Report on Thailand Trade Exhibition 2004 at Houston, USA

EXCLUSIVE REPORT ON THAILAND TRADE EXHIBITION

Thailand Trade Exhibition 2004 which was launched under the message of “Welcome to the Land of Diversity and Refinement” was opened April 15, 2004 in Houston, Texas at the George R. Brown Convention Center by Deputy Minister of Commerce, the Honorable Pongsak Ruktapongpisal, who represented Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra who had originally intended to open this trading event. He was joined by Senior Officials of the City of Houston that pointed out Houston’s role as one of America’s most international cities because of its Port, large Consular Corps and other international links.

(Top) The Exhibition Hall. (Below) Deputy Minister of Commerce, the Honorable Pongsak Ruktapongpisal, with representative from the Mayor of Houston's Office, and Ministry of Commerce Department of Export Promotion Director-General, Mrs. Chantra Purnariksha (far right), cut the ribbon to officially open the Thailand Trade Exhibition 2004.

Joining Deputy Minister Pongsak and a very senior delegation of Thai Government officials was Ministry of Commerce Department of Export Promotion Director-General, Mrs. Chantra Purnariksha. Mrs. Chantra, whom I had met last year during the highly successful trade event hosted by her office in Chiangmai, Thailand to present to the world the many unique good of the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) program, said she was “pleased that the hard work of her office and of the Thai Trade Offices in the U.S., Canada and Mexico was finally coming to full flower with the demonstration of products from over 250 exhibitors.”

The Kingdom of Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce Department of Export Promotion oversees Thai Trade Offices in the U.S. These offices are located in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Miami with further offices in Canada in Vancouver and Toronto and an office in Mexico in Mexico City. All offices had participated in the event but the leading role in organizing the event was played by Mr. Songseen Susevi, the Head of the Thai Trade Office in Los Angeles. This office coordinates Thai trade activities in the U.S. West. Houston and Texas are a part of their district of responsibility. According to Mr. Songseen, bringing together the event in such a quick period from the inception of the idea to the actual exhibition had not been easy and had involved much travel and constant follow-up from him and his office. He said the decision to hold the Thailand Exhibition 2004 in Houston as part of the City’s International Celebrations was a gamble and to undertake it in such a quick timeline with only months of notice before the event had caused some compromises but that the final product as all could see would be a highly professional show with a great diversity of high quality, attractive and unique products on display.

(Pictures above) Christopher Runckel, President of Runckel & Associates is seen with major buyers who meet with some of the Thai exhibitors during the first two days of the show.

The first two days of the show, April 15-16 was open only to the trade with major buyers viewing the merchandise and discussing orders for their companies. The Exhibition was then open to the public on April 17-18. In addition to putting on display a very large offering of high quality Thai goods, the exhibition also had presentations on Thai Culture including tasty Thai food and Thailand’s efforts to create higher standards, promote branding and quality, traditional Thai dancing, explanations of the art of Thai massage and other unique elements. Thai Tourism was also on display in a big way with major exhibitions by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and other major tourist groups. Because of the high profile of Thai Culture in the World and the close relation it plays to promoting Thailand as an international tourism destination, the Thai Minister of Culture, the Honorable Uraiwan Thienthong, visited the second day of the show to view the exhibition and to personally meet with many of the exhibitors. The Minister was again escorted by Ministry of Commerce Department of Export Promotion Director-General, Mrs. Chantra Purnariksha and by Mr. Songseen Susevi, the Head of the Thai Trade Office in Los Angeles plus other officials.

(Top) the Thailand's Minister of Culture, the Honorable Uraiwan Thienthong, visited the second day of the show to view the exhibition and to personally meet with many of the exhibitors. Looking on are Ministry of Commerce Department of Export Promotion Director-General, Mrs. Chantra Purnariksha, Mr. Songseen Susevi, the Head of the Thai Trade Office in Los Angeles, and other officials. (Below) Demonstration of The Art of Thai Cooking by a Chef from the Blue Elephant, a major Thai restaurant chain.

For this event as in other recent international events, coordination of various Thai offices was much in evidence. For example the Board of Investment Office in the U.S. which is located in New York City and headed by Mrs. Vasana Mututanont staffed a booth at the exhibition throughout the four days of the exhibition. At this booth, staff of the BOI including Mrs. Vasana and Mr. Audsitti Sroithong, her Assistant, met with a number of U.S. and other citizens interested in learning more about Thailand as a site for investment. According to Mrs. Vasana, “the intention of BOI office is to demonstrate that Thailand is the center of trade for Asia and that the Asia Free Trade Area (AFTA), plus completed, pending or under negotiation Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Australia, India, China, Japan and the U.S. offer not only U.S. but also North American companies many opportunities to open branch offices, new factories, joint ventures and other entities as a way of further increasing sales and increasing U.S. jobs for their companies". "Thailand is one of the U.S.’s freest and fairest trading partners and U.S., Canadian and Mexican businesses need to make further benefits through either trade where the Department of Export Promotion and the Thai Trade Offices can help or through the BOI and our office", according to Mrs. Vasana.

(Top) Board of Investment officers meet with a potential investor at the BOI booth inside the Thailand Trade Exhibition 2004. (Below) The coordination of various Thai offices, BOI and Department of Export Promotion(DEP). Seen from left: Mr. Andrew Weder, Mrs. Vasana Mututanond, Head of BOI New York, Director General Mrs. Chantra Purnariksha of the DEP, and Mr. Christopher Runckel.

In looking at the event overall, it is hard to criticize the basic concept. In an age where international travel is becoming more complex with more sensational issues like SARS and bird flu but also much more real issues like dealing with jet lag, time lost out of office and away from family, the concept of “bringing Thailand to the U.S.” as Director General Chantra and Mr. Songseen noted is a very real way of better responding to the needs and wants of buyers. Thailand as everyone knows competes internationaly and the challenges placed by particularly China to all nations is complex and must be countered effectively if all nations are to continue to increase their exports and job creation.

(Top) Mrs. Piramol Charoenpao, Head of Thai Trade office in Chicago and until recently Head in Miami, is seen with Jeff Bailey of Max Packaging, Mrs Jinda Tamkrongchai of Eastern Polypack, Chris and Soraya Runckel of Runckel & Associates. Mrs. Piramol worked diligently at bringing U.S. buyers together with Eastern Polypack and other companies before and during the show. (Below) B-Bushh apparel companay, who won the Prime Minister's Award for excellence in promoting their own brand and in excellence of its products, showcases its collections.

As I think many of the exhibitors noted this year, because of the short period from conception of the trade exhibition to actual implementation, more could and should have been done to better inform buyers, especially major merchandise buyers as to the items on display and to the fact that the Department of Export Promotion (DEP) had personally vetted the exhibitors and that they represented some of the best Thai companies in terms of creativity, attention to quality and after sales service. I, for one, and most of the major buyers that attended either through my encouragement or whom my wife and I met at the show said they thought the show was extremely well organized and was a very much needed addition to the exhibition schedule in the U.S. For next year all of them suggested that the event be repeated, that planning for the event and advertisement of it start immediately, that more attempt be given to having a critical mass of same industry exhibitors in each field to justify attendance by major buyers and that more work be undertaken to inform and advertise now through the major buyer organizations, consultants and others, A final suggestion that was offered that also makes good sense in that despite the excellent job that Houston had certainly done in hosting the event that consideration be given to hosting the event in a major U.S. merchandising center such as Los Angeles, Chicago or New York next year. This will greatly expand the numbers of big buyers and further expose the U.S. as a whole to “Thailand – A Land of Diversity and Refinement.”