Wisdom V Academy, a company selling a further education guidance course, failed to provide 30 specialists who would provide advice on more than 100 professions to enrolled students at the Thailand Education Expo event
on July 20, 2024. The schedule of the event at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center also failed to correspond to the agreed dates. Furthermore, the students’ photographs have been used in the company’s advertisements without their permission.
Approximately one hundred parents gathered to file a complaint with TCC. There were three registration options for training courses: the VVIP course costs 1,290 THB, the VIP course costs 990 THB, and the standard course costs 590 THB. The company claimed that signing up for the courses would provide participants with additional benefits such as a designated activity zone, personal supervision, group projects with senior mentors, academic consultations, 30 tailored portfolio files, and a test resources package with answers. However, when parents brought their children to participate in the events, they did not receive the promised benefits. Around 700 students were impacted, with the total damage exceeding 600,000 THB.
The parents said that the event did not meet their expectations, for example, portfolios were given to the students without their actual engagement in the activities. They also questioned the company’s intention to organize events across the nation, which might be a potential violation of the PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act), as students’ images had been used for advertising on the company’s website without their consent.
(August 3, 2024). Ms. Saree Aongsomwang, Secretary-General of TCC; Mr.Itboon Onwongsa, Deputy Secretary-General of TCC; and Mr. Pattarakorn Tipbunrat, Deputy Head of the Consumer Protection and Advocacy Division, held a press conference at TCC’s Office on the issue which resulted in the damage to over 700 high school students.
“TCC does not want the public to dismiss this as a trivial issue, even though the individual damage is limited to a few thousand baht per person,” said Saree. The overall financial impact would be no less than 4 to 5 million Thai baht. After receiving the complaints, TCC has invited the company to discuss and settle the issue with the parents. TCC hopes that the company will compensate and rectify any damage caused to consumers. TCC will act on their behalf if compensation is not provided.
The Secretary-General stated that TCC requires the company to make sure that its operations are in line with its advertisement. If the company is unable to do so, they should suspend their activities. TCC also urges the relevant authorities to investigate these activities while the government agencies that have been invited to join the educational camp should assess the company’s credibility before participating. “We do not want complainants to be discouraged by procedural requirements such as data collection, timelines, or other obstacles. Please do not be afraid if you receive threats from this company. TCC is fully dedicated to ensuring that everyone receives justice. We respect the parents and students who came together to demand their rights. This is a warning to companies to ensure that their actions match their advertisements,” Saree stated.
