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Thailand's annual shopping festival is currently in full-swing until 31 July, 2002, with high quality products and services going at bargain discounts of
up to 80% off regular prices.
Over 750 retail shops, department stores, hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions and theme parks -- all clearly identifiable by the ‘Thailand Grand Sale’ logo -- are participating in the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Grand Service, 2002 which is rapidly gaining fame as one of the biggest shopping extravaganzas in Southeast Asia.
TAT Acting Governor and Deputy Governor for Marketing Mrs. Juthamas Siriwan commented, “The number of participating businesses has steadily increased over the years, proving the success of this campaign.
“Visitors can avail of great buys and tremendous value coupled with world-class service. This helps them save a lot of money, Mrs. Juthamas added.
In 2001, international visitors to Thailand spent an average of 3,747.87 baht (US$84.35) per person per day. Of this, 1,160.86 baht (US$26.12) or 30.97% was on shopping.
This year’s shopping festival will be held in Bangkok as well as popular provincial tourist destinations like Chiang Mai, Nong Khai, Hat Yai and Pattaya. In each of these cities, eye-catching flags and banners are on prominent display at major public areas, shopping centres and about 2,100 petrol stations nationwide.
The festival kicked off with the Chiang Mai Shopping Festival between 1-4 June at the Night Bazaar.
That was only the first of many similar upcoming events such as the Hat Yai Shopping Festival (13-16 June, behind Hat Yai Fire Station), Pattaya Shopping Festival (27-30 June at Big C Super Centre, North Pattaya) as well as Nong Khai Shopping Festival (4-7 July at the Indochinese Market and at Big Jiang Super Centre).
‘Made in Thailand’ products will be the focus of special promotional sales in specific categories between specific dates. These include:
Apparel (1-10 June), Toys (1-14 June), Leatherware (15-24 June), Thai Handicrafts (8-17 June), Golf Products and Equipment (15 June-15 July), Thai Fruits (8- 17 June), Electrical Appliances (22 June-1 July), Thai Silk (30 June-8 July), Jewellery (1-15 July), Furniture and Home Decorations (2-12 July), Thai Brand Name Products (13-22 July), Sportswear and Apparel (20-29 July) and Thai Tourism- related Products (1 June-31 July).
TAT has distributed 1.3 million copies of a shopping guidebook to international and domestic tourists via participating shops and department stores. VISA International has made a 50-million-baht investment to promote the festival locally and abroad this year.
Visitors are being offered various incentives to spend more.
Those who spend over 5,000 baht or 10,000 baht will be able to redeem a gift set of local products made under the ‘One Municipality, One Product’ campaign at the Redemption Counters. A total of 27 Redemption Counters have been set up at leading Thai department stores like Central, Robinson’s and The Mall, and another 13 counters at the Bangkok Tourist Information Counters.
For every one thousand baht worth of purchases, shoppers are eligible to participate in an over-nine-million-baht lucky draw with prizes ranging from a one- million baht cash prize from VISA, mobile phones from DTAC, jewellery from the Jewel Fest Club and shopping coupons at Narai Phand, Central, Robinson’s and The Emporium.
The shopping festival will end with a huge Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Grand Service Fair 2002 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) in Bangkok between July 25-28, 2002.
The fair will offer discounted Thai brand-name products as well as products from the government’s ‘One Municipality, One Product’ project, tourism-related products and services, unclaimed imported merchandise being sold-off by the Customs Department, Thai food and fruits and various fun fairs. |
