BANGKOK, 10 May 2011 – The Ministry of Commerce will launch Blue Flag food carts selling cooked food at no more than 25 baht per dish across the country, in a bid to help relieve the high living cost and inflation pressure.
Permanent Secretary for Commerce Yanyong Puangrach announced the project upon the 69th anniversary of the Department of Internal Trade (DIT).
Dishes will be sold from 19 to 25 baht each; for example, omelette with rice is priced at 19 baht while rice and curry will be available at 20 or 25 baht per dish.
The permanent secretary added that people nowadays prefer to eat out while cooked food accounts for 6.87% of the inflation rise. He said people will have more alternatives in controlling their expenses while inflation should be tamed if this portion of expenses can be reduced.
Mr Yanyong elaborated that at present the DIT is coordinating with community members in both Bangkok and major provinces nationwide to find selling venues while the DIT officials will help vendors participating in the project find cheaper ingredients so they can sell dishes at the prescribed prices.
Mr Yanyong, also former DIT director-general, noted that there should be at least 10 food carts to ply each big community. He expected that the project will commence in late May 2011.
