Thailand Textile Institute is aware of the importance of making connections with textile trading partner countries through institutes, organizations and associations involving textile, clothes and fashion in order to develop co-operation network in foreign countries. The institute’s co-operation development has included domestic and international trade development, investment, technology development, research and development, human resources development, information exchange and testing services. In the past ten years, the institute’s roles in building co-operations with foreign countries can be divided into four aspects.

Trade and Investment Development

The institute has provided services to give conveniences and coordinate in order to create trading relations between Thai private companies and trading partners in other countries. The main purposes are maintaining markets in major trading partner countries and opening new markets to expand Thai exports and making use of technology to create development, investment and international trade as follows.

Thailand-China

Thailand Textile Institute has appointed a group of representatives tomeet with the Chinese representatives about textile industry co-operation between Thailand and China as well as to observe the event “Techtextile China: International Trade Fair and Symposium for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens” on May 24-28, 2000 in Beijing, China. The group was led by the Deputy Minister of Industry with the following members, the Head of the Department of Industrial Promotion, high-rank representatives from the Ministry of Industry, the institute’s representatives and representatives from eight textile associations. The Chinese industry has welcomed the Thai representatives very well and opened many factories for observation which created further co-operations such as the meeting with the representatives of Guangzhou Fashion Association and International Underwear City: IUC at the Holidays Inn Crown Plaza on January 23, 2002. Additionally, the Chinese textile industry representatives visited the Thailand Textile Institute on June 26, 2002 and the Thai representatives visited the Nanhai International Underwear City in Guangzhou on July 8, 2002.

Thailand-France

The institute cooperated with the French Embassy in organizing seminar to give knowledge on textile machine technology to textile manufacture. The seminar was commenced by Mr. Suwat Liptapanlop, the Minister of Industry in March, 2000 and it later takes place every year. Additionally, there have been the meeting between public and private administrators. For example, the Minister of Commerce of France accompanied by 30 French businessmen met the Minister of Industry at the Ministry of Industry and the chief of Thailand Textile Institute participated in discussing on textile co-operation. The institute’s administrators were visited by Mr. Eric from the French Embassy on March 7, 2000, by Mrs. Michelle Jarrigeon from the Regional Director of Institute Textile de France based at Lyon on February 7, 2000 and by textile specialists from France under the arrangement of the Department of Export Promotion on October 6, 1999.

Thailand-Italy

The institute has cooperated with Italian Trade Commission in upgrading textile manufacturing, bleaching, dyeing and finishing technology as well as increasing co-investment from both countries. The Italian government has sent specialists to give technical advice to Thai industries in order to strengther production and competition ability.

Co-operations in ASEAN

The institute welcomed a group of AFTEX leaders and hosted the AFTEX’s Secretary General on March 29, 2003 at the institute’s meeting room. The participating countries were the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand. Thailand has reen potential to increase exports, and the government has the plan to make Thailand the Fashion Center of the Region.

As pant of the corpercition in ASEAN, the ASEAN Federation of Textile has regrested the institute to manage AFTEX website. Therefore, the website is the information center about AFTEX, member organizations from 10 countries and 2,170 companies and whole textile in ASEAN.

Thailand-The Philippines

The institute has cooperated with the Embassy of the Philippines on promoting the Thai Fabrics and Fashion Industry 2000 project in the Philippines as well as promoting Thai silk in well-known designers’ fashion show in May, 2000.

Thailand-Singapore

The institute has cooperated with the Cotton Incorporated from Singapore in organizing seminar to give information on fashion trend to Thai manufactures. The institute is the center of public relations and organizes the seminar twice a year.

Thailand-Vietnam

The Fashion Design group from Vietnam visited the institute’s administrators to exchange ideas about textile industry development. Moreover, the institute has coordinated with the important trading partner countries of Thailand and ASEAN such as Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Thailand-New Zealand

The institute has cooperated with the Embassy of New Zealand in supporting Thai designers to compete in the World of Wearable Art Awards (WOW) in Nelson the southern of New Zealand which started in 2002 until now. Bangladesh / India / Myanmar / Sri Lanka / Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMST-EC) This cooperation includes trading, investment, industry, technology, human resources development, tourism, agriculture, energy, facility and transportation. In each meeting, the institute is appointed by the government to participate as public representatives from textile industry.

Promoting Technology for Energy and Environment Conservation

Japan has been a leader in textile technology development for over 30 years. Therefore, the cooperation with Japan in technology exchange will greatly benefit Thailand industry. Thai manufactures were aware of the importance of energy and water conservation, so they asked the government by the Department of Industrial Promotion, the Ministry of Industry to cooperate with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) from Japan in developing a model project in order to save resources used in bleaching, dyeing and finishing industry.

The study from 2003 until now suggests that the big picture of Thai bleaching, dyeing and finishing industry is as follows. ??

Therefore, Thailand Textile Institute has developed a model project to save resources in cooperation with Tongthai Textile Co., Ltd. which was selected to be a model industry for installing textile dyeing and finishing machines for this study. On March 11, 2005, the factory, machines and equipments were prepared to make the experiment under real conditions.

Promoting Technology for Human Resources Development

This is the result of cooperation with the Italian Trade Commission in upgrading textile manufacturing, bleaching, dyeing and finishing technology and increasing co-investment from both countries. In the first stage, the Italian government agreed to send technical specialists to advise 9-10 Thai factories under the bleaching, dyeing and finishing counseling for technology upgrade project with no charges.

This project will greatly develop participating factories potential in manufacturing and competing which leads to production technology upgrade in bleaching, dyeing and finishing industries in Thailand so that they can meet NICHE market and guality textiles produce market’s in demand qualified textile.

Quality Standard and Testing Services Development

Textile Teting Center has developed textile testing services and textile counseling under the EU Eco Label (EU-Flower). The center has cooperated with the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC) and Kasetsart University (KU) in a project for capacity building by institute and textile industries according to EU-Eco Label standard (September 2005- March 2007), funded by the EU-Thailand Economic Cooperation SPF. Therefore, the testing center has the ability to help entrepreneurs to develop environment-friendly products. The production and materials must follow the label to be approved. At present, Thailand has no organization that can give complete advice about the non-tax measurement and the EU Eco Label.