Ministry of Commerce to strictly control ivory trading
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Sept 9 -- Thailand's Ministry of Commerce is trying to control local ivory traders and effectively enforce relevant laws to enable Thailand to avoid costly trade sanctions.

Pongpan Jiarawiriyipan, director-general of the Department of Business Development, said that her department and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation were trying to systematically regulate local ivory traders and update their registration.

The Ministry's action comes after Thailand was named one of eight countries seriously watched for illegal trade in elephant tusks and rhinoceros horn and is considered as a major world ivory market.

Ms Pongpan said that officials of both departments would meet the traders nationwide and convince them to update their registration.

They would start by meeting operators at the Chatuchak and Tha Phrachan areas of Bangkok as they are two major locations of ivory trading, she said.

"Being one of the eight countries in the watch list and failing to strictly control ivory trade, Thailand may be boycotted by other countries with sanctions against trade in all commercial products under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) such as orchids, reptile skins, bleached leather and rare plants.

"This will affect Thailand's exports and imports in the future. CITES requires Thailand to solve the problem within March 2015; otherwise, it will impose a decisive measure to boycott Thai products," Ms Pongpan said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-09-09

More talk, how many years now?

Easy to fix

Caught with ivory: 15 years in Bang Kwan. 1/2 the time if you roll on the guy above you after his conviction.

Caught protecting ivory smugglers: 20 years Bang Kwan for Abuse of Power and Damaging the image of Thailand. 1/2 the time if you roll on the guy above only after his conviction.

Local Police Chief will be fined 1 million baht for every kilo of ivory found smuggled in his area.

If DNP officers are found to be involved: 20 years mandatory.

How about just do away with Ivory trade all together in Thailand. Is not the Chang one of the most sacred animals in this country? Hard to believe Thais are into it, except for the greedy.

Ok never mind

Welll; lets hope this commerce department has been cleaned up since its recent past involvement/deal making in the rice scam

The 'inactve ministery'' will need to .descover a new continent to have a place for standing room only if all the bent politicans and civil servents are either jailed or posted to inactive posts, as has been the norm, in the paqst.

Let some of the military courts have some practice with some of these civilian trouble spots that have evolved over the years.

The problem for Thailand, is every sector of society is corrupt. And has been for a long time. They are only scratching the surface. Good luck to them.

"officials of both departments would meet the traders nationwide and convince them to update their registration." - WHAT??? are they suggesting SELF-REGULATION???? - this is a joke,right?

Talk talk...........the fact that they want to "strictly control" means that they DON"T want to do what they've been asked....to SHUT DOWN the whole trade. (Is there a conflict of interest here?)

​As long as this trade exists in Thailand it will have an impact on elephants all around the world.

So far this year Thailand seems intent on presiding over the extermination of TWO keystone species, the Elephant and the Tiger............

It is difficult not to come to the conclusion that the autohirites, regardless of what political party they belong to, simply don't believe the science of conservation...it seems they prefer to believe in black magic?

so come March next year when CITES wil review their progress, Thai officials will muddy the waters and obfuscate...."We tried..... and we've got plans....please give us ore time"........then maybe CITES will go away and leave them alone????????

Edited September 9, 201411 yr by wilcopops

"were trying to systematically regulate local ivory traders"

Trying, under martial law -?- wow. Must be some old money in this so that it is is only trying.

Please note I like the good General more than anyone either side has ever fielded. I just think he is hemmed in by, gasp, money. Fighting money is like telling the ocean to stop being wet. I look forward to superficial and cosmetic reforms. I look forward to villianizing the Red thugs. I look forward to...another round of votes that create another coup. I look forward to not looking forward.

Amazing Thailand. But it is a stability,....of sorts. And that's all the power brokers overseas care about.

In my opinion the only chance that Thailand will comply is if they completely ban all ivory. This BS of it is just Thai Ivory will not work, does not work and will not be put up with in the future.

They have to not only ban all ivory they have to aggressively enforce the ban. I wish it would happen but don't expect Thailand to do this and therefore CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) will impose a ban on products under their area. We will then hear all the usual excuses and CITES, which has listened to the same BS for years will just tighten the ban.

Some groups in western countries will attempt to have their countries ban all products from Thailand. That could hurt and maybe Thailand will really do the job.

Greed drives Thai people money will win out in the end not the elephants will be sad to see them disappear from Thailand altogether

Thailand's Ministry of Commerce is trying to control local ivory traders

Didn't bother reading past this

CITES could employ a world ban on Thai orchids and other flora and fauna exports....... This would genuinely hurt Thailand.....

Suvannabhumi would be a good place to start if they wanted crack down on the smuggling of African ivory. People just load their bags with processed ivory and walk straight out the front door of the airport. if they are stopped they just drop the customs official a few thousand baht and off they go! they might even have somebody take their bag out of the airport for them. Money talks in Thailand and people have no resistance to easy money and if a few elephants have to be butchered in the process so be it!!! Right or wrong doesn't come into the equation and when there is money on table the thai brain has been programmed to get that money into their pocket as quickly as possible!

It will end like the subject of "forced labor". When sanctions are imposed the whining and moaning will start. Before that we will see only lip service and surface cosmetics.

They can't even control their own government lottery tickets.

There seems to be a number of people on this thread who like to say words to the effect that "nothing will happen, and I know this because I know Thailand" - this is then backed up with a few totally prejudiced comments about perceived character flaws and stereotypical views of ALL Thai people.

In reality these people are not actually putting forward any kind of argument at all about the issues involved, they are just revealing their own ignorance.

Edited September 13, 201411 yr by wilcopops