Police will prosecute a hospital and doctors who performed fraudulent "Face-off" rejuvenation surgery for the service promoter "Dr Xeping", who has been arrested.
Legal action will target one hospital and two surgeons that provided the rejuvenation service, claimed to make customers look 10-20 years younger, immigration chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn told a news conference on Thursday.
The move follows the arrest of Xeping Chaiyasarn and Bothamakorn Watananont at their house on Rattanathibet Road in Muang district of Nonthaburi on Wednesday.
They were detained for alleged public fraud. Ms Xeping claimed to be a doctor with expertise in plastic surgery, but actually had a doctorate in management and was not a beauty expert, Pol Lt Gen Surachate said. Mr Bothamakorn opened a bank account to receive money from customers.
Public fraud carries a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine up to 10,000 baht. Both suspects denied the charge, he said.
The arrests were in response to complaints laid by seven customers last month, that the surgical services they received did not turn out as advertised. The customers claimed they were cheated of about 5 million baht altogether.
They had signed up for the service after watching "Face-off by Dr Xeping" advertisements, which claimed to offer the best and scar-free facial surgery that would make customers look 10-20 years younger, Pol Lt Gen Surachate said.
The ads also offered discounts to customers, but when they arrived to sign their contracts the fees were hiked considerably and immediate payment demanded, before they even had an appointment for surgery at a hospital on Soi Lat Phrao 94 in Wang Thonglang district, he said.
After surgery, the customers suffered several swollen faces and severe facial pain and numbness for a few months. Besides, wrinkles remained and scars appeared, Pol Lt Gen Surachate said.
Ms Xeping, 41, made headlines when she held a press conference with veteran country singer Surachai Sombatcharoen, 63, in 2016, introducing the "Face-off" rejuvenation service claimed to make him look some 30 years younger.
Pol Lt Gen Surachate said Mr Surachai would not be held responsible in the case. He was innocent.
Veteran singer Surachai Sombatcharoen, left, appears at a press conference introducing the "Face-off" service with Xeping Chaiyasarn in Bangkok in March 2016. (File photo)