Thailand moves forward to become "Paris of Asia"

BANGKOK, June 10 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Industry, is working together with the private sector and relevant educational institutes to promote the Thai Kingdom as a regional and a global cosmetic production hub, or "Paris of Asia". Kobchai Sungsitthisawad, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Industrial Promotion, told journalists of the move in Bangkok on June 9, acknowledging that his department plans to promote Thailand as one of the world's top ten "Cities of Cosmetics" in the foreseeable future. Kobchai reasoned that Thailand-made cosmetics and beauty products, including those produced from organic herbs, have become unique outstandingly in terms of their specific smells and attributes. Kobchai quoted statistics of the Bangkok-based Kasikorn Research Center (KResearch) as stating that Thailand's cosmetic market has kept expanding, with its total value in 2017 alone reaching about 251 billion baht. According to the senior official, the total sale of Thai cosmetics on the domestic market stood at about 168 billion US dollars in 2017, a 7.8 per cent year-on-year increase, with skin products gaining the largest market share, or about 46.8 per cent. Besides, exports of Thai cosmetic products totaled 83 billion baht in 2017 and exceeded 62 billion baht during the first eight months of 2018, an about 15.1 per cent year-on-year increase. The senior official said major importing markets of Thailand-made cosmetic products include other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia, China and Japan, suggesting that Thai producers of cosmetic products further develop the quality and specifications of their products, namely those for children, men or women. (TNA)