The inauguration of the concurrently held wire and Tube Southeast ASIA 2007 lived up to its objective of functioning as the region’s platform for the wire, cable, tube and pipe industries. The trade fairs attracted 7038 trade visitors from more than 60 countries. Thirty-three percent of the visitors came from overseas with a good significant number from China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea and the Middle East. Three hundred and eighty-one exhibiting companies from 30 countries including national and group pavilions from Austria, China, France, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, UK and USA occupied a gross space of 15,000sqm. Visiting delegations from India, Vietnam and Malaysia added a further international hue to both the trade fairs. Khun Chakramon Phasukavanich, Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Industry on 16 October 2007, opened the trade fairs. Khun Chakramon asserted in his opening address that the hosting of wire and Tube Southeast ASIA in Bangkok “is indeed timely with Thailand’s aspiration to be ‘The Hub of Asia’…” and that both the trade fairs “will provide avenues for the various business sectors to work closely to tap the potentials arising from the regional integration initiatives as well as Thailand’s own initiatives with existing and potential trading partners.”
