In a significant crackdown, Thai officials raided two shops in the Muang district, seizing over 16,000 smuggled and unregistered Myanmar-made goods. This operation, announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), follows last week's raids on Chinese minimarts in Bangkok aimed at curtailing the influx of contraband.

 

Led by FDA deputy secretary-general Weerachai Nolwachai, the raids on Monday targeted shops in tambon Khok Kham. The team, which included health officials and police, confiscated a range of items from Jame and Pramuan Kankha shops. At Jame, they found 5,530 food products without Thai labelling, 2,401 medications, 5,435 herbal products, and 810 cosmetics. Pramuan Kankha faced similar action with 1,302 dietary products, 130 medicines, 386 herbal supplements, and 29 cosmetics seized.

 

Possession and sale of such contraband can result in fines from 5,000 to 300,000 baht and possible jail terms from three months to three years. Mr Weerachai affirmed the FDA's commitment to pursuing shops selling illegal health products.

These raids come after concerns that illegal goods were harming legitimate businesses in Thailand. Last week's actions in Bangkok highlighted this issue, where 10 Chinese-owned minimarts were searched for selling contraband items at cut-rate prices.

 

The Thai authorities' continued efforts underscore their dedication to enforcing market regulations and ensuring consumer safety.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-10-08

 

Close the shops down and jail the owners... word spreads quickly, and 90% of it will cease overnight.