Buddhists in Thailand demand separate halal labels at 7-Eleven businesses

Buddhists from Buddhism Protection for Peace (BPP) in Thailand met yesterday in front of the CP Tower on Silom Road in Bangkok to deliver a message to the company’s executive board addressing the labeling of halal products. Internet users in Thailand suggested that demonstrators target the government organization that benefits from the introduction of halal labels rather than Muslims or convenience retailers. Praphat asserted that “Islamic laws and rules exploit our Buddhist faith.” Buddhists must preserve their own religion and declare that they do not demand goods to be labeled as halal. Since it doesn’t affect us, we shouldn’t have to pay more for the halal label. Businesses must go through the process, which treats each product separately, every year.
An article on Krua.Co claims that Thailand has the largest selection of halal products in the entire world. Furthermore, according to Long Tun Man, Thailand is the largest importer of halal food in the ASEAN region and ranks No. 12 globally. According to Praphat Kittiruedeekun, a representative of the BPP, every 7-Eleven convenience store in Thailand should have a separate shelf of goods without halal labeling. The group said that halal certification raised the price of goods. To incorporate a halal label on a product, businesses must prepare specific documents and submit them to the Central Islamic Council of Thailand. If everything is authorized, the restaurants will be required to pay a charge for the halal marking. Following that, businesses will be able to label their products as halal. Prior to the pandemic in 2020, halal food exports generated well over a trillion Thai Baht. A non-profit organization requested that 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand provide a special shelf for products without halal labeling. Praphat claims that 160,000 food products with the Central Islamic Council of Thailand’s halal certification are more expensive than comparable products without the mark. The majority of Thais, according to Praphat, are either Buddhists or Christians, and they shouldn’t be required to pay more for things simply because they are marked as halal. The council’s experts then investigate the company and the manufacturing process to certify that the product satisfies the required standards.