New "Must-Visit Market" opened in Thailand

BANGKOK, December 28 (TNA) - The Ministry of Commerce has opened a new "Must-Visit Market", under the community market project, in the Thai central region, aimed to expand marketing channels and boost income of local communities. Thai Commerce Miniser Apiradi Tantraporn presided over a ceremony to open the "Must-Visit Market" at the Wat Lam Phaya Floating Market in Bang Lane District of Nakhon Pathom Province on December 27. Apiradi said her ministry has launched the project to be in line with Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha's urgent policy on strengthening the overall domestic economy in all dimensions, covering assistance provided to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), community enterprises cooperatives and agricultural institutes. Apiradi elaborated that her ministry, through the Department of Internal Trade, has, thus, initiated the community market project, through "Must-Visit Markets", to be a mechanism to help meet the prime minister's policy and to connect and benefit the local tourism sector as well. Under the project, Apiradi noted, existing markets will be further developed by introducing her ministry's unique of fairness and transparency through reasonable and clear prices on labels of products with precise weights, or by maintaining the identity of local communities. According to the commerce minister, all goods on sale at the community markets must be community-based products under the government-supported One Tambon, One Product (OTOP) Scheme, or local farm and other products that represent the identity of the local communities to also help draw in international tourists. Meanwhile, the Department of Internal Trade has targeted to opened up to 77 "Must-Visit Markets" by the end of the 2016 fiscal year, which ends on September 30, 2016. (TNA)