US Embassy Bangkok Complained Over Lady Gaga's Fake Rolex Tweet

[gand]

When she returns to the U.S Obama should put her over his knee and smack her bottom for just suggesting that there are pirated goods in Thailand.

Pictures please !

It is there for you.

[Dap]

This article has to be a joke...

Everyone already knows that Thailand is the place to go for pirated goods.

When I was shopping for a new laptop even the bigger chain stores offered me a "free" install of Windows 7 and "anything else that you want - just write down a list." I can't even dream of this happening back home.

How can they even argue this when the rolexes and masses of other pirated goods are right out there in the open on the street...

Sh, It's a secret.

[KeyserSoze01]

I am sure the US Embassy gave it all the attention it deserved.

Yes, they are probably still laughing at the communique.

[ttelise]

I buy real Rolex only, not in Thailand, but in Switzerland, where Rolex is made.

Big deal! Where it in Thailand and everyone will assume it's a fake!

Or try and steal it. I only bring TAGs to SE Asia, Eastern Europe and Central America. Too much attention nit good except Daytonna with leather band may go unnoticed there.

I gave up wearing a watch the day I retired.

David

dam_n American culture, being a lawyer, having to keep track if time, and always trying too look good and impress. Always been a watch fan though. I used to feel naked without, but find myself wearing them less and less.

Candidly, I am envious and need to stop spending money here so I can make the transition to Bali or down to the Virgin Islands and lose the watches permanently. I spent 9 months in SE Asia on one vacation, mostly surfing in Bali, and never knew what day of the week it was, much less the time. Count your blessings.

Edited May 28, 2012 by ttelise

[Skywalker69]

Doesn't Thailand have bigger issues than anything Lady Gaga has to say or tweet? Who gives a tweet what she tweets?

Yes but they can´t handle bigger issues than this.

[moe666]

There are plenty of stores in Thailand that sale real Rolexs and Omegas but the majority of people posting here cannot aford them

[KeyserSoze01]

I gave up wearing a watch the day I retired.

David

I gave up wearing watches when the first cell phones came out with clocks built in.

The funny thing is that I have several real Rolex's sitting in a jewelery box that I don't wear. I've gotten to the point where I dislike wear

When she returns to the U.S Obama should put her over his knee and smack her bottom for just suggesting that there are pirated goods in Thailand.

Pictures please !

It is there for you.

[media=]

[/media]

Oh the irony. The residence of the capital of knock offs and rip offs openly posting copyrighted material on the Internet. Let's see how long these videos last before LG's people yank Googles chain to have them removed.

[KeyserSoze01]

Or try and steal it. I only bring TAGs to SE Asia, Eastern Europe and Central America. Too much attention nit good except Daytonna with leather band may go unnoticed there.

I gave up wearing a watch the day I retired.

David

dam_n American culture, being a lawyer, having to keep track if time, and always trying too look good and impress. Always been a watch fan though. I used to feel naked without, but find myself wearing them less and less.

Candidly, I am envious and need to stop spending money here so I can make the transition to Bali or down to the Virgin Islands and lose the watches permanently. I spent 9 months in SE Asia on one vacation, mostly surfing in Bali, and never knew what day of the week it was, much less the time. Count your blessings.

You have a cell phone don't you? I quit wearing watches when cell phones with clocks came out as I dislike wearing jewelry of any type.

Funny thing is that I have a several "real" Rolex's that have been sitting in a jewelry box for years collecting dust.

[BigBikeBKK]

. Thailand has demonstrated serious attempts to suppress IPR violations for a long time. Her post not only damaged the country's image, but also those of Thai and foreign government agencies that have tried to cooperate in suppressing IP violations, the letter said.

LMFAO! What a flippin JOKE this is

The department was strongly concerned that the singer's behaviour would encourage other tourists to seek and shop for fake products in the country.

Aren't Thailand's burgeoning fake goods markets a big tourist draw?

What a load of

[ginjag]

Madonna is better looking, sexier, easy on the eye--this Gaga is doing well because she looks so different--a bit like Alice cooper-image-wierd thats why kids love her, Madonna appealed to a wider section of audience. this is brill publicity for Gaga--and rolex, another government fizog who can't keep his mouth closed. Seems to be a trend these officials love to have a mike handy. it's the same as the bib and officials have to get into photo shoots, they are obsessed with photo's/limelight.

[thaikahuna]

Lady Gag me...

[atyclb]

Obviously things are going very well in Thailand if this is what is on people's minds. Not like millions of folks don't head to NY City (Gaga's home town) every year to buy cheap crack and heroin.

If an international artist performed in USA and made comments about cheap heroin, cyrstal meth, homeless, etc etc, I doubt it would hurt the feelings of national pride as there actually are people with cognition commensurate with their chronological age

[seminomadic]

Because an individual made a comment that he probably felt obliged to make (as politicians and government employess in any country might do), that means the entire government and all the citizens of Thailand have "checked out of reality??"

Have you ever listened to the laughable bilge pumped out by European, American or Australian officials on a daily basis? No one takes it seriously. It's what politicians do. Listen to Cameron explain his distance from all the Murdoch-exposed corruption in his government or the British police deal with all the corruption they're charged with. No one even assumes they're saying anything remotely connected to reality.

Not a credible comparison. Your UK version of the lying official cites somebody who knows they're lying and they're doing it because they have been backed into a corner.

The Thai official(s) who piped up would have been smarter to keep their mouth(s) shut. Nobody was backing them into a corner, it was an innocuous statement made into a big deal by some dope(s) out of misguided righteous indignation when it was unnecessary to do so and accomplished the opposite - the officials making Thailand look even worse by trumpeting hypocrisy.

Note to Thai officials: In the future, ignore perceived slights and they disappear a lot more quickly.

Edited May 28, 2012 by seminomadic

[swillowbee]

... I am unaware that the US Embassy chose to offer any sort of reply ... if not, their silence is deafening.

[Jingthing]

To be fair to the Thai government, there ARE international economic and national respect benefits to be seen/believed to be effectively fighting IP theft, but as usual here, it always seems more about PR and face than reality.

[Jingthing]

... I am unaware that the US Embassy chose to offer any sort of reply ... if not, their silence is deafening.

I hope they don't reply. Ms. Gaga is not a US official. She has NOTHING to do with U.S. government policy. I would be insulted as a citizen if they take this complaint seriously at all. Get a clue: FREE SPEECH. Edited May 28, 2012 by Jingthing

[rubl]

^ #136

FREE SPEECH?

I thought that was only for Corporations who could afford to pay for it ?

[Jayman]

^ #136

FREE SPEECH?

I thought that was only for Corporations who could afford to pay for it ?

maybe you've been hanging around in Thai forums too long where we don't have the freedom to say what we want but I can assure you that in the USA we can say what we want without fears of upsetting the government and having our posts deleted to save face.

[Jingthing]

I reckon Gaga is well incorporated.

[Sailfish1]

Thailand should THANK Lady Gaga for her free advertisement of the fake watches being sold all over the country. If Thailand asked nicely, she may also advertise the fake clothing, fake software, fake videos, fake everything else that is sold everywhere. Doesn't Thailand know that endorsements by internationally known stars usually cost a fortune.

[JoeLing]

To me a fake is something not up to the standards of the original, otherwise I call it a copy, illegal or otherwise. For example if a generic drug does the same job and is the same quality as a licensed drug it is a copy not a fake.

Now I have been offered fake Rolexes in Instanbul, Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, KL, even little Kuchin. Are they fakes or are they copies, I have never bought one as I prefer my cheap timex watches but I have often wondered.

So I am asking, how good are these street corner Rolex watches, are they fakes or are they copies?

Suppose it depends ....

If you pay original price for something that looks like the original but does nothing like the original, then it's a fake and you've been cheated , mostlikely without your knowlege.

If it's same same but different at a fraction of the price of the original, then it's an original copy and mostlikely, not even a bad deal.

If it looks like the original, nearly as expensive as the original but doesn't do anything at all, then it's an original Toy.

[JoeLing]

Copyright? I thought that was the right to copy stuff

[gand]

^ #136

FREE SPEECH?

I thought that was only for Corporations who could afford to pay for it ?

maybe you've been hanging around in Thai forums too long where we don't have the freedom to say what we want but I can assure you that in the USA we can say what we want without fears of upsetting the government and having our posts deleted to save face.

The rest of the world does not understand why the USA gov't cannot tell it's citizens what they can say or not say.

The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Would Thailand ever allow such a constitution?

[hellodolly]

Well under a lot off pressure thailand did make efforts to stop the sale of pirated DVDs for a short period of time.

I wonder if they will now try to stop the sale of fake rolex's for a couple of weeks.

Who knows maybe the lady was serious and was saying it to protest the high tax on the real one's.

Bottom line no damage done to Thailand.

If they are serious about stopping tourism all they have to do is stop the sale of all fake and pirated items close up the Bordello's and stop the sale of drugs and alcohol. That may give Thailand a great reputation but definitely seriously hurt their tourism.

The tourism problems are other more serious matters, scams corrupt pricing at duty free, tuk tuks-taxi's-double pricing- sh#t everywhere, the plastic the canals, the dangerous roads, flight price to Samui-comes to mind-stealing thats rampant in tourist areas, THIS is the image Thailand gives---NOT fake watches-t. shirts. and the like, as these are choices easier to make. the ones I mentioned are mostly NOT choices.

Also not known by foreigners thinking of coming to Thailand for a holiday.

[gand]

Well under a lot off pressure thailand did make efforts to stop the sale of pirated DVDs for a short period of time.

I wonder if they will now try to stop the sale of fake rolex's for a couple of weeks.

Who knows maybe the lady was serious and was saying it to protest the high tax on the real one's.

Bottom line no damage done to Thailand.

If they are serious about stopping tourism all they have to do is stop the sale of all fake and pirated items close up the Bordello's and stop the sale of drugs and alcohol. That may give Thailand a great reputation but definitely seriously hurt their tourism.

The tourism problems are other more serious matters, scams corrupt pricing at duty free, tuk tuks-taxi's-double pricing- sh#t everywhere, the plastic the canals, the dangerous roads, flight price to Samui-comes to mind-stealing thats rampant in tourist areas, THIS is the image Thailand gives---NOT fake watches-t. shirts. and the like, as these are choices easier to make. the ones I mentioned are mostly NOT choices.

Also not known by foreigners thinking of coming to Thailand for a holiday.

Add the Airport Duty Free Scam to the list. Because the police or their helpers would never set you up? Or would they?

CRIMINAL PENALTIES:

http://travel.state....s/cis_1040.html

Shoplifting is strictly prosecuted. Arrests for shoplifting even low-value items can result in large fines and lengthy detention. If you are accused of shoplifting at the airport, you will be detained and may miss your flight at your own expense. In 2010, there were news reports that duty-free store employees in league with police at the airport added unpurchased items to foreigners’ check-out bags or did not charge for all the items purchased; purportedly, police then stopped the foreigner as he/she exited the stores and charged the person with shoplifting. We strongly recommend that before leaving a counter, you carefully check all receipts to make certain they list all the items you purchased and also carefully check to ensure that only the items you purchased are in your bag.

[noitom]

This Thai complaint is a striking example of Thai hypocrisy.

[cougar52]

"Thailand has demonstrated serious attempts to suppress IPR violations for a long time."

Yeah, riiiiight!!!!

How about this BAD IMAGE****

BANGKOK, 22 May 2012 (NNT) According to survey results by Business Software Alliance (BSA), over 59 percent of computer users in the kingdom admitted to using pirated software on a regular basis.

Findings from the 2011 BSA Global Software Piracy Study showed that 74 percent of those surveyed in Thailand admitted to purchasing illegally obtained software. The survey also revealed that 72 percent of the installed software around Thailand is pirated, with a commercial value of 26 billion baht.

59 percent of the respondents admitted to frequent software license abuse, while 14 percent would purchase pirated software once in a while. Users of pirated software in the country, according to the survey, are aged between 18-44.

BSA spokesperson, Warunee Ratchatapattanakul, said the alliance and related government agencies are launching awareness campaigns, urging computer users to respect software property rights as software piracy hurts the kingdom’s economic growth.

The annual BSA Global Software Piracy Study was conducted in partnership with with International Data Corporation (IDC) and Ipsos Public Affairs. Nearly 15,000 computer users across 33 countries participated in the survey.

[ralphlsasser]

The irony is: Rolex is not even Americans.

neither is Lady Gaga..

[seri thai]

What can cause a bad image more than the current government.. Get a life and sort your own backyard out first.. corrupt government and ploice,, maybe the u.s Embassy should complain about this too

It was not the US Embassy who complained.

If they want some thing to complain about they should complain about their own Draconian visa laws.

The US is worried about losing influence in Thailand to China, particularly with the military and is doing it's best to keep the natives friendly at least until they get everything up and running in Myanmar. The Great Game is alive and well and being played by all 4 parties. The US embassy is just a mouthpiece for the Thai Foreign Minister. Whichever party he belongs to - until Bradley Manning gets back to work....

[Jingthing]

The irony is: Rolex is not even Americans.

neither is Lady Gaga..

Yes she is, and don't be demanding to see her birth certificate either!