Award-winning Thai furniture to be shown at international design festivals

Promotion: Thailand's Department of International Trade Promotion is set to display 25 of the country's strongest artisanal furniture and accessory designs at a number of international design festivals.

The designs put forward aim to showcase the best of Thai design, from furniture made from local materials to products informed by Thai culture itself, with some being recognised with a DEmark Award or BCG Heroes status.

The department is supporting craftspeople and designers in showcasing their products at international trade shows throughout 2023 and 2024, including Maison and Objet in Paris, Design Fair Asia in Singapore and Milan Design Week.

Photograph of blue and beige chair by pool — Luna chairs by Corner 43 Decor have a frame made from lightweight aluminium tubes and are strung with poly-rope

The government-sponsored DEmark Award is given in recognition of excellent design from Thai artisans, craftspeople and design studios since 2008.

"Since DEmark was launched to set the benchmark of outstanding Thai designs, the award-winners receive the DEmark logo as to represent their design excellence," said The Department of International Trade Promotion.

"DEmark not only helps educate international consumers of the value of good design, which enrich lives responsibly, but also opens up trade opportunities to boost the national economy."

Wooden bench in hallway — Bella bench by Thai brand Oggi combines multiple functions into one piece of hallway furniture

Among the products that have won the DEmark Award is Corner 43 Decor's Luna chairs, which have a woven seat made from poly-rope reminiscent of traditional rattan furniture.

"The backrest and seat are made of hand-woven rope, which is applied in the same way as the traditional weaving of rattan – a traditional Thai craft technique," said Corner 43 Decor.

Photo of grey sofa in white room — Mobella's Buffo seating collection contains sofas and armchairs that take cues from the physical traits of buffalo

In a similar way to the DEmark Award, the BCG Heroes acknowledgement commends brands on their sustainable practices.

"[BCG Heroes] comprises a selection of products that are purposefully created by Thailand's most sustainable brands that use the BCG model: B for bio-economy by utilising organic materials and biological technology throughout the manufacturing process, C for circular economy by utilising synthetic waste from industry and upcycling materials, and G for green economy by creating a circuit of environmentally production and consumption," explained The Department of International Trade Promotion.

"DITP aims to foster more of Thailand's BCG Heroes through the use of innovation, value creation and design and as role models who will hopefully contribute to our aims of increasing BCG contribution to our GDP and Thailand's global commitments to a greener environment and sustainable planet for future generations."

Photograph of wooden chairs on concrete floor — Phaka chairs by Moonler are made from wood derived from the chamchuri tree, which is native to Thailand

Deesawat and More are both BCG Heroes brands. The Parallel collection by Deesawat features a bench and table made from strips of surplus teak discarded during timber processing.

The collection has also won the FRAME Award 2022 and IF Design Award 2023 due to its innovative use of waste materials, according to the department. More has also gained BCG Heroes status thanks to its Bend chairs, which have components that are made from the brand's innovative PlasCoff material.

PlasCoff combines coffee waste with recycled plastic, coming in various shades of brown depending on the percentage of coffee content.

Photo of chairs in brown room — More's Bend chair is made from a combination of recycled plastic and coffee husks

The DEmark Award, BCG Heroes status and presence in global design fairs all aim to bolster Thailand's standing on the international design stage.

To find out more about The Department of International Trade Promotion and its DEmark Award and BCG Heroes programmes, visit its website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Thailand's Department of International Trade Promotion as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.