Thailand Pushes Quality Fruit to City Shoppers and Tourists
Thailand's Department of Internal Trade is partnering with Big C Supercenter to promote locally-grown quality fruit to consumers and foreign tourists through dedicated retail spaces and marketing campaigns across 196 stores nationwide.
The Department of Internal Trade, under the Commerce Ministry, is expanding the market for Thai fruit by partnering with Big C Supercenter. The department has opened a dedicated space in central Bangkok to connect quality fruit from farms directly to Thai consumers and foreign tourists, supported by promotional activities and awareness campaigns under the "Thailand Helps Thailand Plus: Delicious and Reliable Thai Quality Fruit" campaign, aligned with "Thailand: The Land of Tropical Fruits 2026" at Big C's Ratchada Phiset branch.
Chantapat Panjamanan, Deputy Director of the Department of Internal Trade, explained that the department prioritizes fruit management from production source to consumer through a supply chain system linking farms, agricultural markets, modern retail networks, and end consumers. The department has previously connected produce through major markets including Thai Market, Chatuchak Market, and Emerald Market before expanding into modern retail networks nationwide to increase market reach.
Big C's Ratchada Phiset branch serves diverse consumer groups including office workers, families, and foreign tourists, making it an ideal venue to introduce quality Thai fruit. For this campaign, Big C has mobilized over 196 branches nationwide, including major locations frequented by foreign tourists such as Ratchada Phiset, Rajdamnern, Pattaya Central, and Phuket.
The department aims to bring Thai fruit closer to foreign tourists, encouraging them to taste and appreciate the products, potentially leading to increased demand when they return home. Big C has been a continuous partner, having facilitated fruit sales of over 2,262 tons worth more than 96 million baht between October 2024 and July 2025 through standard agreement contracts, covering varieties including lime, banana, avocado, mango, pomelo, longan, lychee, durian, mangosteen, and rambutan, alongside seasonal fruit consumption campaigns under the "Thailand: The Land of Tropical Fruits" initiative.
Chantapat noted that the collaboration employs entertainment marketing strategy, featuring music duo Copper-Fifah to promote fruit tasting and encourage fruit purchases among younger audiences and international fan bases, coupled with promotional offers to boost sales.
Big C is offering quality Thai fruit at special prices including mangosteen at 59 baht per kilogram, rambutan at 69 baht per kilogram, longan at 75 baht per kilogram, premium durian at 139 baht per kilogram, and Thai pink grapefruit at 189 baht buy-one-get-one to increase choices and stimulate Thai fruit consumption.
"Collaboration with modern retail is not merely about adding sales points, but about connecting supply and demand from farms through markets to retail areas with consumers, using marketing activities to generate purchasing desire, which will increase market opportunities and create income for farmers," Chantapat stated.
The Department of Internal Trade invites the public and tourists to choose and consume quality Thai fruit under the "Thailand Helps Thailand Plus: Delicious and Reliable Thai Quality Fruit" campaign to support Thai farmers and maintain demand for Thai fruit year-round.
