Users started using this scheme for online food delivery on Nov 7, reports the Bangkok Post.
As of Nov 11, 19.8mn out of 20mn participants in the scheme successfully spent a total of B1.8 billion baht, according to the Finance Ministry.
Of the total, B15.4 billion represented the state’s co-payment contribution.
Spending for online food delivery services tallied B486mn during this period, based on information from 900,000 participating food merchants.
Chantsuda Thananitayaudom, country head of Grab Thailand, said the scheme received overwhelming interest from both consumers and food merchants, supported by government subsidies that truly help stimulate spending, especially for food businesses.
This impact is not limited to in-store purchases, but is also clearly reflected in food delivery orders.
Grab recorded over 1mn orders as part of the scheme, while participating merchants saw their sales increase by an average of three times compared to normal periods.
The most popular use was orders for lunch, with the average value of each order ranging from B80-120.
Popular single-dish meals included papaya salad, noodles, and fried chicken, while Thai tea was the most popular beverage. The provinces with the highest usage on delivery platforms were Bangkok, followed by Chon Buri, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai.
"In this phase, the number of merchants registering to participate in the programme with Grab has increased by more than 50%, and many small and street food vendors and participating merchants have enjoyed an average sales growth of more than three times, underscoring the success of the government’s ’Big Quick Win’ policy," Ms Chantsuda said.
Ordering frequency increased significantly, with the number of users placing two or more orders per day rising 2.5 times compared to regular periods. The most popular dishes were papaya salad, followed by noodles and fried chicken. The top beverages were Thai tea, green tea/matcha, and iced cocoa.
The top five provinces with the highest co-payment scheme delivery usage were Bangkok, Chon Buri, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai.
"The average hourly earnings of delivery drivers have increased by 13% since the programme began. Likewise, suppliers and distributors of food and beverage ingredients also benefited from increased activity," said Ms Chantsuda.
Yod Chinsupakul, chief executive of Line Man Wongnai, told the Bangkok Post the platform recorded 2mn orders from 1mn users, with 40,000 platform merchants registered under the scheme.