BSA Law Urges Legal Advice for Fitness Centre in Expectation of New Laws

The Thai Consumer Protection Board is pushing for a review of fitness centers, after a record number of consumer complaints in recent months. A top lawyer says many contracts border on infringing the Unfair Agreements Act, and BSA Law is urging an industry-wide review of documents to avoid prosecution. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) February 23, 2009 - BSA Law is urging fitness centers to review their customer contracts, after a push by the Thai Consumer Protection Board for a crackdown on unfair contracts.

The push comes after a record number of complaints by consumers against fitness centers, mostly concerned with unfair service contracts. The three market leaders received a combined ~750 complaints from 2005 to 2008. The most complained-about company was California Wow, with 576 of the complaints, but there are nine companies with significant complaint numbers.

Chaiyos Hemarajata, a special adviser at BSA Law, believes this may be enough to cause an industry-wide review of contracts. "While customers cannot necessarily expect much more than a partial refund of their service fee, the consequences for fitness centers found to be breaching the law could be dire".

"These contracts border on infringement of the Unfair Agreements Act, and in some cases large punitive damages may be awarded", Mr Hemarajata continued.

The push for tighter controls on fitness centers is gaining wider support, with the CPB working to have fitness centers classified as a controlled business, so that authorities can examine legal contracts and commercial practices more closely. Other Thailand lawyers also believe that consumers should take complaints to court, so that precedents can be set. The Health Department has also joined the push, saying that the service quality at fitness centers needs to be standardized also.

About BSA Law:

For nearly 30 years, Bamrung Suvicha Apisakdi Law Associates (BSA Law) has focused on providing reliable legal advice and services to the Thai and foreign business community in Thailand. BSA Law seeks to provide international standards of legal services while retaining the customs of the Thai business culture.

For more information please contact:

Jim Byrne
Business Advisor, BSA Law.
Email: jim ( @ ) bsalaw dot co dot th
http://www.bsalaw.co.th

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