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Published on December 20, 2007

DSI director-general Sunai Manomai-udom said yesterday that the department could now take action since it had proved that the amulet producers had committed fraud and were responsible for damages worth more than Bt500,000.

The DSI and the Consumer Protection Board are now jointly receiving complaints from people who had paid money in advance to reserve the amulets.

Justice Ministry permanent secretary Charan Phakdithanakul said the authorities' main objective was to get back the money put up by people to reserve the amulets. They would decide later if it was necessary to arrest the amulet producers.

Though authorities have not identified the people who advertised that they were making the amulets to mobilise funds for charity purposes, widespread reports say that one of them is a well-known millionaire businessman.

The commercials said the insignia of Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut, a grand crown worn by His Majesty in royal ceremonies, was engraved on the back of the Phra Somdej Nue Hua amulets - a feature the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary last week said was advertised without permission.

The office also dismissed as false a statement in the commercial that the King had donated dried flowers to the producers to have them ground up and mixed into the clay for the amulets.

Like other provinces, a large number of people who had paid to reserve the amulets contacted post offices in Ratchaburi to ask for their money back. All Krung Thai Bank branches in the province have stopped accepting reservation orders.

The Nation