27/05/2026
𝐉𝐅𝐂𝐂𝐓 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐥 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐢: 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢–𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞
By Kathleen Pokrud
The Thai-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce - TPCC was established to strengthen and expand trade and economic cooperation between Thailand and Pakistan. In this edition of the JFCCT Interview Series, we spoke with President Abdul Ghaffar Warsi to learn more about the Chamber’s mission, achievements, and future direction.
President Abdul began his professional journey in Thailand as a restaurateur specializing in Pakistani cuisine. His restaurant soon became a gathering point for the growing Pakistani community. He recalled how this early role evolved into something larger. “Before I could even realize, I had become an informal ambassador to Pakistani visitors for guiding them to local market places and connecting them with a law firm for their business ventures and permits. My role in the community inspired me to step up to a formal and much organized role to work for the welfare of my community and to advocate for my newly found home, Thailand. Over the years since I joined the Chamber in 2005, I served in various leadership roles. In 2021, I assumed the Presidency of the Chamber, a position I hold with great pride and a strong commitment to advancing our bilateral business relations.”
Discussing TPCC’s membership profile, President Abdul explained that the Chamber represents a diverse yet close‑knit group of enterprises “Our members are business entities and they vary from a large-scale labor-intensive enterprise to service industries with limited workforce needed. Our membership is small, made up of 48 companies. It includes businesses such as food, gems and jewelry, auto parts and machinery, together with service industries. These sectors reflect the Chamber’s broad mandate to support companies operating across both traditional and emerging industries, including food exports, gems and jewelry, and machinery trade.”
TPCC continues to play an active role in promoting bilateral cooperation. President Abdul highlighted two key achievements from the past year. He recalled, “Last year, the Chamber proudly achieved two significant milestones. First, we commemorated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Muslim Business Matching during the Business Forum 2025: Synergy for Success, marking an important step toward strengthening cross-border business collaboration. Another highlight was a joint delegation from TPCC and the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Thailand that visited Kwangpaisan Food Products Co., Ltd. Together with the Governor of Trang Province, the delegation explored potential opportunities in seafood processing. These achievements reflect our continued dedication to enhancing trade relations and opening new pathways for economic growth between Thailand and Pakistan.”
Looking ahead, President Abdul envisions deeper integration between the two economies through diversification, investment, and improved market access. He explained, “By supporting SMEs, encouraging joint ventures, and enhancing supply-chain integration, we aim to create sustainable business opportunities that benefit both Thai and Pakistani entrepreneurs while deepening economic and cultural ties between our countries. In my opinion, FTA could make trade easier, and both countries have industries that complement each other. Thailand’s investments, Pakistan’s growing food and halal exports, tourism links, and better supply-chain connections can all help boost business between the two nations.” His vision aligns with broader regional trends in SME development, halal industry growth, and future FTA potential.
President Abdul emphasized that TPCC’s progress is the result of collective effort. He credited, “As a Chamber, our efforts are put towards presenting promising opportunities of trade, merger or even R&D for a few for scalability. TPCC aspires to engage stakeholders in an appropriate environment which includes organizing trade missions, B2B meetings, and industry-focused networking events with joint delegations. We have also successfully guided numerous businesses by providing advocacy and policy support, particularly in areas such as regulations, logistics, and SME-friendly trade policies.”
President Abdul concluded with an invitation to discover Pakistan’s natural and cultural richness. “Since the pandemic, Pakistan’s tourism sector has steadily recovered, with rising visitor numbers and increasing global interest in its natural and cultural destinations. Continued promotion and infrastructure development are supporting the industry’s long-term growth. I would like to invite the readers to enlist Pakistan on their bucket list for our unique and vibrant culture and a scenic reset with a trip up North.”
