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Dog clothing business booming in Thailand

Gem walking street

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Dog clothing business booming in Thailand

Dog clothing in Thailand has grown into a booming industry as dog lovers are willing to pull out their wallets to clothe their furry companions.
Viriya Chansavangvong started her dog clothing business two years ago. She said the business was doing well because many dog lovers liked to dress up their dogs, following human fashion trends or special occasions.
“Customers are so happy while shopping for clothes for their dogs. They usually buy for special occasions. For example, on Valentine’s Day, they hold their dogs, dressed up in a Valentine’s theme, and saying ‘Love’ to their lovers,” said Viriya.
The dog clothing business originated in western countries to keep dogs warm during winter. However, Viriya said Thai dog clothing also received a warm welcome worldwide because of the fine cutting techniques, together with lovely and comfortable designs, which Viriya noted to be the most difficult part of the business.
Before launching the “new fashion arrivals”, Viriya always seeks help from her beloved dogs, “Can do” and “Hoysum”, to be the fitting models and see whether the clothes are properly designed for a dog’s movements.
Viriya said her clothes, designed for dogs with a maximum weight of two kilogrammes, cost only around 170 – 290 Baht. Her dog boutique also provides dog shoes, which could help prevent possible scratches on furniture and muddy paw prints.
The dog clothing business makes Viriya a monthly income of around two million baht. She said it had increased one hundred percent from last year, with Japan remaining the major dog clothes’ importer.
Viriya said the future of the Thai dog grooming business was still bright due to there being only a few producers in the market. Still, the producers need to keep creating new things to respond to the demands of dog lovers, who seek to pamper their pets, she said. (TNA)
 

Gem walking street

The gem trade in Thailand’s Tak province bordering Myanmar is still bustling in spite of political problems in Myanmar and economic recession in Thailand.
Both Thais and foreigners are flocking to the gem market in Mae Sod district to appraise various kinds of gems and buy them to resell and make a profit.
This famous market is called the “Gem Walking Street”. The decade-old market is testimonial to a hundred years of the gem trade at the Thai- Myanmar border.
All gems sold here come from a gem mine about 200 kilometers north of Mandalay. It’s the world’s biggest such mine, famous for the high quality jade and ruby it yields.
About 90 per cent of rubies on the world market come from the mines owned by the Myanmar military government. Western countries which try to sanction Myanmar call rubies from these mines the “Bloody Rubies,” referring to the mistreatment and their poor condition of labourers at the mines.
Still, vividly shining gems from Myanmar remain in high demand.
Although Thailand is believed to have no more gems to mine, the Thais’ skill in cutting and polishing gems help the kingdom earn more than 140 billion baht a year from gem exports. This ‘Gem Walking Street’ has the potential to be the center of Asia’s gem market, according to the province’s governor.
Regardless of the notorious nickname of “Bloody Rubies”, the colourful precious stones will continue to attract more gem traders to this walking street as well as remain a good source of income for Myanmar. (TNA)
 

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