History of the Department of Internal Trade

In its early days, the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) primarily focused on promoting domestic trade. Its core responsibilities included fostering trade among Thais and general commerce, surveying prices, and reporting on the movement of essential consumer goods and their sources of production. This information was used to support and assist producers in achieving fair prices and to resolve trade issues affecting the public's cost of living.

During wartime, the domestic economy was unstable. Addressing shortages and price increases became a responsibility of the Ministry of Commerce, with all agencies, including the DIT, working closely together to resolve these issues. After the war ended, commodity prices rose rapidly. It became the DIT's duty to procure sufficient goods for shops to stabilize prices and prevent them from becoming excessively high.

1944-1952

Between 1944 and 1952, the Ministry of Commerce reorganized its administrative structure and transferred many functions to the DIT. The work of the dissolved Department of Trade Control was transferred and reorganized into the Division of Trade Control and the Division of Rice Control. This expanded the DIT's mandate from solely promotional activities to include regulatory functions. Subsequently, the departmental structure was further modified in 1979, 1992, and 1999 to align with evolving responsibilities and circumstances.