Thailand's wholesale apparel trade affected by risk factors

BAGNOK, February 28 (TNA) - Apparel wholesalers have called on the government to urgently restore confidence in Thailand among buyers, particularly international visitors, as their businesses have been affected by both internal and external risk factors. The wholesalers in Pratunam area, one of Thailand's largest apparel wholesale market in the heart of the capital, told a Thai News Agency (TNA) reporter that international customers visiting the area, particularly those from the oil-rich Middle East with high purchasing power, have considerably dropped lately due to impacts from domestic political issues, a massive flooding late last year and a recent spate of three bomb blasts on Sukhumvit 71 Road in Bangkok. An apparel wholesaler at Baiyoke 2 Building in Pratumam told the TNA reporter that the opening of newly-built wholesale markets in Bangkok and unchanged designs and styles of Thai apparel products appear to be also the causes of the downturn trading in Pratunam. According to the wholesaler, local apparel traders' attempt to sell their products on the Internet has mostly turned out unsuccessful, due mostly to problems related to buyers' payments, and assistance from government agencies, namely the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank), to help promote Thai apparel products on domestic media channnels in the wake of last year's flooding crisis has apparently remained ineffective, as over 90 per cent of the customers in Pratuman area are international travellers. The wholesaler urged that the government to urgently take actions to restore confidence in Thailand among international visitors and to help promote the Pratumam wholesale apparel market via international media platforms instead. (TNA)