Tablets to outsell desktops in Thailand for first time

Thailand's National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (Nectec) and the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa) are expecting tablet sales to better that of desktops and notebooks this year--which is a first for the country.

According to a report by Thai news agency The Nation on Tuesday, tablet sales within the Southeast Asian country will reach 2.4 million units, more than desktops at 1.2 million and notebooks at 2.25 million. The projected tablet sales figure is not inclusive of the 900,000 tablets under the government's one tablet per child project, noted both organizations.

The 2.4 million units expected to be sold will represent a 212.5 percent jump from 2011's 480,000 units sold, although the average selling price of a tablet device will fall from 18,000 baht (US$584.2) to 14,000 baht (US$454.3) this year, the report added. The total market will be valued at 32.3 billion baht (US$1.05 billion)

On the other hand, the desktop PC market will see a contraction for the first time, with a 9.1 percent drop to 1.2 million units sold compared with 2011's 1.32 million units, it stated. Notebooks, however, continues to grow at 11.4 percent to improve on last year's 2.02 million units sold.

Nectec also stated in the report that Thailand's overall ICT market is expected to increase 11.2 percent in 2012, which will value it at 581.6 billion baht (US$18.9 billion).