Consumer advocacy groups are calling for an independent consumer rights protection body to be incorporated into the draft charter.
The proposal had previously been deliberated in parliament twice but rejected both times due to political reasons, Surachai Liangboonlertchai, a deputy chairman of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), yesterday told a seminar on the independent consumer protection organisation bill.
The seminar was held in Bangkok by a network of consumer advocacy groups.
Judging by past experience of pushing for the independent consumer protection organsation bill under previous elected governments, he said, this might be the only chance to make it happen before the next election.
"This [consumer protection] is also a matter of human rights protection and should be treated with equal importance as other human rights issues such as child labour protection and illegal fishing," said Dech-udom Krairit, president of the Lawyers Council of Thailand.
State agencies with the authority to ensure consumer rights protection aren't interested in a new consumer protection body as they stand to lose their powers to the new organisation, he said.
It's crucial to include an independent consumer protection organisation in the new constitution because consumer advocacy organisations agree the organisation will be a key mechanism in protecting people's basic rights, said Jiraporn Limpananont, chairman of the Independent Consumer Protection Organisation.
The part of the draft charter that says consumer protection is a duty of the state and consumers should be supported in forming a group to fight for their rights is not sufficient, said Vithaya Kulsomboon, director of Social Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University.
He proposed the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) push to pass a draft law on an independent consumer protection organisation instead.
In another development, Saree Aongsomwang, the Foundation for Consumers secretary-general, yesterday marked World Consumer Rights Day by vowing to form a national consumer council to work to protect consumer rights alongside the movement pushing to pass the independent consumer protection organisation bill.
The council will comprise consumer representatives from across the country and play a key role in pushing for a proper probe into every case in which consumers are affected by sub-standard products or services, said Ms Saree.
The council would also have a role in pushing to pass the consumer protection organisation bill into law, she said.