Eighth Thailand Exhibition in Sharjah to have a special focus on Thailand's rich cultural heritage

The product categories include: Agricultural & Fishing Equipment, Autoparts & Accessories, Children Products, Games & Toys, Computer & Accessories, Construction Material & Hardware, Cosmetics, Electrical Appliances, Fashion Products (Garment, Jewellery, Leather), Food & Beverages, Furniture, Garments, Textiles & Fashion Accessories, Gems & Jewellery, Gift & Decorative Items, Health & Beauty, Household & Kitchenware Products, Leather Products & Footwear, Packaging Products, Pharmaceutical, Service Trade and Stationery Products.

A special feature of the coming show will be the showcasing of Thailand's exquisite handicrafts industry depicting its rich cultural heritage under the OTOP (One Tambon One Product) project.

Speaking at a press conference held at Expo Centre Sharjah today, 4th August 2003, Mr Sutisak Laohachewin, Executive Director,Thai Trade Centre, Dubai said, "OTOP is the Thai government's project to enhance the grass root economic movement and SMEs, especially the local producers. It presents Thailand's exquisite ingenuity applied to nature by extraordinarily skilled hands, using cultural heritage together with local inspiration. New products from the projects will be represented for the first time in the Middle East at the show."

At the same time, the exhibition will have a special focus on the display of a wide range of Halal food and the health care and private hospital sector.

Thailand is well known as a food exporting country and has been described as 'The kitchen of the world.' Thai Halal Food not only follows Islamic rituals, but is also strictly controlled by the Islamic Committee Office of Thailand. Thai Halal food has found acceptance from Muslim consumers all over the globe.

"Again, the high standards of Thailand's hospital services has earned it international recognition and wide acceptance," said Mr. Sutisak. "In 2002, more than 500,000 foreigners used hospital services in Thailand. In 2003 we expect to have a 50% increase and the number will surpass 1.0 million in 2005. Thanks to well-trained, western educated, and highly experienced Thai doctors and related personnel, Thailand's hospital services are ranked high in the Asian region," he pointed out.

Speaking on the continued success of Thailand Exhibition in Sharjah, Mr. Mubarak Balaswad, Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah said, "The successful hosting of each edition of the Thailand Exhibition not only reflects the strong ties and relation that UAE and Sharjah in particular share with Thailand but is also an eloquent testimony of the effectiveness of the exhibition as an entry point for Thai goods to this region."

"Moreover, having upgraded our facilities and services, we are confident that we will be able to add an all together new dimension to this established exhibition and make it even more successful," he added.

Commenting on Thailand Exhibition, Mr. Fasahat Ali Khan said, "Year on year, Thailand Exhibition has not only served as an ideal stepping stone for Thai companies to enter the Middle East markets, but also has been a strong factor in boosting trade between Thailand and this region."

In 2002, Thailand's export to U.A.E. increased by 12.24% valued at US$ 717.30 million from US$ 639.08% million in 2001. Thailand ranks No. 15 among U.A.E.'s trading partners. For the first six months of the year 2003, Thailand's export to U.A.E. were valued at US$ 362.08 million, an increase of 10.4% compared to the same period in year 2002.