Commerce Ministry steps up checks on gold shops amid sharp price swings
Department of Internal Trade is inspecting gold shops nationwide, checking scale accuracy and clear price displays amid sharp gold-price volatility.
Yanee Srimanee, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce, said global gold prices have been highly volatile and have continued to decline. As a result, many people have turned to buying gold for savings and speculation.
Therefore, the department’s Director-General, Wittayakorn Maneenetr, has instructed the weights and measures division to coordinate with provincial commerce offices nationwide to carry out on-site inspections of gold shops selling both bullion and jewellery.
The inspections focus on the accuracy of digital scales and reinforcing the requirement to display selling prices clearly, in order to ensure fairness for consumers.
Initial results from a mobilisation of officials from 15 central and branch weights and measures offices, covering 105 businesses, found that most gold shops were complying with the law, with clear product labelling and price signs.
However, checks of 132 digital scales found one scale with an accuracy deviation exceeding the legal tolerance, in Udon Thani province. Officials took legal action by immediately attaching a “prohibited from use” notice.
Yanee added that the department is emphasising the need for operators to ensure their scales remain in proper condition and are consistently certified by the Department of Internal Trade.
If inspections find the use of inaccurate scales or any tampering, penalties include imprisonment for up to seven years, a fine of up to 280,000 baht, or both. Failure to display prices carries a fine of up to 10,000 baht.
The Department of Internal Trade also advises the public to check scales before any transaction. Scales must carry an official certification sticker from the department.
If consumers see a gold shop that does not display prices, or suspect a scale is inaccurate, they can report it via the Department of Internal Trade hotline 1569 or to provincial commerce offices nationwide, so officials can promptly investigate and ensure fairness for the public.
