Siam Daikin Sales, the local distributor of Daikin air-conditioners, targets 20% sales growth to 11 billion baht next year, driven by innovative products and network expansion.
President Hitoshi Tanaka said growth next year will mostly be in household and commercial air conditioning products.
The company plans to open new representative offices in Rayong and Nakhon Ratchasima and introduce a new call centre to help widen its sales and distribution network in provincial areas.
Last week, it introduced a range of new cooling products including Super Smile, an inverter air conditioner, Smash II for non-inverter systems, 8-Way Cassette and Sky Air for ceiling cassette models and air purifiers. These products underline its energy-saving innovations and the space efficiency of the Japanese air-conditioner producer.
Daikin has in recent years worked to become a leading brand among Thai consumers.
"We always take into consideration the needs of our customers, both household and commercial. Energy-saving cooling systems with space-efficiency are key features that we incorporate into our new products that will be available on the market next year," he said.
Mr Tanaka said the trend in air conditioning use indicates more consumer concerns about the environment and health. This prompted 60% of air conditioner manufacturers to shift to R32 refrigerant, and it is likely that the number will reach 80-90% next year. The substance helps save energy, reduce global warming and does not harm the ozone layer.
Daikin said it was the first producer to introduce R32 to Thailand in 2014 with all new household air conditioning models, including the inverter system.
Currently, Daikin has a 40% share of the inverter segment, which is expected to rise to 50% in 2017. This trend has been driven by the increasing popularity of energy-saving air conditioning models and falling price for inverter air-conditioners.
The residential air conditioning market in Thailand is estimated at almost 1.6 million units a year, increasing by 5% from 1.5 million units last year.