The Thai Retailers Association has called on ministers to enforce strict product standards and tax foreign e-commerce platforms to protect local SMEs.
Thai retailers have called on the government to crack down on the massive influx of cheap foreign goods entering the country through cross-border e-commerce platforms, warning that unfair price competition is threatening the survival of millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Thailand’s 3.3 million SMEs employ roughly 13.6 million people, accounting for nearly 70% of total private sector employment. However, shifting consumer habits and aggressive foreign market expansion have placed unprecedented pressure on domestic traders.
Speaking in a report published by Post Today, Nath Vongphanich, president of the Thai Retailers Association (TRA), highlighted a sharp divergence in retail channels. Online sales in Thailand jumped by 23.5%, compared to 7.5% growth across physical stores.
Yet despite rapid digital adoption, the vast majority of top-selling items on major platforms originate from foreign sellers rather than local producers.