OTOP

[uk_falang]

I have been trying to establish a web site selling Thai Handicrafts, silk and textiles from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

The http://www.thaitambon.com/ which is the "official" OTOP site is rubbish. They never answer emails written in English and the suppliers information is often outdated, and many of the products are outdated - the suppliers have stopped selling a certain style and now have a new catalogue. There is no shopping cart available with OTOP products - and the old OTOP catalogue has only a very very limited number of OTOP products listed.

The Thai Tambon site is totally rubbish - it looks as if it was designed by a school kid, very bad design wise and the functionality is really awful. They dont have anyone who can answer an email in English apparently.

This leads me to ask what exactly is OTOP. They seem to be encouraging people to produce certain products in different tambons - but they have no interest in actually trying to sell this stuff.

[calibanjr.]

I have been trying to establish a web site selling Thai Handicrafts, silk and textiles from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

The http://www.thaitambon.com/ which is the "official" OTOP site is rubbish. They never answer emails written in English and the suppliers information is often outdated, and many of the products are outdated - the suppliers have stopped selling a certain style and now have a new catalogue. There is no shopping cart available with OTOP products - and the old OTOP catalogue has only a very very limited number of OTOP products listed.

The Thai Tambon site is totally rubbish - it looks as if it was designed by a school kid, very bad design wise and the functionality is really awful. They dont have anyone who can answer an email in English apparently.

This leads me to ask what exactly is OTOP. They seem to be encouraging people to produce certain products in different tambons - but they have no interest in actually trying to sell this stuff.

Don't get me started! I put in a good amount of effort early on to try to deal with OTOP in forming part of our product line. Luckily, they showed no effort to even CONVERSE with me regarding sourcing, pricing, export regs., etc at BIG and other trade shows. Since their level of interest and response was pretty much non-existent, I ended up not wasting much time with them. It really seems like a jobs (OTOP sinecures) program to me.

[H2oDunc]

As far as Im aware the OTOP system is not designed for selling on the internet. It is a system whereby the Tambon grow and produce the same product and so form a loose co-op so as to reduce costs. Thats why as you travel through Thailand you come across stall after stall of Bannana, coconut, salt, wicker furniture etc. If you want to sell Thai prducts and handicrafts then I would travel around and find what you want to sell. Arrange to purchase what you need then market it as you please. The wife does something along these lines and makes a good living doing so. Thais are not going to be up there with Google or Yahoo with an internet presence at this time. To do this on the internet you will have to do it yourself

[mmushr00m]

Dont expect any emails. I sent out ALOT of emails +50 to companies listed on OTOP, even ISO companies seeking product info in Thailand.

...replies received = 2

[uk_falang]

Seems like OTOP is just a marketing buzzword - thought up by ayuppie marketing weasel

It seems strange to have international trade shows promoting OTOP products, but they wont actually help you to export the products. TIT

[seonai]

OP I'm working on getting your opening headline changed as we speak !

[Tony Clifton]

I was always under the impression that OTOP was created with the sole purpose of funneling products their way and for those responsible to profit from it, not the producers.

[mrtoad]

I was always under the impression that OTOP was created with the sole purpose of funneling products their way and for those responsible to profit from it, not the producers.

Yep, and the person in your avitar would know all about that

[CarlBkk]

As H2Odunc recommends...visit the suppliers in person then liaise via telephone to place orders. Managing small-time suppliers in Thailand is hugely frustrating (from no knowledge of export forms to discontinuing products with no notification). Running an internet business relying on these suppliers without holding stock is pure business suicide.

I buy from several small-time suppliers here and if I didn't have anyone in Thailand to keep them on their toes, check orders, return mistakes etc. etc. it would have been nothing less than soul destroying. Even having several people liaising with them in Thai doesn't solve all the ordering problems. I could write paragraphs on how/why this happens but it'll wind me up. I've just put in a good first order with a Vietnamese handicraft company and that was 10 times worse. Having said this, the Thai businesses have tended to be pretty honest and accept back any faults/incorrect items without question (although I've never yet heard anything that resembles a "sorry, our mistake. We'll make sure it won't be like this again")!

[Tinkelbell]

I was always under the impression that OTOP was created with the sole purpose of funneling products their way and for those responsible to profit from it, not the producers.

Yep, and the person in your avitar would know all about that

Many Thais told me 'OTOP' stands for 'One Thaksin One Pojamarn'.

That says it all why this project bombed.

[Tony Clifton]

Which reminds me, the local OTOP booths have disappeared from Tesco's for quite a while now and from other locations as well. None at the new Carrefour.

[Heng]

OTOP is basically just the local equivalent of your typical childhood front yard lemonade stand. Something for the kids to play/practice "running a business" while the grown ups work.

[Tony Clifton]

Rule is simple.

Avoid anything advertised with Ad Carabao singing in the background.

[think_too_mut]

OTOP = a populist scheme that has failed. Earlier this year I read only 20% of them are doing any good. No wonder their site is rubbish and nobody answers emails. They may have packed up.

[chownah]

OTOP = a populist scheme that has failed. Earlier this year I read only 20% of them are doing any good. No wonder their site is rubbish and nobody answers emails. They may have packed up.

Wow!!! If 20% of them are still in existence then I would think that this means that the OTOP program has been an incredilble success and has achieved way way beyond what anyone ever expected.....

Good Work OTOP,

Chownah

P.S. I'm serious...a 20% success rate in an endeavor like this is remarkably fabuluous and goes way beyond the success rate for new businesses in general from what I understand.

Chownah

Edited September 2, 2007 by chownah

[Heng]

I'd question "doing any good" without any specific revenue numbers to back it up in any annual report. 'Doing any good' might just mean they are treading water with continued gov't help.

[Tony Clifton]

Are there any commercial examples where 20% of a company's outlets rake in so much that they can support the other failing 80% ?

[think_too_mut]

OTOP = a populist scheme that has failed. Earlier this year I read only 20% of them are doing any good. No wonder their site is rubbish and nobody answers emails. They may have packed up.

Wow!!! If 20% of them are still in existence then I would think that this means that the OTOP program has been an incredilble success and has achieved way way beyond what anyone ever expected.....

Good Work OTOP,

Chownah

P.S. I'm serious...a 20% success rate in an endeavor like this is remarkably fabuluous and goes way beyond the success rate for new businesses in general from what I understand.

Chownah

It's been 6-7 months since I read it, from memory, the intonation of the article was that only 20% were still showing signs of life, the entire scheme was collapsing and hardly any were expected to survive this year.

Edit: how many provinces are in Thailand? 75? 76? Can't remember. Then, how many villages in them?

Then 20% would be still a large absolute number of OTOPs still breathing (beginning of this year).

Being Thaksin's legacy, their failure and demise won't be (officially) regretted.

Edited September 2, 2007 by think_too_mut

[CalicoConsulting]

My sales manager, who is Thai, tried to sell OTOP my English editing services for their website. They didn't reply.

We also researched the question of "Why don't Thais answer their emails?" but we decided "Mai pen rai."

[uk_falang]

Haha

I am trying to sell handicrafts. OTOP or not, the problem here is that they are so bad at providing their catalogues (they seem to be scared of people copying them!). Also they keep changing their designs, which is really frustrating.

There is some nice stuff available here, at very reasonable prices but the Thais just dont seem to want to expand their business.!!!

[wolfmanjack]

Most if not all of the OTOP companies that are doing well now were doing well before they became OTOP companies. I am not kidding. There was an article in the Bangkok Post about one of the OTOP showcase companies. The article stated that the company had been in business for 10 years and OTOP had only been around for a couple of years at that time. If you travel around Chiang Mai you will see OTOP signs in businesses that have been around since before Thaksin got elected.

[lannarebirth]

OTOP was a scheme devised to funnel government cash to villages. It was designed to garner electoral support, not sell products.

Edited September 3, 2007 by lannarebirth