“The company has set an excessively high retail price [for the pan], then gives consumers a sharp discount. It may not break the law but it does obviously breach business ethics by luring consumers to believe they get a very cheap price relative to the product’s claimed high quality,” Pavida Pananond, an associate professor of International Business at Thammasat Business School, told The Nation yesterday.

She also criticised Channel 9 TV presenter Vuthithorn “Woody” Milintachinda, the face of the Korea King advertising campaign.

“A brand ambassador should be aware whether such a company carries out its business ethically or not,” she said.

Pavida added that the controversy surrounding Korea King might be a good lesson for the public, and consumers should keep an eye on such business behaviour.

Wizard Solution’s advertising claims that its pans, both the gold and diamond series, are made from high-quality materials with innovative Korean technology. The advert says the price is as high at Bt15,000 to Bt18,000 but offers a huge discount, selling the pans for a few thousand baht per pair, depending on which series.

However, some social media users claimed that the cost of importing the pan is just Bt358.

Kasemsant Weerakun, posting on Facebook, argued that such a marketing ploy should be called “fake original price” because the company is trying to take advantage of consumers. The pan could never sell at the high price it claims, Kasemsant posted.

Kasemsant said consumers in some foreign countries take such cases to court to demand compensation.

The Consumer Protection Board put a statement on its website, saying it had been looking into the advertising of Korea King. It said Wizard Solution Co registered its direct-selling business in January 2016 and imported the Korea King brand pan with an intended retail price of Bt15,000.

In October, Wizard Solution informed the Consumer Protection Board that the Korean manufacturer wanted to set a standard price of Bt15,000, but Wizard Solution offered consumers a promotion of “buy one, get one free”, selling at Bt3,300, according to the board statement.

The board said it was gathering all information related to marketing tactics and pan quality, and would submit all information to the direct-selling committee under the Direct Selling and Direct Marketing Act on Wednesday for consideration.