Kingdom plans extra-regional collaboration to promote handicrafts
Thailand will cooperate with Asean and four leading Asian economies - China, Japan, South Korea and India - to promote global exports of handicraft products.
The plan is part of the Support Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand (Sacict) programme to grow the handcraft industry, which is mostly controlled by small and medium-sized enterprises.
Pimpapaan Chansilpa, chief executive officer of the organisation, said Asean and those four countries have similar fundamentals of unique and high-quality handicraft products to serve the world market. The partners could tighten cooperation in product development and marketing to promote global exports.
Thailand will host a workshop on handicraft cooperation for Asean and the four partner countries in July. Representatives from the handicraft industry will share knowledge on products, packaging and marketing at the event.
Pimpapaan said that by 2015, the year the Asean Economic Community (AEC) comes into full effect, the annual export value of Thai handicraft products should reach US$1 billion (Bt30 billion). Under the AEC, Thailand should have more sources |of raw materials from other Asean countries.
The Sacict projects that export of Thai handicraft products will achieve $800 million this year, from $699 million in 2010.
Thailand is the world’s 11th-largest handicraft exporter. The top five are mainland China, Hong Kong, Belgium, Turkey and South Korea.
Under the organisation’s plan to promote Thai handicraft exports, it will encourage their development and facilitate connections between producers and overseas buyers. It will set up marketing centres for handicraft trading. such as at the airport and Amarin Plaza in Bangkok. It will also encourage local enterprises to participate in international trade fairs.
High-potential export markets for handicraft products are the Middle East, the European Union, and emerging Asian economies.
Targeted customers are in the middle and upper middle class as they have more purchasing power. Thai handicraft products that are highly recognised among international consumers are mainly gift and home decorative items, furniture, and kitchenware.
