Bangkok Post : A warning for merit-makers

For many Buddhists, buying an already packed religious offering, or Sangkha Tan package, these days is no different from purchasing a book - you cannot judge it by its cover.

These nicely wrapped plastic buckets and plastic boxes of offerings are widely on sale in leading department stores, supermarkets and small community shops for Sangkha Tan merit-makers.

The term Sangkha Tan literally means the giving of things to monks or their representatives without specifying the recipients.

With average price ranging from 150 to 600 baht, these ready-made packages come in sizes and shapes capable of visually convincing you that you have made the right pick both quality- and quantity-wise.

But upon unwrapping the packets contained inside, the monks or the needy who are dependent on the temples for a handout for survival have frequently found the contents unsavoury.

"On many occasions, food items have been found to be unappetising due to the strong smell of soap or detergent packed together with them," said Phra Lomnit Chutinatharo of Wat Sirikamalawas in Bangkok.

"We've received many big Sangkha Tan buckets in which only half of the items were usable," he said. "Sometimes the bottom half of the bucket is filled with bottled water or even left empty."

If you're not careful, your good intentions could turn into an inefficient use of money as many products packed in such packages are not only of low quality, unusable, inedible, unneeded but also overly-supplied.

For example, toothbrushes are too stiff, flashlights broken, and robes too thin, making them unfit for the monks to wear. Even packets of items like teabags or incense sticks are almost hollow as they are packed with just a very small volume of the pieces.

A few years ago, there were complaints about low quality, expired products in Sangkha Tan buckets, including a lack of labelling which took advantage of merit-makers.

The Office of the Consumer Protection Board then issued a notification in January 2007, stipulating that each package must have a label to inform buyers of the quantity and brand of the items they hold.

Despite the effort, the OCPB reported that last year alone, over 50% of packages it randomly inspected nationwide failed to adhere to the labelling regulation. The majority were those sold in small shops.

The industry, which generates an annual revenue of around 800 million baht, is also dogged by other concerns.

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Commerce Ministry's Department of Internal Trade (DIT) issued warnings to buyers urging them to be cautious when buying Sangkha Tans.

The FDA warned that food and medical supplies should not be incorporated with detergent or other hazardous items in a same pack because users would be at risk.

The DIT, meanwhile, was concerned about the poor quality and disproportionate quantity of the products.

Consumers are also being told not to buy unlabelled packages because they risk being cheated as the products could be overpriced or substandard.

But Jatiya Luangvilawan, owner of a small grocery store, said labelling did not always mean the things it held were of better quality.

She said her store keeps them unwrapped so customers can open them up and check the items and make changes if they so desire.

When the Bangkok Post surveyed a number of leading discount stores and supermarkets, it found that the complaints were not unjustified.

Despite the labels, many Sangkha Tan packages contained cheap, unknown brands of products. On top of that, packs of some items were only half-filled.

At the same time, buyers are also forced to pay for a Sangkha Tan preparation cost of up to 60 baht and up to 95 baht for the bucket that comes with it.

Chayanit Dasree, a shopper, said she hardly read through the list of products stated on the labels. "I just take a quick look and check the list but no other details about the brands or the quantity and quality of the goods. I don't have the time for that," she said.

Monthacha Sudamphan, Tesco Lotus' vice president of corporate affairs, said the company had measures to control the standard of this line of products.

But the store also has a policy not to make available for sale small amounts of certain items because this responds to customers' need to have a variety of offerings, she said.

Ruedee Euachongprasit, Big C supercentre's director of corporate affairs, said Sangkha Tan products had been popular, accounting for 10% of the company's home items and generating an annual sale of 150 million baht.

Big C demands its suppliers ensure religious packages are provided with products of well-known brands that meet the FDA's quality control standards, she said. The OCPB and FDA, however, have advised Buddhists to prepare the packages themselves.

The products can be things that they think would suit the needs of monks and not include too many things.

Contact Buyer Beware: consumers@bangkokpost.co.th