Going, going, gone: Prices of school uniforms slashed in clearance sales

With the new semester starting on Tuesday (May 16), parents have been busy helping their children prepare for the beginning of the school year.

In Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district, parents and their children flocked to Suksapan Panit Store on Ratchabophit Road, which is cooperating with the Ministry of Commerce on the ‘Back to School 2023’ campaign.

Under the campaign, all branches of Suksapan Panit, an enterprise under the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel, will sell school uniforms, textbooks, and stationery at special prices until May 31.

The store also organised a clearance corner, selling uniforms at half price, starting from just 30 baht. The clearance corner, however, has limited stocks and may not have all sizes of uniforms.

Meanwhile, brand-new uniforms were priced starting at 90 baht apiece. Textbooks and stationery are also discounted by 25% and 15% from their list prices, respectively.

Members of Suksapan Panit receive an additional 5% discount.

Earlier this week, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) estimated spending among parents during the new school semester at 57 billion baht, an increase of 5.3% year on year and the highest in 14 years.

The UTCC’s survey of 1,230 parents nationwide found that the average spending per child at the start of the semester is at 19,500 baht, while about 9,500 baht will go to tuition fees.

The majority (63%) of parents said they have enough funds to cover the expenses.