The assessment of e-commerce awareness on highly valuable traditional products in Thailand

We discuss the potential of e-commerce development of the Thai rural people who are the products owners in the government project entitled OTOP (One Tambon or District, One Product) Project in Thailand. It is done by reviewing the awareness and readiness of the products owners who are the regional products champions from all over Thailand. This study also identifies the enabling factors, the limitations, and forecasts the future growth of e-commerce for OTOP Project. Additionally, it is beneficial to both parties; the government and the people in the rural areas, in solving the problem at the grass root level in Thailand. Five hundred products owners were selected from different products categories, 253 out of 500 responded with usable answers. The response rate was 50.6% which is higher than the expected rate for such surveys. The major problems of the existing OTOP production process and business operation are price, lack of funds for stock inventory and piracy of local wisdom. Awareness of e-commerce among these rural people is high but the level of acceptance for the knowledge and technology transferred are rather low, due to the digital divide in Thailand. Most of them are facing the same situations which are about seeking more distribution channels and enhancing more markets.