Australian investors are seeking reassurances there will be no repeat of devastating floods that have hit the Thai economy, a senior Thai trade official says.
Thailand's Commerce Ministry has set Australia as a key target to rebuild foreign investor confidence after the floods, which have cost billions of dollars in lost production since heavy monsoon rains started engulfing the country's north in July.
The floods, which have left more than 600 people dead, swamped entire towns as the water moved south towards the Gulf of Thailand via Bangkok.
Bhuthong Thongyai, director of the Thai Trade Centre in Australia, says Australian investors remain fearful the floods will reoccur at next year's monsoon season.
''The big question that I've been asked is what's going to happen next year,'' Mr Bhuthong said. He said investors were looking at what steps the Thai government was taking to prevent a repeat of the devastation.
The aim, he said, was to restore existing investors' confidence, as well as potential investors.
The Thai trade office is looking to boost business and investment by way of a series of trade shows, including the Australian Fine Food exhibition in September next year.
Until the floods hit, two-way trade in the first nine months had risen 13.69 per cent on the year to $13.23billion, with Australian exports to Thailand up 56 per cent, due largely to gold, to $6.65billion.
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