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Hoarders and profiteers of bottled drinking water warned of legal actions

BANGKOK: -- Retailers or wholesalers of bottled drinking water have been warned that they will face legal action which carries a fine of 140,000 baht and/or seven years imprisonment if they overprice the water or hoard the water for profiteering, said Commerce Minister Chatchai Sarikalaya on Wednesday.

To allay public concern that there may be a shortage of bottled drinking water, he said that officials of the Internal Trade Department had been instructed to approach major producers of bottled drinking water and were assured that the current drought had not affected production because underground water are used in the production.

The minister said that the ministry might place bottled drinking water under price control to prevent hoarding for profiteering or overpricing of the product.

Mr Ratee Panthavee, assistant managing director of Singha Corporation, producer of Singha bottled drinking water, assured that there is enough raw water to produced bottled drinking water and that market demand remains normal.

He said that the company had 7-8 production plants scattering in different parts of the country.

He pointed out that the current drought has affected water for consumption and not drinking water and the company is capable for coping with increased demand.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/hoarders-and-profiteers-of-bottled-drinking-water-warned-of-legal-actions


-- Thai PBS 2015-07-16

[chiang mai]

"He pointed out that the current drought has affected water for consumption and not drinking water".

[NongKhaiKid]

"He pointed out that the current drought has affected water for consumption and not drinking water".

So drinking water is made from ... ?

Oh my brain hurts but his doesn't probably because its missing !

[MB1]

"He pointed out that the current drought has affected water for consumption and not drinking water".

Who remembers 3 years ago and the floods that affected the the price of beer and the shortages that there were in certain places because of distribution problems, I dont recall a warning about profiteers putting up the the price of beer being fined or imprisoned..

Anyway we all still drank the beer, and we had plenty of water and still went paddeling to the go go bars in Pattaya knee deep in water...

That aside water is life and anyone who profiteers in a time of crisis and a bottled water shortage does come around they should be whipped....Underground...

[Seastallion]

Supply and demand capitalism is ok if you own a nation-wide company and rub shoulders with the elite, but it's not OK if you're a peasant.

[Yunla]

I hope that spectacular deluges of free sky-water will rain on this plastic parade. Hoarding for potential gouging profits isn't really capitalism, it is just exploiting misfortune. Real capitalism is person A providing better quality services/goods than person B, at competitive rates.

Obviously most people use plastic-bottle water when there are no alternatives, but I try to avoid it whenever possible because of the (disputed) risks of chemical leaching. I don't mind paying the normal rate for the ocasional bottle, but I think it is a truly sad day when this most basic life-substance is hoarded by those who can afford to, and price gouged to those who can't.

[jackanapes]

drinking water is taken from underground sources and the drought has not affected water for consumption or drinking water ?

[jackanapes]

I stand corrected I stated that water for consumption was not affected which was incorrect .

[FangFerang]

More baffling non-information from the junta.

[Lupatria]

Retailers or wholesalers of bottled drinking water have been warned that they will face legal action which carries a fine of 140,000 baht and/or seven years imprisonment if they overprice the water or hoard the water for profiteering…

I’m sure it works as well as prevention of hoarding and overpricing of cooking oil and canned food during the big flood.

[sammygood]

than god for a personal water filtration system

[robblok]

More baffling non-information from the junta.

Non information.. making sure that if there is a shortage there is no profiteering on essentials for living of poor people (and rich)

Seems like a normal thing for a government to do.. actually a good thing.

But then again could not expect a guy like you see it that way as you hate the junta.

[Kannikapor88]

Yeah right ... Like any law will ever be enforced here ...

[chiang mai]

More baffling non-information from the junta.

Singha Corp is not the junta!

[user82374298374]

than god for a personal water filtration system

That doesn't remove salt from water, friend.

I'm seriously thinking about spending about 45,000ThB on a personal water distiller (yes, there are cheaper ones, but I want one that works quickly and has a substantial reservoir). The only concern I have is that the customs leeches will bilk me on import duties, and hassle me by claiming I'm importing commercial industrial equipment for resale or some such nonsense (it isn't big enough for industrial use, and it's just for my girlfriend and me).

Edited July 18, 2015 by disambiguated

[Cheesekraft]

any stocks we can pick up to legally profit from the impending water shortage crises?

[Phoebee]

any stocks we can pick up to legally profit from the impending water shortage crises?

Not unless you're Nestle.

[chiang mai]

any stocks we can pick up to legally profit from the impending water shortage crises?

[ratcatcher]

than god for a personal water filtration system

That doesn't remove salt from water, friend.

I'm seriously thinking about spending about 45,000ThB on a personal water distiller (yes, there are cheaper ones, but I want one that works quickly and has a substantial reservoir). The only concern I have is that the customs leeches will bilk me on import duties, and hassle me by claiming I'm importing commercial industrial equipment for resale or some such nonsense (it isn't big enough for industrial use, and it's just for my girlfriend and me).

That's a lot of water. Is your girlfriend a pachyderm?

[Crazy chef 1]

More baffling non-information from the junta.

Singha Corp is not the junta!

No they aren't they have real power...