Thailand: Southern businesses push for halal industrial estate

YALA, 10 January 2012 (NNT) – Business entrepreneurs and the Thai Chamber of Commerce in the South are looking to establish a halal industrial estate in Pattani province in hopes of turning the region into a hub of halal food.

Local entrepreneurs from the five southern border provinces have discussed the preparations to establish the halal industrial estate with representatives from the Thai Chamber of Commerce as well as the National Economic and Social Development Board. They concluded that business owners should be given support in terms of investment loan acquisition, especially under the Islamic system, as well as land development and utilization, logistics and various business aspects.

As the South of Thailand is home to the majority of the country’s Muslim population, business owners see that establishing a halal industrial estate will be beneficial to the southern economy. Over the years, it has been difficult for many locals to find jobs partly because of the lack of large industries in the region. However, the situation is expected to improve with the emergence of the halal industrial estate. A number of professionals, specialized in engineering and halal science, are now set to be employed.

The participants at the meeting also said that pushing the South as the halal food manufacturing center would benefit Thailand as one quarter of the world population is Muslim.