8 typical issues affecting Thai customers are discussed

Eight prevalent issues that affect Thai consumers on a daily basis and degrade their quality of life have now been compiled by the Thailand Consumers Council. The TCC listed these annoyances for Thai consumers across a range of industries, provided some solutions, and encouraged senators and the Cabinet to intervene and enact rules. Public transportation is very expensive, subpar product manufacturers have defrauded consumers, private hospital services are very expensive, public service providers have taken advantage of the public, marijuana is being misused as a recreational drug and a food additive, there are administrative hurdles to installing home solar systems, and real estate developers use scammers to call from call centers and send SMS messages. During a meeting with the Senate Committee on Human Rights, Rights and Liberty and Consumer Protection on Monday, the TCC presented the list of problems they identified in the areas of the environment, goods and services, health and medicine, accommodation and property, public utilities, telecommunication, and transportation.


They demanded more regulation of legalizing cannabis, which has led to widespread recreational use, and less regulation of solar panels, which cut utility rates for households.

They also requested that the government set some pricing caps for medical and transportation services. The TCC should engage in negotiations before filing civil cases against businesses when customers complain, according to the Senate panel’s secretary. The TCC has suggested that the cost of public transportation be capped at 10% of the minimum wage to the Cabinet. Additionally, they argued for legislation requiring private hospitals to adhere to the National Health Security Office’s set prices for urgent treatment. Private hospital costs are determined by the Medical Council of Thailand, but the TCC argued that because of the council’s strict salary requirements, healthcare is unreasonably pricey. When they arrive in an emergency and are unable to choose which hospital to go to, they commonly find themselves bankrupted by much more expensive private hospital expenses.

In the case that a buyer’s application for a bank loan is turned down and the sale falls through, the TCC contended that real estate developers shouldn’t be permitted to keep the money that consumers deposit to purchase homes or condominiums. The TCC also called for legislation to address the issue of consumers being taken advantage of by businesses supplying goods and services as well as real estate developers. This law would hold sellers and manufacturers accountable for defective products. The TCC requested the government to act more vehemently against scammers operating out of contact centers that utilize phone calls and SMS messages to deceive clients in a variety of ways. Authorities recently detained a man who was trafficking Chinese contact center scam workers in order to draw attention to calls coming from IP phone lines that are likely to be used by scammers.

The Senate committee urged the TCC to collaborate with the Office of the Consumer Protection Board and exchange information in order to promote consumer protection and advocacy for Thais. The Land of Smiles is not always rosy; there are scam calls and texts, taking advantage of, and high costs.