In order to strengthen the Thai economy, to promote the export of Thai goods and attract foreign investors, the Thai Trade and Investment Center (TTIC) associated with the Department of Commercial Relations (DCR) and the Board of Investment (BOI) in Bangkok was founded in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in ???. The project aimed at promoting the TTIC by providing advisory services in the fields of administration, export promotion and investment, as well as by conducting market surveys concerning sales possibilities of Thai products in Germany.
The instable situation in Southeast Asia (Vietnam War; communist take-over in neighboring countries of Thailand) and Thailand itself (frequent changes of government) during the project’s time frame, however, significantly influenced the project and restricted what it could achieve, since investors – facing an unsecure future political environment – were reluctant to invest in Thailand. Nevertheless the export of certain Thai products could be increased during the four years of the project’s duration, e.g. protective gloves and (fashion) jewelry.