information sheet
Thailand: Land of Tiles
T
here has been a shift in emphasis over the past decade or so in the Australian market for imported ceramic tiles. Previously, imports from traditional centres of European manufacturing such as Italy and Spain were dominant; however, in recent years it is Asian manufacturers who
have gained the largest share of the Australian import market. One of the countries that has been at the forefront of this change has been Thailand, which has now firmly established itself as one of the leading producers of ceramic tiles for Australian homes. Of the 28
million square metres of tiles imported into Australia in 2012, almost 2 million square metres came from Thailand, making that country Australia’s fifth largest source of imported tiles. Thailand takes tile design and production extremely seriously, as evidenced by the significant research and development the industry undertakes, with support from the Thai government. The work of the National Metal and Materials Technology Centre and its Ceramics Technology Research Unit, has meant that Thai tile manufacturers are now in the vanguard in terms of tile technology and design, and this is why the country’s leading producers are amongst the most innovative and forward thinking in the industry, and why the world’s largest ceramic tile manufacturer is a Thai company. Part of the reason for the popularity of Thaimade tiles in Australia is the quality of the design and manufacturing process. Often, the designs of Thai tiles have been licensed from Italian manufacturers and, as a consequence, Thai companies have in turn invested heavily in equipment, such as grinding and kiln firing machinery. At the same time, there are also Thai manufacturers who have retained some some older production techniques, and this is why the range of ceramic tiles available from Thailand is
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