PATTAYA, THAILAND – A new volunteer network for consumer protection in food and health products was launched in Pattaya to better shield residents from dangerous offers and deception.
City hall ceremony marks official launch
The initiative was formally opened on the morning of 19 January 2026, when Wutthisak Rermkijakarn, deputy mayor of Pattaya, led the ceremony for the “Project to Promote the Network of Consumer Protection Volunteers for Food and Health Products.” The event took place in meeting room 401 at Pattaya City Hall, attended by Banlue Kullawanich, president of the Pattaya City Council, mayoral assistant Saksachai Charoenyukongrod and deputy city clerk Siwat Boonkoed. Heads of relevant agencies, municipal staff and volunteer representatives from several neighborhoods also joined, underscoring the project’s importance at community level.
Funding and goals of the new network
The project was financed through the Pattaya City Health Insurance Fund with the aim of deepening knowledge and understanding of consumer protection rights among volunteers and residents. Participants were prepared to observe and report suspicious incidents in their communities, highlight risks from unsafe goods and services, and advise people on their rights as consumers. The network was designed to help reduce commercial exploitation, false advertising and the use of unsafe food and health products.
Training on law, monitoring and advertising
At the launch event, speakers delivered presentations on relevant laws and consumer rights relating to food and health products. The program also included practical guidelines for monitoring and controlling goods at community level, along with advice on how to identify and prevent exaggerated or misleading advertising. In group discussions, volunteers shared experiences from daily life, followed by a final knowledge test to assess how well they had understood the content and connections.
Volunteers as first line in neighborhoods
Deputy mayor Wutthisak Rermkijakarn stressed the central role of the new structure.
“Consumer protection volunteers serve as a crucial mechanism to protect residents at community level.”
said Wutthisak, deputy mayor of Pattaya. He added that Pattaya attached great importance to building a strong civil society network with sufficient knowledge and skills to
“act as the front line in effectively protecting consumer rights.”
said Wutthisak, deputy mayor of Pattaya.
Stronger communities as long-term aim
Wutthisak expressed hope that the trained participants would apply what they had learned in their respective districts and become driving forces for safe, resilient neighborhoods. The event was documented journalistically by Siraprapha Thong Samut from the Public Relations Division of the Pattaya City Tourism and Sports Office and photographed by Thanaphong Unmak. English-language coverage of the project was provided by Adam Judd for The Pattaya News.