Thailand International Logistics Fair 2007
ASEAN’s most comprehensive logistics trade show ended up with an increase in the number of overseas visitors, while over 200 million baht-worth sales value is expected to be generated in a year

The recently finished Thailand International Logistics Fair 2007, organized by the Department of Export Promotion (DEP), was held on September 12-16, 2007 at Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC), Bang-na.

The five-day event welcomed more than 10,000 visitors, among them were international visitors, whose number increased from last year’s fair by 20 percent. The top-five overseas visiting countries were Malaysia, Singapore, India, Vietnam and China.

A total of 288 booths from 134 companies occupied this year’s Thailand International Logistics Fair. The number increased from last year’s show by 4o percent. Among those exhibitors, foreign entrepreneurs from France, Slovenia, Japan and Singapore took up 14 booths. Logistics service providers covering most space with a total of 181 booths, follow by logistics related products and services with 72 booths and software and information technology products with 31 booths while other products and services such as logistics publication occupied four booths.

DEP’s Office of Export Planning speculated that this year’s fair would generate 216 million baht-worth of orders within a year, while a seven million baht-worth sale volume was instantly generated during the five-day event.

A number of exhibitors have reportedly gained impressive success from participating in this year’s fair, especially in terms of an increase in sale volume and business partners.
Kitti Chanmathukorn, Sale Manager of Canonball Manufacturing Co., Ltd – a manufacturer of pallet racking system for modernized warehouse management, revealed that his company earned up to 80 percent surpassed sales within the first two days of the fair, though his company’s set target for the whole five days was only 60 percents.

While Dr. Songwoot Graipaspong, Managing Director, TCJ Asia Public Co., Ltd. said, “Participating in this year’s fair provides us improved awareness and better understanding of our customers’ needs, especially manufacturers, warehouses and other related businesses. Moreover, it helps connect us directly with logistics service providers from other countries. Like this time, we met representatives from ASEAN countries including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. So, we get information useful to our business and start looking for co-operations and creating a new network in this region.”

The fair also attracted international buyers, who commented that Thailand International Logistics Fair was an excellent platform to start their business with local Thai entrepreneurs.

The fair featured eye-opening seminars on the topic Global Logistics Network Symposium between September 12 and 13, 2007. The essence of the discussing session was trade logistics policy and the adjustment of logistics service users and providers.

“Our vision during 2007-2011 is to have Thailand become a world-classed logistics business and trade center of the region. We aim to reduce logistics cost per GDP, at 16 percent by 2011,” remarked Dr. Chackrit Duangphastra, DEP’s Director of Logistics Service Provider Promotion Group.

He added that government has employed six main strategies to achieve that aim. The strategies will focus on logistic efficiency in production, efficiency in transport and logistics, logistics service provider, trade facilitation improvement and human resource.

Another highlight of the fair was the first Logistics Model Contest on September 13 where Thai companies with best logistics practice were awarded by DEP’s Office of Trade Logistics. The purpose of the activity was to encourage Thai manufacturers, exporters and logistics service providers to be aware of the importance of efficient logistics management and be able to adopt proper logistics into practices.

The contest was divided into two main categories: logistics users and logistics providers. The first category’s winners were SCT Co., Ltd., Mitr Phol Sugar Corp., Ltd., and Western Digital (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. The only winner for the best logistics provider was V-Serve Group.

The judges used considerations on the corporation’s ability to lower cost, punctuality, convenience, reliability, serviceability, competing ability, as well as inventive techniques, concepts and good governance as criteria for the competition.

Thailand International Logistics Trade Fair 2007 was one of the great efforts by the public and private sectors to develop Thai logistics system, in a hope to increase the competing ability of Thai exporters in the global market.

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