The Thai Glass Dealers Association said the production of flat glass was projected to increase 5.2 per cent annually through next year to 48.3 million metric tonnes, of which about 34 million tonnes would be high-quality float glass.

The market for architectural glass is forecast to grow 5.4 per cent annually through next year to US$53 billion (Bt1.87 trillion) in the world market, benefiting from the greater use of value-adding glazing products, which have become increasingly popular in developed countries.

A recent study from the Freedonia Group predicted Asia would continue to offer strong annual gains, in particular the glass markets of China and India.

In 2005, GlassTech Asia ended its three-day exhibition in Thailand with orders totalling $15 million from both Thai and international buyers. There were 352 exhibitors from 30 countries and 5,800 local and international visitors. Conference and Exhibition Management Services managing director Edward Liu said that following the success of GlassTech Asia 2005, which was held in the Kingdom, the company was very pleased to bring GlassTech Asia 2007 back here.

GlassTech Asia 2007 will play host to 10,000 international, regional and local trade visitors and 400 exhibiting companies from 30 countries. As the largest glass exhibition in Asean and South Asia and the second-largest in the entire Asia-Pacific, GlassTech Asia is strongly supported by glass associations from Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, Italy, the UK, the US, China and Japan.

Vithaya Sintharapantorn, director of the Exhibition Sector of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, said global demand for glass continued to increase and that GlassTech Asia 2007 was an excellent meeting point for regional distributors to get the latest updates on products and services.