Of the delegation, 60 representatives were business people from northeast and central provinces of Thailand, mainly operating in the logistics industry such as transportation, rice milling, and warehousing activities.

The visit is sponsored by the Thai Ministry of Commerce with an aim to establish trade and investment links between Thai northeastern provinces and neighboring countries.

Le Quoc Vi in the International Relations Adviser Committee under Ubon Ratchathani Ratjabhat University, a member of the mission, said that recently many Thai businesses intended to seek new markets and expand business to such countries as Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

The delegation also had a working day with partners in Tay Ninh Province on Monday, after a meeting Vietnamese representatives held by the HCMC Investment and Trade Promotion Center.

According to Vietnam Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as of July 20, 2011, Thailand was the tenth largest investor in Vietnam with 253 projects worth a total US$5.7 billion.

In the year to end-July, Vietnam issued investment licenses to 16 Thai projects with total registered capital worth around US$116 million.