The Department of Internal Trade has partnered with the Department of Land Transport to connect real-time truck GPS data to prevent illegal transport of agricultural products, aiming to support crop prices and planning to extend controls to taxi fares and meter taxis to ensure fairness for the public.
On 8 May 2026 at the Department of Internal Trade, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed to integrate data supporting operational work between the Department of Internal Trade, led by Mr. Witthayakorn Maneenet, Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade, and the Department of Land Transport, led by Mr. Sorapong Phaitoonpong, Director-General of the Department of Land Transport.
Mr. Witthayakorn stated that this cooperation applies digital technology concretely by linking the Department of Land Transport's DLT GPS data with the Department of Internal Trade's electronic controlled goods transport system via real-time API Web Service, which will improve the speed and accuracy of agricultural product supervision.
Currently, the Department of Internal Trade oversees nine key controlled agricultural products, such as palm oil, animal feed corn, cassava, garlic, and imported onions, to prevent illegal hoarding or transport, which are major factors suppressing Thai farmers' crop prices.
Data from the Department of Internal Trade shows that annually 450,000 to 500,000 transport permits for controlled agricultural products are issued, with over 20,000 trucks in the system. This data integration will enable officials to track truck routes from origin to destination, reduce loopholes from false documents, and help analyze shipment trends in advance.
Beyond protecting agricultural products, the two agencies plan to extend cooperation to consumer protection in transportation. Mr. Witthayakorn explained that future efforts will integrate supervision of public transport fares, especially ensuring taxi meter fares comply with legal regulations.
Data exchange will support investigation of public complaints, monitor repeat offenses, prevent consumer exploitation, and establish fair service standards.
At the end, Mr. Witthayakorn reminded operators to strictly comply with regulations on permits for transporting controlled agricultural products. Violators face strict legal penalties of up to five years imprisonment, fines up to 100,000 baht, or both.
This cooperation between the Department of Internal Trade and the Department of Land Transport represents a new proactive approach in government work, integrating big data across agencies to solve grassroots economic problems and truly improve citizens' quality of life.
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