Tourism Min in search for ways to boost popularity of Thai brands

[webfact]

Tourism Min in search for ways to boost popularity of Thai brands

BANGKOK, 24 March 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is preparing to hold a workshop with an aim to find effective measures to promote Thai products to international visitors.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul revealed that her ministry will organize a workshop with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and tourism entrepreneurs, with a view to brainstorming measures to upgrade Thai products and brands and gain higher recognition for them, especially from high-end foreign tourists.

The workshop is prompted by a survey of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, which indicated a downward trend in tourism activities as well as spending. The Tourism and Sports Ministry sees the need to push up the average per-capita spending of tourists on each trip from 48,000 baht currently to 60,000 baht within the next five years.

As for hotel occupancy, Ms Kobkarn stated that the occupancy rate this March is rising by 36 percent from the same month of last year. A growth rate of 14 percent is predicted for April.


-- NNT 2015-03-24

[chooka]

I need a little help here, can someone name one thai brand and how many rich, high end Foriegn tourist will flock for this product?

[KhunMoo]

I have a little proposal "Honesty" i know sounds far out....but give it a try

[JoePai]

I need a little help here, can someone name one thai brand and how many rich, high end Foriegn tourist will flock for this product?

Bottle of Leo maybe...

[seajae]

maybe if they stopped ripping off tourists, charged them the same as they do thais, stopped the mafias involved in tourism and running the islands(sorting the police as well) things might improve, as for thai brands I am yet to find anything made in Thailand that doesnt fall apart, break or stop working in a very short time only to be told, no warranty after 7 days.

[Daniel Ingalls]

..........Thai products?.......I have no need to buy Thai made products. They might be cheaper than well known brand items, but the dependability, and the quality of workmanship is very debatable. Ive bought an oven, a good size one, the oven walls are about 1/2 inches thick, with no insulation between the outer and inside walls. The glass door has a 1/8 gap on all four sides. A very crudely made product made by "GillMaster" 2300 baht. A Thai brand blender 900baht....Junk.........Thai Toaster......300baht.....junk. Water hose 240 baht.....junk. and countless other items junk. Now I only buy items made by well known brands.

It seems most of the products made in Thailand are out of cheap recycled plastic that does not hold up good in hot weather, or are so cheaply made, the thin plastic breaks. I have no confidence in anything made in Thailand any more.

Could it also be there are no testing Laboratories that check products out for the consumer, and give ratings on quality, service, and dependability? The only popularity of Thai products are the cheap prices. There isn't any quality, or guarantee, or replacement if broken. Its Sucker beware purchase!

If Thailand wants to boost the popularity of Made in Thailand, they need to overhaul its work force by a mandatory quality control staff. Put their products through a ridged testing ground. Compare quality brands of similar products. Match or exceed quality of time and wear. Then lower the price below the competitor's price plus import tax. I Know, Thailand products can exceed other brands, but the desire to just manufacture and sell without regards to quality is just not there. For workers its just a punch in the clock, and punch out at the end of the day, day in and day out seven days a week. I look at, "Made in Thailand" the same as what we use to get out of Twain, in the 50's and 60's, cheap plastic toy's. It's time to get out of the Third world manufacturing, and enter the market with quality products.

[Thian]

AJ electronics....Even doesn't work when just out of the box

Made in Thailand stands for low quality and will not last long. Even when they put a german flag or made-in-germany stamp on it.

CP is a real Thai brand and they make pretty good hotdogs. Their frozen pizza's are a disgrace though.

Tiger motorbikes, they were made in Thailand right? That must be the reason why all Thai drive Honda's

Edited March 24, 2015 by Thian

[manarak]

Dear Minister,

the first thing is to enhance artisanry.

There are not enough Thai workers who can competently craft something of high quality.

The second thing would be to take advantage of Thailand's low cost of labour and produce medium quality industrial consumer products such as clothes.

Problem is, too few medium quality products are made and when they are available, they cost almost as much as in the West, which is not logical.

[Seastallion]

Perhaps the first thing the thinktank should consider is replacing half 90% 98% of their number with foreigners to get their input. As it stands, wonderful Thai-oriented notions are bound to be tabled, such as gaudy packaging, cartoon characters, loss-making "promotions", and false advertising.

As mentioned in a previous post, honesty in all products will be a big player, whether it is packaged products, food, vehicle hire, or boat tours.

Prominently displayed prices.

Less, MUCH less, added sugar to prepared foods/drinks and cooked meals.

Less greed with the two-price system.

Packages that look big but contain 80% air are dishonest.

[Thian]

Dear Minister,

the first thing is to enhance artisanry.

There are not enough Thai workers who can competently craft something of high quality.

The second thing would be to take advantage of Thailand's low cost of labour and produce medium quality industrial consumer products such as clothes.

Problem is, too few medium quality products are made and when they are available, they cost almost as much as in the West, which is not logical.

I bought several brandname clothes in Thailand, like Camel-Active or Arrow who are produced here. After 3 weeks the buttons dropped because they were not stitched properly. And yes i even wear a belt (from Muji, i don't need a thai belt).

Also i agree with the half empty bags of products. Buy a bag of popcorn/nuts/potato chips here and it's half full of air. In the West we call that cheating, Thai call it being smart.

Jim Thompson silk is also a Thai brandname i think. One day i saw their shop loaded with tourists in Central World and guess what? It was the sale of the year. It's far too expensive for normal prices.

Passaya is a real good Thai brandname for bed linen and fabric. But look at the price! Far too expensive.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Thian

[jerojero]

What is a high end tourist? Perhaps 5% of all tourists. Simple economics shows that a small increase in spending by the 95% of "regular" tourists will increase total spend ten times over having the 5% double their spend! Idiots.

[Thian]

And if they want tourists to spend more, then stop overcharging us with 180 baht for using the ATM's. The Thai baht is allready very expensive.

[NeverSure]

Thailand lacks technology and the education system to absorb it. The cheap labor deal is looking less and less attractive as robots take over human chores. In a new century of tech, Thailand is lost in the dust. (And Thailand's labor isn't that cheap.)

Clothes. The US has developed robotics that can make clothes without human intervention. There is equipment in the works that will make it to order in a store to reduce inventory and always have your size, your material choice and your measurements "in stock."

China has swelled with clothing manufacturing but its labor isn't all that cheap now, and shipping cotton to China and then shipping back finished product means that automation will beat the cost.

Automation doesn't reduce jobs. It makes products cheaper so that people have more, and the new jobs are better jobs in automation but they require education and/or training.

As Thailand fails to improve education it falls farther and farther behind.

[NeverSure]

Thailand's refusal to let foreigners work is a deal killer too. There are many retired expats and younger whiz-bang people who would love to work in Thailand. The Thais could absorb what these people already know in many areas and stop just being slaves to big foreign companies who manufacture cars, scooters, electronics etc. Even the Chinese have been learning how to design computers and smartphones for instance, and are beginning to produce their own products.

Of course being a copier isn't the top of the ladder, but it beats planting rice.

[Baerboxer]

Thailand's refusal to let foreigners work is a deal killer too. There are many retired expats and younger whiz-bang people who would love to work in Thailand. The Thais could absorb what these people already know in many areas and stop just being slaves to big foreign companies who manufacture cars, scooters, electronics etc. Even the Chinese have been learning how to design computers and smartphones for instance, and are beginning to produce their own products.

Of course being a copier isn't the top of the ladder, but it beats planting rice.

Indeed. Thais, IME, just hate learning. They can't do it, haven't been taught how to learn properly, but have been told never ever to show you don't know something. That means never asking questions as well as never answering them. No learning, no improvement. Just pretending.

Like when you buy something that either falls to pieces after a little use or is incapable of working properly anyway - no one is interested and you must not complain to loud. People might think you can't afford to buy a replacement. Their logic defies logic!

[ExPratt]

"The Tourism and Sports Ministry sees the need to push up the average per-capita spending of tourists on each trip from 48,000 baht currently to 60,000 baht within the next five years."

Put the price of all the faked goods up, charge 12,000 for a Dildo at the soi 11 to 15 stalls, start selling Viagra and Xanax over the counter in the Pharmacies again

I cat actually think of much else they can do , not really the epicenter of Quality goods

[Thaddeus]

The reason why the largest producer of canned fish make the cans with a ring-pull, is because they know that there isn't a Thai manufacturing company who make a can-opener that still works on the third tin.

I have some golden rules.

If it has moving parts, don't buy Thai.

If it plugs into a computer, don't buy Chinese.

[NeverSure]

"The Tourism and Sports Ministry sees the need to push up the average per-capita spending of tourists on each trip from 48,000 baht currently to 60,000 baht within the next five years."

Put the price of all the faked goods up, charge 12,000 for a Dildo at the soi 11 to 15 stalls, start selling Viagra and Xanax over the counter in the Pharmacies again

I cat actually think of much else they can do , not really the epicenter of Quality goods

"I can't actually think of much else they can do."

Raise prices, LOL.

[ExPratt]

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"The Tourism and Sports Ministry sees the need to push up the average per-capita spending of tourists on each trip from 48,000 baht currently to 60,000 baht within the next five years."

Put the price of all the faked goods up, charge 12,000 for a Dildo at the soi 11 to 15 stalls, start selling Viagra and Xanax over the counter in the Pharmacies again

I cat actually think of much else they can do , not really the epicenter of Quality goods

"I can't actually think of much else they can do."

Raise prices, LOL.

Yes thats about it , There are "Reasons" people come here on Holiday and a can of Thai Tuna or 7/11 cheese Toasty are not it

[Fiddlesticks]

I would be hard pressed to find any products that are recognized as Thai products that are 'quality' products. Thai do not have a reputation for quality and it is well deserved. It seems that the culture here is to make only things that require little in the way of skill, artistry, precision, or quality materials. Anything of any quality or true value that you may find in Thailand is imported. It is truly a sad commentary on Thai culture and work ethic.

[berybert]

How about someone just tell people what is going on ?
Yesterday martial law had upped tourism by 16% or something similar. Today we get told numbers are down !!

Love to be a fly on the wall at that brain storming meeting. Can be sure as hell I wont get hit by a decent idea.

[Daniel Ingalls]

..........Thai products?.......I have no need to buy Thai made products. They might be cheaper than well known brand items, but the dependability, and the quality of workmanship is very debatable. Ive bought an oven, a good size one, the oven walls are about 1/2 inches thick, with no insulation between the outer and inside walls. The glass door has a 1/8 gap on all four sides. A very crudely made product made by "GillMaster" 2300 baht. A Thai brand blender 900baht....Junk.........Thai Toaster......300baht.....junk. Water hose 240 baht.....junk. and countless other items junk. Now I only buy items made by well known brands.

It seems most of the products made in Thailand are out of cheap recycled plastic that does not hold up good in hot weather, or are so cheaply made, the thin plastic breaks. I have no confidence in anything made in Thailand any more.

Could it also be there are no testing Laboratories that check products out for the consumer, and give ratings on quality, service, and dependability? The only popularity of Thai products are the cheap prices. There isn't any quality, or guarantee, or replacement if broken. Its Sucker beware purchase!

If Thailand wants to boost the popularity of Made in Thailand, they need to overhaul its work force by a mandatory quality control staff. Put their products through a ridged testing ground. Compare quality brands of similar products. Match or exceed quality of time and wear. Then lower the price below the competitor's price plus import tax. I Know, Thailand products can exceed other brands, but the desire to just manufacture and sell without regards to quality is just not there. For workers its just a punch in the clock, and punch out at the end of the day, day in and day out seven days a week. I look at, "Made in Thailand" the same as what we use to get out of Twain, in the 50's and 60's, cheap plastic toy's. It's time to get out of the Third world manufacturing, and enter the market with quality products.

And Will not even get into the potato chip bags. 90's air and five or six pieces of potato. That has to be the biggest rip off in stores. I see whole lies of these so called snacks. Puffed air bags I call them. Pick one up and shake the bag. Why so much air? rip off! People need to stop buying them and boycott the products! Try to e-mail the company, almost impossible. The American people would not put up with this at all. What is wrong with these Thais? Why does no one make an issue with theses air bag rip off products?

[MaxLee]

Not much innovation only CO-PPYYYYYYY no wonder no POPULARRRI-TTTYYYYYYY

[ourmanflint]

I have been going to the BIG (Bangkok International Gift Fair) fair for quite a few years now, and there are lots of Thai products that are good quality. Some are even original designs from Thai companies, but they are few and far between. Most simply rehash products that were popular 20 years ago when tourists first arrived in significant numbers and haven't changed since. Finding those products outside of the fairs though is a huge challenge.

[Srikcir]

Maybe TAT could cash in further on the Junta's reputation for purity of thought and Prayut's 12 Values by commercializing them as it proposed with its Martial Law Vacation campaigns:

- Junta Stamp of Approval for products that meet with one or more of the 12 values

- Uncle Prayut's Choice and Premium product labels (foreigners pay 5x-10x domestic Thai prices)

- Official Choice of the Junta approval stamp (Be absolutely sure in your choice)

- Choice of the Democratic Soldier approval stamp (If it's not democratic, it needs reform)

I love market brainstorming but not the followup attitude adjustment sessions.

-

[Thaddeus]

I have been going to the BIG (Bangkok International Gift Fair) fair for quite a few years now, and there are lots of Thai products that are good quality. Some are even original designs from Thai companies, but they are few and far between. Most simply rehash products that were popular 20 years ago when tourists first arrived in significant numbers and haven't changed since. Finding those products outside of the fairs though is a huge challenge.

I clicked the like button for that mainly because I adore Terry-Thomas.

[Thai at Heart]

I need a little help here, can someone name one thai brand and how many rich, high end Foriegn tourist will flock for this product?

If u surveyed 100 foreigners about which product Thailand is world famous, one and only one would win by a mile.......

[moobie]

After pondering this for some time, I have now 3 Thai Global brands in my mind : Red Bull, Singha and Sheer Absurdity.*

Do I win?

(*Not to be confused with Absinthe even though the effect on the brain is similar.)

[Thai at Heart]

Red Bull was made famous by an Austrian. No one outside Thailand associates Red Bull with Thailand, at all

[Daniel Ingalls]

.......and I hate going to a super Market and buying those small cups of yogurt. Pull the top off, and its 3/4th full.

Why can't they fill it up?........another rip off!