The government will likely form a panel to directly handle the problem of cheap Chinese-made products flooding Thailand's online and traditional markets, caretaker Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Wednesday.
While the panel will likely become the main body responsible for monitoring and taking action against the influx of cheap Chinese goods -- thought to be badly hurting local traders -- the government aims to decide what measures to take by the end of this month, he said.
At present, the problem is being handled by various organisations, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Ministry of Industry, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board and the Department of Special Investigation, said Mr Phumtham. If necessary, World Trade Oraganisation (WTO) regulations such as the an anti-dumping agreement will be applied strictly in the fight to contain dumping, he said.
Other international trade regulations will also be applied to ensure all imported products are of good enough quality, and that their manufacturers or traders fully abide by them and Thai laws, he said.
"A meeting is due to be held soon to allow small- and medium-sized enterprises to talk about problems they are encountering as a result of the influx of cheap Chinese products," he said.
Some preliminary talks have already been held with the Chinese ambassador to Thailand and the Chinese commercial attaché, on the negative impact of Chinese e-commerce platforms, particularly China's e-marketplace platform Temu, on many Thai business operators, he said.
The Chinese diplomats have promised to coordinate further talks between Thai authorities and the operators of these Chinese online trade platforms, said the minister. "[Temu] should be registered and regulated properly in Thailand, which the Chinese ambassador appeared to understand and agreed to first conduct talks with the Chinese operator [of Temu]," he said.
Meanwhile, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has raided two warehouses in Bangkok and Samut Sakhon and found a large amount of illegally imported cosmetic products and contact lenses worth millions of baht.
CIB officers on Wednesday arrested a Chinese woman named Ms Duan (surname withheld) at a warehouse in the subdistrict of Klong Song Ton Nun of Bangkok's Lat Krabang district and seized a total of 3,858 illegal cosmetic products worth about 52,000 baht. The products included nail varnish and lipsticks made by various foreign brands. Ms Duan has been charged with selling unregistered cosmetics.
Meanwhile, the CIB's Economic Crime Suppression Division arrested another woman identified as Nabo Chemue, 29, for involvement in the sale and concealment of 60,000 illegally imported contact lenses and contact lens solutions worth millions of baht.