Android boxes now illegal in Thailand

[superal]

I have just been to an " Advice Shop " and asked them if they had any android boxes . The reply was  " no , they are now illegal to sell in Thailand as instructed by the department of Thai Education , however it is permitted to have and buy a "Smart TV "     Has anyone had the same experience ?

[harrry]

https://www.lazada.co.th/android-tv-box/

plenty here

[superal]

19 minutes ago, harrry said:

https://www.lazada.co.th/android-tv-box/

plenty here

and that is what I said to the lady serving me and she just shrugged her shoulders .  I am intrigued by this ban , how can it be ?

[harrry]

Quite possible....due to copyright of TV....etc

 

[stevenl]

So you believe the girl because she doesn't sell them?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Not quite.

 

Some months ago, probably over copyright enforcement and the whole Kodi piracy add-ons controversy, the Thai government announced that they were making it illegal to import streaming devices that had not been licensed by the NBTC...

 

Of course, none of the commercially available streaming devices sold in the world ARE licensed by the NBTC. And, from what members here have reported, there's no particular way a single unit buyer like you or I would have to access the NBTC licensing system, since it requires detailed info such as serial numbers before import that no buyer here would have until AFTER import.

 

AFAIK, the supposed edict the government made only applies to importing such devices, not to merely possessing or using them. And, FWIW, the enforcement of that edict seems to have been, in typical Thai fashion, rather haphazard.... Probably more risk if one was buying and shipping a device through one of the private couriers like DHL or FedEx where Customs scrutiny is HIGH.

 

[ubonjoe]

35 minutes ago, superal said:

The reply was  " no , they are now illegal to sell in Thailand as instructed by the department of Thai Education ,

If that was here exact reply it is nonsense since the Education Ministry has nothing to do with it. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is the responsible authority. See:  http://www.nbtc.go.th/Home.aspx?lang=en-us

[vogie]

If you bought an android off Lazada, I don't believe they come with Kodi preinstalled, you would have to install it from Play Store. I bought one for myself about 1 year ago and one for my friend about 4-5 months ago. Lazada would not sell anything illegal.

[chrisinth]

19 hours ago, superal said:

I have just been to an " Advice Shop " and asked them if they had any android boxes . The reply was  " no , they are now illegal to sell in Thailand as instructed by the department of Thai Education , however it is permitted to have and buy a "Smart TV "     Has anyone had the same experience ?

Confused by the controlling body enforcing the ban here. 

[Pib]

21 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

Confused by the controlling body enforcing the ban here. 

Can get the police to enforce most laws here; might as well let the Education Dept give it a try.  ?

[Pib]

31 minutes ago, Pib said:

Can get the police to enforce most laws here; might as well let the Education Dept give it a try.  ?

Whoops typo...I meant: "Can't" get the police to enforce most laws here; might as well let the Education Dept give it a try.

[superal]

6 minutes ago, Pib said:

Whoops typo...I meant: "Can't" get the police to enforce most laws here; might as well let the Education Dept give it a try.

 

20 hours ago, harrry said:

https://www.lazada.co.th/android-tv-box/

plenty here

My point is that android boxes are supposedly unavailable and illegal to sell in Thai shops  for the last month or so. Now we all know that " Advice " is a large retailer of IT etc so I have to believe them  ( not too concerned if the enforcer is NBTC or not ) .

You say plenty available on Lazada which is correct but I did notice that none were resourced from Thailand , so what is the point in a partial ban .  Sorry , I am applying western logic again .

[sammieuk1]

Everything seams to be illegal here apart from embezzlement.

[naboo]

9 minutes ago, superal said:

 

You say plenty available on Lazada which is correct but I did notice that none were resourced from Thailand , so what is the point in a partial ban . 

Loads on Lazada sourced from Thailand.

 

This one, for example.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/1-dual-wifigadgets-guru-2018-216gbs905x-quad-core604ktx5-pro-android-tv-box-h265-hdmi-remote-adapter-aaa-4-i100101985-s100121312.html

 

They also sell two types in my local Big C (both rubbish). 

[BritManToo]

This one even has a photo of 'Kodi' in the advert.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/tx9-pro-ram-3-gb-rom-32gb-amlogic-s912-octa-core-android-71-tv-box-built-in-24g-5g-bluetooth-dual-wifi-4kplayer-i170773976-s212909730.html

 

[worgeordie]

Not illegal,but I believe you have to have a license for it,

as in a post somewhere,there was advice when importing

an Android box,not to declare it on the package ,but as

a mini pc,or customs will ask for import license.

I use my Windows mini Pc's for watching content,find

its easier to use ,and I have plenty stuff to view.

Will they be the next thing to be banned!

regards Worgeordie

[giddyup]

20 hours ago, vogie said:

If you bought an android off Lazada, I don't believe they come with Kodi preinstalled, you would have to install it from Play Store. I bought one for myself about 1 year ago and one for my friend about 4-5 months ago. Lazada would not sell anything illegal.

They sell fake SD cards.

[mercman24]

be like me , just sit back and enjoy the show whilst wearing your ,  copy t shirt and nike trainers,  lol

[vogie]

11 minutes ago, giddyup said:

They sell fake SD cards.

I did not know this, but I take it from your message that you have been a victim of such fraud, if so did you report the fake card to Lazada. I believe Lazada will fine any third party selling on their site for such irregularities.

[giddyup]

4 minutes ago, vogie said:

I did not know this, but I take it from your message that you have been a victim of such fraud, if so did you report the fake card to Lazada. I believe Lazada will fine any third party selling on their site for such irregularities.

A Kingston 32gb SD card for 70 baht? I asked some questions on this forum before I did buy, answers were, stay away, definitely fakes. Others have made the mistake and got their money back from Lazada. They are still selling them though.

Edited July 19, 2018 by giddyup

[ezzra]

Now i'm starting to worry that us guys users of android/kodi boxes will become big Joke next target to purge...

[superal]

37 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Not illegal,but I believe you have to have a license for it,

as in a post somewhere,there was advice when importing

an Android box,not to declare it on the package ,but as

a mini pc,or customs will ask for import license.

I use my Windows mini Pc's for watching content,find

its easier to use ,and I have plenty stuff to view.

Will they be the next thing to be banned!

regards Worgeordie

So apparently not available from the high street retailers such as Advice , unless you know better ?  Maybe under the shelf ?   If this is the truth of a ban , what is the point ?  just harming the Thai retailers .  But as I said earlier it is ok to have a  "  Smart TV " ,       mind boggling 

[stud858]

Ban the internet altogether.  How sweet life would be again. 

[vogie]

Powerbuy has the aconatic 4K in stock. Surely if they were illegal, they would not be selling them.

 

://www.powerbuy.co.th/en/aconatic-กล่องแอนดรอยด์ทีวี-4k-aconatic-รุ่น-anstb295-อุปกรณ์เสริมทีวีและเครื่องเสียง-230401

 

[stud858]

Terrarium rocks.  Show box not what it used to be. 

Redbox, swift stream, mobdro suffering a bit too. Or is it just crappy internet on my side? 

Kodi too much hassle for me.  I prefer installing a simple app and not having to worry about repository.

Leonflix executable good on Windows.  

Any other recommendations to put on box or pc

[tomas557]

Looks like the OP has a wealth of no idea.

 

http://androidboxthailand.com/

 

 

 

[superal]

16 minutes ago, tomas557 said:

Looks like the OP has a wealth of no idea.

 

http://androidboxthailand.com/

 

 

 

Try reading my post  s l o w l y 

[watcharacters]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

A Kingston 32gb SD card for 70 baht? I asked some questions on this forum before I did buy, answers were, stay away, definitely fakes. Others have made the mistake and got their money back from Lazada. They are still selling them though.

 

Just curious.

 

You're saying you asked for and got advice from TVF members that your purchase would be fake and you should stay away  (avoid) from it?

 

Is that  correct?

 

[tomas557]

Just now, superal said:

Try reading my post  s l o w l y 

I did read your posts, maybe try to reread them yourself, S L O W L Y

 

The reply was  " no , they are now illegal to sell in Thailand as instructed by the department of Thai Education ,

 

and

 

You say plenty available on Lazada which is correct but I did notice that none were resourced from Thailand

 

and

 

My point is that android boxes are supposedly unavailable and illegal to sell in Thai shops

 

Did you notice in my screenshot that it says Androidbox THAILAND and BUY ON LAZADA, even in Thai language so the government will not be confused?

 

Maybe you could next go to your local hairdresser and ask for Android boxes, and then come here claiming they are not available anywhere.

 

FYI, Advice is a computer hardware shop, and tv boxes are not computer hardware. You will also not find them at JIB, but plenty available from other legal shops and Lazada inThailand

 

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, watcharacters said:

 

Just curious.

 

You're saying you asked for and got advice from TVF members that your purchase would be fake and you should stay away  (avoid) from it?

 

Is that  correct?

 

No. I asked if anyone had bought a cheap Kingston SD card from Lazada and was it any good. The answers said that they were rubbish, so I never bought. Understood?

Edited July 19, 2018 by giddyup