In preparation for the forthcoming Vegetarian Festival, the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) has ramped up its monitoring efforts, especially focusing on product prices. Merchants found guilty of overcharging or exploiting consumers will be prosecuted. The DIT has also set up a hotline at 1569 for consumers to report discrepancies or stores failing to display prices.
The Vegetarian Festival, scheduled from October 15th to 23rd, attracts a significant number of consumers. This results in a spike in the sale of vegan ingredients. Udom Srisomsong, the DIT Deputy Director-General, elaborated that the department’s primary objective is not just to oversee trading behaviors, but also to ensure that product prices and volumes are appropriately displayed. This ensures that consumers are treated fairly and are not taken advantage of.
On-site visits to the World Market, a prominent supplier of vegan food ingredients located in Taweewattana district, revealed that most traders are compliant with the regulations and openly display their selling prices, allowing consumers to make informed decisions.
The overall price trends appear stable, with only minor fluctuations from last year. Some products, such as agricultural protein, are priced at 170-180 baht per kilogram, Chinese bamboo shoots at 350 baht per kilogram, and medium-sized Chinese mushrooms at 350-420 baht per kilogram.
Udom stressed that vendors failing to display prices could face fines of up to 10,000 baht. Those who inflate prices unreasonably, hoard products, or refuse sales could face up to 7 years in prison, or a fine of up to 140,000 baht, or both. (NNT)
