The government has agreed to limit the bird's nest concession period to no more than 5 years and set medium prices.
A meeting was organised Thursday by the Department of Local Administration to discuss the issue of bird’s nest concessions. It also included representatives from the Excise Department and the National Anti-Corruption Commission as well as concessionaires from Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Phattalung, Krabi, Trang, Satun, Chumphon and Trat provinces.
Vitch Jirapaet, the director general of the Department of Technical Affairs, Attorney General’s Office, who presided over the meeting, said that there had been no median price on permits to harvest bird’s nests in the past. As a result, the concessionaires had to set their own prices which had been causing problems in tax collection and state oversight.
Mr Vitch indicated that it was agreed at the meeting to limit the concession period to no more than 5 years in order to ensure fairness for all sides.
He added that for the first time, the median prices for all grades of bird’s nest are now set: 71,000 baht per kilogram of Grade 1 bird’s nest, 62,000 baht for Grade 2, 53,700 baht for Grade 3 and 27,500 baht for Grade 4.