Pracha Rat markets open in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai province on Tuesday launched Pracha Rath markets, with one serving the entire province in front of the Government Office Complex and 25 district-level ones, as part of the government’s efforts to boost vocational opportunities for farmers, low-income earners and people without access to market space.
The Pracha Rath, or “State of the People”, initiative is supposed to encourage grassroots economic growth with the help of the government.
Provincial Governor Pawin Chamniprasert presided over a ceremony at the Chiang Mai Pracha Rath Market, which is supposed to stimulate the economy at the community level and elevate product quality. The newly opened markets saw 200 new vendors selling goods alongside pre-existing outlets.
Registration for space at Chiang Mai Pracha Rath markets closed last Thursday with 2,977 people signing up.
The Community Development Department operates Pracha Rath markets at 2,155 locations across the country, with the goal to boost the number of vendors to 21,550 – an increase of 10 to 50 vendors per market depending on available space.