The Commerce Ministry will open at least 600 "Noonid" food shops at PTT petrol stations this year.
Noonid, a brand of quality khao kaeng or street food at not more than 35 baht a dish, was created a few years ago by the Department of Internal Trade to help people cope with the rising cost of living. It was formerly known as Blue Flag.
Commerce permanent secretary Wiboonlasana Ruamraksa on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with state-owned PTT Plc, counting on the enegry giant's nationwide network of 1,450 refilling stations.
"The first Noonid branch [at a PTT station] will be opened in early March and all 600 shops will be ready to serve by September," she said.
To qualify for the brand, a street food vendor must meet the ministry's four criteria -- tastiness, quality, cleanliness and value for money.
"The new channel will provide a choice for both people living near the petrol stations and commuters.
Qualified street food vendors will receive support from the Department of Internal Trade and PTT in terms of promotion, decoration and menu development.
The department also cooperated with Makro and other modern trade and wholesale outlets for them to sell raw materials at reasonable prices to the vendors and sponsor the Noonid logo.
There are 11,809 Noonid shops at present -- 3,780 in Bangkok and 8,012 in the provinces -- and 17 Noonid food trucks, said Ms Wiboonlasana.
The ministry plans to expand to 15,000 shops and at least 35 food trucks this year.
It also plans to upgrade the shops by providing training on cooking, decoration and menu designs, as well as introducing a star ranking.
A Noonid food truck sells 'khao kaeng' and noodles at Government House on Aug 23, 2016. (Bangkok Post file photo)