The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) has established two subcommittees to oversee digital platform businesses and formulate competition rules for the wholesale and modern trade sectors.
The move aims to address unfair trade practices and enhance law enforcement in response to the rapidly changing business landscape.
Assoc Prof Sudharma Yoonaidharma, vice-chairman of TCCT, said the commission's meeting on Monday approved the formation of a subcommittee to regulate digital platform businesses and prevent unfair trade practices.
The subcommittee's key mission is to implement intensive regulatory measures for digital platform businesses and integrate cooperation among government agencies, the private sector, business operators and all relevant stakeholders. The panel is tasked with monitoring and preventing anti-competitive trade practices among digital platforms while promoting free and fair competition.
Shopee recently announced an increase in its sales transaction fee, effective from Aug 4, marking the third fee hike this year.
For some product categories, the sales commission fee rate will be adjusted by one or two percentage points, excluding value-added tax.
For other product categories, there will be no change to the sales commission fee rate.
This adjustment of commission fees is intended to support sellers' growth through the continuous development of tools, the platform and seller support programmes.
The TCCT also approved the establishment of a subcommittee on guidelines and action plans for competition conditions in the wholesale and modern trade sectors.
The subcommittee will be responsible for studying, analysing and monitoring the market structure of the wholesale and modern trade sectors; developing a database to assess retail market concentration and its impact on small businesses; and proposing guidelines and measures to regulate competition in the retail sector.
The subcommittee is to include specialists from relevant organisations, such as the Office of Industrial Economics, the Office of SMEs Promotion, the Thai SME Federation and the Small and Medium Enterprises Council.
