Latin America is expected to become one of Thailand's key emerging markets over the next five years, as the government steps up its promotions.

The Thailand Trade Representative (TTR) Office this year staged its first trade and investment promotion trips to the region, to Brazil in July and to Peru and Mexico from Sept 21-30.  The activity complement tourism promotion events held every year in the region by the Thai Embassy in Mexico, which also handles Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Bolivia.

Thai exports to Latin America are forecast to be worth US$7.5 billion five years from now, according to the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Brazil, the world's eighth largest economy, offers particularly good potential, said Charuwan Thiemthad, the Thai Ambassador to Mexico, who retired at the end of September.

Thai exports to Brazil last year were worth $1.22 billion with imports totalling $2.1 billion.

"Tourist arrivals from Latin America are also expected to surge due to Thailand's active tourism promotions and the economic recovery of Latin American countries," she said.

Orasa Awutkom, the assistant director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Los Angeles office, said the TAT was working to make Latin American people more familiar with Thailand.  It participated last month for the first time in a tourism fair held in Mexico.

Brazilian visitors last year led all Latin American arrivals in Thailand, totalling 13,890, a drop of 4% from a year earlier due to economic difficulties caused by the H1N1 outbreak. Argentina came second with 7,500 visitors, up 4.1%, while visitors from other Latin American countries were uncharged at 16,000.

Mrs. Orasa said she expected double-digit growth of visitors from the region now that its economies were recovering.