Pheu Thai Party To Bolster Tourism By Restoring OTOP Program

[Ricardo]

Actually what the govt promised is a tablet computer to kids in grades 1 to 6....not an I pad and not for all children.

Erm ... grade-1 only, I think you'll find !

[Gary A]

I guess that I'm the only farang who stops at them. The ones that sell dried fruit and candy have a pretty good variety of snacks for me to eat while I'm driving.

The basic idea is actually pretty good but they need some organization. Each store needs a variety of items to sell and not just a single product.

But your not a tourist are you ?.....also if the shop sold a variety of items its would kinda defeat the marketing strategy wouldnt it "OTOP"......and it stead of of being an OTOP shop we could just as easily call it 7/11 or Tesco's

You're missing the point. All the items would be home made and hand crafted. The distribution network is missing.

[Soutpeel]

Arent we a pedantic one ?.....tablet computer/ I-pad same same but different...it dont matter anyway because they are going to get them anyway....

I would say there is a vast difference between an iPad & a cheap Chinese tablet which is what the kids will get.

As we are playing pedantic

Have you actually seen an invitation to tender from the Thai goverment procurement department which gives the specfications of the exact product they are hoping to procure ? Thought not..

Who is to say they are not I-pads, the goverment may do a deal with Apple at a reduced cost, seeing as a lot of apple products are actually produced in China, they could in fact be described as Chinese products....this is based on the using the logic applied by some members from "general topic - potatoe debate, which suggests that because an american company freezes and supplies french fries said product is in fact an American food..... .....therefore an American product manufactured and packaged in China would be a Chinse product...

So there we are....It could be an I-pad, at a reduced cost produced in China = Cheap Chinese tablet and still be an Apple I-pad

At the end of the day the argument is all moot anyway....because I predict no one will get anything anyway...Chinese or otherwise

[whybother]

You're missing the point. All the items would be home made and hand crafted. The distribution network is missing.

Once they get the distribution network in, it doesn't matter where the products come from.

[ratcatcher]

If they want a real and effective improvement to attract more Western tourists, then they ought think about the other end of the equation, so to speak, and make sure that all these service stations have adequate amounts of toilet paper and think about making paper hand towels available. The magic and wonders of the squat toilet is is something nearly every Westerner I know seeks to avoid.

In your madness is brilliance. Clean toilets with sinks & soap dispenser with soap, a hand dryer, and toilet tissue that doesn't disintegrate , Every tourist from the developed world keeps an eye open for one. Set up these relief facilities adjacent to or in the OTOP stores and you'll have traffic. I have given up on finding a washroom where I can wash my hands. If one is able to hold his breath, they can be used to take a wiz. I feel sorry for women as who wants to use one of those stalls. OTOP and clean washrooms: An idea who's time has come!

In your reply is brilliance.

I don't often agree with you, but on this crappy subject I am 100% behind you, figuratively, of course.

I fear any paper towels left in a washroom would soon be nicked by customers, but your points made are absolutely true.

Most PTT stations have acceptable facilities, but the idea of using an OTOP toilet whilst munching on sugar glazed banana chips has its merit. :-)

[mca]

I always try to use the disabled toilet in a PTT if they have one. Losing face doesn't come into the equation. I'd suffer more loss of face using on of their standard death traps and end up getting more <deleted> on me than in the bowl. I'd be a liar if I said it'd never happened to me...

[scorecard]

What's also forgotten / missed by the pt economics team is that in many countries you cannot bring food products into the country in your luggage.

In some countries you get caught with either fresh or manufactured food products, including herbs, and you are in serious trouble.

[YellowFeverCAD]

Have you actually seen an invitation to tender from the Thai goverment procurement department which gives the specfications of the exact product they are hoping to procure ? Thought not..

Well as the gov't has said the tablet will NOT cost more than 3,000 baht roughly 100 bucks... IF they did manage to source Apple iPads for that price there would be a revolt the world over asking why everyone else is paying 499 as a starting price... so pretty safe to say it won't be... apple products produced in China or anywhere else.

[Soutpeel]

Have you actually seen an invitation to tender from the Thai goverment procurement department which gives the specfications of the exact product they are hoping to procure ? Thought not..

Well as the gov't has said the tablet will NOT cost more than 3,000 baht roughly 100 bucks... IF they did manage to source Apple iPads for that price there would be a revolt the world over asking why everyone else is paying 499 as a starting price... so pretty safe to say it won't be... apple products produced in China or anywhere else.

If the ar*e falls out the dollar, THB 3000 could be worth US$ 499 very soon....

[rubl]

Have you actually seen an invitation to tender from the Thai goverment procurement department which gives the specfications of the exact product they are hoping to procure ? Thought not..

Well as the gov't has said the tablet will NOT cost more than 3,000 baht roughly 100 bucks... IF they did manage to source Apple iPads for that price there would be a revolt the world over asking why everyone else is paying 499 as a starting price... so pretty safe to say it won't be... apple products produced in China or anywhere else.

Maybe they can have the HP touchpad WebOS tablet for a very discounted price. Add a few billion and the government might be able to buy the complete PC division

[Rinrada]

Been hearing about a new idea to make it (OTOP)more local..from OTOP to OMBOP.....or maybe OMOP...One Moo Bann etc....

Also whats the sore about new government offering incentives (Thais only)of Bt.100,000 each to help them buy new houses/car...one only and must be new.

EU/UK did something similar a year or 2 ago and for a time gave the car industry a boost,,,so could be good idea.

[dcutman]

Require all Chinese tour buses to stop at an otop store since they are the largest group of tourist to Thailand now.

The Thai shop keepers see a Chinese/Korean tour bus pull in, they go on break They only thing they ever buy is a bottle of water and a bag of lays chips.