Sudharma Yoonaidharma, a National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) member, said existing organisations had limited authority over consumer protection.

The comprehensive activities of the institute will cover consumer rights, consumer protection, collaboration with relevant organisations on consumer issues, receiving complaints and settling disputes between consumers and telecom operators.

Next month, the NTC will start the process of selecting the institute's workforce, creating its structure and preparing to train staff.

That will be finished within four months, during which the NTC will use its Bt40-million budget to set up the institute.

Next year, the institute will start handling consumer complaints at its branches nationwide and publicising its services. In the initial period, whenever there is a dispute between consumers and operators, the NTC will step in to look into the matter, until the institute has launched its own disputes mechanism.

The NTC has already invited three persons from consumer or-ganisations, including Saree Ongsomwang, secretary-general of the Foundation for Consumers, to establish the institute jointly.

"We want the institute to be an independent body and its service to cover the entire country," said Sudharma.

In its first phase of operation, the institute will have 10 customer-complaint centres, to be increased to 40 later.

Earlier, Sudharma had asked the NTC to set aside 35 per cent of its annual regulatory revenues to fund the institute's annual operations, but the commission called the amount too high. It asked Sudharma to propose a more appropriate level of funding.