Football in Thailand: The rise of FBT

In 1950 FBT started as repair shop for imported German balls & has expanded into major sporting goods producer & exporter.

FBT’s Bangkok factory makes 12,000 balls per day along with boxing gloves, petong balls, rackets, shoes and other equipment.

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Economics

Ball maker achieves his goal

Football fever is driving a sportswear firm's growth
11/12/2012
Walailak Keeratipipatpong

Football fans in Thailand are no longer only interested in English giants such as Manchester United and Liverpool - the domestic game is also growing in popularity.

The Thai Premier League match between Songkhla and Buriram last year attracted a record 36,715 spectators. There were nearly 1.4 million spectators for the year with ticket sales of 100.6 million baht

...This promising trend has helped to promote sports and related businesses, mainly apparel and accessories, sporting goods and equipment.

Football Thai Factory Sporting Goods Co (FBT) has grown fast in recent years, with revenue expected to reach 1.2 billion baht by the end of this year.

A few years later, he decided to make leather footballs for sale at local department stores...

In 1950, Mr Kamol was sewing 2-3 footballs a day manually. Today, his factory in Bangkok's Nong Chok district produces 12,000 balls per day.

FBT's 62-rai factory also makes boxing gloves, petong balls, rackets, shoes and other equipment.

FBT was set up in 1952. "We gave Thais the chance to play with leather balls instead of coconut ones," said Mr Kamol, now 82.

The good quality of its products earned the company a job to produce balls for a German firm under an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) contract.

...FBT did OEM work for its first 30 years in business. After that, the company began to build their own brands...

About 70% of FBT's balls are exported to 11 countries. The firm also produces 25,000 pieces of sportswear a day, of which 95% are under the FBT brand and the balance for original equipment manufacturing contracts.

FBT is facing the challenge of low-priced products from small brands and competitive goods from China

To expand sales is to promote people to play more sports, so the company has to put much effort into supporting events and sponsoring teams.

The contribution includes providing sportswear and equipment for athletes to use in games, which is an effective way to advertise its brand...

Each year, FBT spends 120-150 million baht on sponsoring games and teams, especially in Division 2 of Thailand's football league. It sponsors 20 of the division's 81 teams. FBT used to be a leading contributor to the Thai Premier League, but after the league became more popular, several international brands such as Nike emerged and wanted to be core sponsors.

This allowed FBT to extend the focus to other markets such as Division 2...

Football can be a rewarding career. A monthly income of 10,000 to 15,000 baht is certain for regular players in Division 2, but they are paid extra for appearances or wins.

Some professional players in the top tier earn as much as 350,000 baht a month, bringing a significant change in attitude towards the sport among parents...

(Source: Bangkok Post, Economics, Ball maker achieves his goal, Football fever is driving a sportswear firm's growth, 11/12/2012, Walailak Keeratipipatpong, link) 

 
Sporting Goods Vocabulary

sporting goods - all the things you need to play a sport: balls, rackets, clothes, shoes, nets, etc (See Wikipedia)
sporting goods industry

equipment - the things and tools you need to do some work or activity อุปกรณ์
sports equipment - Same as "sporting goods"

OEM (original equipment manufacturer) - a company that buys equipment such as computers from a manufacturer in large quantities and then sells them under their own name. They may change the equipment first to make it suitable for a particular purpose or put different parts together to make a complete item (See Wikipedia)
contract - a written (or oral) agreement that is legally binding สัญญา

OEM (original equipment manufacturer) contract
produced balls for a German firm under an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) contract

brand - a type of product made by a particular company ตรา, ยี่ห้อ ( products with well-established names that people remember, that create a certain image and expectations about the product)
the company began to build their own brands...

achieve - work hard and get something good or reach some good situation ทำให้สำเร็จ
goal - some thing you are working to get or situation you are woking to arrive at in the future; aim, end จุดมุ่งหมาย, ความมุ่งหมาย, เป้าหมาย

achieve goal
ball maker achieves his goal

firm - a business or company  บริษัท
the firm was founded 60 years ago

founded - created for the first time (example: the son now ran the company that the father founded 50 years ago)
founder - a person who establishes an institution, business, or organization ผู้ก่อตั้ง

skills - a type of work or task requiring special training and knowledge ทักษะ ความสามารถเฉพาะทาง
repair - to fix something that is broken or damaged ซ่อมบำรุง

fever - 1. when many people are very excited about something; 2. an abnormally high body temperature ไข้
football fever - when many people are excited about football

driving - causing
driving growth - causing growth
Football fever is driving a sportswear firm's growth

domestic - relating to a person's own country ภายในประเทศ
domestic game - the game (of football) played in Thailand

popularity - when many people like something
growing in popularity
the domestic game is also growing in popularity

record - the best or most ever achieved สถิติ
spectators - the many people watching sports or nother public show
a record 36,715 spectators

football match - one game of football between two teams
Thai Premier League match attracted a record 36,715 spectators

promising - have a good chance of succeeding in the future; likely to be successful มีแนวโน้มที่ดี
trend - a gradual change or development that produces a particular result ทิศทาง แนวโน้ม
promising trend

apparel - clothes
accessories - extra things to use (worn in addition to clothes, for example) 

...This promising trend has helped to promote sports and related businesses, mainly apparel and accessories, sporting goods and equipment.

revenue - income from taxes or business activities รายได้
expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
expected revenue - the money that people believe will come into the company from sales, etc (during a period of time)

revenue expected is to reach 1.2 billion baht by the end of this year

sew -  เย็บ, เย็บผ้า
sew manually - sew by hand, sew using your hands

In 1950, Mr Kamol was sewing 2-3 footballs a day manually.

rackets - tennis rackets and badminton rackets (the long wooden thing used to hit the ball)

chance - opportunity
gave a chance to

leather balls
coconut balls

We gave Thais the chance to play with leather balls instead of coconut ones

sportwear - clothes you wear when playing sports
the balance - the rest, the others things (not mentioned yet)

The firm produces 25,000 pieces of sportswear a day, of which 95% are under the FBT brand and the balance for original equipment manufacturing contracts.

challenge - something that needs a lot of skill, energy, and determination to deal with or achieve สิ่งที่ท้าทาย, การท้าทาย
facing the challenge of low-priced products

competitive - involving competition มีการแข่งขัน
competitive goods from China

FBT is facing the challenge of low-priced products from small brands and competitive goods from China

expand - to become larger ขายตัวออกไป
expand sales

effort
put much effort into

support - help some activity or project (by giving money, for example)
supporting events

sponsor - a person or company that helps some peoject or activity (by giving money, for example)
sponsoring teams

put much effort into supporting events and sponsoring teams.

effort - the energy and enthusiasm that people put into an activity; an attempt to do something ความพยายาม
To expand sales is to promote people to play more sports, so the company has to put much effort into supporting events and sponsoring teams.

effective - works well, gets the job done; producing the result that was intended ได้ผลดี
providing sportswear and equipment for athletes to use in games is an effective way to advertise its brand...

contribution - help produce something or help make something successful ผลงาน, การช่วยเหลือ
contributor - a person who helps produce something and make some activity successful

leading - among the best and most important
a leading contributor to
FBT used to be a leading contributor to the Thai Premier League

international - ระหว่างประเทศ between countries
international brands

emerged - came out; come into being; appeared ปรากฏออกมา ปรากฏให้เห็น โผล่ออกมา
international brands such as Nike emerged
 
core - the central most important part แก่น สิ่งที่สำคัญที่สุด แกนนำ  ส่วนสำคัญ
sponsors
core sponsors
international brands wanted to be core sponsors

after the Thai Premier League became more popular, several international brands such as Nike emerged and wanted to be core sponsors

extend - to include something more ยืดออกไป ขยายออกไป
focus - the main thing something is concerned with ให้ความสำคัญ
extend focus

FBT to extended their focus to other markets such as Division 2

rewarding - giving a reward, especially by making you feel satisfied that you have done something important or useful, or done something well ซึ่งให้ผลตอบแทน
career - a job that a person does for much of their life (See Wikipedia)

rewarding career - a good job for your whole life in which you can earn a lot of money and love your job
football can be a rewarding career

appearances - when a famous person comes to some event (which will bring many people to the event and make it more successful)
paid extra for appearances

income - money that people receive from work or some other source, used for household consumption and savings
monthly income
a monthly income of 10,000 to 15,000 baht is certain for regular players in Division 2, but they are paid extra for appearances or wins.

tier - level
top tier - the highest level

attitude - the way you think and feel about something, as shown in behaviour; opinion, viewpoint  ทัศนคติ, ทัศนะ, ความคิดเห็น
change in attitude

significant - important สำคัญ ที่สำคัญยิ่ง
significant change in attitude - an important change in the way that people think (about something)

some professional players in the top tier earn as much as 350,000 baht a month

higher incomes by young football players in Thailand has brought about a significant change in attitude towards the sport among parents...