Financial Consumer Protection Center
With much more sophisticated financial products and services than ever, some consumers may not have enough knowledge and understanding of these complex financial products and services. Emphasizing on financial consumers’ right protection and financial literacy promotion, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) has officially established the Financial Consumer Protection Center on January 13, 2012. The center also aims to provide consumers with financial knowledge and understanding of their rights and responsibilities, enabling them to make decent financial planning and maintain financial discipline.
The FCC is tasked with two main responsibilities:
1. To serve as a one-stop service center to handle enquiries and complaints regarding financial products and services provided by the financial service providers under the Bank of Thailand’s, as well as fixing problems, coordinating, and tracking result of complaints. The FCC also provides information and advices about other BOT’s services such as banknotes, bonds, and foreign exchange regulations. Moreover, the FCC forwards problems, complaints, and suggestions to relevant authorities as input for supervision policy improvement in a bid to ensure financial institutions weigh consumers’ rights and treat them fairly.
2. To equip consumers with financial knowledge, literacy, and immunity in order to raise awareness and understanding of consumer rights and responsibilities, enable informed decision making, and avoid becoming victims of fraud.
Besides, the FCC also distributes useful information to promote financial literacy tailored for people of different age groups such as knowledge about savings for children, mortgage and hire purchase planning for working ages, financial and investment planning for retirement ages. These materials can be found at the FCC’s website www.1213.or.th, or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/hotline1213, or through exhibitions, lectures, and publications such as free booklets for interested persons.
Members of the press can find more information about the FCC at www.1213.or.th, or hotline 1213, or fax at 0-2283-6151, or e-mail at fcc@bot.or.th, or contact the Financial Consumer Protection Center in person at the BOT’s headquarters, the Northern region office, the Northeastern region office, and the Southern region office. Interesting information about financial services and financial consumer protection can also be found at external agencies such as Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Thailand Securities Institute (TSI), Office of Insurance Commission (OIC), National Credit Bureau, Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB), and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).