PATTAYA, Thailand – Thailand is strengthening oversight of beauty clinics by requiring doctors advertising cosmetic services to clearly display their real names and medical licence numbers, as authorities move to prevent consumers from falling victim to unlicensed practitioners. Government spokesperson Lalida Pritsviwatthana said the administration under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is prioritizing consumer safety, particularly for people seeking beauty and cosmetic treatments. The government is supporting stricter professional standards and stronger law enforcement to prevent individuals from falsely claiming to be doctors. The Medical Council of Thailand has issued a new regulation on advertising for cosmetic and beauty services by medical professionals, which came into effect on July 3, 2026. Under the regulation, doctors promoting cosmetic services must clearly show their full names and medical licence numbers.
If doctors use nicknames in advertisements, the nickname must appear together with their real name in the same format, size and colour, allowing consumers to verify the identity and professional status of the service provider. The government spokesperson said Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Supamas Isarakul has instructed the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) to increase monitoring of the beauty industry and work closely with the Medical Council of Thailand, the Department of Health Service Support, and the Royal Thai Police. Authorities will focus on investigating and taking legal action against people falsely claiming to be doctors and businesses that violate regulations. The move follows concerns over illegal cosmetic procedures, including Botox and filler injections performed by individuals without medical licences, which may put consumers at serious risk.
The government warned that Botox injections, fillers and other cosmetic procedures are medical treatments that must only be performed by licensed doctors at legally approved medical facilities.
Before receiving treatment, consumers are advised to check two important points: whether the person providing the service is a licensed doctor and whether the clinic is officially registered as a medical facility. People who encounter fake doctors or suffer harm from beauty services can report cases through the OCPB hotline 1166, the OCPB Connect application, the OCPB website, or provincial Damrongdhama centres. The government said it will continue strengthening consumer protection through professional standards and legal enforcement to ensure cosmetic services are safe, transparent and verifiable. (TNA)
