Following the move to Suvarnabhumi Airport at the end of September, Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 of Don Muang Airport have been mooted as possible venues for the market.

The Internal Trade Department will take responsibility for drawing up the plan, due to be proposed to caretaker Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak next week.

Siripol Yodmuangcharoen, director-general of the department, said the ministry wanted to create a place where a variety of Thai goods can be traded at cheaper-than-market prices.

The market's concept will cover both wholesale and retail trading and aims to regulate commerce in both agricultural and commodity goods, such as steel, for which trade is currently scattered nationwide in a variety of forms. In addition, the central market will allow consumers to buy goods at fairer prices.

To facilitate the scheme, the ministry will form a joint venture with the private sector or buy a stake in a company with the potential to manage the project. However, Siripol was unable to estimate the total cost of the project.

The market will be run under a policy guided by the government, but will be managed by private companies with experience in trading.

"The central market will be a centre for traders to sell low-cost goods. If traders want to sell goods with a high return, they will not able to trade in this market," Siripol said.

The plan has been divided into three five-year phases.

The first is to set up a farm and factory outlet, to which producers will be attracted to bring their wares. The venue that is picked will require up to 40,000 square metres of space for the market.

At the beginning, the market will focus on domestic trading of potential crops such as rice, fruits and steel, as well as One Tambon One Product goods.

The second phase will concentrate on expanding the trading house to serve an increasing number of goods and also export businesses. Manufacturers and traders will be able to sell both retail and wholesale goods.

Siripol said the government would collect a smaller fee from traders than they would have to pay to private lessors of space.

He said the central market would be a centre for distributing products from around the Kingdom.

In the final five-year phase, the department will separate export and domestic business to facilitate commerce. To encourage exports, there will be a display area and a business section for the use of foreign buyers.

The Export Promotion Department, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Industrial Promotion Department will jointly handle the project.

Achara Pongvutitham,

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation