Thai shoes up, says TFA
Thailand’s footwear and leather exports are expected to rise significantly this year, and the Bangkok Fashion City project is thought to be partly responsible for the increase.
According to reports, the two-year project has helped to promote Bangkok as Asia’s fashion capital and has helped the leather goods companies involved to improve design skills and to manufacture goods in line with international standards.
The Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement, which kicks in next year, is also expected to lift exports. It is hoped the free trade pact will also encourage more Japanese footwear makers to move to Thailand.
According to the Thai Footwear Association, the export value of footwear is expected to grow 5% to 8.4 billion baht ($266.7 million) this year from eight billion baht last year.
In the first eight months of the year, footwear exports generated export more than six billion baht.
