Thai Garment Manufacturers Association president Dej Pathanasethpong said that next year, Thai exports of textile and garment industry is expected to grow by at least 10%, as Thailand's main rival is expected to reduce China's exports.
           He said that this year China's textile and clothing exports grew by only 1 percentage point is expected, while from 2000 to 2008 annual growth rate of 20%, and now Chinese manufacturers pay more attention to domestic consumers to take advantage of China's economic development and stimulate economic measures. 
           This year the world's garment industry worth about 700 billion U.S. dollars, the United States and the European Union accounted for 55%. World demand for Asian exports accounted for 75-78%, 35% from China, 20% from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ,17-18% from India and South Asia.
           Dej said that next year will expand exports to the U.S. because of the region's textile and garment factories have begun to re-deploy to Asia investment, Zhi reduce production costs. 
           He expects next year's European companies to expand investment in Thailand's textileandclothing,several          European investors have been consulting with the Investment Committee of Thailand's investment preferential treatment in Thailand.
He said that next year Japan will also provide a vast market, as Japanese importers in order to obtain better quality products, they are now from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations procurement, sourcing from China to replace the same time, can enjoy preferential taxation, especially that of Japan - Thailand Economic Following the signing of partnership agreements. 
           ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2010, which will improve Thailand's garment exports.
2004, signed a free trade agreement will be January 1, 2010 came into effect on import tariffs on some products will gradually be reduced, including textiles and clothing, textile footwear and leather products, ceramics, food and beverage, iron and steel products, petrochemical products and electronic products import tariffs.
This year Thailand's textile and clothing exports will be reduced by 10%, from last year's 75 billion U.S. dollars to 7.22 billion U.S. dollars, mainly due to world recession. 
           The United States is currently Thailand's textile and clothing exports the largest market, accounting for 45.6% of Thailand's exports, followed by the European Union, accounting for 30%, Japan 6%, ASEAN accounted for 2.4%.
During the first 8 months, garment exports worth about 42 billion U.S. dollars, 14.65 percent less than the same period last year.
           However, Dej that the textile and garment industry labor shortage is a major challenge, and now has 40 textile and garment industry million employees, the recent increase in agricultural prices, resulting in textile workers from the garment industry into agriculture.
           He said: "Now, we have a shortage of 30000 employees, will expand next year's gap. Labor shortage may prompt the industry to migrate, re-deployment of investment into the ASEAN countries with lower labor force production of export products."