Issue 50

Bangkok biannual gift and houseware fair shows that Thailand’s lifestyle product sector is in fine fettle.

“The lifestyle product sector is one of Thailand’s most vital industries,” said Malee Choklumlerd, Director General of the DITP, at the opening ceremony of the Bangkok International Gift Fair and Bangkok International Houseware Fair (BIG+BIH) on April 19.

Organised twice each year by the DITP, BIG + BIH is widely recognised as Thailand’s premier trade event for lifestyle products, and ASEAN’s biggest sourcing ground for quality design products.

“The twin fairs of BIG+BIH are regarded as an international trade platform for entrepreneurs to show off their potential for design, product development and value creation,” Choklumlerd said. “The event serves to generate new market channels and new client bases, thus propelling more Thai products and services onto global markets.”

This April, the theme for BIG+BIH was ASEAN LIFE+STYLE. The fair featured over 400 businesses from Thailand and overseas, including companies from South Korea, Taiwan, Ghana, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. With 1,202 booths, more than 50,000 visitors from around the world attended the show, generating orders in excess of 1.6 billion baht (US$45 million) over the five days of the exhibition.

“Last year, BIG+BIH generated a total of US$2.78 billion (98.684 billion baht) in export value,” said Choklumlerd.

The director-general added that during the first two months of 2016, the lifestyle product industry had registered exports worth US$413.10 million (14.681 billion baht).

Highlights of this year’s show included: H & H, or the Host and Home Project; products for older citizens, the 60+ Project; an ASEAN-Plus exhibition; the Top of OTOP exhibition; a new Pet Café; and award-winning designs from the Prime Minister’s Export Award and Thailand Trust Mark.

Attendees said that the fair was continuing to go from strength to strength.
“I have been to the BIG+BIH for a few years, and the fair has definitely become bigger with more diverse products,” said Christian Strohmayer, a reporter from Vienna-based Wohnkultur Interior Design Publication.
“BIG+BIH is the best marketplace,” said Kamonrat Atipalungkool of PYC Union Trading. “It is not only the place to show and update our products, but it’s also the place to meet and listen to our customers’ needs about what they want and what we should improve.”

BIG+BIH April 2016 ran from April 19 to 23 at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre.

For more information, please visit www.bigandbih.com

Information courtesy of the DITP

Words by: Patcharee Taedangpetch