Pattaya —
Vendors from Thepprasit market are seeking justice from Pattaya officials after claiming unfair treatment by the market owner.
At Pattaya City Hall on October 28th, a group of vendors from the Thepprasit market, led by 41-year-old Ms. Jaruporn Chomvoralap, gathered to seek justice from the Pattaya Mayor after facing alleged unfair treatment by the market owner. Deputy Mayor Mr. Wuttisak Rermkitjakarn and Deputy Mayor Mr. Kritsana Boonsawat came out to greet the vendors and invited them in to have a discussion.
The vendors revealed four concerns to the deputy mayors, including:
- The market has allegedly implemented a rule to fine vendors for 1,000 baht per day if they do not sell their goods every day. Vendors believed this measure is unfair since they already pay weekly rent and may have legitimate reasons for not selling every day.
- The market has allegedly extended its opening days from three days a week to every day without adjusting rental costs accordingly. The vendors requested a reevaluation of rental fees to align with the increased number of operating days.
- The vendors claimed that daily operations have resulted in a decrease in their sales because they mainly sell specialty products that don’t attract daily customers.
- If the market insists on operating seven days a week, vendors are willing to accept this but request that it only be extended to every Thursday.
Ms. Jaruporn stated that they have already attempted to negotiate with the market owner four times without success, as they were only able to meet with representatives and market managers who lacked decision-making authority. The vendors hope that Pattaya City can act as a mediator to reach a fair resolution with the owner.
Deputy Mayor Mr. Wuttisak acknowledged that the complaint will be processed according to legal procedures. He also instructed the vendors to prepare a formal complaint to be sent to the market owner. If the owner fails to respond to the city’s summon, he/she may face penalties under Article 45 of the Consumer Protection Act, which could result in up to one month of imprisonment or a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
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