Thailand, passionately described as 'the land of smiles' for its fascinating culture, and friendly people, is now getting noticed; also for its spectacular growth in the textiles and apparel segment.


Thailand is a Southeast Asian country featuring Buddhist temples, exotic wildlife, and spectacular islands. Along with a fascinating history, culture, and delectable food, the country is also notable for its growing textile and apparel industrial sector.


Textiles and apparel are among the top 30 export items of Thailand. The industry has seen good growth since 2010, when the exports of textile rose by 35% and fabrics by 30%. During the first three months of 2010, Thailand exported around USD110.96 million worth of clothing accessories to the US. This is a 54% increase over the corresponding period in 2009. Thailands textile sector is optimistic that the current year will see an export of not less than USD 72 billion.Exports to ASEAN rose by 50% during 2010 due to the free trade agreement promoting trade tariffs.


Thailand has many large scale manufacturers involved in producing natural and synthetic fibers. Sericulture of Thailand manufactures silk filaments which are eco friendly, and non-allergenic making is more preferable in the global market. Thailand also cultivates both organic and inorganic cotton though on a small scale. Textiles include circular, flat knitted, woven and non-woven. Mills of Thailand are modernized, specialized,and manufacture a variety of textiles that are exported to many countries across the globe.





 


Many fashion designers of Thailand have made their debut in the fashion shows in Europe, US, and Japan, capturing global attention. Fabrics made with anti-bacterial properties, herbal coating, anti-dust and anti bacterial abilities, and fabrics blended with coconut, charcoal powder are manufactured from the textile mills of Thailand.


Apart from this, Thailand is seeing robust growth in the technical textile segment as well. Textiles such as geotex for erosion control, agrotex for crop protection, protex for protective clothing, medtex used for dressings, and mobiltex for automotive clothing are also manufactured in an effective way. Apparels made in Thailand comply with global standards, and requirements including human rights, and environment.


Growth Drivers:


The country is one of the few countries in the world to have the complete textile supply chain, right from the upstream, through middle stream to downstream. From petrochemical and natural fibre manufacturing, to textiles and apparels, garment designing, production and sale, Thailands textiles are used primarily for functional purposes by the industry. It has a combination of petrochemical and agricultural companies providing the textile sector with natural and synthetic fibres used in the making of textiles and apparels.


Textile labor costs of Thailand:


Thailand's textile labor costs and transportation costs are lower compared with its competitors. As per a 2008 data, labor cost per hour is USD 1.80. This provides them with an opportunity to build stronger trade relations with the ASEAN market. Currently a major portion of exports to the ASEAN countries are from China, and if Thailand works on its quality, timely delivery, and logistics it will lead to substantial increase in orders from ASEAN countries.


Though Thailand predicts its textile and apparel exports to be around USD 7.2 billion, currently the industry is experiencing labor shortage, especially with experienced textile engineers, and of textile dyeing chemical experts.


Thailand's Government and private sector are focusing on the textile and apparel sector by encouraging more innovations, modernization, upgrading existing technology, and improving the skill and competency of the textile labors. Thailand's textile and apparel sector is poised to become more competitive in the global forefront.


References:


1)     Data source: TGMA

2)     Thaigarment.org

3)     Business.ezinemark.com

4)     Thaitradeusa.com