Bangkok: The Consumer Council will proceed with class action lawsuits by early August.

According to Thai News Agency, in the case where NETA electric car users complained to the Consumer Council about issues such as delays in delivering white license plates and shortages of spare parts for repairs, the Consumer Council and the victim groups found that the explanations provided by NETA and dealers did not solve the problems in practice nor cover the actual damages to consumers. Consequently, the Subcommittee for Screening Litigation, Consumer Council, resolved to approve the lawsuit to assist consumers in the form of a class action lawsuit. On July 4, 2025, the Consumer Council held its first meeting on the matter to discuss the approach to filing lawsuits to cover consumer damages.

Mr. Sopon Noorat, Head of Consumer Protection and Protection Division, stated that the Consumer Council has invited lawyers responsible for class action cases to meet with the core victims to prepare to file the lawsuit. It is anticipated that the preparation process will take no more than 30 days, or within this August.

For future operations, aside from setting guidelines for groups of victims to pursue legal action, the Consumer Council will arrange a meeting with the finance company to address and resolve issues for those unable to cancel their car return contracts.

Lt. Col. Somchai Amin, Consumer Protection Lawyer of the Consumer Council, mentioned that after gathering information on consumer needs, the team of lawyers will meet with the Consumer Council to organize the damages into categories for each type of victim. This includes selecting representatives to act as plaintiffs for each type of damage, which will require further meetings.

During discussions with the victims, several concerns were identified, such as the refusal of service centers to repair damaged cars, the unavailability of spare parts, and potential safety issues with continued use of the cars. Lt. Somchai highlighted that some cars were defective shortly after purchase, with incidents such as battery failure occurring within just 12 days. Other victims expressed desires to return their cars for refunds or to receive the promised spare parts. Even those without immediate issues were concerned about potential future problems, which will be considered in determining damages.