The government has ordered urgent action to address mounting problems with electric vehicles (EVs), including defects, service centre closures, and steep post-purchase price cuts.
Speaking after chairing a consumer protection meeting at Government House on Monday, Prime Minister's Office Minister Supamas Isarabhakdi said complaints had surged from consumers who bought EVs under the government's clean energy campaign.
The meeting included the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) secretary-general Ronnarong Poolpipat, representatives from the Thailand Consumers Council (TCC), and EV operators.
Ms Supamas said many consumers who switched to EVs in support of policies promoted by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had instead faced serious problems.
"Consumers bought EVs to support the government's alternative energy campaign during the energy crisis, but many are now dealing with defective vehicles, abandoned service networks, and rapid price cuts soon after purchase," she said.
She added that the complaints have raised wider concerns over vehicle safety, quality standards, spare parts, assembly processes, and after-sales service.
Between 2024 and 2026, the OCPB received 556 EV-related complaints, while the TCC received another 792, bringing the total to 1,348 cases. Of these, 402 disputes, or 72.3%, have been resolved.
The most common complaints were vehicle defects and malfunctions (47.3%), failure to refund booking deposits (18.2%), sharp price reductions after purchase (14.7%), failure to deliver promised promotional items (13.1%), and accidents or delayed repairs (2.9%).
Consumers also reported service centre closures in 329 cases (41.5%), defective or damaged equipment in 164 cases (20.7%), long waits for spare parts in 94 cases (11.9%), and inability to return vehicles after company closures in 52 cases (6.6%).
Ms Supamas stressed that vehicles are major household assets and consumers deserve fair treatment, adding the Consumer Protection Committee has approved civil lawsuits against operators to recover more than 103.1 million baht in damages.
Ms Supamas noted that EVs are classified as "label-controlled products" under the Consumer Protection Act, requiring businesses to provide clear and accurate product information.
The OCPB was also instructed to produce an "EV Labels" e-book compiling label information for every EV model sold in Thailand, along with guidance on consumer rights and pre-purchase checks.
