The annual expo of Thai products opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City’s District 7 on Thursday.

At Top Thai Brands, more than 150 companies are displaying internationally-known Thai products and services like home appliances, household products, automobile and motorcycle parts, food and beverages, cosmetics, health, beauty and spa products and education, tourism and food services.

The four-day expo will have two key segments -- networking between entrepreneurs of the two countries on the first two days and public visits in the next two.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Le Ngoc Trung, a representative from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said Thailand is Viet Nam’s top trading partner in ASEAN.

Last year their trade was worth US$12.5 billion, 8.9 per cent up from the previous year.

Thailand is the 10^th biggest foreign investor in Viet Nam with $8.1 billion in more than 450 projects, Trung said.

The expo would help boost bilateral trade to US$20 billion by 2020 as targeted by the leaders of the two countries, he said.

Pitinun Samanvorawong, director of Thai Trade Centre in HCM City, said: “The event is one of the collaborative activities between Thailand and Viet Nam to strengthen co-operative relations, promote trade and investment and create a business platform for Thai and Vietnamese enterprises to expand their networks and develop strategic partnerships.”

Top Thai Brands, formerly known as the “Thailand Week” trade fair, has been organised by the centre for the last 15 years. —VNS