Since its inception in 1992, the Prime Minister’s Export Award (PM Award) has represented 30 years of valuable contribution to Thailand’s economy, society and drive towards sustainability. Just like many young entrepreneurs winning this prestigious national award, the PM Award is growing strong and filled with passion and determination for the future. Hosted by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce, the award recognises Thai exporters and business owners who have developed high-quality, competitive products and services well-renowned on the world stage.
Over the past 30 years, 787 of these premium awards have been given by the Thai government to 672 companies that have expanded abroad, established global recognition for the country, and brought about national pride for all Thais.
The traditional categories of PM Award include: Best Exporter, Best Innovation, Best Thai Brand, Best Design (Design Excellence Award or DEmark), Best Service Enterprise Award (with four subcategories of Health & Wellness, Digital Content & Software, Trade Logistics and Printing), Best OTOP, and Best Halal.
In recognition of the importance of innovation in the era of technological disruption, the 2021 PM Award added the “Aspiring Innovation” category to promote newcomers who can transform innovation into added business value with substantial potential for international trade. Moreover, the “Emerging Brand” is also included this year within the Best Thai Brand category to encourage new faces to develop their brand for the global stage.
The current title of Best Exporter in 2021 involves nine winning companies, namely: “Royal Umbrella” rice brand; “Mama” instant noodles; “Ranong” tea; “Thai Eastern Innovation” rubber processor and “De Smit Food” raw ingredients for cooking; “Prudential Ampri” cleaning and medical garments; “Qualy Design” household items; “Star” sanitary wares, and; “Noppada” farmer’s products.
It is no exaggeration to state that the PM Award is not only a title but also a mechanism to enhance competitiveness among Thai exporters and sustainably drive Thailand’s export sector forward.
Over the past five years (2017-2021), Best Exporter awards have been granted to Thai exporting companies each year, accounting for more than $1,833 million in export value and revenue for Thailand.
The 2021 winners of 42 awards, from across all categories, contributed a total of $613 million, or 0.28% of the total export value to the country in 2020. This year, as of July 2021, they have already generated $350 million in income and created jobs for at least 14,639 people in Thailand.
These success stories are truly in line with this year’s theme of “SUCCEED BEYOND SUCCESS.” In addition, their version of success is based on environmentally-conscious innovation and design according to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the concept of BCG Model (Bio-Circular-Green Economy), resulting in sustainable competitiveness for Thailand in the long run.
As such, it is no surprise that many entrepreneurs are devoting their time, energy and passion to earning this award. Apart from the award plaque and certificate from Thailand’s prime minister, PM Award recipients are also entitled to special privileges offered by the DITP, including trade negotiation, international booths, seminars and an online sale platform at Thaitrade.com, not to mention the right to use the PM Award symbol on their products. Explore more information at https://www.pm-award.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/familyditp
