Thailand’s cabinet has approved a draft Lemon Law aimed at strengthening consumer protection by making sellers more accountable for defective goods, allowing buyers to seek repairs, replacements or compensation more easily when products fail within a specified period.
The new legislation shifts the burden of proof from consumers to sellers. Under the proposed law, if a product becomes defective within the legal warranty period, it will be presumed that the defect existed at the time of delivery unless the seller can prove otherwise.
Known formally as the Draft Act on Liability for Defective Goods, the Lemon Law marks a major change in consumer rights. Previously, consumers were largely responsible for proving that a product was faulty. Under the new framework, sellers must take responsibility for inspecting and addressing defects covered by the law.
The cabinet approved the draft law proposed by the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) on June 16. The bill will now be submitted to parliament for further consideration, said Supamas Isarabhakdi, the minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, who oversees the OCPB.
The government said the law would bring Thailand’s consumer protection standards closer to international norms while helping consumers obtain fair remedies more quickly and avoid lengthy legal disputes and unnecessary expenses.
The law provides four forms of consumer remedy depending on the severity of the issue: repair, product replacement, price reduction and contract termination.
Under the proposed protection period, defects in general consumer goods discovered within six months of delivery, and defects in cars found within one year, will be presumed to have existed from the outset.
Repair timelines are also clearly defined. Sellers must complete repairs for general goods and motorcycles within 60 days, while repairs for cars must be completed within 90 days from the date the product is received for servicing.
If sellers fail to complete repairs within the required timeframe, consumers will immediately have the right to request a price reduction, terminate the contract or claim damages under the law, preventing delays in repair processes.
The law also covers severe defects, such as products suffering system failures that prevent normal operation. In such cases, consumers may request an immediate replacement within the designated period: seven days for general goods and 14 days for electrical appliances and electronic devices from the date of delivery.
For automobiles with safety-related defects that cannot be fixed, sellers will be required to replace the vehicle with a new one of the same model.
The draft bill has already been vetted by the Council of State and has undergone public hearings involving citizens, businesses, and relevant agencies in accordance with Section 77 of the Constitution.
The Lemon Law will apply to transactions between businesses and consumers, business-to-business deals, hire-purchase agreements, credit-financed sales, and exchange contracts. However, it will exclude secondhand goods, live animals, and peer-to-peer consumer sales.
Source: Thai Government
