It is part of its plan to expand and increase its share in the lucrative international halal food market.

The Nation reported that PFP Group was negotiating with a potential partner in Malaysia to set up manufacturing and distribution facilities for halal products.

“We chose Malaysia as it has strong credibility in the production of halal foods, being recognised by other Muslim countries, rather than Thailand or other non-Muslim countries,” executive director Thawatchai Ratanapisit was quoted as saying.

The Nation report said PFP was exploring new markets, such as Muslims in Indonesia, in line with the government’s policy to make Thailand one of the world’s top five halal food exporters within five years.

In Thailand, PFP operates two food-processing plants in the southern province of Songkhla. One is for fish tofu, fish tofu slide, chikuwa fish cakes, fish and shrimp chips.

The other plant makes such products as imitation crab sticks, snow crab, fish tofu, Thai fish cakes, imitation crab claw, and imitation shrimp.

PFP has been shipping processed seafood products worldwide for more than 30 years. It now covers 21 overseas markets, according to the report.

The Nation report said the group was gearing up for more exports. The main markets abroad will be China and Muslim countries, especially Indonesia.

Thawatchai said that last year, PFP’s international sales was more than RM149 million, of which 72 per cent was to the Asian market, 12 per cent to Europe, 8 per cent to North America and 8 per cent to Australia and New Zealand.