Bangkok: The government is cracking down on excise tax law violators, revealing that in May 2026, 3,206 cases were apprehended, resulting in fines totaling over 734.70 million baht, with an estimated total fine of 4,073.85 million baht.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Ploytalay Laksmisangchan, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, emphasized the government's focus on combating intellectual property infringement. Following the Prime Minister's directive, agencies have been instructed to enhance prevention and suppression measures to bolster confidence in the nation's trade and investment sectors. This initiative involves coordinated efforts across commercial areas, warehouses, and online platforms, with a mandate for continuous integration and intensified suppression.
Ms. Ploytalee highlighted the results of the nationwide crackdown on excise law violators in May 2016, which led to the apprehension of 3,206 cases, resulting in fines amounting to over 734.70 million baht, with an estimated total fine of 4,073.85 million baht. The breakdown by type of excise law includes:
1. Tobacco: 2,182 cases with fines totaling 69.14 million baht, seizing 13,687 packs of domestic and 371,958 packs of imported tobacco.
2. Liquor: 814 cases with fines of 9.71 million baht, confiscating 3,737.145 liters of domestic and 822.010 liters of imported liquor.
3. Oil and petroleum products: 48 cases with fines of 1.75 million baht and 77,555 liters of confiscated goods.
4. Motorcycles: 53 cases with fines of 1.39 million baht, seizing 146 motorcycles.
5. Playing cards: 26 cases with fines of 0.33 million baht, seizing 1,566 decks of cards.
6. Motor vehicles: 21 cases with fines of 3.35 million baht, seizing 24 vehicles.
7. Perfumes and cosmetics: 16 cases with fines of 0.33 million baht, seizing 3,416 bottles and 4,000 kilograms of perfume oil.
8. Beverages: 13 cases with fines of 0.18 million baht, confiscating 2,562.500 liters.
9. Batteries: 24 cases with fines of 2.13 million baht, seizing 15,506 batteries.
10. Four cases involving products used as beverages resulted in fines of 0.03 million baht and the seizure of 60.420 kilograms of powdered beverages.
'Tobacco-related offenses remain the most prevalent, constituting 68.06 percent, followed by alcohol offenses at 25.39 percent. During March-May 2026, the government, through the Excise Department, collaborated with agencies including administrative, military, and police forces to halt illegal goods from infiltrating the economic system. This effort led to a 12.37 percent increase in arrests compared to the same period last year, particularly in tobacco cases, which are significant instances of smuggling and tax evasion,' Ms. Ploytalee stated.