Fresh durians, tapioca, condoms, canned pineapples and canned tuna were the products that Thailand held a leadership position in terms of global market share last year.
But given that competitors are starting to vie for Thailand's market share, it has been recommended that the country adjust its product strategies and expand into new markets with additional potential to maintain the country's product champions, according to the latest study by the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) under the Commerce Ministry.
Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, TPSO's director-general, said his office has analysed Thai products that have controlled the leadership in export markets from the Global Demand Dashboard and found condoms and canned tuna are outstanding world champion products, with an increased market share compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, fresh durians, cassavas and canned pineapples are Thai world champion products that hold the top position.
According to TPSO, Thailand exported fresh durians worth US$3.22 billion in 2022, with China, Hong Kong and Taiwan being the main export markets.
Thailand dominates the global market for fresh durians, accounting for 93.3% of the total import value worldwide, followed by Vietnam (6%) and Malaysia (0.7%).
The market share for fresh durians decreased by 3.9% compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, Thailand exported cassavas worth $1.52 billion in 2022, with China being the main export market, accounting for 98.6% of Thailand's total export value.
Thailand is the world's market leader for cassavas, accounting for 46.5% of the total import value worldwide, followed by Cambodia (34.1%) and Laos (9.1%). The market share for cassavas declined by 5.6% compared to the previous year.
Thailand exported condoms worth $272.26 million in 2022, with China, the US and Vietnam being the main export markets.
The country dominates the global market share for condoms, accounting for 44% of the total import value worldwide, followed by China (12.8%) and Malaysia (10.8%).
The market share for condoms increased by 0.3% compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, Thailand exported canned pineapples worth $469.69 million in 2022, with the US, Russia and Germany being the main export markets.
Thailand dominates the global market for canned pineapples, accounting for 36.4% of the total import value worldwide, followed by the Philippines (17.2%) and China (14.5%).
The market share of canned pineapples decreased by 2.5% compared to the previous year.
According to Mr Poonpong, Thailand has a high potential to export various types of products, relying on the competitiveness of raw materials and being a significant regional production base.
However, for some types of products, competitors have started to compete for Thailand's market share, especially fresh durians. This is due to Vietnam recently being granted permission to export fresh durians to China, a major trading partner of Thailand.
"Exporters, therefore, need to closely monitor competitors, search for opportunities at the provincial level, and adjust product strategies to maintain their existing market, such as adjusting the strategy to export high-quality, organic durian or focusing on specific customer groups to increase the product value," said Mr Poonpong.
"In addition, exporters need to find new opportunities in emerging markets to diversify risk from over-reliance on the Chinese market," he said.
