Thailand’s First OTOP Exhibition and Distribution Center

(12/12/2012)

Chiang Mai province, in the North, will be the venue for the first OTOP exhibition and distribution center in Thailand. The Community Development Department, under the Ministry of Interior, and Chiang Mai province have signed a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of the OTOP exhibition distribution center. The construction project, to be carried out in San Kamphaeng district, requires a budget of 120 million baht. OTOP, which stands for the “One Tambon, One Product” program, is a major policy of the Government to build up small enterprises in communities by encouraging the people to manufacture local products using their homegrown skills and expertise. It was initiated in 2001, with the Government assisting in the marketing of these goods, in cooperation with the private business sector. The OTOP exhibition and distribution center will serve as a marketing channel for OTOP goods and as a center for training, seminars, and study tours of OTOP development, management, and marketing. It will also help publicize Thai wisdom and heritage in the northern region. Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan stressed the need to establish the center, as Thailand aims to expand the OTOP market in ASEAN, which will soon become the ASEAN Community, with a population of 600 million. He believed that the center would make OTOP products better-known and more widely recognized in the region. Chiang Mai is a suitable location for the proposed OTOP exhibition and distribution center, since the province is recognized as the economic, educational, and tourism center of the North. It is also famous for numerous handicrafts, agricultural products, and tourist attractions. Many foreign importers travel to Chiang Mai to order unique products. Meanwhile, Director-General of the Community Development Department Kwanchai Wongnitikorn said that the Government would hold the OTOP City 2012 Fair to celebrate the first decade of OTOP products. It is also meant to honor of His Majesty the King on the occasion of his 85th birthday anniversary. The nine-day fair will take place at the Challenger Hall, IMPACT Trade and Exhibition Center, Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi province, from 15 to 23 December 2012. The fair is divided into three parts. The first part features an exhibition of popular OTOP products over the past ten years. The second part features a bazaar of OTOP products of three- to five-star quality, where producers and buyers may also discuss business. The third section includes seminars on various topics, such as the future of the OTOP program, the promotion of local wisdom, and intellectual property in connection with OTOP exports. OTOP products are related to the arts, culture, and use of intellectual capital as their primary input. As the New Year festival approaches, visitors to the OTOP City 2012 Fair will be urged to buy OTOP products as New Year gifts for friends and relatives.