FDA Thailand criticised over ads

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Thailand should limit its activities to screening food and drugs for quality and not have a say on advertisements for the products, according to the Advertising Association of Thailand, the Bangkok Post reports today. Currently, the FDA has the authority to screen scripts and images used in food and drug advertisements for content that undermines public morals or culture. It can also ban inappropriate language or claims that it believes to be exaggerated. The association has written to Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan, requesting a meeting to discuss the FDA's role in approving advertisements, president Parames Rachjaibun said yesterday. Speaking at a seminar on advertising regulations, Parames said he also wanted the FDA to shorten the screening procedure to 10 days from 15. Manit Rattanasuwan, a former president of the Advertising Association of Thailand, agreed with Parames. Manit is now advising the Public Health Ministry in the drafting of a bill on advertising. He said he would put some of the association's suggestions into the draft bill before submitting it to the minister for approval. "The FDA should abide by the current law that it should be responsible only for examining the quality of food and drugs, and not cross over to scrutinise language and culture,''​ he said. Witawat Jayapani, managing director of advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather (Thailand) Co, said the association's proposals, if adopted, would make the advertising industry more creative and ease red tape. "Producing advertising under the scrutiny of the government does not stimulate people to use their brains,"​ he said. "I think it is time for Thailand to open up and believe that Thais can accept new trends in advertising.''​