The ministry has also approved spending about Bt600 million from the next fiscal budget to develop laboratories for testing industrial products to verify that they meet stringent new European environmental and safety standards. The laboratories will reduce manufacturers' costs because they will save them from having to get their products tested overseas, he said.

"Presently, 87 per cent of total exports come from the industrial sector, so we have to speed up our efforts to raise our standards to comply with international ones. Otherwise, we will not able to export our products to countries with strict standards," Piyabutr explained.

The new legislation also includes the establishment of the National Standard Committee, which will be responsible for policy and supervision.

Meanwhile, Pairoj Sanyadechakul, secretary-general of the Thai Industrial Standards Institute, said the institute would focus this year on standards for electronics and electrical appliances as these would be most affected by new European regulations.

The institute is also strictly supervising the quality of electrical appliances - such as radios, VCD/DVD players and television sets - sold here, particularly inexpensive ones imported from China.

Realistically, however, it is very difficult to prevent the importation of low-quality products, particularly in border provinces, Pairoj said.

Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul, The Nation