BANGKOK — The Ministry of Commerce announced that the nominated companies have caused an economic loss of nearly $350 million within three months. Legal action has been taken against 747 cases covering tourism, real estate and other sectors.
At a meeting of the Committee on Foreign Goods and Business Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Commerce on December 9, Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan announced shocking figures that nominee companies have caused economic damage of more than 10 billion baht.
The damage, calculated from the measures taken against the nominated offenders between September 1 and December 4, 2024, amounted to 11.72 billion baht. ($348 million) The cases involved 85 in tourism, 216 in real estate, 10 in transportation and 436 in other sectors.
Pichai noted that the three-month crackdown showed clear results, especially in terms of importing goods from China through online channels. Although this is a minor issue, it needs to be handled carefully so that both parties can develop their trade relations in a sustainable way.
In the first 10 months of 2024 (January to October), the import value of Chinese goods through e-commerce channels fell by 27 percent compared to the period before the measures were enforced, from 18.68 billion baht to 9.12 billion baht. The monthly average dropped from 3.11 billion baht to 2.28 billion baht.
Deputy Trade Minister Napinthorn Srisanpang explained the measures taken against substandard foreign products. The Customs Department processed 12,145 cases with damages worth 529 million baht involving agricultural products, consumer goods and industrial goods.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prosecuted 30,393 cases involving 34 facilities, while the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) handled 59 cases with a loss of 33.6 million baht, including unauthorized imports and substandard products.
The Office of Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) handled 159 cases with losses of 27.8 million baht, including false advertising on online platforms and non-compliance with labeling regulations. The Department of Intellectual Property handled 177 cases with a loss volume of 153 million baht, and the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) handled 30,676 cases.
The Committee has developed short-term solutions to be implemented by December, including:
- TISI: Increase the number of regulated product standards from 144 to 202 by 2025.
- FDA: tighten inspections of high-risk products, testing of vegetables and fruits, and expanding market surveillance.
- Customs authority: Increase container inspections from 20 to 30 percent.
- OCPB: Monitoring companies for misleading advertising and ensuring that imported goods are provided with Thai labels and operating instructions.
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