The House Committee on Industry has amended the Control of Sale by Auction and Trade of Antiques Act 1931 to introduce a prison sentence for scrap shop owners who purchase stolen goods.
Akkaradet Wongpitakroj, a United Thai Nation MP for Ratchaburi and chairman of the committee, said on Monday that the amendment was necessary due to the increasing theft of both public and private property, which has caused significant damage.
"The law has loopholes and weak penalties, leading to a rise in stolen goods being resold at scrap shops," he said, adding that under the current law, shop owners who fail to record purchase information face only a 2,000-baht fine.
"The fine is lower than the profit these businesses make from selling stolen goods.
"This has created a major challenge for police officers and officials in the Department of Provincial Administration," he said.
In response, the committee and the department have revised the law to include a jail sentence in addition to the fine for scrap businesses that do not record seller information.
Mr Akkaradet added that concerns about purchase records had been discussed with scrap shop representatives.
He noted that the current manual record-keeping system, which relies on handwritten logs, should be modernised in the future, potentially through electronic recording via a website or an app.
Digital records will help police track and arrest criminals who steal public and private property --such as electric cables, manhole covers, or even household water meters -- to sell to scrap shops.
He also dismissed concerns that the amendment would negatively affect scavengers, clarifying that the law applies only to scrap shop owners.
"The amendment will enhance the security of both public and private property while also protecting legitimate scrap businesses that follow the law," he said.
The revised law is currently being submitted to the House Speaker for consideration in the House of Representatives.
Once enacted, it is expected to reduce theft of public and government assets significantly, he added.
