Bangkok (VNA) – Thai ministries and agencies are actively accelerating the government’s programme to reduce living costs for people nationwide, as the economy faces impacts from tensions in the Middle East.
The Department of Provincial Administration under the Interior Ministry has ordered provincial and district officials nationwide to support the deployment of 3,800 mobile "Pum-Puang" vehicles under a Commerce Ministry initiative aimed at selling low-cost goods across the country.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said the directive followed a joint meeting between the Commerce Ministry, the Interior Ministry and other state agencies to advance the government's "cost-of-living relief" programme.
The initiative seeks to expand access to discounted goods, particularly in remote areas where residents cannot easily reach fixed "Blue Flag" (Thong Fah) outlets or markets.
Earlier, the Commerce Ministry announced a plan to organise 518 Blue Flag events nationwide from April to August. These include 12 large-scale fairs with 200 booths each, 76 medium-sized events with 50 booths, and 380 smaller ones across provinces, along with 50 events in Bangkok’s districts.
In addition, more than 5,000 mobile units, including street vendors, Pum-Puang trucks, and mobile Blue Flag vehicles, will be deployed using existing local networks. Authorities are also recruiting more operators to meet the target of 3,800 vehicles, and district chiefs have been instructed to support the rollout.
Suphajee also highlighted a parallel "co-payment interest" loan scheme designed to ease financial burdens on farmers. Approved by the cabinet with a budget of 30 billion THB (935.1 million USD), the scheme offers loans of up to 100,000 THB per farmer, with a maximum term of 12 months under a three-year programme framework. The interest rate is set at 6% annually, split equally between borrowers and the government, leaving farmers to pay only 3%./.
Thailand implements emergency relief package to protect economy
The Thai Government has allocated more than 7.74 billion THB (about 241 million USD) from the central budget to support citizens in coping with rising energy prices, subsidise transport costs, and implement measures to reduce the cost of living nationwide.
