For some consecutive years, Thai businessmen have participated in the Tripoli International Fair, the largest annual trade exhibition in Libya. Recently, the Libyan market has attracted a great deal of interest from Thai exporters, as it is a gateway for distribution of products to many Northern African countries such as Tunisia. This year, 10 Thai companies joined force to display Thai products at the Tripoli Exhibition Center during 2-12 April 2008. Products that are well received include handicraft, home decoration items, artificial flowers, organic skin care products, toothbrushes, plastic and melamine, and jasmine rice.
In order to further promote Thailand's presence in the fair, the Royal Thai Embassy in Cairo and the Department of Export Promotion have launched two special events during this 2008 fair:
1. Thai Food Tasting: allows trade fair visitors to sample various Thai dishes cooked from ingredients commonly available for sale in Libyan supermarkets. Popular dishes that attract a large crowd at the Thai booth are Pat Thai, spring roll, fried rice with pineapple, canned tuna salad, vermicelli salad. Also available for tasting is jasmine rice cooked from Thai electric rice cooker made in Thailand.
2. Thai Information Kiosk: provides business information about Thailand in Arabic language by 19 Thai students from various provinces such as Bangkok, Chachengsao, Ayuttaya, Nonthaburi, Saraburi, Songkla, Narathiwat, Pattani, Krabi, and Pattalung, currently studying at the Islamic Call College, Tripoli. These students also help translating conversation between Thai businessmen and trade fair visitors. This kiosk follows the successful first launch at the Cairo International Trade Fair in March 2008, and is a part of series of projects initiated by the Royal Thai Embassy in Cairo to enhance business skills of Thai students who came to pursue Islamic study abroad.
