Award winners focus on Asian markets

Three winners of this year's Prime Minister's Award have laid down strategies to focus on fast-growing Asean and Asian markets to offset sluggishness in traditional markets.

Thailand's leading spice producer under the "Hand Brand No 1" brand, Nguan Soon Group, will soon open a kiosk in Singapore to sell its spices, herbs and food ingredients.

Visit Limprana, managing director, said last week that the company's move to establish a foothold in the city-state is part of its strategy to reach end-users and boost awareness of Hand Brand No 1.

"Asean markets have grown largely in the past several years. The greater purchasing power of Asean people and the wider recognition of Thai foods have increased the opportunity for our company to sell our products," he said.

The Hand Brand Kiosk in Singapore is a prototype. Each kiosk will cost about Bt10 million-Bt20 million. The stall will sell various kinds of products, mainly spices, chilli, seasonings and ingredients for Thai menus, such as phad Thai noodles and Thai curries.

Nguan Soon won the award for the best brand this year.

The firm is targeting about 40 shops in Asean and the Middle East next year.

It recently opened a Thai restaurant called Muay Thai in Bahrain. The restaurant aims to lure more Thai food lovers as well as act as a distribution centre for the company's products.

The restaurants will use the company's ingredients so the cooks could prepare the 60 items on the menu more easily.

Exports are projected to increase to more than 30 per cent of company sales, he added.

Tropicana Oil, winner of the "best OTOP exporter" award, has strengthened its marketing plan for the Asean, Russian and Chinese markets.

Suradej Ninek, managing director of the producer of virgin coconut oil, said the company would focus on Asian markets due to concerns about slowing growth in traditional markets like the US and EU.

Exports to Russia have soared in the past few years. Tropicana will keep on exploring Russia, while also keying in on the Asean and Chinese markets after the Asean Economic Community takes full shape in 2015.

To increase the value of its products, the company usually spends about Bt3 million a year on research and development. It has its own technology for

crunching coconuts for oil. Cosmetics made from coconut oil will be introduced next year to boost export income, he added.

Kamalaya Koh Samui, the winner of the best service provider award, expects to achieve continued growth next year.

John Stewart, founder and chairman, said that despite the global economic difficulties, the company has expanded steadily each year thanks to its quality service.

"The global economic slowdown has not affected the growth of the firm. Upper-class consumers have continued to spend for spa services out of concern for their health," he said.

Spending per client has risen 400 per cent from an average of Bt4,000-Bt5,000 a day in the past few years to Bt17,000. Because people are always interested in their health and have some stress, they will invest to prevent health problems. Thai spa and massage services could respond to clients' demand.

Kamalaya has 60 massage and 30 treatment rooms on Samui Island and employs about 200 local staff at the resort, he added.