One Tambon One Product (OTOP) is a local entrepreneurship stimulus program designed by Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during his 2001-2006 Thai Rak Thai government. The program aimed to support the locally made and marketed products of each Thai tambon (subdistrict). Drawing its inspiration from Japan's successful One Village One Product (OVOP) program, the OTOP program encourages village communities to improve the local products' quality and marketing, selecting one superior product from each tambon to receive formal branding as its "starred OTOP product". It provides both a local and national stage to the promote these products. OTOP products include a large array of local products, including traditional handicrafts, cotton and silk garments, pottery, fashion accessories, household items and food. After a military junta overthrew Thaksin's government in 2006 following an election cancelled for irregularities, the OTOP program was cancelled. However, it was soon revived and rebranded.
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Kittiphun Khongsawatkiat stated that the One Tambon, One Product Movement" is a manner in self-help effort of a rural community to participate in a creation of product and service that the rural household can be adequately in life. The excess of production can be accumulated in terms of saving to finance investment an important determinant for sustainable economic growth with feasible debt service.
Management and organization
There are 36,000 OTOP groups on the country, each having between 30 to 3,000 members. Sakda Siridechakul, president of Chiang Mai's OTOP association noted, "OTOP has helped spread income to many people in the villages. It has allowed people producing handicrafts to feel they are part of the global economy."
After the coup
The military junta that overthrew the Thai Rak Thai government on 19 September 2006 changed the program's name to Local and Community Products, but the OTOP brand was kept.
OTOP Product Champion (OPC)
One of the mechanisms to promote and support the development of Thai OTOP products is the Product Champion. Besides setting up OTOP communities and Small to Medium Enterprises (SME), a seminar called “Smart OTOP” has now provided more than 26,600 participants advice in improving their skills and knowledge in order to develop better products. The number of participants increases each year.
A rating system for OTOP products is followed, the highest being five stars. Consumers can be sure of the quality of anything awarded this level.
There is an annual exhibition of products called “OTOP midyear”. OTOP midyear 2010 ended with consolidated turnover of 810 million Baht.