Bangkok: The Prime Minister is advancing with the third phase of the "Thai Helps Thai" campaign to continually reduce living expenses for the public. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is spearheading this initiative by mobilizing a nationwide network of mobile vendors to distribute affordable goods across all 878 districts in an effort to alleviate the cost of living and bolster the grassroots economy.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, Ms. Lalida Periswiwatana, announced that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, is committed to the "Thai Helps Thai: Reduce the Burden, Lower the Cost of Living" project. The Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with the Department of Business Development, modern wholesale and retail outlets, local entrepreneurs, and the mobile vendor network, has organized the third nationwide sale of affordable goods, covering 878 districts. This initiative aims to reduce living costs and increase access to essential goods for people in all areas.
The Deputy Spokesperson highlighted that the third phase of the campaign received a positive response from the public, drawing over 200,000 participants. This resulted in over 26 million baht in grassroots economic activity and reduced people's expenses by over 5.77 million baht. The success reflects the integrated cooperation between the government, private sector, and communities in distributing high-quality, affordable products to the public.
In total, the project has generated over 86.96 million baht in spending across all three phases and has reduced public living costs by over 19.44 million baht. This initiative is seen as a crucial measure to stimulate the grassroots economy, provide liquidity for small businesses, community shops, SMEs, and OTOP products, while also helping people reduce daily expenses in a tangible manner.
Surin, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Saraburi, and Ang Thong emerged as the top five provinces in terms of spending. Additionally, the districts with the highest expenditure were Mueang Saraburi District (Saraburi Province), Phanat Nikhom District (Chonburi Province), Mueang Nonthaburi District (Nonthaburi Province), Mueang Ratchaburi District (Ratchaburi Province), and Mueang Phuket District (Phuket Province).
The most popular items in modern wholesale and retail stores included cooking oil, eggs, laundry products, fabric softener, and rice. Meanwhile, top-selling OTOP products featured food, household goods, textiles and clothing, beverages, and non-food herbal products. Popular community products included fresh food, snacks and baked goods, beverages, agricultural products, and processed foods.
Ms. Lalida emphasized the government's ongoing commitment to addressing people's livelihoods by connecting mobile vendor networks and community-level distribution channels. This approach aims to provide easier access to essential goods at fair prices while generating income for local entrepreneurs, farmers, and community enterprises nationwide.
The government will persist in implementing measures to reduce living costs and create economic opportunities for everyone, ensuring that the grassroots economy can grow strongly and sustainably, Ms. Lalida stated.