Issue 50

A greater emphasis on design and creativity could help Thailand’s rubber industry tap into overseas markets.

Thailand's rubber industry has a great potential for growth if more emphasis is placed on design while producing rubber products. This is the view of Phinyo Kongsuphapsiri, managing director of Zense Design, the company that produces natural rubber brand Rubberly

Kongsuphapsiri plans to develop the reputation of Thailand’s rubber products globally, thus turning the natural product into one of the country’s major exports. Started 30 years ago as a family business manufacturing toys, it is only recently that the company established the brand Rubberly to expand its product line.

“Three years ago, when the price of natural rubber in the country was very low, our idea was to create more diverse rubber merchandising apart from rubber toys. We have started with lifestyle products such as bags, shoes, wall decorations and so on,” says Kongsuphapsiri. “We want to spread rubber in many ways. As an architect, we look at the construction industry i.e. schools, hotels, hospitals, apartments and condominiums.”

More recently Zense Design has considered 3D wallpaper, which is non-toxic, 100% made ​​from natural materials, durable and soft. “Most wall protection products available in the market today are made of plastic or fiberglass, neither of which is soft to touch,” he says.

Zense Design’s products conform to both the EU’s EN71 and US’s ASTM standards, although currently 80% of sales are domestic with the majority of exports within Asia, particularly Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Japan and Hong Kong.

In 2015, Thailand produced 4 million tonnes of rubber. More than 80% of the 3 million tonnes exported was raw rubber. While Malaysia processes 50% of the rubber it taps, Thailand only processes 12%, according to Kongsuphapsiri.

“We have good materials to hand, but we quickly sell it before developing it to add value,” he says. “If people pay more attention to the design of rubber products, it will help open up new channels for the industry to grow. Today rubber products are mainly in the form of pillows or mattress.”

Kongsuphapsiri’s goal is to create a partner network in order to export a greater variety of rubber products to strengthen the industry.

For more information, please visit rubberly.lnwshop.com

Words by Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi