GI certification sought for Thai silk
Thailand has requested Geographical Indication (GI) certification for Thai silk from Vietnam to increase recognition for Thai handicrafts in the international market.
Pajchima Tanasanti, director-general of the Intellectual Property Department, yesterday said the agency had requested GI certification from Vietnam’s National Office of Intellectual Property.
“Thai silk, which is produced in the Northeast of Thailand, has a unique texture. GI certification will not only help promote the fame of Thai silk, but also result in added value for farmers and producers,” she said.
She said the department had not sought GI certification for Thai silk in the European Union, as such moves had until now been focused on agricultural products.
If Thai silk received GI approval from Vietnam, it would be the first Thai handicraft product to receive such certification from abroad, she added.
The development and promotion of raw Thai silk is one of Her Majesty the Queen’s initiatives to help farmers.
The production process has been adopted from local wisdom, and takes place largely in the Northeast of the Kingdom.
Three of the 35 products that have received GI certification by the Vietnamese authorities are non-indigenous. Peruvian pisco cognac and Scotch whisky are among them.
Meanwhile, Vietnam has requested GI certification for its Buon Ma Thuot coffee in Thailand, making it the first product from another Asean country to be the subject of such an approach in the Kingdom.
Pajchima said her department would carefully study whether the product should be granted certification.
