Survey: 56% of Thai shoppers buy stuff online

About 56% of respondents in a recent survey said they buy products online, saying it is so convenient, with the average shopping bill 500 to 1,000 baht, according to the Commerce Ministry.

In a survey of 4,653 people in Bangkok and provinces in June and July, 56.87% said they shopped online, said Somkiat Triratpan, director of the ministry's Office of Trade Policy and Strategy.

The most popular products were clothing, accessories and shoes. The balance of the respondents,  43.13%, said they did not buy goods online because they were wary of fraud, and many in the provinces did not know how to use the internet.

Main reasons given for shopping online were the convenience with around-the-clock service, home delivery and the large selection offered. The majority of respondents purchased products online once or twice a month.

The average bill in each purchase was in the range of 501-1,000 baht. They liked to buy from domestic suppliers and preferred to transfer money to sellers’ accounts.

Mr Somkiat said around 60% of online shoppers said they had never had any trouble with their purchases. Those who were not satisfied with their transactions said the products did not meet their expectations, delivery was delayed and sometimes the goods arrived damaged.

He said people wanted tougher penalties for illegal online traders and felt the government should provide information about problematic sellers.  An improved channel for complaints deriving from online shopping was also needed.