GUWAHATI: The Northeast will have a regular flight service to and from Bangkok from March.
Suchitra Dural, India’s ambassador to Thailand in her address at the North East India Festival in Bangkok declared that regular flights between and Guwahati and Bangkok will begin from March onwards,
The three-day festival which concluded on Sunday saw an unprecedented participation. The inaugural session on Friday was attended by Commerce Minister of Thailand Chutima Bunapraphasara who hailed the initiative to connect both the regions.
She declared that a team from Thailand will travel to North East to explore trade and investment potential in the next six months.
Ambassadors of ASEAN countries besides industrialists of Thailand attended the inaugural day’s programme.
The festival was organized by socio cultural trust, Trend MMS and supported by various state governments of Northeast and presented by Indian Embassy at Thailand and North Eastern Council, informs a statement issued here on Sunday.
Union commerce and civil aviation minister, Suresh Prabhu, through a recorded speech, informed about India’s commitment and support for Act East Policy and assured that regular flights will be initiated and special trade concessions offered. He also spoke about North East having sea planes soon in the river system of the region.
Khehovi Sema, tourism in-charge of Nagaland, RV Suchiang, additional chief secretary of Meghalaya, Rajat Sethi, advisor to chief minister of Manipur and Lal Ro Dingi, in-charge of tourism and industries of North Eastern Council addressed the audience and invited to explore North East.
Shyamkanu Mahanta, chief organiser of the festival, spoke on the potential of Northeast region, its geographical proximity with the ASEAN region and about developments in road and air connectivity ushering new hope in trade and tourism.
On Saturday, a business-to-business meet on tourism was attended by 115 prominent tour operators of Thailand who interacted with tourism departments of Northeast and some prominent tour operators of the North East India. An interactive session explored potential for future business engagement between the tourism stakeholders of both the regions.
In the afternoon, a trade meet was attended by MSME entrepreneurs of Thailand interacting with Northeast traders and tour operators.
A people to people exchange programme was organised in association with Gauhati University on Sunday.
The highlights of the festival included among others dance forms of the Sumi Naga tribe, Manipuri Thang Ta, Dhol Chalam and Bagrumba, Tiwa, Bihu from Assam. Tea, cane and bamboo, ginger of the Northeast was showcased and state specific tourism pavilions were set up. Besides, fashion shows and musical performances by Zubeen Garg, Manipuri band, Featherhead, Pretty Rhythms of Nagaland, Minutes of Decay, etc kept the audience enthralled.