Complaints against doctors average 30 cases per month. The Medical Council indicates the threshold for license suspension ranges from 6 months to 2 years. Most cases involve beauty products, dietary supplements, and exaggerated advertising claims.
According to a post on the Facebook page Drama-Addict on 26 Feb 2026, the Medical Council plans to disclose disciplinary actions against medical practitioners next week. The post also referenced a warning issued last year about inappropriate behavior by some doctors.
The post states that the Medical Council has received complaints about doctors advertising or endorsing health products, such as weight loss supplements, skin whitening products, or items claiming to adjust hormones. Investigations follow established procedures, and if ethical violations are confirmed, punishments range from warnings and license suspensions to revocation of medical practice licenses.
Historically, the Medical Council has not publicly disclosed the names of disciplined doctors. However, some doctors have been repeatedly complained about and, despite warnings, have not changed their behavior, continuing to advertise and sell products. Therefore, next week the council will reveal names and details of misconduct to inform the public of the reasons for penalties.
Additionally, the Medical Council reminds all doctors that advertising or endorsing health products with exaggerated claims or misleading the public is prohibited. Doctors must not present themselves as endorsers to lend credibility to products. Such acts are serious ethical offenses punishable by license suspension or revocation.
Amid these reports, “Doctor Khongkwan” or Dr. Khongkwan Fujitnirand, a dermatologist and beauty specialist, announced she is returning her medical license. She disputed the connection between the Drama-Addict post and her resignation via her Facebook page Doctorkatekate, questioning whether her name would appear next week as being suspended or publicly shamed. She explained that normally the suspension process involves multiple investigations, opportunities to respond, and appeals, but she had not received any official notification from the Medical Council.
After submitting her resignation, she explained her reasons, citing disagreement with the management structure, rule-making, and discretionary interpretations she viewed as unfair. She also questioned the scope of doctors’ freedom to express opinions on health products and public political issues.
She stated that “medical ethics” are fundamental to the profession, but if interpretation depends on the discretion of a few individuals without clear standards, structural problems arise. She compared this situation to other independent organizations like the Election Commission and the Office of the Auditor General.
The Thairath Online special news team asked Honorary Prof. Dr. Amorn Leelarasamee, Medical Council committee member and former president of the Medical Association, about the controversy over doctors’ advertising. He explained that Thai law clearly prohibits doctors from advertising and especially forbids exaggeration or misleading claims. The key legal bases are the Medical Profession Act of 1982 (B.E. 2525), laws on health product advertising overseen by the Food and Drug Administration, and related subordinate legislation under advertising regulations.
Regarding revoking medical practice licenses, Prof. Amorn said license revocation is a severe punishment requiring investigation and legal procedures, sometimes court rulings. Most penalties are temporary license suspensions rather than permanent revocations.
In cases involving advertising by beauty clinics or cosmetic products that violate medical ethics, license suspension periods range from about 6 months to 2 years or longer. These depend on investigation results and legal processes with clearly defined regulations.
Prof. Amorn also noted that in the future, there may be increased disclosure of offenders’ names, prioritizing public protection and transparency.
Statistics show that doctors in the beauty sector receive about 30 complaints per month, reflecting that advertising and product information remain high-risk areas.
Furthermore, the Medical Council is ready to provide consultation and review channels to determine whether content or conduct constitutes illegal advertising, using existing legal mechanisms for case-by-case consideration.