Philips closing fluorescent lamp plant in Samut Prakan

The shutdown of the factory at the Bangpoo Industrial Estate in Samut Prakan comes as demand for fluorescent lamps dims in markets around the world.
 Fluorescent lamps are gradually being replaced by light-emitting-diode (LED) lamps.
The plant produces more than 1,000 types of fluorescent lamps.
China will become a significant lighting production hub for Asia and the world.
In Thailand, the company separated its lighting business from medical and electric goods in February. The move will give its lighting operations more flexibility in managing its business and setting its growth plan.
The lighting business will be under Philips Electronics (Thailand), while medical and electrical appliances will be under a new company named Philips (Thailand).
The transformation aligns with the company’s strategy for creating a stronger foundation for future growth and innovation to address customer needs better and faster.
“Under the reshuffle, our head office is expecting significant growth in the lighting business and the creation of a new segment of smart and connected lighting,” said Chalermpong Darongsuwan, managing director of Philips Electronics (Thailand).
In Thailand, the contribution of fluorescent lamps in the overall lighting market is continuing to drop, from 30 per cent last year to 28 per cent expected this year.
Overall demand for electric lamps is expected to brighten by 3-4 per cent to about Bt6.1 billion this year.
LEDs have taken about 34 per cent of the market, with traditional lighting products still dominant.
However, in the Bt15.3-billion luminaire market, LEDs represent about 62 per cent.
“We believe that LEDs will share more than 50 per cent of the local electric-lamp segment in one or two years,” he said.
Philips will bring out about 1,000 LED products in Thailand this year.
“We will continue to encourage Thais to convert to LED bulbs, and this year, we are going to emphasise our position as the leader of the lighting market with the ‘Philips LED: The right light is everything’ campaign.
“This campaign will raise consumer awareness about the potential of LED innovation that extends beyond illumination and cost-saving to the building of a variety of mood settings around the house, as well as the creation of a warm and energetic atmosphere.
“It is to enhance life with light,” he said.
The company will also focus on positioning itself as a leading provider of lighting solutions, especially in project-based channels, such as the government’s infrastructure projects and the private sector’s housing and shopping-mall projects.