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.
(thailand.prd.go.th)