BANGKOK (NNT) – The boom in online retailing has resulted in numerous complaints from customers via the Department of Internal Trade’s 1569 hotline, regarding consumer exploitation.

The Department of Internal Trade’s Deputy Director General Chatchai Saksilapachai revealed today that 1,429 complaints were lodged via the hotline this year, most of which concerned the failure to display clear pricing labels in 330 cases, which far exceeds the 2018 figure of 178 cases out of 1,932 complaints.

This figure reflects changes in consumer behaviour towards greater online purchases, where some retailers refuse to display pricing of the products but instead require customers to ask by sending private messages, which poses an opportunity for sellers to unreasonably raise product prices.

In 2020, the Department of Internal Trade will be conducting a more thorough and strict online inspection of shops, and will disclose information which the general public can use to preserve their rights and prevent themselves from being exploited.

The law on product and service pricing, in its latest July 2019 amendment, mandates that pricing of products and services sold online must be clearly displayed. Sellers who fail to do so will face up to a 10,000 baht fine, plus a daily penalty until they finally display a correct price label.

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BANGKOK (NNT) – The government’s state welfare scheme has helped people with an annual income of 100,000 baht or less to have a better quality of life. The scheme that was launched in mid-2019, now has 14.6 million state welfare card holders. The Ministry of Finance is to revise the criteria for the state welfare scheme and open another round of registrations next year.

The Finance Minister, Uttama Savanayana, said recipients of state welfare benefits in the new round of registrations will also need to include the incomes of their family members. The benefits will remain the same, but the scheme will cover health and measures to reduce the cost of living. The aim is to help low-income earners escape from poverty. The issue is expected to be finalized next month.

“In the new round of registrations, they will be taken care of. During the launch, we have to consider the recipients of the state welfare scheme. They are low-income earners. We have to take care of this target group. In the first round, some recipients did not fall into this category. We have to revise the scheme. We have to ask them, and explain to them that we have a certain amount of budget to help those who really need assistance. We have yet to decide on the number of new recipients, but we’re looking into it. We have to discuss the issue with many sides. The same criteria applies,” Minister Uttama said.

Currently, there are 14.6 million state welfare card holders. The Finance Minister said the new round of registrations is not aimed at increasing the number of recipients, but it covers those who didn’t register in the previous round. People with state welfare cards are not required to re-register with the government.

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BANGKOK (NNT) – Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak attended a meeting with NESDB executives during which he delivered policies on economic measures in 2020, stressing NESDB’s role as the main agency able to determine national social and economic development guidelines according to the national strategy, and deliver concrete outcomes from policies and strategies already in place.

He said the NESDB in 2020 should focus on the development of new economic zones, especially the development of the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) following the success of the Eastern Economic Corridor project.

The DPM urged the NESDB to address inequalities and take care of SMEs, the agricultural sector, the grassroots economy, the tourism sector, and service sector, to help minimize unemployment in the future.

The NESDB Secretary General, Thosaporn Sirisumphand, revealed that the NESDB is ready to proceed with its plans according to policies already in place, covering new economic development zones which include the Southern Economic Corridor, the Northern Economic Corridor, and the Northeastern Economic Corridor, to help improve the delivery of key agricultural produce in each region.

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