Tanin transistor radios fly off the shelves after PM’s advice to locals in floodhit province
A popular model of the transistor radio has become a best-selling product in Nakhon Ratchasima province after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha suggested that people follow updates on the flood situation via radio.
On Wednesday, a visit to the old radio shop in Muang district showed a lot of retailers had come from other districts to buy "Tanin" transistor radios to sell at their stores.
One retailer had travelled from Kham Thale So district to buy them for sale to low-income farmers because it is cheap.
The 55-year-old owner, Jin Seng, said that the store has sold the “Tanin” transistor radio for 30 years on retail and wholesale basis before selling other brands.
The owner said that he was surprised that a lot of people were coming to buy transistor radios on Tuesday, before he knew about Prayut’s suggestion.
Prayut met with Interior Ministry executives and provincial governors via videoconference about the flood situation on Monday after resuming his duties as prime minister on Monday.
He said that government agencies will face difficulty if the communication system is down so people might have to listen to the broadcast via the transistor radio.
He mentioned the 2011 floods in which the power was out in several areas and people had to get updates via their transistor radio.
The idea went viral after it was shared widely on social media.
Jin Seng said the legendary Tanin transistor radio TF-268 is the most popular model, as it could receive both AM and FM frequency.
Since then, the radio has seen continuous sales and only 10 units were left on Tuesday, as the price per unit is only 290 baht.
He said that buyers usually listen to music and news while farming with convenience as it is light and durable.
He explained that the Tanin transistor radio has been a popular brand for a long time before other brands were in the market, especially Chinese products that invaded the Thai market. Moreover, people could listen to music and news with their phones.
The sales of transistor radios has reduced significantly in recent times, as only farmers in some districts use them.
After this event, Jin said that he would bring more Tanin transistor radios to sell as it is a well-known brand since the time he was a child.
