The Commerce Ministry has teamed up with manufacturers, distributors, retailers and wholesalers to organise a campaign to lower prices of goods by 4-68% to help reduce living costs for people nationwide.
The two-month scheme is scheduled to begin on Sunday.
Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said the discount campaign scheduled to cover 878 districts in 76 provinces will be held mainly at community halls, district offices and district areas.
The first scheme will be held simultaneously at 45 districts in 45 provinces, including Hang Dong district in Chiang Mai.
The ministry in partnership with consumer goods makers, distributors and modern trade operators has organised three rounds of discount campaigns, mainly via modern trade and department stores, with a focus on food and daily-use products to reduce the cost of living for people hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
The campaign covers six product categories: food and beverage; frozen finished food; seasoning sauce; daily-use products; body care products; and cleaning products.
The six categories will be available to the district-level discount campaign, with a total of 400 items from 40 manufacturers and distributors and 171 retailers and wholesalers.
Modern trade participants include Big C, Siam Makro, Tesco Lotus, Foodland, CP All, Max Value Supermarket, Tops, Unilever, Berli Jucker and Charoen Pokphand Foods.
Mr Jurin said the campaigns are estimated to help consumers save more than 1 billion baht.
Somchai Pornrattanacharoen, president of the Thai Retailers and Wholesalers Association, said recently that the ministry's request for cooperation on the campaign was a psychological tactic to stimulate people's consumption.
In reality, whenever purchasing drops, operators compete with one another through sales promotions to increase revenue, he said.
In the wake of the outbreak, sales of food, tissue paper, water and tinned fish surged, boosted by panic shopping.