Chennai, July 17: A visiting Thai official has said Thailand and India need to boost the sagging bilateral trade to take it to at least US $ 2000 million in the next three years. "The idea is to register at least 10 per cent annual growth," Samroeng Sampatarak, who is director (South Asia) in Thailand government's department of export promotion, told reporters here today.

He said total Thai exports to India were around US $ 483 million last year and imports from India US $ 671 million, adding that the Thai exports to India which at present stood at just one per cent of its total exports was targetted to double this year.

Sampatarak is visiting Chennai in connection with a three day exposition, beginning here on Friday, that will showcase a range of products and services of Thailand. Thailand was also planning to enter the Indian market of services sector, mainly education and health care, he said.

Expositions of Thai products and services would be held in Bangalore between July 25 and 27 and in Mumbai during November next.

Thailand exports plastic pellets, computer parts, automobile spare parts and finished jewellery to India while Indian exports to Thailand are mainly precious stones, chemicals, iron, and mineral ore. Bureau Report