State agency helps over 30,000 vendors tap online sales, digital payments

Depa director-general Nattapol Nimmanphatcharin on Wednesday announced the success of the “Transform Fresh Markets to New Ways” programme at an exhibition held at the True Digital Park. The exhibition was called “Transform Market Showcase 2022”.

Nattapol said the project started in September 2021 and it was initially launched as a pilot project in Bangkok, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Pathom, Chainat, Singburi and Lopburi provinces. The project was later expanded to Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan provinces.

He said the project is aimed at encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), small entrepreneurs, and street vendors to trade their products on digital platforms and to accept digital payments.

As of March 2022, the programme has helped 30,050 vendors from 300 fresh markets partner with 28 Thai digital startups and digital providers to sell their products online.

More than 200,000 items are available online on digital platforms, generating sales of over Bt300 million so far, Nattapol added.

He said the statistics from his project showed that Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon were the top three provinces with vendors turning to sell online apart from their conventional trade.

He said the vendors who joined the digital platforms came from weekly markets, fresh markets and street-side sellers.

The vendors use e-payment and delivery systems of their choices on digital platforms, Nattapol added.

The Depa has so far trained some 1.2 million interested people in conducting online trading since August last year, Nattapol said, adding that the training was offered via YouTube, Facebook, Classwin and Digital Skill platforms.

“The programme has pushed vendors to access and apply digital technologies to their trade. The programme helped them select Thai digital startups and digital providers to suit their trades,” Nattapol said.

He said the Transform Market Showcase 2022 was held to show the success and potential of the vendors who accessed and applied digital technologies to enhance their trade. The programme will also play a part in turning Thailand into a cashless society, he added.

The director-general said Depa will expand the project to 65,000 other shops and build pilot digital markets in 25 more provinces. They are: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Nan, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Mahasarakham, Ayutthaya, Suphanburi, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chachoengsao, Ratchaburi, Saraburi, Chonburi, Rayong, Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Trang.