The World of Halal Science, Industry & Business Conference 2010 (WHASIB '10) recently held in Thailand's Andaman Sea resort of Phuket, and joined by related agencies, puts Phuket on the world map at a centre of dietarily pure and wholesome food and personal care products.

Muslims around the world must observe religiously-directed food and lifestyle behaviours -- known as 'halal' -- to maintain their personal ritual cleanliness within their communities.

Phuket's Halal Expo -- technically known as WHASIB-Phuket 2010 & IMT-GT Phuket Halal Expo 2010 -- was a venue organised in the Andaman coastal province of Phuket to promote Muslim culture and Muslim-related businesses in the region.

Chulalongkorn University Assoc Prof Dr Winai Dahlan, director of the universitry's Halal Science Center (HSC), said the Halal Expo brought positive attention to Thailand's Halal trade, business and services, helping them become better known and achieving international acceptance, an important step in helping develop the economy for Muslim communities in the area and the region in the future.

Dr Winai said conference also helped boost tourism in this Andaman coastal resort island, especially from Indonesia, which boasts the world's largest Muslim population.

Thailand's economic cooperation with other regional countries include the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), a subregion described by economic complementarities, geographical proximity, and close historical, cultural and linguistic ties.

Thailand currently ranks number one among member countries of the 10-nation Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in exporting Halal products. It ranks number five among the world's Halal food exporters.

"Phuket is suitable [to become a Halal hub] because it has a large Muslim population. It's suitable as well because the island and local residents themselves have potential. They are ready for this," Dr Winai said.

At the same time, there is an opportunity for Phuket to become a promoter of Halal products and spread them to other parts of the country, more widely than current distribution only in Thailand's 14 southern provinces.

"The Halal market in Phuket will support and further push local products to become exported items, especially when this is a tourist city and most businessmen are from abroad," Dr Winai said.

Competition in Halal markets has become more and more intense, but the high standards of product qualities and prices of Halal food are main factors to beat market rivals.

If Phuket can become the Halal hub for Thailand's Andaman coastal provinces, it will be able to push and develop its production potential, while providing products qualities for further exports to other world markets.

According to its website (www.imtgt.org), the market of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle includes a population of 72 million (in 2006) and some 0.6 million square kilometres. One of the bloc's goals is to contribute to the ASEAN Economic Community becoming functional by 2020. (MCOT online news)