1 Million Television Set-Top Boxes Stuck In Customs: Thailand

[webfact]

1mn television set-top boxes stuck in customs

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission's broadcasting committee has yet to grant permission to seven companies to take delivery of combined orders of more than a million satellite TV set-top boxes stranded in customs.

About half of the boxes belong to GMM Z, with the rest belonging to five set-top box traders and distributors as well as satellite operator Thaicom.

Broadcasting committee member Supinya Klangnarong said yesterday that the committee has to gather more information to examine whether GMM Z and Thaicom provide subscription pay-TV services. If they are found to do so, the committee cannot grant them the permits to bring in the boxes.

The committee might consider granting the five trading firms permits to bring in their stranded boxes, she added.

The committee will convene again next week to make a final decision on the matter, Supinya said.

The broadcasting committee passed a resolution on May 30 that it would only consider granting permits to import, produce and distribute boxes to those pay-TV operators doing business according to the regulations of state agencies and its own upcoming regulations.

However, it plans to revise or relax this resolution, following complaints from many set-top box-related firms that the resolutions could affect their business.

-- The Nation 2012-06-20

[theblether]

Oh well..........too late for Euro 2012, this is Thailand, maybe they will be released in time for the Olympics........2016

[hellodolly]

Oh well..........too late for Euro 2012, this is Thailand, maybe they will be released in time for the Olympics........2016

You are wasting a lot of time here on TV. You are supposed to be taking your friend to Pizza joints and bars in Chiang Mai.

[theblether]

Oh well..........too late for Euro 2012, this is Thailand, maybe they will be released in time for the Olympics........2016

You are wasting a lot of time here on TV. You are supposed to be taking your friend to Pizza joints and bars in Chiang Mai.

We've not arrived yet.......21 July, are you coming out to play?

[SuneeTH]

Revenge.

[dominique355]

Broadcasting committee member Supinya Klangnarong said yesterday that the committee has to gather more information to examine whether GMM Z and Thaicom provide subscription pay-TV services. If they are found to do so, the committee cannot grant them the permits to bring in the boxes.

Why on earth is the NBTC (or any other government agency) blocking set-top boxes? One more attempt by the Yingluck government to censure the inflow of information into this country?

[BuddhistVirus]

Revenge.

Do you mean, 'karma'?

[steelepulse]

The butler (Truevisions) did it!

[KKvampire]

The country is more corrupt than you can imagine

[MobileContent]

Doesn't surprise me. GMM Z set-top boxes completely sold out at least in Sakon Nakhon.

After the Euro 2012 only a small number of users want the boxes.

[crazykopite]

Bet everyone will be off loading their set top boxes after the Euros . It has gone very quite regarding True showing the Euros anyone heard anything !!!!

[rotary]

TrueVisions are trying to keep the competition down looks like

[thaikahuna]

Revenge.

Not enough tea money...

[MEL1]

1mn television set-top boxes stuck in customs

Typo error?

Isn't it supposed to read:

1mn Grade 1 computer tabs stuck in China

???????

-mel.

[Nigel1500]

Revenge.

Not enough tea money...

Yuh .... I think these guys were trained by Australian Customs.

[IsaanUSA]

Why on earth is the NBTC (or any other government agency) blocking set-top boxes?

What country do you come from? As an American, this is pretty common place. In fact it just happened a few weeks ago with mobile phones in the US with Apple trying to block certain phone models from entering the US.

[jackspratt]

Revenge.

Not enough tea money...

Yuh .... I think these guys were trained by Australian Customs.

So please tell us your experiences of paying tea money to Oz Customs.

[animatic]

Just Truevision duking someone with some power to maintain their monopoly.

Business AKA dirty pool as usual in Thailand.

[IsaanUSA]

Just Truevision duking someone with some power to maintain their monopoly.

Business AKA dirty pool as usual in Thailand.

in Thailand? This happens all over the world. Every week is a new patent lawsuit blocking some piece of computer hardware to some other country. Samsung, Apple, Microsoft, are in the news nearly every month with a product being banned. YouTube, Hulu, Netflix...pretty much the same thing only with data instead of physical hardware. China doesn't even allow Facebook. Customs? They have the Great Firewall.

[GentlemanJim]

Revenge.

Not enough tea money...

Yuh .... I think these guys were trained by Australian Customs.

So please tell us your experiences of paying tea money to Oz Customs.

I don't think Oz customs would give a XXXX about tea money

[rubl]

Broadcasting committee member Supinya Klangnarong said yesterday that the committee has to gather more information to examine whether GMM Z and Thaicom provide subscription pay-TV services. If they are found to do so, the committee cannot grant them the permits to bring in the boxes.

...

The broadcasting committee passed a resolution on May 30 that it would only consider granting permits to import, produce and distribute boxes to those pay-TV operators doing business according to the regulations of state agencies and its own upcoming regulations.

1: "whether GMM Z and Thaicom provide subscription pay-TV services". Statement suggests GMM-Z and Thaicom may not provide subscription pay-TV services. Does that mean lots of people can reclaim fees paid?

2. "doing business according to the regulations of state agencies and its own upcoming regulations". Is it legal to ask for complyance to 'upcoming regulations'?

[Notstupid30]

Now Thursday and still no news about UEFA and GMM-TV about the feed via True... ? I would not be surprised if someone has been given a back hander for a bit of karma and sum num na ..

Edited June 20, 2012 by Notstupid30

[noitom]

"Stuck in customs." A Thai euphemism for the proper payments and skim money hasn't been arranged yet. The appropriate "big men" haven't approved any of the proposals so far.

[8OA8]

Don't blame Thailand Customs Department. The rules are simple. If you don't have the proper permit and paperwork in place to import the product, then don't expect to be able to import the product. Nice and simple policy.

[Narratio]

IsaanUSA - Normally I'd agree with you. But this lot of set top boxes is basically old mature tech. Nothing "cutting edge/latest fad" about them. Considering how many of them there are already imported and installed in the country, the whole thing does lead to me to think of True slapping back at GMM Z in thier little dustup.

[tomross46]

Don't blame Thailand Customs Department. The rules are simple. If you don't have the proper permit and paperwork in place to import the product, then don't expect to be able to import the product. Nice and simple policy.

I have worked with the Customs Department for over 25 years. If the documentation is correct and you have an approved quota, no problem. Documents not correct, no quota, no way.

[h90]

Don't blame Thailand Customs Department. The rules are simple. If you don't have the proper permit and paperwork in place to import the product, then don't expect to be able to import the product. Nice and simple policy.

I have worked with the Customs Department for over 25 years. If the documentation is correct and you have an approved quota, no problem. Documents not correct, no quota, no way.

yes the problem is the import permit and not the customs department.

I as well had never real problems. On the Form E the customs like to find some non existing problems and take 500 Baht tea money but else customs in Thailand is better than in Europe. While the customs broker are much worse.

I think 99 % of all problems with customs are because of complete wrong (not minor mistakes) in the documents.

The usual customs broker does not know that these funny customs tariff numbers have an meaning and they don't know what FOB vs. CIF is.

Maybe they know the difference between a boat and an airplane....

[blackthorn2005]

Revenge.

Do you mean, 'karma'?

Call it what you want, I am glad to see GMM suffer after ripping bar owners off for licences.

[steelepulse]

Don't blame Thailand Customs Department. The rules are simple. If you don't have the proper permit and paperwork in place to import the product, then don't expect to be able to import the product. Nice and simple policy.

What did that tennis players from the 80's John McEnroe say? Oh yeah, " You can't be serious". Ask anyone that has tried to import a vehicle with the proper paperwork as one example, but there are plenty more where they basically say "pay up, or don't, up to you". If you don't, you'll see the items either at a customs auction, or in the hands of a customs employee.

[animatic]

Revenge.

Do you mean, 'karma'?

Call it what you want, I am glad to see GMM suffer after ripping bar owners off for licences.

That was locals ripping of fellow locals for installations.

Nothing to do with demands from GMM Grammy.

You could just go buy a box for 1,500 baht and take it home,

in most good sized towns prior to all the press stink and football profits to be made.

Now the small time sharks smell chum in the water and swim in for a bite.