They said the act, which took effect last year, is a legal hurdle and requires extra costs that consumers will ultimately be required to shoulder.

“This law stipulates that the machines are operated by radiation-safety officers, who are lacking in Thailand,” Dentist Samrit Chirojwanijcha said as his group submitted a petition to Prayut via the service centre at the PM’s Secretariat.

He said that in the face of shortages, clinics that operate without safety officers risked harsh punishments under the act.

“The punishments involve up to five years in jail and a maximum fine of Bt500,000. Such a conviction may lead dentists to be stripped of their licences too,” he said.

Another dentist, Arkom Sansernchuchote, said radiation from dental X-ray machines was so little that the machines should not be subject to the same level of supervision as larger radiation devices.

His group demanded that dental X-ray machines remain governed by the Department of Medical Sciences, not the Nuclear Energy for Peace Act.

The group added that the Dental Council could be assigned to regulate the standards of radiation devices used at dental clinics to ensure the safety of the operators and users.

Earlier, the council’s president Paisan Kangwonkil said the act had seriously affected dentists.

He said that it prescribed the supervision of dental X-ray machines in a different way than international standards.

“Foreign countries govern radiation devices based on the level of radiation. But the Nuclear Energy for Peace Act fails to do that,” he said.

He added that dentists were trained to properly operate devices used for dental services. He questioned why the new act required that dental-service providers have to request permits from the Office of Atoms for Peace.

Paisan said people would be seriously affected if dentists decided to provide services without the help of X-ray machines.

Dentists have been opposing the act since it was drafted.

Soranit Siltharm, the Science and Technology Ministry’s permanent |secretary, said the act was designed to ensure the safety of users and staff.

“Staff have to work with the machines and have higher exposure. That’s why we need to enforce stricter control,” he said.