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However, attendance should be up 10 per cent to 650,000 visitors, Wareerat Sakkhachornyos, advertising manager of the organiser, Amarin Printing and Publishing, said yesterday.

Businesses have booked 2,060 booths, up 5 per cent, taking up more than 50,000 square metres.

The company spent Bt50 million on advertising to promote the fair, with runs until Sunday at Muang Thong Thani.

The house and garden show features residential projects, furniture and home decorations.

"The difference between the fair this year and last year is that the furniture-makers who were mainly dominated by the export market are now shifting their focus to the domestic market," Wareerat said.

Local makers could not compete with rivals on the world stage in terms of price. In particular, China is almost 50 per cent cheaper, she said.

More furniture-makers are attending the event, up 20 per cent from last year. About 30 per cent of all booths, or 738, are for furniture.

Bathroom Design, one of the exhibitors, expects to expand its B-grade customer base from 15 per cent to 25 per cent, managing director Nittaya Jungsthitkul said. The company's bathtub products will be also be designed more compact in response to the trend for smaller spaces.

The company has cut back on exporting, especially to markets ruffled by the financial crisis like the United States and the European Union.

Instead, it has expanded into new segments such as resorts and residential projects in tourist destinations, she added.