The battle over Dr Prakitpao Thomthitchong has shaken the confidence of doctors and nurses in charge of admitting the mentally disturbed, the Mental Health Department said yesterday.

"In this case the patient was brought to the hospital by his own family, but someone else complained and asked a court to intervene. Doctors don't know what to do in a case like this," director-general Somchai Chakrabhand said.

Psychiatrists fear someone might appear and dispute the diagnosis of a mental inpatient, he said.

The "tutorial king" was taken by his mother, older brother and wife to Srithanya Hospital on February 19 after he had, as they said, started acting in a paranoid fashion.

However, Pemmika Veerachatraksit, 24, claiming to be a "close female friend", called for Prakitpao's release, claiming he was mentally fit.

The Criminal Court on Friday ordered Prakitpao to be transferred to the Galaya Rajanagarindra Institute for a comprehensive check-up.

Somchai said the problem was that there was no law authorising guardians to commit someone for mental treatment. He said it was time there was a mental health act that specified who had legal authority to seek treatment for the mentally ill.

As it stands now, someone with a psychiatric problem can be consigned to a hospital only after committing a crime.

Somchai said he would very soon propose a draft mental-health bill for Cabinet consideration.

Prakitpao's family yesterday held a press conference at their home and blamed Pemmika for their problems and those of the doctor.

Dr Prakitphan, an elder brother of Prakitpao, said Pemmika and a group of people who claimed to be experts in meditation had used psychology to convince Prakitpao that his wife wanted to kill him for the family fortune.

Prakitphan alleged that his brother had become mentally unstable after joining a meditation course with Pemmika and her friends.

He said the group was also responsible for the high level of ephedrine in Prakitpao's body.

He said he would sue Pemmika.

Pleonjit Thomthitchong, Prakitpaos' mother, yesterday said in a six-page open letter to the media that Pemmika had plotted to destroy her family and seize Prakitpao's assets.