Over 200K Join Thai Expense-Cut Campaign

The Thai government's "Thai Helps Thai: Reducing Expenses and Cost of Living" initiative has seen significant engagement, with over 200,000 participants injecting more than 27 million baht into local economies. The Interior Ministry's Department of Provincial Administration organized the campaign's second round across all districts in 76 provinces. This effort took place on Friday, as shared by Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Persvivatana on Sunday.

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A total of 217,619 individuals joined the event, featuring 9,721 participating shops, including modern retail and wholesale outlets, OTOP stores, and community-based SMEs. Throughout the campaign, over 153,856 essential consumer products were sold at reduced prices. The initiative generated 27.11 million baht in spending and contributed to a 6.23 million baht reduction in household expenses.

When combined with the first round, the total spending exceeded 60.8 million baht, collectively reducing living costs by more than 13.6 million baht. The provinces with the highest expenditure included Surin, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, and Ratchaburi, with districts such as Muang in Saraburi, Ratchaburi, and Yala leading in spending.

Popular products in modern retail outlets included cooking oil, eggs, laundry products, and sugar. Best-selling OTOP items featured food, clothing, and beverages, while high-demand community products ranged from fresh food to cooking ingredients and processed food.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · Bangkok Post · 11 May 2026