The field of nanotech research will be getting a big boost financially from Thailand; 12 billion baht, the equivalent of more than 340 million US dollars will be invested into nanotechnology research by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Thailand. The plan is to increase nanotech research so that nano products can be more pervasive in Thailand's market.

According to the National Nanotechnology Center's director, Sirirurg Songsivilai, the reason behind the large financial investment is so that nanotechnology can increase the existing value of consumer products in the energy, textile, medicine, and food industries. It is hoped that nanotechnologies will contribute to as much as one percent of consumer products on the market.

While attending the NanoThailand Symposium held in Bangkok at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Sirirurg explained what the country hopes to gain by investing in nanotech research. Sirirurg asserts that Thailand is just beginning to work with nanotechnologies, but there is a belief that Thailand can become a leader in nanotech research due to the significant focus on the field by a variety of sectors.

At present the National Nanotechnology Center and other nanotech product manufacturers have created a number of nano products suitable for commercialization; such products are in the trial stages. The NanoThailand Symposium remains ongoing until Sunday. The Symposium includes nearly eighty state and private groups and agencies which are participating in order to share information about nano particle technologies.

The Symposium exhibited a number of nanotech products including nano based cosmetics, solar cell systems, and textiles with waterproof properties. The feature display at the Symposium was created at the Chulalongkorn University's Center of Innovation Nano Technology which consisted of an ambulance which is free of bacteria. Sanong Ekasit, an expert working for the latter center explained that the bacteria free properties of the ambulance were created by the coating of silver nano particles, all of which were 70 nanometers in size, used in its creation. It is the tiny particles that kill the bacteria inside the ambulance's interior. Ekasit further explained that with the use of larger nanoparticles, the researchers are capable of fending off viruses and fungus too.

According to Joydeep Dutta from the Asian Institute of Technology, the field of nanotechnology shows promise for the field of forensic science as well. Nanotechnologies might be used to see fingerprint images better; a spray consisting of gold and chitosan might be used effectively to bring out fingerprint images at crime scenes.