BANGKOK, Thailand – The Excise Department has announced it expects to collect nearly 2.5 billion baht in fines for smuggling untaxed goods in the fiscal year ending September 30, marking a 28% increase in cases compared to the previous year. The 33,000 cases involved items such as cigarettes, liquor, and motor vehicles.
According to Deputy Finance Minister Paopoom Rojanasakul, seized items included over 2.6 million cartons of illegally imported cigarettes and 300,000 cartons of untaxed domestic cigarettes. Other confiscated goods comprised 147,300 bottles of liquor, 244,723 bottles of perfume, 108,259 liters of beverages, 2.6 million liters of oil, 1,493 motorcycles, and 89,059 batteries. Total fines are projected to reach 2.46 billion baht once all cases are concluded.
The department has also ramped up efforts to combat tax evasion through its Online Product Suppression Center, using technology to monitor and investigate illegal activities on digital platforms.
The Excise Department is now working with various agencies, including the Department of Provincial Administration, the Department of Business Development, the Department of Land Transport, the Central Investigation Bureau, and Thailand Post, as well as marine police and the military, to enforce the Excise Tax Act and pursue legal action against offenders. (NNT)
