Commission Needs New Law To Give It Teeth: Consumer Rights In Thailand

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CONSUMER RIGHTS

Commission needs new law to give it teeth

The Nation

Govt urged to push through law to protect public from unfair practices

BANGKOK: -- Consumer rights organisations are pushing for the passage of a new law to help an independent commission better protect consumers against unfair practices by both private and government sectors.

The Independent Consumer Protection Commission of the People's Sector, established in June, is seeking to address problems such as unannounced transaction fees imposed by various financial institutions, safety flaws in public-transportation systems and inequality in health-care schemes. However, it says, there are no laws to give it teeth.

"There have been repeated infringements on consumers' rights," commission member Supaporn Tinwattanakool said yesterday.

Dr Deunden Nikomborirak, also a commissioner and expert in finance and banking, said some consumers found that banks and financial institutions were charging them more than Bt2,000 for repayment or follow-up fees and many people were also unaware that some ATMs charged them for a simple cash withdrawal.

"In fact, the Bank of Thailand should require all financial institutions to inform customers of the fee before they start accessing the service," she said.

Deunden said the interest rate announced by many financial institutions for mortgage or instalment programmes these days was also rather misleading because the interest rate was always calculated based on the original principal.

"The rate is not calculated on the reduced principal after instalments are paid," she pointed out.

She and Supaporn were speaking at a press conference attended by up to 100 people, including representatives from relevant organisations such as the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, the Food and Drug Administration and the Internal Trade Department.

Little achieved after 15 years

Supaporn said consumers' rights activists had decided to establish the Independent Consumer Protection Commission of the People's Sector because the 15-year-long battle to push for the legislation of the Independent Consumer Protection Commission Act had not delivered satisfactory results.

The Independent Consumer Protection Commission Bill is still stuck in the Parliament, she said.

Sureerat Trimanka, who also works with the commission, said the government was being unfair to members of the social security scheme by demanding monthly contributions, when millions of other Thais get free treatment under the universal healthcare scheme.

"According to the Constitution, the government is duty-bound to ensure that people have equal access to healthcare services," she said.

Commission member Jiraporn Limpananon said the agency had drafted a strategy to better protect consumers.

-- The Nation 2012-12-01

[asiawatcher]

Push though a law on what? You have to be kidding... Why don't these lame morons run some laws on corruption, something real, something that will actually benefit the country as a whole - not these penny antics from a bunch of do-gooders.

[EarthAlien]

Push though a law on what? You have to be kidding... Why don't these lame morons run some laws on corruption, something real, something that will actually benefit the country as a whole - not these penny antics from a bunch of do-gooders.

Yes,.. that would be really worthwhile but with respect I just can't think of how any laws on corruption would be enacted and then utilized when there are so many politicians that would obstruct such laws being passed as that would affect them personally and also upset the status quo for further incarnations of politicians to come (many of which may be family related or connected).

A real commitment to quashing corruption needs to be made by a very courageous and majoritarially "good" government which would need to spell out processes for dealing with corruption starting at the highest levels (where the real root of the problem always starts and ends). In Australia they have the "Royal Commissions" into corruption in which the presiding judges have sweeping powers up to and including the highest levels including the Prime Ministers office. This and only this (or something like it) would ever make any serious inroads into solving the rampant corruption and cronyism at the highest levels.

In the meantime we do need a consumer watchdog that has teeth as the current protection available to consumers of goods and services is virtually non existent and the civil courts are an absolute joke when it comes to resolution, judgement awards and execution of judgements (debt recovery).

When they start seriously fining and jailing offending company directors that are clearly complicit then we may start to see some changes. Until then its "MPR" and business as usual in Thailand and Som Nam Na to all victims!

[osiboy]

sounds like they may actually want to join planet earth !

[wirat69]

Anything could be better than the present OCPB. Lodged a complaint about KasikornBank's misleading advertising [when they claim service excellence]. Never heard from OCPB, did get a letter from BoT. However, the whole thing by KBank was to try and justify their poor service. What is the point of legislation about misleading adverts, false goods etc when those charged with responsibility go "Sabai Sabai. Where is the Tom Yum....

Edited December 1, 2012 by wirat69