The
annual Amazing Thailand Grand Sale is set to kick off with its first “Shopping
Challenge” aimed at spicing up the event and encouraging shopaholics to spend,
spend, spend during the 3 months and a half-long shopping extravaganza from 15
June to 30 September, 2014.
The event’s first-ever shopping competition is
scheduled to take place on 18 June, 2014, in the heart and bustle of Bangkok’s
most popular shopping districts – Ratchaprasong and Siam – and at the city’s
most popular shopping malls – Siam Paragon, Central World and Gaysorn.
Joining this fun competition are 15 teams, each
comprising well known media figures and celebrities from 11 Asian countries –
Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan,
China, Korea and Japan. These teams will be assigned one of three shopping
routes along the BTS Skytrain or five teams for each route.
The teams will be given a shopping bag and the
equivalent of 10,000 Baht with which they have to buy certain items at specified
shops in the Gaysorn, Siam Paragon or CentralWorld shopping complexes within two
hours (from 14:30 – 16:30 hrs.). At each outlet, theteams have to seek out their
assigned shopping item, snap a picture that includes the “purchased” object and
team members and post on instagram with #amazingtgs2014. The shopping action in
real time will be put up on screens at the main stage in Siam Paragon.
The winning team will be the one who finds all
the items on their “shopping lists” in the shortest time. If it is too close to
call, then the budget and money spent becomes the main factor. In a “photo
finish” the team who spent the least will be declared the winner and be rewarded
with a cash prize of 100,000 Baht.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) believes
this “Shopping Challenge” publicity stunt will help attract more international
visitors to Thailand during this year’s grand shopping period as well as to
encourage them to spend more in the country.
Mr. Thawatchai Arunyik, TAT Governor said, “Now
that the world knows that it’s ‘business as usual’ here in Thailand, they will
be looking forward to coming back and taking advantage of the kingdom’s
wonderful shopping. So we are opening our arms to tourists from all over the
world to come here and lose themselves in a shopping paradise... More than 15,000 shopping malls, department stores, brand-name outlets, and restaurants in seven major tourist destinations: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Ko Samui are offering irresistible special deals and bargains for tourists, making the next couple of months the best possible time to come to Thailand.”
* Visit www.thailandshoppingparadise.com for Shopping Tips ea. VAT refund process, and tips to avoid buying sub-standard products.
cr: TAT News Room
