Police have issued summonses for actor Boromvudh “Mick” Hiranyasthiti and his actress wife Pornchita “Benz” Na Songkhla to acknowledge charges of making exaggerated advertisements for their food supplement products.
The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) sought an opinion from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the celebrity couple’s advertisements for a supplement that they claimed could help reduce weight by 14 kilogrammes. The FDA reportedly said such claims were tantamount to making an exaggerated advertisement.
The couple have been asked to appear at the CPPD office in Chatuchak district of Bangkok on June 17, said a police source.
They face charges of violating Sections 40 and 41 of the 1979 Food Act, which prohibits deceptive advertising of the quality, usefulness or indicated uses of a food product. The offence carries a fine of up to 5,000 baht.
Earlier, Atchariya Reuangrattanapong, chairman of the Help Crime Victims Club, filed a complaint with consumer protection police about the weight-loss claim the couple had made. Such false advertisements were in violation of Sections 40 and 41 of the 1979 Food Act, he said.
On Wednesday, the FDA posted on its FDA Thai Facebook page that the results of testing detected sibutramine in the ITCHA XS dietary supplement products of the ITCHA brand. The batch in question was manufactured on Jan 10, 2024 and carried an expiry date of Jan 9, 2026.
Ms Pornchita was a presenter for the product.
Sibutramine is an appetite suppressant that has been banned in many countries. Thailand banned it in 2010 because of side effects that can range from headaches to high blood pressure, heart attacks and kidney failure.
The agency warned people to be careful when buying these dietary supplement products, adding that it was working with related agencies on legal action against any wrongdoers.
