Cheap, quality Thai goods await consumers at Bangkok's CentralWorld

BANGKOK, February 6 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Commerce, has invited consumers, both Thais and foreign visitors, to enjoy a shopping spree in the heart of Bangkok where they can freely choose and take home cheaper, but quality Thai goods, including those produced by southern folks who have been affected by the recent Tropical Storm Pabuk. Wichai Phochanakij, Director General of the ministry's Department of Internal Trade, voiced the invitation on Wednesday, announcing that the grand "blue flag" and southern folk expo now welcomes international visitors at an outdoor front plaza in the compound of the CentralWorld shopping complex in the capital's Pathumwan area during February 4-7. "Outstanding, unique and selected items of goods produced by local folks and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Thai South, with cheaper than their market prices but good quality, now await for both Thai and foreign visitors to choose and take home at the four-day fair, along with consumer products with more reasonable prices offered under the official blue flag program", Wichai said. The senior official acknowledged that the four day-event is aimed to not only support southern Thai folk producers who were recently affected by the Tropical Storm Pabuk, especially those in such the storm hardest-hit provinces as Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Surat Thani and Chumphon, and local SMEs, but also help relieve the costs of living for the general public. According to the senior official, the cheaper and quality Thai products are on display for public visits at a total of 170 booths, 52 of them are participated by southern folk producers, 49 by southern SMEs and 67 by producers joining in his department's blue flag program. Besides, similar expos will be later organized in the four storm hardest-hit provinces, namely in Nakhon Si Thammarat during February 7-10, in Songkhla during February 12-15, in Surat Thani during February 17-20 and in Chumphon during February 22-25. (TNA)