Thailand to export automation systems and robots by 2026

BANGKOK, November 16 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Industry, is promoting the use of more automation systems and robots in the country and has set a target to export the innovative products to foreign markets by 2026. Nattapol Rangsitpol, Director General of the ministry's Office of Industrial Economics (OIE), told journalists of the policy and target, saying that more use of automation systems and robots will be particularly promoted in local smart farming projects in the Thai agricultural industry. Nattapol noted that OIE plans to work together with the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) and other relevant agencies to support Thai state enterprises to adopt more automations and robots in their working processes. Nattapol revealed that the use of automation systems and robots will also be promoted at the upcoming METALEX 2018 fair, set to be held at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC) during November 21-24. According to the senior official, it is expected that investment funds for the production of automation systems and robots in Thailand should reach about 12 billion baht this year and jump to about 200 billion baht over the next five years, when the country's imports of the innovative products should, thus, reduce by about 30 per cent, or about 80 billion baht. The senior official announced that his office has also set a target that Thailand should become an exporter of automation systems and robots by 2026. Based on updated figures released by the Thai Automation and Robotics Association (TARA), the use of automation systems and robots in the Thai production sector increased by over 20 per cent during the first five months of this year, mostly in the domestic welding and logistics industries, while the sale volumes of the innovative products in the country have been slated at about 3,000-5,000 units annually so far, worth about 5-10 billion baht totally. Meanwhile, the Thai-German Institute (TGI) projected that the use of automation systems and robots in Thailand should keep rising in the coming years, as the Kingdom faces increasing wages and is approaching to become a world aging society. (TNA)