An operator introduces products at a recent trade fair to promote small and medium-sized enterprises in Nonthaburi province. The Foreign Trade Department reveals a new 5-billion-baht SME distribution centre will be built in Pathum Thani province to deliver SME products to neighbouring countries. (Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)

The private sector will build a 5-billion-baht distribution centre in Pathum Thani province over the next two years to deliver products of small and medium-sized enterprises to neighbouring countries, according to the Foreign Trade Department.

By the first quarter of 2018, the centre would emerge on a 150-rai plot near the Talat Thai fresh produce wholesale market and Don Mueang airport.

The one-stop centre will ship Thai products made by SMEs to neighbouring countries and regionally, Adul Chotinisakorn, deputy director-general of the department, said on Thursday.

He did not reveal the name of the project developer but said that the centre would serve all kinds of SME products.

Mr Adul said the Foreign Trade Department was supporting the private sector in building warehouse and distribution centres at potential locations along the border to promote border trade. His department was supporting another developer in building such a facility near the Thai-Myanmar border.

He added a Thai developer also planned to open a distribution centre for Thai SME products on a whole floor of City Square, a new shopping centre in Taunggyi, the capital of Myanmar's Shan State.

The new centre would distribute Thai SME products throughout Myanmar, Mr Adul said.

From January to August this year the value of Thai border trade stood at 940 billion baht. The Foreign Trade Department predicted it to reach 1.47 trillion baht at the end of this year, up 4.9% from last year.

Border trade with Malaysia continued to make up the largest share of 49%, followed by Laos (20%), Myanmar (19%) and Cambodia (12%).