Alibaba Group has pledged to build an e-commerce park in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to serve the burgeoning Asean e-commerce market, says Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana.

Covering 300 rai (50ha), the park will serve as the centre of Alibaba’s logistics business in Asean, he says.

The Chinese e-commerce giant expects to sign the project’s first-phase contract with local developers within the next few months and start construction before the end of the year.

The second phase will include an R&D unit and a business development centre tailored to cater to small and medium-sized companies, says Uttama, who is in talks with top-level executives of Alibaba subsidiary Lazada.

He says the group will give more details about the project soon.

“Alibaba is investing in the EEC because it is the most attractive investment project in Asean. Also, Thailand is the region’s most promising and best located e-commerce market.”

Uttama says Alibaba wants to use Thailand as a stepping stone to the global market, and as a production base for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

The government has allotted more than 18,000 rai for the EEC project, adding to 30,000 rai already allocated.