Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s outbound investment reached 6.82 billion THB (194 million USD) between January and September 2015, an increase of 143 percent compared to the same period in 2014.

The growth is considered to match with the country’s outbound investment reinforcement policy that particularly targets Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV).

The country’s new foreign economic strategy has aimed at reducing dependence on exports and bolstering investment overseas.

The Ministry of Trade said major destinations of the Kingdom’s outbound investments flow largely to Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, primarily under acquisition form.

The ministry cited trade through frontiers in 2015 rose 3.48 percent to 1.4 trillion baht (40 billion USD), lower than the set target of 1.5 trillion baht (42.8 billion USD).

Thailand will also continue intensifying the establishment of special economic zones (SEZ) in order to show the country’s readiness to become an economic hub of the region.

The country’s economy increased steadily in 2015, after the government bolstered spending to recover the gloomy economy due to prolonged unstable conditions in recent years.

Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2.8 percent in the year, higher than 2014’s 0.8 percent, the lowest growth in the past three years.-VNA