The wife of well-known former monk Mitsuo Shibahashi, previously known as Phra Mitsuo Gavesako, owns one of the clinics. The department began looking into their operation after one patient complained about losing more than Bt2 million on the treatment. The patient was treated for and hopes to recover from a brain infarction (stroke or blood clot).

Probes reveal the clinics allegedly provided basic check-ups before arranging for their customers to get stem-cell injections in Germany. "According to the Medical Council's regulations, stem-cell treatment is allowed for blood-related diseases only," the department's director-general Boonruang Triruangwor-awat said yesterday.

He said three of the four clinics had clearly violated rules about advertising medical services. "[Their] benefits are exaggerated," he said,

The four clinics are located in CentralWorld, Ekkamai area, Soi Thonglor 55, and Ploenchit Centre.

Boonruang said these clinics could be punished under Article 34(2) of the Medical Facilities Act.

"Offenders face a jail term of up to one year or a maximum fine of Bt20,000," he said.

He added that his department was also in the process of seeking the Medical Council's ruling to determine if these clinics could be punished under Article 49.

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Four clinics face action over stem-cell treatment claims