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| Thailand warns against price-gouging of black clothing as nation mourns king | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Thailand’s government has warned of a national shortage of black clothing, which is flying off shelves as a distraught nation mourns beloved late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. | Thailand’s government has warned of a national shortage of black clothing, which is flying off shelves as a distraught nation mourns beloved late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. |
| The commerce ministry also said it would work with manufacturers to ensure a stable supply of mourning wear while threatening stiff punishments for price-gouging by merchants. | The commerce ministry also said it would work with manufacturers to ensure a stable supply of mourning wear while threatening stiff punishments for price-gouging by merchants. |
| Thailand has been plunged into grief by the death on Thursday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned as a deeply revered god-like figure for 70 years. | Thailand has been plunged into grief by the death on Thursday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned as a deeply revered god-like figure for 70 years. |
| A range of public activities have been cancelled and television programming and nightlife has been ordered to tone things down for the next month out of respect. | A range of public activities have been cancelled and television programming and nightlife has been ordered to tone things down for the next month out of respect. |
| The directives have raised some concern the economy would suffer, but sales of black clothing, at least, are booming. | The directives have raised some concern the economy would suffer, but sales of black clothing, at least, are booming. |
| The commerce ministry’s director-general of internal trade Nuntawan Sakuntanaga has called on consumers to put off purchases of mourning wear until manufacturers can catch up with demand. | The commerce ministry’s director-general of internal trade Nuntawan Sakuntanaga has called on consumers to put off purchases of mourning wear until manufacturers can catch up with demand. |
| “The supply of black shirts may be low for a few days but garment manufacturers have insisted that there will not be a shortage, while they will quote prices as normal,” she said, according to the Nation newspaper. | “The supply of black shirts may be low for a few days but garment manufacturers have insisted that there will not be a shortage, while they will quote prices as normal,” she said, according to the Nation newspaper. |
| Since the king’s death, black clothing was being sold at double the normal price in some cases, Nuntawan said. | Since the king’s death, black clothing was being sold at double the normal price in some cases, Nuntawan said. |
| Price-gougers could face fines of up to 140,000 baht ($3,900) and seven years in jail, she added. | Price-gougers could face fines of up to 140,000 baht ($3,900) and seven years in jail, she added. |
| Bhumibol was the only king most Thais have ever known, a father figure with an image of moral rectitude whose loss has profoundly touched millions in the country. | Bhumibol was the only king most Thais have ever known, a father figure with an image of moral rectitude whose loss has profoundly touched millions in the country. |
| On Friday tens of thousands of his grieving subjects, many holding aloft portraits of the king, lined the route of a motorcade that bore his body to the royal palace in Bangkok from the hospital where he died at the age of 88. | On Friday tens of thousands of his grieving subjects, many holding aloft portraits of the king, lined the route of a motorcade that bore his body to the royal palace in Bangkok from the hospital where he died at the age of 88. |