Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the dumping of cheap Chinese-made elephant pants in the Thai market is a normal and opportunistic trade practice that should serve a lesson for Thai businesses to work faster to protect their interests.
The prime minister was responding to a reporter’s question about the flooding of Thai market with the cheap Chinese-made garments, which start at about 30 baht (6 yuan) wholesale price.
Thai retailers are selling them at 65 baht apiece for shorts, 75 baht for longs or two pairs for 150 baht.
“This is nothing new in doing business. Where there is an opportunity, there are opportunists. If we do not act fast, we will lose the opportunity, like have done before on several other things,” said the prime minister.
He also said that the first things that Thai businesspeople should do to beat the opportunists is to understand and undertake marketing and apply for patent registration.
He cited the government’s implementation of visa exemptions for tourists from some countries as a good example of “seizing the opportunity” to attract more tourists into Thailand.
Although elephant pants are a small issue, he said that the dumping of cheap garments from China into the Thai market reflects the need when doing business to “think fast, act fast and protect our national interests.”
According to the “Page Lui Chine” webpage, the Chinese-made elephant pants are selling like hot cakes in Thailand, noting that the online wholesale prices start at 30 baht apiece.
There is no way that the Thai producers can compete with the Chinese products as far as production cost is concerned. The only way to compete is to improve the quality of the Thai products, but the price must be reasonable, said the webpage.
It also suggested that Thai-made elephant pants should be made in such a way that the foreign tourists can also wear them upon their return home.
“Thai-made elephant pants are not just a mass product, but a quality product as well, which can be worn anywhere,” according to the page.
