WORLD TRADE G/SG/N/1/THA/1
27March 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-0698)
Original: English Committee onSafeguards
NOTIFICATIONS OFLAWS, REGULATIONS AND
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES RELATING
TOSAFEGUARD MEASURES
THAILAND
Thefollowing communication, dated 14March 1995, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofThailand.
_______________
With reference toArticle 12.6oftheAgreement onSafeguards andinaccordance withthe
relevant decision oftheCommittee onSafeguards ascontained inthedocument G/SG/N/1/Suppl.1,
Iwishtosubmit totheCommittee onSafeguards theattached notification oftherelevant legislation
which could apply tosafeguard measures covered bytheAgreement.G/SG/N/1/THA/1
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(Unofficial)
THE EXPORT AND IMPORT ACT
B.E.2522 (1979)
BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ, REX.
Given this30thdayofApril, B.E.2522 (1979)
Being the34thyearofthepresent reign
HisMajesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej hasbeengraciously pleased toproclaim that:
Whereas itisexpedient torevise thelawonthecontrol ofexport andimport ofcertain kinds
ofgoods,
Beit,therefore, enacted byH.M. theKing, byandwiththeadvice andconsent oftheNational
Legislative Assembly inthecapacity oftheParliament asfollows:
Section 1 ThisActshallbecalled the"Export andImport ActB.E.2522 (1979)"
Section 2 ThisActshallcome intoforce onandfrom thedayfollowing thedateofits
publication intheGovernment Gazette.
Section 3 Thefollowing shallberepealed:
(1) TheActControlling Export andImport ofCertain Kinds ofGoods B.E.2482
(1939);
(2) TheActControlling Export andImport ofcertain Kinds ofGoods (No.2)
B.E.2487 (1944);
(3) TheActControlling Export andImport ofCertain Kinds ofGoods (No.3)
B.E.2490 (1947)
Allother laws, rulesandregulations, insofar astheyrelate tothepartalready provided inthis
Actorarecontrary toorinconsistent withthisAct,shallbesuperseded bythisAct.
Section 4 InthisAct:
"Export" means tocarry orsendgoods outoftheKingdom.
"Import" means tocarry orbring goods intotheKingdom.
"Competent Officers" means thecivilservants appointed bytheMinister toimplement
thisAct.
"Minister" means theMinister having charge andcontrol oftheexecution ofthisAct.G/SG/N/1/THA/1
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Section 5 Incases where itisnecessary orproper forthesakeofeconomic stability,
public interests, public health, national security, peace andorder orgood morals ofthepeople, or
foranyother interests oftheState, theMinister ofCommerce withtheapproval oftheCouncil of
Ministers, shall havethepower topublish notifications intheGovernment Gazette onanyofthe
following matters:
(1) Prescribing anygoods asgoods banned from exportation orimportation;
(2) Prescribing anygoods asgoods requiring export orimport permit.
(3) Prescribing thecategory, kind, quality, standard, quantity, volume, size,
weight, price, tradename, brand, trademark andorigin forthegoods exported
orimported, aswellasprescribing thecountries toorfromwhich suchgoods
aresent;
(4) Prescribing thecategories andkinds ofgoods subject tospecial feeuponexport
orimport;
(5) Prescribing anygoods exported orimported asgoods which must be
accompanied bycertificate oforigin, goods quality certificate; oranyother
certificates inconformity withtheagreements orinternational trade practice;
(6) Prescribing anyother measures forthebenefit ofsystemizing exportation or
importation under thisAct.
Theprovisions inparagraph oneshallapply mutatits mutandis toanamendment orrevocation
ofanotification under thisSection.
Section 6 TheMinister ofCommerce shallhavethepower to,withtheapproval ofthe
Council ofMinisters, fix,revise orcancel ratesofspecial feesforexport orimport.
Thespecial feemaybefixed intermofmoney orother properties.
Theprocedures ofcollection andthemode ofpayment ofthespecial feeshallbeasprescribed
bytheMinister ofCommerce.
Section 7 Whenanygoodshavebeenprescribedinanotificationasgoodsrequiringexport
orimport permit asstated inSection 5(2)noperson shallexport orimport itunless withapermit
from theMinister ofCommerce orfrom theperson authorized byhim.
Theapplication forandthegranting ofapermit shallbeinaccordance withtheprinciples,
procedures andmethods prescribed inMinisterial Regulations.
Section 8 There shallbeaboard called the"Foreign Trade Board" abbreviated asthe
"FTB", consisting ofthePermanent Secretary totheMinistry ofState forCommerce asChairman,
andtheDirector-General oftheInternal Trade Department, theDirector-General oftheCommercial
Relations Department, theDirector-General oftheCustoms Department, theDirector-General ofthe
Economic Department, theDirector-General oftheAgricultural Technical Department, theDirector-
General oftheBoard ofInvestment, theSecretary-General oftheFoods andDrugs Administration,
andtheGovernor oftheBank ofThailand asmembers.G/SG/N/1/THA/1
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TheDirector-General oftheForeign Trade Department shallbeamember andthesecretary
oftheBoard, andtheFTBmayappoint anyother person asassistant secretary.
TheForeign Trade Department shallbetheauthority forthefunctioning oftheFTB.
Section 9 TheFTBshallhavethefollowing powers andduties:
(1) Tolaydown regulations orrulesrelating tothebusiness administration ofthe
FTB, withtheapproval oftheMinister ofCommerce;
(2) Tostudy, analyse andmake research concerning international trade, including
topropose programmes, plans ormeasures concerning theremedying ofthe
international trade situation totheMinister;
(3) Togiveadvice orcounsel totheMinister forthecarrying outofthisAct.
Section 10 Atameeting oftheFTB, anumber ofmembers ofnotlessthanonehalfof
thetotalnumber ofmembers isneeded toform aquorum.
IftheChairman isnotpresent atameeting orisnotabletodischarge hisduties, themembers
attending themeeting shallelectoneamong themselves astheChairman ofthatmeeting.
Section 11 ADecision ofthemeeting shallbebyamajority ofvotes.
Eachmember shallhaveonevote. Incaseofatie,theChairman ofthemeeting shallbeentitled
toanother voteasthecasting vote.
Section 12 TheFTBisauthorized toappoint asub-committee tocarry outanyspecific
affair ortoconsider anymatters within thejurisdiction oftheBoard.
Sections 10and11shallapply tothemeetings ofthesub-committee mutatis mutandis .
Section 13 There shallbeestablished afundintheMinistry ofCommerce asacirculating
capital forfinancing thepromotion ofinternational trade, called International Trade Promotion Fund,
consisting ofthemoney andother properties asfollows:
(1) Special feesunder Section 6;
(2) Money andother properties received from theGovernment orfrom other
sources within orwithout thecountry, orinternational organizations orother
persons;
(3) Interests ofthefund;
Themoney andproperties stated inparagraph oneshallbesentintothefundwithout having
toberemitted astherevenue oftheland.
Theprinciples andprocedures, themanagement ofthefund, andtheallocation ofthemoney
ofthefundshallbeinaccordance withtheregulations established bytheMinister ofCommerce with
theapproval oftheCouncil ofMinisters.G/SG/N/1/THA/1
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Section 14 TheMinister ofCommerce shallhavethepower tomake profits ofthefund
money bydepositing itinasavings account orafixed deposit account withabankwhich isastate
enterprise orbypurchasing government securities.
Section 15 TheMinister ofFinance shallhavethepower topublish intheGovernment
Gazette anotification designating anyportorplace inthekingdom asaplace through which export
orimport must bemade under thisAct.
Section 16 Theprovisions ofthelawoncustoms andthepowers ofthecustoms officers
under thelawgoverning such, inthepartrelating totheinspection ofthegoods andtheprevention
ofsmuggling, search, seizure andconfiscation, orthearrest ofoffender, falsedeclaration, andthe
prosecution shallapply totheexportation andimportation under thisAct.
Section 17 Forthepurpose ofcarrying outthisAct,thecompetent officers shallhave
thefollowing powers andduties:
(1) toentertheplace ofbusiness, theplace ofmanufacture, ortheplace ofstoring
goods orthecarrier ofanoperator ofexport orimport business, orofany
person, during sunrise andsunset orduring office hours ofsuchplace inorder
tosearch thegoods orcarry outinspection when there isareason tosuspect
thatanoffence under thisActhasbeencommitted;
(2) toaskfordocuments orrelevant evidences from theoperator ofexport or
import business, orfrom thepersons concerned;
(3) toseize orattach documents orthings inconnection withthecommission of
anoffence, forthebenefits ofprosecution, when there isareason tosuspect
thatanoffence under thisActhasbeencommitted;
(4) toorder anypersons tocome togivestatements ortofurnish accounts,
documents, orother evidences ifthere isareason tobelieve thatthesaid
statements, books ofaccounts, documents orevidences would bebeneficial
tothedetection ofthecommission ofoffence under thisAct.
When thecompetent officers areperforming duties, thepersons concerned shall afford
convenience tothem reasonably.
Section 18 Inperforming theirduties under thisAct,thecompetent officers shallshow
theiridentification cards tothepersons concerned.
Theidentification cardofthecompetent officers shallbeintheformprescribed inMinisterial
Regulations.
Section 19 Incaseanyperson wishes thecompetent officers toperform duties under this
Actonanofficial holiday oroutside office hours oroutside theiroffice, whether during oroutside
office hours, heshall paycompensation tothem according totherates prescribed inMinisterial
Regulations, andshallpaythecostoftravelling tothemintheamount equal tothatconsidered necessary
andactually incurred.
Section 20 Anyperson exporting orimporting goods prohibited under Section 5(1)or
violating Section 7,paragraph one,shallbepunished withimprisonment foratermnotexceeding ten
years orafinefivetimes ofthegoods exported orimported, orbothimprisonment andfine,andtheG/SG/N/1/THA/1
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goods, including thethings usedforpacking andanycarrier usedinloading thegoods aswellasthe
carrier usedforhauling thecarrier loading suchgoods, shallbeconfiscated.
Incases where anoffender isarrested, theCourt shall, uponrequest ofthePublic Prosecutor,
order payment ofreward totheperson leading tothearrest oftheoffender at30percent,andreward
tothearrestor at25percentofthenetproceeds from thesaleofthethings confiscated onorder of
theCourt orincasethearticles inquestion hasnotbeenconfiscated orthearticles inquestion could
notbesold, from thefinepaidtotheCourt.
Incases where there isnoperson leading tothearrest, areward shallbepaidtothearrestor
30percentofthenetproceeds fromthesaleofthearticles inquestion confiscated orincasethearticles
inquestion hasnotbeenconfiscated orthearticles inquestion could notbesold, from thefinepaid
totheCourt.
Incaseofthere being several persons leading tothearrest orthere being several arrestors,
payment ofreward shallbemade tothem equally.
Incasethearticles inquestion havebeencaptured buttheoffender could notbefound, the
Director-General oftheForeign Trade Department, withtheapproval oftheMinister ofCommerce,
hasthepower toorder payment ofrewards fromthenetproceeds fromthesaleofthearticles inquestion
which istherevenue oftheland, atnotexceeding theratesfixed inthisSection.
Section 21 Anyperson exporting orimporting goods without paying aspecial feeunder
Section 6oracting inanywaysoastopayalessspecial feethanheissubject topay,shallbepunished
withimprisonment foraterm notexceeding oneyearorafinenotexceeding B20,000, orboth
imprisonment andfine.
Section 22 Anyperson violating orfailing tocomply withthenotifications issued under
Section 5(3)or(6)shallbepunished withimprisonment foratermnotexceeding oneyear, orafine
notexceeding B20,000, orbothimprisonment andfine.
Section 23 Anyperson impeding orfailing toafford convenience tothecompetent officers
whoareperforming duties asstated inSection 17orviolating orfailing tocomply withtheorder of
thecompetent officers given under Section 17,shallbepunished withimprisonment foratermnot
exceeding sixmonths orafinenotexceeding B10,000, orbothimprisonment andfine.
Section 24 AllRoyal Decrees, Ministerial Regulation Notifications andRegulations issued
byvirtue ofthelawonthecontrol ofexportation andimportation ofcertain kinds ofgoods which have
beenenforced prior tothedatethisActcomes intoforce, shallcontinue tobeeffective insofar asthey
arenotcontrary toorinconsistent withthisAct,untiltheMinisterial Regulations, Notifications or
Regulations issued under thisActwillhavebeenenforced.
Section 25 TheMinister ofCommerce andtheMinister ofFinance shallhavecharge and
control oftheexecution oftheAct,andshallhavethepowers toappoint competent officers, issue
Ministerial Regulations prescribing feesnotexceeding theratesannexed hereto, prescribing otheraffairs
andissue Notifications forthepurpose ofcarrying outthisAct.G/SG/N/1/THA/1
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SuchMinisterial Regulations andNotifications shallbecome effective uponpublication inthe
Government Gazette.
Countersignature:
S.HOTRAKITYA
Deputy Prime Minister
Reference Government Gazette, Volume 96,Special Issue, part74,of9May(1979).