BANGKOK, Thailand – The Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) has secured more than 22.6 million baht in compensation for consumers over the past two months while advancing new measures to improve consumer protection. Between May and June 2026, the OCPB received 8,465 complaints, most involving online purchases, with 14.5 million baht in cases referred for prosecution, 6.2 million baht in court-ordered payments, and more than 1.9 million baht through settlements. Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Supamas Isarabhakdi said the Consumer Protection Board also approved 33 civil lawsuits against businesses involving claims exceeding 6 million baht, with most cases related to real estate, followed by services, consumer products, and online sales. The board also reviewed the proposed Liability for Defective Products Act, or Lemon Law, which passed its first reading in the House of Representatives in June and is now under review by a parliamentary committee.
The board also approved coordination with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society on enforcement involving online marketplace platforms, cooperation with the Ministry of Interior to introduce mandatory safety standards for pool villas, and proposed amendments to the Food Act to improve food product traceability. It also reviewed the sale of squishy toys found without proper labeling or Thai Industrial Standards Institute certification and discussed the death of a consumer linked to an online dietary supplement purchase. Mediation is scheduled for July 13, while joint operations by the OCPB, the Consumer Protection Police Division, and the Food and Drug Administration led to raids on three illegal steroid production sites, where more than 1.8 million items worth over 50 million baht were seized. Consumers can file complaints through the OCPB Hotline 1166, the OCPB Connect application, the ocpb.go.th website, or Damrongdhama Centers nationwide. (NNT)
