI) by TMTA"—a certification and ranking system for service industry operators across 4 sectors: hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and spas. If successful and widely accepted, this project could tremendously stimulate Thailand's tourism sector while attracting quality tourist spending to revitalize the country's economy and positioning Thailand at the forefront as a world-class Muslim-friendly destination.
Additionally, both parties discussed various collaborative promotion approaches, including the success of Mega Halal Bangkok 2025, which was well-received by government, private sector, and consumers alike. This sparked deeper cooperation between various agencies, leading to discussions and shared commitment to enhance Thai halal industry capabilities for robust global competition. Key initiatives include leveraging Thailand's halal research center expertise, promoting halal food to health-conscious consumers, pushing for "Halal Kitchen of the World" status, encouraging halal entrepreneurs to penetrate international markets, participating in Thailand International Mega Fair 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2025, and introducing various TMTA activities such as the grand Halal Metropolis food and product festival running continuously for 15 days in November 2025 at Seacon Square Srinakarin.
Thailand's Trade Representative concluded that halal industry development is a government priority, evidenced by the establishment of the "National Halal Industry Committee (NHIC)" with the primary mission of setting national-level direction, strategies, and halal policies, as well as establishing the "Thai Halal Industry Center" under the Ministry of Industry to serve as a central hub for integrating information, developing entrepreneur networks, and promoting the competitiveness of Thai halal products and services for sustainable global market entry.
These developments reflect the continuation of policies initiated since the government under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who laid the foundation for halal promotion from the beginning, and continued intensively under the government of Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, maintaining the approach of driving grassroots economy, increasing community income, and utilizing Thailand's Soft Power on the global economic stage through food, culture, and halal tourism dimensions.
As of August 2024, Thailand has over 6,789 halal-certified entrepreneurs with more than 190,000 product items (SKUs). In 2024, Thailand's halal export value to Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries reached 315,899 million baht, growing 7.83% from the previous year. Meanwhile, global halal trade value reaches $2.3 trillion USD and is expected to increase to $5.3 trillion USD by 2027, demonstrating the enormous economic potential of this market.
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