Consumer Protection: Govt fails to address consumer complaints: Group

**StrontiumDog** · 22-12-2012, 01:56 AM

Govt fails to address consumer complaints: Group - The Nation

Govt fails to address consumer complaints: Group

The Nation December 22, 2012 1:00 am

Fraudulent fitness-club memberships, difficulty in claiming compensation from insurers, poor public transport services and harmful uncertified cosmetics are among the most common subjects of complaints filed with consumer-protection groups, the Foundation for Consumers (FFC) said yesterday.

Unannounced fees for using cash machines, denial of service to overweight passengers by taxi motorcyclists, double-charging for airline tickets bought online, and overcharging for utility bills during floods, meanwhile, are some of the odd or newer types of cases brought to the attention of groups under the consumer-protection network, FFC secretary-general Saree Aongsomwang said at a seminar in Bangkok yesterday.

The network outlined six issues that have been lodged with the government or the Office of Consumer Protection Board, but which it said have yet to be addressed: a bill introducing independent consumer-protection measures; complaints by clients of California Wow fitness centres; standardisation of healthcare services; fees charged to prevent expiry of cards for pre-paid services of all kinds; first-class life and accident insurance for passengers on all forms of public transport; and fair prices for LPG used for transportation, petrochemical and household use.

Saree said greater sanctions could be put in place to protect consumers if and when the consumer-protection bill was passed into law, something called for under Article 61 of the Constitution.

The complaints were lodged with the FFC at its offices in six regions of Thailand and with other consumer-protection groups between January and November this year, she said. She did not say how many complaints there were in total.

In the health-related sphere, the largest number of complaints - 680 - concerned allegedly fraudulent practices by the California Wow fitness club, she said. Complaints were also filed about medical-treatment standards, transfers of emergency cases between hospitals and varying service quality at hospitals.

Clients of commercial banks complained about being sued for payment for services or loans they never used or obtained. A common new complaint involved cash-machine transaction fees deducted from clients' accounts without any notification on the machine being used. There were a number of cases in which people complained of taxi motorcyclists refusing to take them to their destination, citing their weight.

**StrontiumDog** · 22-12-2012, 02:02 AM

**StrontiumDog** · 08-02-2013, 11:00 AM

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/o...-watchdog-bill

Tough battle ahead for long-awaited watchdog bill

Published: 6 Feb 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

This is a crucial moment for Thailand's consumer protection movement.

A group of activists pedal to the Royal Plaza lastWednesday as part of the ‘‘Consumer Justice Now’’ campaign, calling for parliament to pass a law that will put in place an independent body on consumerprotection. This morning, the activists will take part in a bike parade to parliament to urge lawmakers to speed up the final reading of the bill. APICHART JINAKUL

The establishment of an independent consumer protection agency, as stipulated by Section 61 of the constitution, has finally inched toward becoming a reality. A draft bill to set up the agency is now pending a final reading by the House and the Senate, who have already scrutinised the proposal earlier this year.

This morning, a network of consumer protection activists will kickstart a campaign titled "Consumer Justice Now" to sway lawmakers to prioritise passing the bill into law. The network vows to rally in front of parliament every Wednesday until the draft bill is slotted for the final reading.

It has indeed been a long affair, and contentious issues such as the amount of power to be handed to the agency has stoked fears that it could be even longer.

The bill is a product of the relentless efforts of a network of consumers and civil society groups.

To push for the independent consumer agency, the network applied bottom-up tactics, taking advantage of a constitutional right allowing citizens to propose bills to parliament if at least 10,000 eligible voters submit a petition to the president of the National Assembly. The network collected 12,000 names to sponsor the bill.

"This is not an 'NGO law'. It's a people's law," Saree Aongsomwang, secretary-general of the Foundation for Consumers, said during a recent forum on the draft bill.

The idea of having this type of independent body for consumer protection was conceived in Section 57 of the 1997 Constitution _ the so-called people's constitution. But the issue was ignored by lawmakers and efforts to push for this draft bill did not go anywhere.

In the absence of the independent consumer protection body, the Foundation for Consumers, which operates Chalard Sue "Smart Buyer" magazine", has been at the forefront of consumer protection, braving lawsuits by many businesses it has exposed. Now, finally, consumers may get the agency they deserve.

Once the bill comes into effect the law will put in place a 15-member commission. Seven commissioners will represent seven different fields of expertise _ finance and banking; public service; housing; healthcare; merchandise and services; telecommunications; and food, drugs and health supplement products. The remaining commissioners will be divided up among the country's regions. Each will be required to have at least three years of experience in consumer protection work.

The commissioners will be screened and elected by a committee comprising representatives from a group of leading NGOs and non-profit organisations, including the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the Community Organisations Development Institute.

Some lawmakers are reluctant to pass the draft, fearing it gives the agency too much power. Apart from overseeing consumer protection policy, the bill authorises the independent body to look into consumers' complaints and carry out inquiries while making public the names of the companies under investigation. After the inquiry, it can submit cases to the Office of the Attorney-General to pursue legal action in court.

Other sensitive elements that give lawmakers pause include the commission's annual budget _ a minimum of three baht per capita, or approximately 190 million baht.

While there are concerns this agency's role will overlap with the Consumer Protection Board, the two are different.

The board is a government agency under the PM's Office which, given its state agency status, faces curbs in pursuing consumer cases that involve state organisations. The board cannot file complaints against an increase in tollway fees or cooking gas prices, for example. The new consumer agency law will empower the consumer commission to do this, with cases against state agencies to be submitted to the Administrative Court.

The advantage of the pending bill is it is designed to close loopholes in consumer protection, especially overlaps between different state agencies which make it difficult for consumers to approach the right agency.

Ms Saree said the most important aspect of the bill is that it empowers consumers by ensuring their right to information so they can make good decisions.

"However, contentious issues like the amount of power handed to the commission may make it difficult for the bill to sail through parliament. Some politicians will oppose it in the final reading," she said.

If the Senate rejects the bill, the Lower House can still pick it up and reconsider the proposal within 180 days. But if the bill fails in the Lower House, activists will have go back to square one and draft a new bill.

Sixteen years since this bill was first proposed in accordance with the 1997 Constitution, the ball is finally in the lawmakers' court. It will require political will to make the right decision, and end the long wait for consumer protection.

Ploenpote Atthakor

-----
Cycle rally demands passage of consumer-protection law - The Nation

Cycle rally demands passage of consumer-protection law

Atapoom Ongkulna
The Nation February 7, 2013 1:00 am

A group of 200 Consumer Protection Network members yesterday organised a bicycle rally from the Royal Plaza to Parliament to draw attention to their demand that a law be passed to establish an independent consumer-protection organisation.

The group, led by Consumer Protection Foundation (CPF) chief Saree Ongsomwang, also submitted 107,905 names in support of its appeal for the lawmakers to take speedy action to establish the independent body as called for under Article 61 of the Constitution.

Such a body would be the eyes and ears of the public and protect consumers from being taken advantage of, Saree said.

The group said the draft legislation to establish the organisation was being considered by a joint House-Senate committee, pending addition to the House's meeting agenda. It wants the law, which it says would be useful to the public, to be put into effect.

Saying the law would create a new mechanism to better protect consumers, she urged the House and Senate to approve it so the prime minister could present it for the King's signature and announcement in the Royal Gazette, paving the way for its implementation. The bicycle campaign also aimed to educate people about Article 61 and the upcoming law's benefits to consumers, Saree said.

Wattana Sengphairoh, the spokesman for House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont, received the group's appeal letter and said he would notify Somsak about this matter.

**StrontiumDog** · 08-02-2013, 11:02 AM

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...d-bread-perils

Consumer group warns of packaged bread perils

Five of 14 samples found with excess preservatives

Published: 8 Feb 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

A consumer protection group has warned that nearly one-third of pre-packaged breads and pastries in supermarkets contain preservative agents that exceed food standard limits.

Patchara Klaewkla, of the Consumer Protection Foundation, said sandwich breads, croissants and sweet rolls available in some supermarkets were found to contain one or more preservatives that exceed accepted safe levels.

The warning is based on the recent findings released by Chalard Sue (Smart Buyers) magazine which took 14 random samples of bread and bakery products for testing for sorbic acid, benzoic acid and propionic acid, which are widely used for food preservation.

Based on the Public Health Ministry's 2004 announcement on food additives and the Codex General Standard for Food Additives, the limits for sorbic acid and benzoic acid combined are 1000 milligrammes per kilogramme.

There is no limit for propionic acid.

Of the 14 samples taken from the supermarkets, only eight were labelled as containing preservative agents. One claimed to have no preservatives and the labels of the other five mentioned noting about preservatives.
Mr Patchara said five of the 14 samples were found to have excessive amounts of preservative agents.

They are the 80-gramme red-bean bun manufactured by Tesco the Bakery; the 50g taro bun made by A-Plus; the 95g sausage roll by Baker Land; the 170g Vanilla roll by Sun Merry; and the 700g sandwich bread by Tesco.

The test was run at a laboratory operated by Regional Medical Sciences Centre 7 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Mr Patchara said authorities should consider suspending the licences of companies which failed the standard for breaking the food control law.

Thassanee Nan-udorn, chief of Chalard Sue's product safety test centre, said the three preservatives are used against micro-organisms. Benzoic acid is considered the most harmful among them. She said even though the body can get rid of these agents, consuming them more than the acceptable daily intake over a long period can cause kidney damage. " [The preservatives] can build up in the system. They can cause nausea, vomiting and stomach aches," she said. "In the long run, it can lead to kidney disease."

Consumers should choose baked goods that are made fresh rather than ones processed in a factory, she said. Buying products that note they are made without preservatives will also reduce the risk, she said.

A quality control manager at C&W Interfoods Plc, which makes A-Plus bread, said their product does not contain benzoic acid, only propionic acid. The manager, who declined to be named, said that the amount of sorbic acid does not exceed the limit while the maximum level of propionic acid is not defined.

Banyat Kamnoonwat, assistant vice-president of CP All Plc, which operates 7-Eleven stores, said the company will immediately inform its quality control department to inspect the products.

Tesco Lotus said it adhered to food safety standards.

Thread: Consumer Protection: Govt fails to address consumer complaints: Group

Thread Tools

Display

Consumer Protection: Govt fails to address consumer complaints: Group

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Posting Permissions