Thailand is promoting its textile and garment industry with a focus on added value. The garment and textile industry sees an opportunity to take the next step into high-tech garments.

With new investment in innovation, garment and textile businesses could shift to value-added textiles such as disinfected bed sheets for hospitals and scrubs for personnel. Japanese investors have expressed interest in producing textiles for medical use in Thailand and making the country a regional hub for innovative garments and medical equipment.

Apart from elevating the market, Thailand is also working with Sri Lanka to create new investment in the sector. Some garment companies from Sri Lanka visited Thailand to meet their counterparts and explore investment opportunities. Sri Lankan investors are seeking Thai partners to help expand their business in the country as they see strong potential for Thailand to be the center of Asean, where demand is seeing significant growth.

This year the value of Thailand’s garment exports is expected to grow by at least 10 per cent. Switching to innovative products would help the Thai garment industry enter the upper market which has fewer competitors and a higher added value. Competition at the lower market has intensified with countries that have the advantage of low labor costs, such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.