BANGKOK, 19 May 2012 – The Commerce Ministry is confident that it will be able to open as many state-initiated cheap grocery stores as planned within the expected timeframe.
Department of Internal Trade (DIT) Director-General Vatchari Vimooktayon, on Friday, made an inspection visit to the government-initiated “Thook Jai” grocery stores in Bangkok and found that the project has been well-received by the public.
The ”Thook Jai” store project is the brainchild of the government, which is aimed at offering low-priced consumer goods to help ease the impact of rising cost of living.
Mrs. Vatchari said that nearly 8,000 existing grocery stores across Thailand have expressed their interest in joining the project. Around 1,500 of them are in Bangkok and nearby provinces, while about 50 percent are now operational.
She added that the Department of Internal Trade has solved all technical glitches covering the order placement and goods delivery systems, and it is expected that as soon as the entire system is perfected, the delivery will be easily executed twice a week.
The DIT Director-General is confident that there will be 10,000 “Thook Jai” stores throughout Thailand by the beginning of June, as planned.
