Thailand discusses amendments to competition law: critics fear weakening penalties for big business

On May 18, 2026, former Minister of Justice and leader of the Phunpolis People's Party (Police Colonel Tawee) criticized the draft amendments to the competition law. In his opinion, the proposed document expands jurisdiction to state-owned companies, introduces administrative fines instead of imprisonment for cartel agreements, and softens liability for large market participants. The draft law provides for stricter economic penalties and grants affected parties the right to claim damages up to 3-4 times the actual damage incurred. Procedures for whistleblowers reporting violations are also introduced. However, critics argue that for corporations with turnovers in the hundreds of billions of baht, such fines may be insufficient, and the influence of elites will remain above the law. The new rules are expected to affect key economic sectors, including telecommunications, energy, retail, and logistics.