Search fails to locate iCon ‘doctor’

A key executive of The iCon Group known as “Boss Mor Ek” has been asked to report to police or face possible arrest after authorities failed to find him at his Bangkok clinic on Wednesday.
Tananont Hiranchaiwan, 42, is accused of practising medicine without a licence at the clinic owned by The iCon Group, which is facing hundreds of complaints from sales agents who say it ran a pyramid scheme.
Police, joined by officials from the Department of Health Service Support and the Food and Drug Administration, visited The iCon Wellness on Ram Indra Soi 7 in Bang Khen district at about 10am on Wednesday.
The clinic, located in a row of five one-storey buildings, was closed when they arrived.
The Medical Council of Thailand on Monday filed a legal complaint against Mr Tananont, alias “Boss Mor Ek”, for falsely claiming to be a medical practitioner.
Numerous videos of the iCon executive on social media have led people to believe that he was a medical doctor, said Thanakit Jitareerat, a vice-minister at the Ministry of Public Health.
Health authorities have obtained videos showing Mr Tananont giving injections to at least five female customers at the clinic, said Mr Thanakit.
“The way you wear a uniform with a stethoscope and often refer to yourself as Mor (doctor) will make everybody think that you are a doctor,” he said.
“A medical technology graduate is not called a doctor.”
If Mr Tananont does not report to police, a summons would be issued, followed by an arrest warrant, said Mr Thanakit.
The iCon Wellness clinic is legally registered with the Department of Health Service Support, with iCon CEO Warathaphon “Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul as a member of the clinic’s board.
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) on Tuesday impounded assets worth about 125 million baht from Mr Warathaphon and three others pending the outcome of investigations into the company’s operations.
The iCon Group, which sold health and dietary supplements, attracted many people by offering cheap online sales courses. But once they enrolled, they were asked for more money to buy products, followed by larger financial commitments to help advertise for new recruits.
The company built a high profile because of its association with celebrities who acted as product presenters.