Page 57 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL2

restaurants is a lot when compared with a population of 400,000. But Thai businesspeople should bear in mind that fruit, foods and other products must be of good quality. Bruneians are well off and are not reluctant to pay more for quality. Those who can meet that [high standard] will be very successful.”Tourism is another area that Thailand could focus on. Bruneian visitors to Thailand last year numbered 12,000, an increase of 40% from 2012. This year the Tourism Authority of Thailand has set a target of 16,000. Bruneian tourists arerelatively heavy spenders and like to frequent the beaches of Phuket, Koh Samui and Hua Hin, and the shopping malls of Siam Square and Sukhumvit Road.Since 2000, Brunei has started diversifying its industries, from focusing on oil and gas exports to expanding alternatives such as agriculture, renewable energy and tourism. The country also has plans to launch halal food products under the Brunei brand. Construction is booming as Brunei has a number of infrastructure projects in planning, such as public housing, interprovincialElite+ 55