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Purpose — This paper seeks to identify competitive priorities, based on the opinions of top executives of manufacturing firms belonging to the Federation of Thai Industry (FTI). It is also to evaluate the implications and applicability of these findings for Thai manufacturers. Design/methodology/approach — A survey is used as a data-collection tool to gather the opinions of top executives. Its main contents are based on Takala (2002). Ten manufacturers from four industries have participated in the study. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is selected to analyze the survey responses. In addition, the comparison of competitive priorities among Thailand, China, and Taiwan is made. The follow-up interviews and discussion are also conducted. Findings — There are six criteria selected to reflect competitive priorities: quality, customer-focus, delivery, flexibility, know-how, and costs. The study reveals that the quality, customer-focus and delivery criteria are recognized as important priorities in order to enhance manufacturing firms’ competitiveness. The Taiwanese experiences possibly suggest more attention on innovation in order to sustain quality improvement. Practical implications — The findings illustrate the shift in competitive priorities from cost into quality and customer-focus. This shift reflects intense campaigns by relevant public agencies as well as the FTI. The awareness on these priorities is critical so that companies in the value chain can properly establish coherent manufacturing strategies and objectives. Originality/value — The knowledge on competitive priorities leads to better understanding of manufacturing strategies in the future. This knowledge can serve as a reference during an assessment of the desirable impacts from programs and initiatives conducted by public agencies and the FTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]