Supamas is tightening controls on online lending businesses after uncovering "contract traps" that impose complex conditions, pressuring consumers into long-term disadvantages. She is preparing to overhaul OCPB laws to enforce penalties.
On 25 April 2026, Ms. Supamas Isarapakdi, Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, revealed that Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul is concerned about consumer protection when using online services, especially "digital contracts" in lending. These contracts can become a channel for businesses to exploit consumers by imposing excessive terms, causing many consumers to fall into "contract traps" from online loan applications and service subscriptions with complex conditions that disadvantage consumers over time. In her role overseeing the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB), she has ordered the OCPB to urgently address these issues and establish contract standards to protect consumer rights. She emphasized the OCPB must play a strong role in regulating "lending businesses" and electronic contracts to ensure maximum fairness for the public.
Recently, Mr. Ronarong Phulphipat, Secretary-General of the OCPB, outlined three concrete approaches to enhance consumer protection.
1. Establish measures for proactive enforcement of contract laws, including the announcement by the Contract Committee declaring consumer lending businesses as contract-regulated enterprises under the 2022 announcement. This requires businesses to use contract terms as specified and prohibits unfair conditions, such as disclosing borrower information to third parties without written consent. This applies to both written and electronic contracts, which must comply with this announcement.
2. Issue announcements to regulate contracts in businesses potentially impacting consumers, such as condominium sales, hire-purchase of tractors and agricultural machinery, car and motorcycle rental services, and beauty service businesses. These regulations will also cover electronic contracts.
3. Integrate cooperation among government, private sector, and citizens to review, update, and amend laws to keep pace with the digital world and changing circumstances.
Furthermore, the OCPB will review the 2022 Contract Committee announcement designating consumer lending businesses as contract-regulated to establish standard contracts, promoting fairness in contracts between businesses and consumers, whether in paper or electronic form, under the concept "OCPB Close to You, Reassuring Consumers."
If you experience unfair contract practices or hardships in any case, you can seek advice via the OCPB hotline at 1166 and file complaints through the OCPB Connect app or the OCPB website www.ocpb.go.th, available 24 hours.