FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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DIT warns sellers against increasing face-mask price

DIT warns sellers against increasing face-mask price

The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) has warned that sellers who raise the price of green surgical masks to more than Bt2.50 either online or at stores will face punishment.

DIT director-general Whichai Phochanakij said the department is dispatching 10 groups of inspectors and agents in Bangkok and agents from its provincial commerce offices to check and investigate merchants and distributors. Under the law, green surgical masks are now a controlled product and must not be sold for more than Bt2.50. Anyone who violates the law will be imprisoned for five years or fined Bt100,000, or both.


“We would like to warn shops, drugstores, convenience stores, department stores, or online distributors to sell these mask at the price according to the law or they will face charges, especially online sellers. If you are selling on Facebook, we will coordinate with the Digital Economy and Society Ministry to arrest you if you violate the law. If you are selling via online platforms or markets, the law will also be applied to service providers for allowing illegal activities,” Whichai warned.

DIT warns sellers against increasing face-mask price


Whichai said the mask management centre is receiving 1.2 million masks per day from 11 factories – 700,000 will go to the Public Health Ministry for distribution to all hospitals; the other 500,000 is for the DIT, which will distribute these to the public, Thai Airways, pharmacies and convenience stores, including 7-Eleven, Big C Mini, Lotus Express, Family Mart and 111 mobile face mask shops in Bangkok and the provinces.


The centre is urgently delivering the masks to hospitals, which are facing a shortage of the items. 
The director said the daily distribution of 1.2 million masks per day will firstly go to medical teams, patients and workers in risky areas such as airports and convention centres. 


“We have a population of 65 million, 10 per cent need the face masks urgently, so I would like everyone to stop hoarding masks as others need them too,” he said.


The import of masks has dropped as manufacturers in China and Japan are prohibited from exporting the items. The Thai government has therefore issued remedial measures, including the urgent procurement of raw materials and supporting investment in factories to increase production capacity.

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