FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Two programmes to boost e-commerce in remote areas

Two programmes to boost e-commerce in remote areas

THAILAND POST has announced an e-commerce project to help support 10,000 communities by the end of next year. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry (DE Ministry) meanwhile is planning a programme in which 100,000 master trainers would teach e-commerce skills in an effort to support people in communities nationwide.

Samon Terdthampibopn, president of Thailand Post, said that the government body has developed an e-commerce platform intended to support licensed Post Office outlets in local and remote communities nationwide. Their goal is to provide one-stop services for e-commerce transactions to that people involved in producing and selling OTOP products could market them through online transactions and distribute them through the post offices.
She said that the e-commerce platform has three main sections – an e-marketplace (an e-online display and online showroom), e-logistics and e-payment.
People with local products for sale could visit their local licensed Post Office to upload marketing details of their products to the online platform (at www.thailandpostmart.com). The platform and Post Office would also aid in e-payment transactions and the logistics of distributing products to customers. 
By supporting and facilitating the process, the Post Office aims to help local artisans and entrepreneurs “to expand their customers base and able to improve their quality of life and improve their productivity,” said Samon.
The approach, including terminals for the e-commerce platform, is being tested in eight licensed Post Offices located in Nan province and expects to set up at 200 licensed Post Offices in the North by the end of this year. The Thailand Post goal is 10,000 licensed Post Offices nationwide with more than 50,000 product items by the end of 2018. 
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Digital Economy will launch a nationwide programme teaching e-commerce skills so that they could promote their products via online channels.
Some 100,000 master trainers would themselves to trained in e-commerce by the end of 2018 through a special course being developed by the Ministry of Digital Economy working with the Education, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Commerce, and Industry ministries. Those master trainers would then transfer that knowledge and practical know-how related to e-commerce skills to people in communities nationwide. 
The aim is to help people who want to market their products via online channels and using hi-speed access provided by TOT, said Pichet Durongkaveroj, minister of Digital Economy and Society. The state-owned telecommunications company is licensed to provide Internet access for 24,700 communities in remote and rural areas.
The price of Internet access services for people in remote areas and communities should be Bt349 to Bt399 per month with a download speed of 30 Mbps and an upload speed of 10 Mbps.
 

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