Inspectors from the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) under the Commerce Ministry have been conducting random inspections of outlets selling LPG cooking gas and gas-filling facilities to ensure they are not cheating customers by selling less gas than the tanks’ stated capacity.
The inspectors visited several outlets in Nonthaburi yesterday and discovered that the amount of cooking gas in some tanks did not match the quantity shown on the tags.
Yanee Srimanee, deputy director-general of the DIT, said today that discrepancies between the amount shown on the tag and the actual quantity in the tanks constitute consumer exploitation.
This is a violation of the Weights and Measures Act and is subject to a maximum fine of 20,000 baht upon conviction.
She said similar violations have been reported in several provinces, including Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani,
Chachoengsao and Satun, adding that a number of outlets have been fined 10,000 baht each.
She also said that random inspections will continue, and that gas-filling plants and distribution outlets have been warned to check the quantity of gas in tanks before distribution or sale.
Meanwhile, the Central Committee on the Prices of Goods and Services has agreed to add seasoning sauce, plastic pellets and bottled drinking water to the list of controlled goods for one year.
Under the announcement, signed by Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun, producers, importers and distributors of plastic pellets, as well as their customers, are now required to report details of production, sales, imports and inventories to the DIT once a week.
The plastics covered include PE, PP and PET pellets, which are used in the production of plastic bottles, bags, packaging and containers.
Moreover, the department is also closely monitoring young coconuts, soybean starch and sea bass after it was discovered that some unscrupulous traders had diluted coconut juice with water, prompting China to cut back on imports of coconut juice from Thailand.
