Tawee Monitors Trade Competition Bill Draft, Concerned About Letting Big Capital Operate Above the Law
Pol. Col. Tawee warns that amendments to Thailand's Trade Competition Act risk allowing large corporations to evade enforcement, as parliament prepares for first reading of seven major revisions including stricter merger controls and enhanc
On May 18, 2025, Pol. Col. Tawee Sodsom, People's Party chairman, posted on Facebook warning against allowing big capital to operate above the law in the amended Trade Competition Act. The bill is set for first reading in parliament on May 20, with seven key amendments: (1) expanding authority to cover state enterprises, public organizations, and commercially-operated government agencies in telecom and energy sectors under equal application, with penalties for offshore misconduct affecting domestic markets; (2) revising the Trade Competition Commission selection process to require House approval instead of cabinet approval, reducing members to seven with specified expertise requirements including law, economics, and consumer protection, with at least 10 years experience and performance metrics; (3) requiring authorization for mergers that could reduce competition or create market dominance, with broader consideration of competitive conditions and future trends; (4) increasing transparency by mandating full disclosure of rulings and individual commissioners' opinions within 15 days, with monthly public progress reports during proceedings; (5) eliminating prison sentences for monopoly violations and replacing with civil penalties calculated as percentage of annual revenue or transaction value; (6) expanding whistleblower protections with reduced penalties for first informants providing evidence, transferring cases to Intellectual Property and International Trade Court; (7) allowing victims to claim damages up to three times actual harm or court-ordered minimum three times but not exceeding four times, with extended limitations periods of three to five years and increased filing fees for merger approvals and advance rulings.
