Action Against Ill-Intention Fruit Vendors at Markets

BANGKOK, May 4 (TNA) -- Commerce Ministry’s Internal Trade Department is taking serious legal action against fruit vendors at markets nationwide after some unscrupulous traders were caught red handed in using outdated weighing machines. Wichai Phochanakij, director-general of Internal Trade Department, said that several tropical fruits such as durian, mangosteen, rambutan and mango are introduced to the market in the past two months, prompting him to assign his subordinates to inspect weighing machines with an aim to prevent buyers from being cheated. So far, a total of 2,929 fruit vendors with 3,378 weighting scales were inspected and only 3,340 machines were accurate, said Mr Wichai. Two fruit vendors in the northern capital of Chiang Mai have been apprehended on a similar charge. The first vendor is facing a maximum of seven-year imprisonment and a fine of 280,000 baht while another one is facing a maximum of 3-year imprisonment and a fine 60,000 baht or both. Officials at the department will conduct a fresh round of inspection in six eastern provinces, from May 2-4, and, undoubtedly, fruit vendors there have been warned that their weighing machines are working properly. (TNA)