Bangkok--21 Aug--Thai Graphic Arts Suppliers
Thai printing machine and material manufacturers and suppliers are confident to attract customers from the Asean market through the organizing of GASMA Print 2012, which expects to see sales revenue from the trade fair as high as 2 billion baht. The priority markets are customers in neighboring countries of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
The Thai printing industry has been growing to become the printing hub in this region and the world’s first printing industrial estate has been successfully set up in Thailand.
The latest move is the Thai Graphic Arts Suppliers and Manufacturers Trade Association announced its national agenda to have a big share in the Asean market.
Mr Somsak Dararattanaroj, president of the Thai Graphic Arts Suppliers and Manufacturers Trade Association (Thai Gasma), said Thai printing machine and material manufacturers saw a lot of opportunities in the Asean market. Many have already invested or had trades in Asean countries and wanted to grow their business activities. Some among existing businesses are the export of second-hand printing machines and related equipments from Thailand to Myanmar and Cambodia, the establishment of printing house in Vietnam and some Thai printing firms sent their prints to do the pop-up work in Laos.
“During the past, different laws and regulations in each country have limited our printing business and trade with other Asean countries. But when the Asean Economic Community (AEC) takes place in 2015, the Thai printing industry will be more lively and attractive with rising opportunities. This prompts Thai printing operators to be confident to tap the Asean market,” Mr Somsak said.
Mr Chaiwat Harnsomwong, vice-president for the organizing of GASMA Print 2012, said the printing trade fair will be held during September 19-22, 2012, at BITEC Bang Na. The fair will highlight new and advance printing technology and equipment to create higher value for printing works from pre-print technology, printing machine, post-printing machinery, to other materials and equipments for printing technique such as floyd coating system and counterfeit deterrence system. These technologies are essential for printing houses to help enhance their efficiencies.
“It’s also vital for our neighboring countries like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia to develop their printing industries as their printing technologies are still lagging behind other countries. After having business trade and road shows ahead of GASMA Print 2012 in these countries, we found that their printing productions mostly use printing machines from Thailand. Some places are still using old systems like the letterpress printing and they rarely applied the floyd coating and counterfeit deterrence systems or even some printing techniques to add values to the prints,” he said.
Thus, the association expects that the GASMA Print 2012 will create a lot of trades and investments related to printing. When business operators visit the trade fair, it has high potential for them to clinch the business making deals with Thai partners or probably do business in any form of investment. The association highly hopes that delegates will not back home empty hands and it is expected to have money circulated in the fair around 2 billion baht.