(Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)The Excise Department has the authority to not approve cigarette importers from setting the product at an unusually low retail price, according to a department source. Packs are also subject to an additional tax of 1.25 baht per cigarette, regardless of the retail price. If the cigarette importers set the imported product at a very low retail prices to woo smokers, the department can opt to not approve their prices, the source said. The department has information on the price structure of all cigarette brands, their previous retail prices, and their net profit margin, the source added. The department expects additional cigarette excise revenue from the current cigarette tax structure of 3.5 billion baht, on top of the existing 62-billion-baht cigarette excise revenue.
