The owner of a gold shop in Thailand’s north-eastern province of Roi Et has been distributing free second-hand student uniforms, to help reduce parents’ expenses for the upcoming semester.

Wimol Archasantisuk said the project could save approximately Bt600 on the purchase of a new student uniform, comprising a blouse and a skirt.

The free uniforms were donated by parents who support the idea, he said.

Wimol came up with the idea out of sympathy for the many parents came to pawn gold ornaments at his shop, to get enough money for their children’s uniforms as the new semester approached.

“I insist that the parents only take the necessary number of uniform items, so that other parents can have them too,” he said.

His initiative has received support from the community, as many parents came to donate uniforms, prompting him to extend the project from one day to three.

He expressed his intention to implement the project every year.

Meanwhile, Ubol Wacharoetayangkul, owner of a student uniform shop in the southern province of Trang, noted that, this time, parents have reduced the number of uniform items they are buying.

“Previously, parents usually bought three sets of uniforms but, this year, they only bought one or two, because they have limited budget due to the tight economy,” she said.