Bangkok International Auto Salon 2012 to be held from June 26-27

BANGKOK, June 12 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Industry and the local private sector will jointly organize the Bangkok International Auto Salon 2012 at the Challenger Hall 3 in Muang Thong Thani in the capital's outskirts from June 26-27. Permanent Secretary for Industry Withoon Simachokedee said Tuesday that the two-day fair is aimed at promoting and developing competitiveness of Thai small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this field to cope with the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), scheduled to be formed by 2015. Highlights of the Bangkok International Auto Salon 2012 include the exhibition of modified automobiles from Japan and the first standard drift contest in Thailand. Meanwhile, Director of the Thailand Automotive Institute Patima Jeerapaet reported that the value of auto decoration business in Thailand totaled 50 billion baht over the past two years, with over 1,000 SMEs under the business. Patima acknowledged that Thai auto decoration services have also drawn customers from neighboring countries, including Laos, who are interested in the improvement of steering wheels, tires, transmission and sound systems, and that the Thailand Automotive Institute and the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Export Promotion are educating Thai SMEs on how to further expand their exports. (TNA)