Thailand Targets Substandard Online Goods in Major Clean-Up

[webfact]

File photo courtesy: Wikipedia

 

In an assertive move to protect consumers and bolster trust in e-commerce, Thailand's Commerce Ministry is spearheading an initiative to crack down on substandard and non-compliant goods sold online. The campaign, involving a collaboration with 16 governmental agencies and major e-commerce platforms, aims to enhance the integrity and safety of online marketplaces.

 

Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan announced that any substandard products discovered online will be swiftly removed under a newly adopted "notice and takedown" policy. This concerted effort is designed to shield consumers from low-quality items and promote confidence in digital shopping environments.

 

Central to this strategy is a collective effort by government entities and e-commerce operators to enhance product monitoring, heighten consumer awareness, and safeguard local small and medium-sized enterprises.

 

The objective is not only to prune online shelves of inferior goods but also to build a more robust and transparent e-commerce landscape.

A crucial element of the initiative involves the dissemination of educational materials to both consumers and sellers, emphasising the importance of engaging in transactions involving safe and legally compliant products.

 

Mr. Pichai revealed plans to introduce guidelines for identifying and managing substandard products, streamlining processes and ensuring swift action against violations.

 

The coalition fighting subpar goods comprises key agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI), Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB), and others, alongside influential e-commerce platforms like Lazada, Shopee, TikTok Shop, and eBay.

 

This formidable alliance underscores the seriousness of the crackdown and the resources being mobilised to tackle the issue.

 

Reflecting on past enforcement efforts, Mr. Pichai highlighted that between October and December 2024, the FDA, TISI, OCPB, and the Customs Department collectively identified 16,651 violations relating to product safety and quality, resulting in damages totalling 984 million Thai Baht.

 

As stricter measures were enforced, the presence of foreign goods on e-commerce platforms saw a decline, evidencing the impact of these robust actions. From July to December 2024, the monthly sales average of foreign goods dwindled to 3.65 billion Thai Baht, down from 3.96 billion in the preceding months.

 

Through these combined efforts, the Commerce Ministry aims to foster a safer, more reliable digital market, benefitting consumers and merchants alike.

 

This initiative marks a significant step towards enhancing Thailand's e-commerce reliability and protecting its vast community of online shoppers from substandard and potentially harmful goods, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2025-02-03

 

 

[Nickcage49]

Good luck with that. Even Amazon sells 💩

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The campaign, involving a collaboration with 16 governmental agencies and major e-commerce platforms, aims to enhance the integrity and safety of online marketplaces.

Not a hope in hell of achieving that.

[khunjeff]

How exactly do you define "substandard goods"? And the shops are filled with them, so why is it a surprise that they're also sold online?

[sgtsabai]

What they have done is make next to if not impossible to have friends send you spices, mixes, specialized Cajun foods and Northern NM Foods. They suddenly seem to be against the law, rules whatever. My friends have been sending Hatch Chile powder, posole  and salsa's for years, same with Cajun crab boils, roux etc. All products were properly sealed commercial products. One package was trashed and returned another just returned and returned by the USPS because of the new rule/law and is now lost in what's left of the US Postal System after Mr. "NoJoy" has been wrecking it. Maybe if I spend more money on FedEx my packages will get through, those sent by FedEx seem to. 

[aussie11950]

Will they do anything against retailers online with "bait and switch" tactics.

Showing one product and price, then on ordering the item, it is more expensive, and the price was for a cloth or some cheap item.

 

[Muhendis]

As far as I am aware, the only time goods are checked is when they are imported and pass through customs.

This could be misconstrued as an attempt to prevent consumers from buying direct from countries of origin and forcing said consumers to buy same goods from Thai outlets. 

[RocketDog]

1 hour ago, khunjeff said:

How exactly do you define "substandard goods"? And the shops are filled with them, so why is it a surprise that they're also sold online?

Have no fear. I was informed today on the forums of the universal high quality of Chinese goods, especially EV products.

 

My entire life experience, here and in America,  runs contrary to that.

 

But these members were so persuasive.  Of course they already owned said products and no refunds possible.

 

I thought about their arguments for a couple of seconds even.

[digger70]

Thailand Targets Substandard Online Goods in Major Clean-Up 

 

What about all the Substandard  Goods that are sold in shops and Markets in Thailand  Should that not be included.This is the Land of copies  there are not many Real True Items for sale .

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, Nickcage49 said:

Good luck with that. Even Amazon sells 💩

 

Interesting. I recently bought an item online for 16,000Baht, an item which needed to fulfill several specifications, from one of the major local online operators.

 

In the past I've always had good experiences, but this time it was an unpleasant experience, quite difficult to get clear answers and told many times (by the site operator) 'go to the xxx Chatline', which didn't really help, then told 'so go to the yyy Chatline', no real answers, and then a third bbb Chatline, no real answers. Meanwhile being told several times that I hadn't yet paid. 

 

I eventually found the same article on another website (not online shopping) and got all the answers. 

 

Messages to the online operators Customer Service, and Administration center either not answered or answered with just one word leaving me not knowing the full answer. 

 

After many tries I got a live phone connection to Customer Service which produced 'just buy it and it's not what you want wrap it up again (same wrapping materials and return the bed (me return the bed) to the delivery company's office. 

 

Never again.