TCDC selects 10 provinces for new creative labs

Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) has selected 10 provinces for creative labs to support creativity by upskilling and reskilling the local people.

TCDC recently announced that it has been considering candidates for its 10 new provincial centres from February to April and has selected Chiang Rai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Pattani, Phitsanulok, Prae, Phuket, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Uttaradit and Ubon Ratchathani.

It said each creative lab would focus on local stories and develop them to generate products of the provinces by “empowering local stories”.

Each creative lab would also serve as an experiment centre that the TCDC may expand to other provinces in the future.

The TCDC said Chiang Rai would have a wellness lab and the TCDC would help local people apply new health-care technologies to apply with local wisdom in providing tourism and wellness services, such as resorts and spas.

Nakhon Ratchasima will have a Creator Lab that will help local people experiment and develop their products with identity and with storytelling features.

The southern border province of Pattani will have a cultural lab that will merge the culture of Chinese, Buddhist and Malay people with consumer insight to develop cultural products that would highlight local culture and respond to niche markets.

Phitsanulok will have a city lab that will help local people to have new ideas and creativity by adding value to local resources, such as foods and local arts.

Prae’s Forest Lab that will focus on adding value to the forestry industry with sustainability.

Phuket will have a tourism lab that will allow local tourism operators to experiment with new trends of tourism and focus on sustainability.
Si Sa Ket will have a music and film lab that will teach young people skills to become artists and be more creative in music and film industries.

A silk lab will be opened in Surin under the concept of innovative textiles. Designers, operators and local communities will receive help from the lab to upgrade their silk products to become global brands.

Uttaradit will have an agri-value lab that will make local farmers become more creative in adding value to their products. Among other things, they will learn to process their leftover farm products to products that can earn them more money.

A festival lab will be opened in Ubon Ratchathani. Local people and operators will get help from the lab to turn their cultural festivals into global festivals, TCDC said.