Another shining example of Thai government leadership. They must have solved education, healthcare, foreign investment, security, etc etc. What a shining example for the nation.i wonder if orginated from a think tank or specially formed committee.

I was just wondering what the Red Blue Flag stall's signature dish will be. Could it be the red curry?

Did someone say cheap cheese? I'm in!

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Absolutely nothing the government does will please the 80/20* on this forum. Once a person's mind is made up there is no room for the possibility of anything running contrary to their beliefs and posting on TV just becomes an exercise in reinforcing their own views. Surely once they are convinced, nothing can contradict that, right?

The government has doubtless screwed up on some policies - don't they all? - but does that mean it is impossible for them to get the odd thing right now and then? Balance and objectivity are indeed scarce in this forum.

* 80% of posts made by 20% of posters

I like the 80/20* hypothesis.

For some, balance is impossible.

To balance, one needs two feet and two arms, sometimes extended outwardly. It's very difficult when one foot is in ones' mouth and one arm is waiving for attention.

It's well known if you shop for groceries when you are hungry, you buy more, if you shop when you are full, you buy less....

I wonder why they are worried about stocking up on food at home. I suspect that they are trying to manipulate the market because of lower production.

Where communism goes, famine follows, history hath shown.

This should go down well with the established food stalls already located in supermarkets and paying rent.

Another desperate idea from an even more desperate caretaker government.

The pre-existing food court vendors will be put out of work as they can't compete with the subsidized food vendors.

While they won't have much money after being elbowed out, at least they can get 5 baht discounts when they eat at the food court subsidized vendor stalls where they used to work.

Not everyone will use the cheap blue flag option.

Hardly anyone has used the blue flag option ever since it was launched by Thaksin eight years ago and flopped on its periodic reintroduction since then.

January 6, 2006

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday launched the blue flag foods scheme at Government House. The scheme, which provides a set of food to buyers for just 10 baht and is being carried out nationwide, is arranged by the Commerce Ministry's Internal Trade Department.

Prime Minister Thaksin said the project is another one of the government's attempts to foster balance in its development of the country under capitalist economy. This scheme would achieve the goal by reducing the expenses and increasing income as well as giving people more career opportunities.

1,000 stalls selling blue-flag priced foods will be set up throughout the country. Currently 700 have already been set up.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department -

This sounds like a drastic measure. The Thais must be developing some info that says there is a growing concern that the lower end of the socio economic scale is starting to be threatened by the cost of food at affordable prices. Cannibalizing the Big C, Lotus markets with "cheap" food stall fare is just the beginning of a major Thai socioeconomic problem, but to have Thai bureaucrats take this action at this stage means the problem has been going on for a long time.

Loss leaders should really be in the back of the supermarket for maximum effectiveness.

If I were Thai and cared about how my government manages its budget, I'd sure love to know where the money to pay for this will come from. They've got to rent the space from the supermarkets and pay the subsidy. We're probably not talking billions of baht here, but it's still significant.

We can't pay the rice farmers, so let's launch another government program!

............ so let's launch another government program, in anticipation of the pending election

Don't tell me, let me guess. Let them eat rice cakes. Have to do something with that rice that won't sell.

Tried one those blue stalls took 6 six weeks before I could get hard on after eating there so no thank you. Give good old street food besides better class of flies outdoors.