Agricultural products will be checked for origin and pesticide residue, which can be harmful to human health. Photo Bangkok Post

 BANGKOK - The Thai Ministry of Commerce has drafted a plan to deal with an influx of cheap, substandard goods from abroad to protect domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Deputy Minister of Commerce Napintorn Srisunpang said the ministry's subcommittee in charge of supporting Thai SMEs and cracking down on poor-quality foreign goods recently held a meeting with representatives of 20 government agencies to discuss measures to crack down on agricultural, consumer and industrial goods.

Agricultural products will be checked for origin and pesticide residue, which can be harmful to human health and consumer goods will also be examined for safety and quality, especially those available via e-commerce platforms such as Temu and Lazada, he said.

Foreign e-commerce operators will be required to set up registered offices in Thailand under its digital platform service law, according to the ministry’s Electronic Transactions Development Agency.

As for industrial goods, the Customs Department plans to allow the import of goods that meet the standards set by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute.

The meeting adopted plans for the short, medium and long terms to be proposed to the Committee on Foreign Product and Business Compliance and the cabinet for approval. They aim to improve the competitiveness of Thai products both domestically and internationally from 2025.

The ministry expects to increase the GDP contributions of SMEs from 35.2% to 40% by 2027. VNA/VNS