Thais Need An Independent Consumer Protection Agency

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STREETWISE

Thais need an independent consumer protection agency

Achara Deboonme

BANGKOK: -- I have to admit that last week was the first time I had heard about Thailand's independent consumer protection agency. I only knew that under the 2007 Constitution, such an institution must be established to look into matters that affect consumers.

Thailand would be heaven if the agency is established. It would be a kingdom that nobody would want to leave if consumers' rights are protected.

We have ombudsmen for this and that, but most of the issues at stake seem so distant for the average person. When you are overcharged for services, where do you go? Most people need to pay bills in return for the continuation of services. If the services are not necessary, they pay the bill but never again use the service. Some make the effort to file complaints with the Consumer Protection Board, which has limited manpower and takes years to settle complaints.

Before going on an overseas trip, one of my friends bought a data roaming package. Once it ran out, she thought it would be okay to briefly read and send mail. Returning to Bangkok, she found that it had cost her tens of thousands of baht. She contacted the mobile phone operator, to get the exact information on the data transmitted. The company, however, kept saying that she was charged accordingly, without telling her the exact data size. Luckily, she works in the media and the mobile phone operator agreed to cancel the bill.

One of my friends had a very bad experience after returning from a trip to Italy. There, she used her debit card to withdraw money twice. A month later, she found that her account was almost empty, with hundreds of thousands of baht having been withdrawn. She contacted the bank and found that nearly 20 withdrawals took place, via ATMs in St Petersburg, Russia. Despite knowing that she was never in St Petersburg, the bank denied responsibility. The case went to the existing Consumer Protection Board and to a TV channel. It was only then that the bank admitted it was a fraud case and agreed to return her money.

Weeks earlier, I also planned to file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Board. It surprised me when I received a notice that I'd failed to pay Bt200 for two-month water bills. For years I'd used a bank's debit service for utility bills. One day, the water meter was turned off. I had to visit the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) office in Min Buri, where I had to pay Bt600 for reconnection to the water supply and settle the unpaid bills. The officer told me that the bank simply stopped the debit service. And to re-connect the service, I had to pay the Bt600 fee.

I checked with my bank about what had happened. They said they would never cancel a debit service without an order from the customer. The bank book showed my account was last debited in May last year, the same time when the government waived water fees to help lower the cost of living. (I didn't want the waiver even though I was eligible because of low water consumption. But how could I tell the government?)

On the advice of a bank officer, I had to file a new request for a debit service. I didn't mind that, but who would shoulder the Bt600 reconnection fee and the time I had to waste in solving the issue? It was infuriating, particularly when we're told the MWA has been acclaimed as one of the best state enterprises for years.

Private companies can also be annoying. Recently, I went to a mobile phone operator's branch to terminate a mobile phone number. Instead of clearing the bill once and for all, the officer told me I could clear some then but would receive another bill later. Yes, that means another trip to Tesco-Lotus to settle the bill.

In an age when technological advance can facilitate an easier lifestyle, you could still be disappointed. Tired of paying bills at 7-Eleven for home Internet service, I contacted the service provider, asking for the annual pay conditions. One benefit was a 5-per cent discount, but I couldn't change any promotions thereafter. During the paid period, I couldn't change anything involved with the service. And when the year ended, if I wanted to opt for monthly payment, I'd have to send documents to the company. I couldn't simply call them to request a change. In my mind was the concern that the company might not receive my documents but still charge my credit card for the annual bill? I don't understand why a high-tech company resort to something so complicated.

I've learnt that the independent consumer protection agency will look into things like this, aside from things like fees levied by banks and so on. In Australia, consumers can change their power supplier if they are displeased with the service offered by the existing supplier. Here, we have to endure without choices. Dear government, please make this happen. Things like this can be more annoying than watching politicians bark at each other during no-confidence debates.

-- The Nation 2012-12-04

[jaltsc]

The only "independent" consumer protection agency which might work and be effective here is one whose members were from outside of Thailand. Otherwise, I see the opportunity for the largest corrupt agency this country has ever experienced. And that is saying something.

Edited December 4, 2012 by jaltsc

[rkidlad]

Yeap, I can't help but feeling that with corruption the way it is that it just wouldn't work.

Also, a lot of people who own companies seem to think they're better and more important than their customers. Giving refunds, etc for shoddy services and inferior products would be an admission of exactly that - shoddy service and inferior products.

[whybother]

That nasty 2007 constitution. It should be scrapped.

[rheinwiese]

An indepedant agency? In Thailand?

[smutcakes]

I wonder if the author of this article's friend who 'works in the media' and had there tens of thousands of baht bill waived, is going to now keep quiet about it- or they would take it upon themselves as they are in the media to raise this subject into the public sphere.

I expect the acceptance of the bill waiving is tantamount to a bribe to not write anything, which seems to have been eagerly accepted.

[Thai at Heart]

Can anyone imagine how long one might have to wait to get something like this through the courts

I know life expectancy is rising but. Better start taking those pills that claim to make me live longer, get bigger tits and turn whiter.

[Hugo6]

That nasty 2007 constitution. It should be scrapped.

like there were no consumer protection laws before the coup

[Thai at Heart]

That nasty 2007 constitution. It should be scrapped.

like there were no consumer protection laws before the coup

They can't even work out what constitutes misleading advertising or not.

[maidu]

The list of things that need monitoring/fixing could go on for pages. I buy materials and tools for construction. Lots of inferior and misleading products.

Banks: Credit card companies won't answer the phone with a real person, not even after waiting 40 minutes or more. C.Card companies intentionally sending bills late, so they can get at least the 1st month's % payment. Banks charging more for a letter of credit for white faces than brown faces. Double pricing on park entry fees, .....don't get me started.

Charging for services, even when those services are interrupted for long periods. There is no such thing as 'pro-rated' fees in Thailand.

[smutcakes]

The list of things that need monitoring/fixing could go on for pages. I buy materials and tools for construction. Lots of inferior and misleading products.

Banks: Credit card companies won't answer the phone with a real person, not even after waiting 40 minutes or more. C.Card companies intentionally sending bills late, so they can get at least the 1st month's % payment. Banks charging more for a letter of credit for white faces than brown faces. Double pricing on park entry fees, .....don't get me started.

Charging for services, even when those services are interrupted for long periods. There is no such thing as 'pro-rated' fees in Thailand.

The Banks are appalling for the additional charges.

I have a Bangkok Bank Current and savings account registered to a Bangkok Branch. The other day I went into a branch in Chonburi and wanted to transfer money from my Current account to my savings account, and they charged me 600 baht 'because its in a different province'. Thats about $20 for an internal bank transfer. Its criminal. Even doing a similar transfer in the branch i am registered in is about $5.

[Thai at Heart]

The list of things that need monitoring/fixing could go on for pages. I buy materials and tools for construction. Lots of inferior and misleading products.

Banks: Credit card companies won't answer the phone with a real person, not even after waiting 40 minutes or more. C.Card companies intentionally sending bills late, so they can get at least the 1st month's % payment. Banks charging more for a letter of credit for white faces than brown faces. Double pricing on park entry fees, .....don't get me started.

Charging for services, even when those services are interrupted for long periods. There is no such thing as 'pro-rated' fees in Thailand.

The Banks are appalling for the additional charges.

I have a Bangkok Bank Current and savings account registered to a Bangkok Branch. The other day I went into a branch in Chonburi and wanted to transfer money from my Current account to my savings account, and they charged me 600 baht 'because its in a different province'. Thats about $20 for an internal bank transfer. Its criminal. Even doing a similar transfer in the branch i am registered in is about $5.

If they go down this route and ever get a regulator who investigates oligopoly or cartel behaviour, that will really put the cat among the pigeons for the old money in Bangkok.

[Ricardo]

Is it even possible to protect consumers, against poor service or deals by Thai companies, without the agency getting sue for libel by the companies thus named-and-shamed ?

[whybother]

That nasty 2007 constitution. It should be scrapped.

like there were no consumer protection laws before the coup

Yes ... it looks like there weren't.

[Thai at Heart]

Is it even possible to protect consumers, against poor service or deals by Thai companies, without the agency getting sue for libel by the companies thus named-and-shamed ?

Probably not. All I know is that there is absolutely no reason for any major companies to improve their services because they are is a lack of competition and the consumer is toothless.

I always love it when a customer takes his "lemon" car back to the dealer (which are of course foreign companies), and smash it up in frustration. Creating an empowered consumer is actually rather akin to democracy. Allowing the little guy his voice. Shows how times change huh. The consumer in Thailand is overcharged and gouged here and there, this maybe the start of something quite beautiful. Competition.

Edited December 4, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[Hugo6]

That nasty 2007 constitution. It should be scrapped.

like there were no consumer protection laws before the coup

Yes ... it looks like there weren't.

yes ... it looks like you have no idea what you are talking about

[whybother]

That nasty 2007 constitution. It should be scrapped.

like there were no consumer protection laws before the coup

Yes ... it looks like there weren't.

yes ... it looks like you have no idea what you are talking about

Well, there certainly doesn't seem to have been provision for a consumer protection agency.

[Hugo6]

like there were no consumer protection laws before the coup

Yes ... it looks like there weren't.

yes ... it looks like you have no idea what you are talking about

Well, there certainly doesn't seem to have been provision for a consumer protection agency.

your post wasn't really concerned about consumer protection in the first place

[Thai at Heart]

Could anyone genuinely imagine where this leads in Thailand.

Just about every major milk childrens milk manufacturer is on the hook for not boosting the country's IQ after 40 years of pushing their product down childrens throats.

[ttelise]

Really. Blow your consumer rights. How about protecting human rights. Acting and talking like little money grubbing monkeys, especially when I see videos and stories like that one under the Thailand civil liberties ranking.

[cup-O-coffee]

Consumer protection?!?!?!

Impossible here. Everything (and I mean everything) is fuc_ked up in this schizophrenic system that they call commerce and consumerism, or any other labels they plageurize to mask their childish charades. There are idiots on both sides of the counter, and now some more idiots want to form a group to try to sort out idiotic conflict that is structured on wobbly, ungoverned rules and regs; all of which have no unified standard as THE basis to begin with.

Consumer protection. Hah! This is the joke of the day, right? Achara Deboonme sounds like a bubble-gum-chewing teeny-bopper with more air in his or her head than the Goodyear Blimp.

[whybother]

your post wasn't really concerned about consumer protection in the first place

It was about that nasty 2007 constitution that put in a provision for a consumer protection agency. It should be scrapped.

[BirdsandBooze]

The attitude here is that the customer is always wrong.

[Pimay1]

your post wasn't really concerned about consumer protection in the first place

It was about that nasty 2007 constitution that put in a provision for a consumer protection agency. It should be scrapped.

It truly amazes me how quite a few people posting on this board cannot recognize satire.

[FarangTalk]

The attitude here is that the customer is always wrong.

I mislike the way the employee looks offended when I make a complaint about service. You are employed in a service industry dealing with the public; it's your job!

There will never, ever be proper consumer protection in Thailand. Caveat emptor.

[bigbamboo]

An agency that provided protection from politicians would be better.

[BirdsandBooze]

An agency that provided protection from politicians would be better.

The population of most countries would aspire to have such an agency, if their political masters would just allow it

[Hugo6]

your post wasn't really concerned about consumer protection in the first place

It was about that nasty 2007 constitution that put in a provision for a consumer protection agency. It should be scrapped.

like i said

[EarthAlien]

What we need is a consumer protection agency that the people of Thailand can depend upon.

To that end the police should be put in charge of all complaints and resolution management as they have decades of experience in this regard and are feared by all for their fearless reputation in controlling traffic and crimes of injustice against ordinary citizens!

[Puwa]

FYI,there is an independent, non-profit "Foundation for Consumers" which has a very good track record of pursuing issues and cases related to product safety, fraud, etc. Of course that's not the same as having an empowered agency of the government.

http://www.consumerthai.org/main/index.php

"The Foundation for Consumers(FFC)was established in 1994 as a non-government and non-profit consumer organisation working directly with consumers to do policy and advocacy work. Originally, FFC started as a Coordinating Committee for Primary Health Care to coordinate health groups at the national level (1983). FFC is now the main leading consumer organisation in Thailand. It also helped to set up the Confederation of Consumer Organisations (CCOT), a non-governmental and non-profit network organisation comprised of 17 consumer organisations and groups around the country working on issues related to health, gender, agriculture, labour rights. FFC’s consumer magazine called Smart Buyer Magazine is an established bi-monthly magazine with more than 12,000 subscribers. FFC also established a Complaints and Legal Assistance Center in 1994 in conjunction with its Magazine. Relevant complaint cases are then relayed to the mass media, in particular through the weekly one hour television programme called Consumers Assembly."