Thailand Textile Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)

Owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has hit the textile industry which resulted in a downtrend of revenues recorded from the textile industry during 2020. The textile industry incurred a loss of more than TBH 150 billion and half the companies in the textile and related industry have experienced shut down, leaving more people unemployed. The pandemic's impact on the economy is continuing in 2021 as well, which resulted in the Bank of Thailand revised the economic growth forecast in 2021 down from 3.6% to 3.2% due mainly to a second wave of the virus in Thailand in December 2020 and the prolonged outbreak of COVID-19 abroad.

Thailand’s textile industry is a major non-western entity that constitutes more than 2,000 garment companies and an almost equal number of textile firms, most of which are located around Bangkok and eastern Thailand. The textile and apparel industry of the country plays a key role in the country’s GDP and export revenue. The textile industry in the country is quite expansive in nature, with a greater level of proficiency in the production, design, and sale of home textiles. It is a world-renowned silk producer, which also manufactures spin or twists yarn. It is also excelling in the latest trend of eco-friendly finishing, dyeing, and printing services, which meet global standards, although it has to deal with some issues.

Domestic consumer demand is lower in the Thai textile and garments industry, due to lower purchasing power, which is compelling the players to scour foreign markets to sell their textile and apparel products. Also, the textile industry in the country faces a shortage of raw materials. For instance, it produces hardly 2% of the raw cotton that is in demand for its cotton fabric manufacturing. This may hinder the newer market opportunities as compared with China and India. Currently, the garment industry supports more than 1 million employees, while the textile industry employs about 200,000 people, making these two industries the second most important employment sector in the country.

Key Market Trends

Non-woven Textiles Segment is Expected to Witness a High Growth

Non-woven materials are used in a wide range of applications in the paper and packaging, automobile, agriculture, construction, textiles, healthcare, and medical industries. They are made of cross-laid, parallel-laid, or randomly laid webs tied up with adhesives or thermoplastic fibers. The material has properties of cushioning, thermal insulation, flame retardancy, strength, stretch, and softness. The non-woven materials segment is anticipated to witness significant growth in Thailand, owing to its multiple applications and the increasing demand for the same in the country, especially in the automobile industry. The properties such as being lightweight, high moldability, and durability, make these substances suitable to be used in vehicle components. The healthcare industry is also a significant contributor to the growth of the non-woven materials segment. Increasing safety measures while undergoing medical surgeries and other medical operations are anticipated to positively affect the market studied in the future.

Increasing Textile Exports from Thailand are Driving the Market Growth

Thailand has been focusing on exports its textiles to many countries including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and others. The textile especially the garment industry is expanding its footprint globally, while the government is aiming at becoming more involved with the industry by providing export credits and the development of vocational training. The private sector has partnered with the government to boost innovation in the textile industry and bring modern technology into the industrial processes of weaving, finishing, printing, knitting, and dying. Presently, the focus is on modernizing technology for greater efficiency, as well as improving the skills of people working in the sector and increasing the competence of businesses operating in the textile and apparel industry. Thailand’s home textile products, including bedding, curtains, bathroom textiles, and carpets, are exported throughout the world. Factors such as their delicate designs and hand-woven processes, ensuring that products achieve a premium quality that is widely recognized around the world which is anticipated to help the market to record more revenues in the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The textile industry in the country faces competition with other low-cost manufacturing countries, such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Hence, the country needs to transform from a lower market, where the competition is huge, to a market that offers innovative products with fewer competitors and higher added value. The sector is made up of a few big firms and a large number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and more than 90% of them fall under SMEs.

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