Thai inspectors watch for New Year hamper rip-offs

[webfact]

Inspectors watch for New Year hamper rip-offs
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Commerce Ministry’s Internal Trade Department is keeping a close eye on prices over the long weekend to ensure people are not overcharged by unscrupulous traders.

Suchart Sinrat, deputy director-general of the department, said it would send a team of inspectors to bus terminals and train stations during the New Year weekend to ensure nobody is overcharged, considering high demand of some foods and goods as people head from Bangkok to the provinces.

The department has also called on traders to display prices clearly so buyers are able to make their choices more easily. Traders have also been told to label and list the price of goods clearly as well as expiration dates on gift baskets to prevent unfair prices and inclusion of out-of-date products in hampers.

Suchart said inspection had been under way since early this month and would run until the end of the New Year period.

Under the Price of Goods and Services Act, vendors face a fine of Bt10,000 if they do not display the price of goods, and if any overcharging or hoarding is detected, violators can face up to seven years in jail and/or a maximum fine of Bt140,000.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Inspectors-watch-for-New-Year-hamper-rip-offs-30275942.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-31

[jaywalker]

Gift basket price controls......sheesh.....

Overpriced gift baskets are the Scourge of Humanity.

[Bluespunk]

"Suchart Sinrat, deputy director-general of the department, said it would send a team of inspectors to bus terminals and train stations during the New Year weekend to ensure nobody is overcharged, considering high demand of some foods and goods as people head from Bangkok to the provinces."

It's called supply and demand.

You'd think the commerce department would understand that concept.

[mca]

I can just see the new TV series

Law and Order - Hamper Inspectors

" In the criminal justice system the men and women of the Special Hampers Unit diligentlly seek out expired tubes of generic cheese puffs and jars of Nescafe Gold Blend. These are their stories..."

Edited December 30, 2015 by mca

[lamyai3]

Crackdown on hamper rip-offs. Or was that hamster rip-offs? Hard keeping up with it all...

Edited December 30, 2015 by lamyai3

[NeverSure]

Yes, but you'll get away with the ripoffs if you do them in Rajabhakti park.

Cheers.

[jaywalker]

Yes, but you'll get away with the ripoffs if you do them in Rajabhakti park.

Cheers.

... Or jet ski scams or tuk tuk scams or sick buffalo scams ...

I'm tellin' ya! these gift basket scams are the Scourge of Humanity!

[EnglishJohn]

Yes, but you'll get away with the ripoffs if you do them in Rajabhakti park.

Cheers.

Wow. Well done. What an intellectual titan you are.

How embarrassing for you

Are you aware how much the average graft percent was under the last government ?.

[jaywalker]

Yes, but you'll get away with the ripoffs if you do them in Rajabhakti park.

Cheers.

Wow. Well done. What an intellectual titan you are.

How embarrassing for you

Are you aware how much the average graft percent was under the last government ?.

Please EJ, do elaborate.

Give us some percentage figures.

We're all ears.

I bet you actually believe government statistics.

[ezzra]

I would have liked to see the rip-off police doing their job 365/12 and not only on days like these

as the public is being ripped- off all year round...but that will be like asking too much of common

sense from the locals...

[JOC]

Yes, but you'll get away with the ripoffs if you do them in Rajabhakti park.

Cheers.

Wow. Well done. What an intellectual titan you are.

How embarrassing for you

Are you aware how much the average graft percent was under the last government ?.

Of course you are right John!!

The expired goods in the gift baskets are all part of a bigger conspiracy orchestrated by the the Shins..............

Now go back under your bridge .

[soalbundy]

hamper rip offs, things are improving if that is the biggest rip off to watch out for.

[Guest]

I have no clue why the Thai Visa "Listen to me Whine like a Little Girl" Department has their pink panties in a bunch.

This is a little thing called "taking care of the poor workers who build, clean, cook, drive taxis etc for next to nothing in Bangkok."

Is it such a bad thing to enforce common sense and fairness?

Who would Whine the loudest if they were slipped out of date / expired goods in their Holiday Bundle ? (This is your cue to grab a mirror)

I am pretty sure most of you soft pink overfed ladies have never seen the pandemonium of the public transit system on the holiday rush ...

You B****** and Moan about price gouging .. then when someone does something about it ... YOU CRY ABOUT THAT TOO!

There is no keeping you Princesses happy. Now please get back to complaining about the shortage of Bar Girls ... since they are on buses to give that hard earned cash to their families back on the farm.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Guest

[Guest]

"Suchart Sinrat, deputy director-general of the department, said it would send a team of inspectors to bus terminals and train stations during the New Year weekend to ensure nobody is overcharged, considering high demand of some foods and goods as people head from Bangkok to the provinces."

It's called supply and demand.

You'd think the commerce department would understand that concept.

You do, of course, recognize that double charging Farang could fall under the same heading. You are aware that when you are double charged, you can say "No, I do not want to buy this..."

But you do.

Why?

Supply and Demand.

The seller recognizes that you have no real option (Limited Supply) and you have a need for the product / service (Demand)

Prices are adjusted accordingly ... Ouch ... does it pinch when the shoe is on the other foot?

Amazing that you can so easily support Price Gouging and unethical product representation for Thai people .. and go nuts if a Tuk Tuk driver asks YOU for a rip off fare!

(Can you say "hypocrite?")

[phoenixdoglover]

"Suchart Sinrat, deputy director-general of the department, said it would send a team of inspectors to bus terminals and train stations during the New Year weekend to ensure nobody is overcharged, considering high demand of some foods and goods as people head from Bangkok to the provinces."

It's called supply and demand.

You'd think the commerce department would understand that concept.

You do, of course, recognize that double charging Farang could fall under the same heading. You are aware that when you are double charged, you can say "No, I do not want to buy this..."

But you do.

Why?

Supply and Demand.

The seller recognizes that you have no real option (Limited Supply) and you have a need for the product / service (Demand)

Prices are adjusted accordingly ... Ouch ... does it pinch when the shoe is on the other foot?

Amazing that you can so easily support Price Gouging and unethical product representation for Thai people .. and go nuts if a Tuk Tuk driver asks YOU for a rip off fare!

(Can you say "hypocrite?")

Employing a rather broad brush today?

By the way, higher prices for foreigners is not a market reaction when the supply is regulated or monopolized. See National Parks, Chao Phraya water taxis, Wat Pho admission, etc.

Edited December 31, 2015 by phoenixdoglover

[Guest]

"Suchart Sinrat, deputy director-general of the department, said it would send a team of inspectors to bus terminals and train stations during the New Year weekend to ensure nobody is overcharged, considering high demand of some foods and goods as people head from Bangkok to the provinces."

It's called supply and demand.

You'd think the commerce department would understand that concept.

You do, of course, recognize that double charging Farang could fall under the same heading. You are aware that when you are double charged, you can say "No, I do not want to buy this..."

But you do.

Why?

Supply and Demand.

The seller recognizes that you have no real option (Limited Supply) and you have a need for the product / service (Demand)

Prices are adjusted accordingly ... Ouch ... does it pinch when the shoe is on the other foot?

Amazing that you can so easily support Price Gouging and unethical product representation for Thai people .. and go nuts if a Tuk Tuk driver asks YOU for a rip off fare!

(Can you say "hypocrite?")

Employing a rather broad brush today?

By the way, higher prices for foreigners is not a market reaction when the supply is regulated or monopolized. See National Parks, Chao Phraya water taxis, Wat Pho admission, etc.

Ummmm ... you mean those facilities and services provided by the taxes paid by Thai Nationals?

Last month I went to a public hospital for an MRI. The sign said (basically) "Foreigners will pay the price of this service (Thai National Price) plus the income tax rate on that sum.

I said "Fair Enough" The Thai people needing this machine / service PAID FOR IT ALREADY ... I did not.

By the way, although I took the bait and replied to your park example .. the subject here is price gouging in the private sector.

So ... yes ... it is true that "is not a market reaction when the supply is regulated or monopolized."

That is not the case in this story.

What I am saying here is that by stating something that is true, not related to a conversation .. does not negate the actual truth in the topic being discussed. You may as well just post "Water is wet." It has nothing to do with this .. but is true. Applying monopoly condition models to a conversation about free market behaviors? ... nope .. not buying it.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Guest

[Ace of Pop]

Must change my glasses . Though it read Humper Rip Offs.[emoji165][emoji2]

[jaywalker]

"Suchart Sinrat, deputy director-general of the department, said it would send a team of inspectors to bus terminals and train stations during the New Year weekend to ensure nobody is overcharged, considering high demand of some foods and goods as people head from Bangkok to the provinces."

It's called supply and demand.

You'd think the commerce department would understand that concept.

You do, of course, recognize that double charging Farang could fall under the same heading. You are aware that when you are double charged, you can say "No, I do not want to buy this..."

But you do.

Why?

Supply and Demand.

The seller recognizes that you have no real option (Limited Supply) and you have a need for the product / service (Demand)

Prices are adjusted accordingly ... Ouch ... does it pinch when the shoe is on the other foot?

Amazing that you can so easily support Price Gouging and unethical product representation for Thai people .. and go nuts if a Tuk Tuk driver asks YOU for a rip off fare!

(Can you say "hypocrite?")

Employing a rather broad brush today?

By the way, higher prices for foreigners is not a market reaction when the supply is regulated or monopolized. See National Parks, Chao Phraya water taxis, Wat Pho admission, etc.

Ummmm ... you mean those facilities and services provided by the taxes paid by Thai Nationals?

Last month I went to a public hospital for an MRI. The sign said (basically) "Foreigners will pay the price of this service (Thai National Price) plus the income tax rate on that sum.

I said "Fair Enough" The Thai people needing this machine / service PAID FOR IT ALREADY ... I did not.

By the way, although I took the bait and replied to your park example .. the subject here is price gouging in the private sector.

So ... yes ... it is true that "is not a market reaction when the supply is regulated or monopolized."

That is not the case in this story.

What I am saying here is that by stating something that is true, not related to a conversation .. does not negate the actual truth in the topic being discussed. You may as well just post "Water is wet." It has nothing to do with this .. but is true. Applying monopoly condition models to a conversation about free market behaviors? ... nope .. not buying it.

Nobody is sticking a gun to anybody's heads to make anybody buy anything when it comes to gift baskets or National Parks.

It should be the choice of the people to either buy or not buy = supply and demand.

Nanny state government control over such is ludicrous.

State sponsored/covered up/clandestinely sanctioned corruption is an entirely different matter, and has nothing to do whatsoever, in the remotest way, with a free market.

As for the tuk-tuk and jet ski scams, they prey on the uninformed tourists, while the cops do nothing about it, because, apparently, they are too busy regulating minor things like idiotic price controls on gift baskets.

What it DOES do though, is paint a picture of the government 'DOING SOMETHING' to help the poor, while their attentions would be vastly more effective at helping the population in general by enforcing traffic laws in a consistent and ongoing basis for just one thing.

There are a million better things for the cops to do than interfere with a free market, and make it an un-free market.

Edited December 31, 2015 by jaywalker

[Guest]

"Nobody is sticking a gun to anybody's heads to make anybody buy anything when it comes to gift baskets or National Parks.

It should be the choice of the people to either buy or not buy = supply and demand.

Nanny state government control over such is ludicrous.

State sponsored/covered up/clandestinely sanctioned corruption is an entirely different matter, and has nothing to do whatsoever, in the remotest way, with a free market."

Thank you.

We are in total agreement!

"It should be the choice of the people to either buy or not buy = supply and demand."

So I will look forward to 2016 free from any whining from you (and hopefully Thai Visa Peanut Gallery) about the price of ... anything .. in Thailand.

Awesome! Happy New Year !!

[phoenixdoglover]

"Suchart Sinrat, deputy director-general of the department, said it would send a team of inspectors to bus terminals and train stations during the New Year weekend to ensure nobody is overcharged, considering high demand of some foods and goods as people head from Bangkok to the provinces."

It's called supply and demand.

You'd think the commerce department would understand that concept.

You do, of course, recognize that double charging Farang could fall under the same heading. You are aware that when you are double charged, you can say "No, I do not want to buy this..."

But you do.

Why?

Supply and Demand.

The seller recognizes that you have no real option (Limited Supply) and you have a need for the product / service (Demand)

Prices are adjusted accordingly ... Ouch ... does it pinch when the shoe is on the other foot?

Amazing that you can so easily support Price Gouging and unethical product representation for Thai people .. and go nuts if a Tuk Tuk driver asks YOU for a rip off fare!

(Can you say "hypocrite?")

Employing a rather broad brush today?

By the way, higher prices for foreigners is not a market reaction when the supply is regulated or monopolized. See National Parks, Chao Phraya water taxis, Wat Pho admission, etc.

Ummmm ... you mean those facilities and services provided by the taxes paid by Thai Nationals?

Last month I went to a public hospital for an MRI. The sign said (basically) "Foreigners will pay the price of this service (Thai National Price) plus the income tax rate on that sum.

I said "Fair Enough" The Thai people needing this machine / service PAID FOR IT ALREADY ... I did not.

By the way, although I took the bait and replied to your park example .. the subject here is price gouging in the private sector.

So ... yes ... it is true that "is not a market reaction when the supply is regulated or monopolized."

That is not the case in this story.

What I am saying here is that by stating something that is true, not related to a conversation .. does not negate the actual truth in the topic being discussed. You may as well just post "Water is wet." It has nothing to do with this .. but is true. Applying monopoly condition models to a conversation about free market behaviors? ... nope .. not buying it.

I dont think we disagree.

Your hospital charge is a positive example of rational pricing in a regulated market.

Price increases at holiday times for high demand goods is probably a market reaction.

Good governments usually prevent price gouging for essential goods and services. I'm not sure gift baskets qualify. Caveat emptor.

[stickylies]

Me: how much?

Seller: 150thb

My brain: normal price is 70thb normal price is 70thb normal price is 70thb normal price is 70thb

My feet: walk walk walk walk...

I guess I'm not that complicated a guy

[jaywalker]

"Nobody is sticking a gun to anybody's heads to make anybody buy anything when it comes to gift baskets or National Parks.

It should be the choice of the people to either buy or not buy = supply and demand.

Nanny state government control over such is ludicrous.

State sponsored/covered up/clandestinely sanctioned corruption is an entirely different matter, and has nothing to do whatsoever, in the remotest way, with a free market."

Thank you.

We are in total agreement!

"It should be the choice of the people to either buy or not buy = supply and demand."

So I will look forward to 2016 free from any whining from you (and hopefully Thai Visa Peanut Gallery) about the price of ... anything .. in Thailand.

Awesome! Happy New Year !!

Happy New Year to you as well!

For the record, I have NEVER whined about prices. Ever, anywhere I have ever been.

If I get suckered, I may warn someone not to do the same (STAY AWAY from the girlie bars in Athens and NEVER EVER buy a lady drink there - that bar bill was HUGE!!!), but I don't complain.

As someone else said, you are painting with a broad brush when you paint us all as whiners, especially when we are pointing out facts that you, admittedly, agree with.

[condobrit001]

Supermarket "gift baskets" have always provided a means for shops to get rid of slow moving or near expiry goods at the end of each year. Additionally, since they banned the inclusion of alchol they have been even less attractive to both buyers and receivers.

If you want to give your staff or employees a basket containing stale biscuits, sugarry fruit juices, canned soup, soap, and washing powder it is a good way to get them looking for a new job!

[Enoon]

Nobody is whining about prices.

What is being derided and commented upon is the reluctance of the "Controllers" (cue St.John of the Unelectable) to effect real, meaningful, progressive change for the vast majority of Thai people, while churning out endless, tawdry, "gift" style, cheap, micro-term, stunts like this.

They are the perfect, unashamed embodiment of what has been held up as a dreadful crime perpetrated by previous governments: Populism.

It stinks, full stop.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Enoon

[phoenixdoglover]

Me: how much?

Seller: 150thb

My brain: normal price is 70thb normal price is 70thb normal price is 70thb normal price is 70thb

My feet: walk walk walk walk...

I guess I'm not that complicated a guy

Uncomplicated and wise.

However, when you're poised at the park entrance on your trusty steed, and your Thai wife riding pillion is getting charged 40 baht, while your fee is 400 baht, your mind is saying, "screwed again, screwed again, screwed again". And then you pay.

Edited December 31, 2015 by phoenixdoglover

[stickylies]

Me: how much?

Seller: 150thb

My brain: normal price is 70thb normal price is 70thb normal price is 70thb normal price is 70thb

My feet: walk walk walk walk...

I guess I'm not that complicated a guy

Uncomplicated and wise.

However, when you're poised at the park entrance on your trusty steed, and your Thai wife riding pillion is getting charged 40 baht, while your fee is 400 baht, your mind is saying, "screwed again, screwed again, screwed again". And then you pay.

true. hence i stay clear from both, thai wives and NP's unless i get local price. same logic as above.

[Ulic]

The cost of the hampers is less an issue that putting expired products in the hamper. Changing

expiry dates, hampers covered in wrap so you can't see product expiry dates. I know a far cry

from big crime but it is still a rip-off. Obviously there have been a lot of complaints in the past

to warrant this response.

[MaiChai]

Thais get ripped off all the time too. Wifes uncle paid 30,000 b for three windows that cost 1,400 each at dohome. Then yesterday we were asked by a Thai lady how much the tin guttering we bought cost; we said 140 baht but it needs brackets as well. Lady said she was charged 2000 baht a meter and our length was 2.4m! Thus anyone is fair game for being ripped off.

Maybe the public needs to be aware of all those new year road blocks manned by the police? Police are looking to make money at new year too. We were fine 300 baht yesterday because we did not have a copy of the car owner book.

Edited December 31, 2015 by MaiChai

[stickylies]

Thais get ripped off all the time too. Wifes uncle paid 30,000 b for three windows that cost 1,400 each at dohome. Then yesterday we were asked by a Thai lady how much the tin guttering we bought cost; we said 140 baht but it needs brackets as well. Lady said she was charged 2000 baht a meter and our length was 2.4m! Thus anyone is fair game for being ripped off.

totally agree.

ever noticed how much they pay for silly 2 nights 3 days (overland) travels to lets say... dawei from kanchanaburi or bkk? LOL!

or even better, when a plane is involved. LOL!

i teach my thai friends how to use a pc and book themselves (eg. through skyscanner) and save a lot. of course i ask a small fee (file under: thainess)

Edited December 31, 2015 by stickylies

[Basil B]

So what do these guys do the rest of the year???

They should be pointed in the direction of Pattaya, Phuket & Samui to look at the over charging by organised cartels/Mafia's, particularly public transport and taxis.