Bt133,400 Fine Upheld Over Illegal VCD Sales In Bangkok

[webfact]

Fine upheld over illegal VCD sales

KESINEE TAENGKHIO,

PIYANUCH THAMNUKASETCHAI

THE NATION

SURAT MAEENOPPARATSUDA, 26, a garbage collector in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- The Appeals Court yesterday upheld a lower court fine of Bt133,400 imposed on a garbage collector in Bangkok's Saphan Sung district for selling copyrighted movie VCDs and music CDs.

The court said it was convinced the 83 movie VCDs and 13 music CDs - which still had covers and were wrapped in plastic - did not come from trash, as the man had claimed, but from a VCD-making source. It ruled that the given sentence was the lightest possible - as the usual punishment for this offence was a fine of Bt200,000-Bt1 million - so it upheld the term.

The 26-year-old defendant, Surat Maeenopparatsuda, was apprehended by Hua Mark police on December 16, 2008, while manning a roadside stall selling items including the VCDs and CDs for Bt20 each at a weekend market in Bang Kapi district. He failed to present a permit when asked.

The lower court found Surat guilty and initially fined him Bt200,100 before reducing it to Bt133,400 due to his useful confession. If he failed to pay the fine he would have to serve up to a year in jail.

After yesterday's verdict, Surat’s wife Som-o Maeenopparatsuda, lamented how her husband was the breadwinner, earning only Bt9,900 a month. She made handicraft wristbands for sale and wanted officials to help them.

Rights and Liberties Protection Department deputy chief Paitoon Sawangkamol said he approved the Bt200,000 posted as a bail release for Surat. He said the department would help file a Supreme Court appeal with the public prosecutor and arrange a lawyer for Surat because the Film and Video Act should emphasise punishing business operators rather than people like Surat.

The department had used a Justice fund to post bail for Surat after the lower court's verdict.

-- The Nation 2012-07-11

[Thai at Heart]

This read like it is straight from nothenation.

[rkidlad]

'The 26-year-old defendant, Surat Maeenopparatsuda, was apprehended by Hua Mark police on December 16, 2008, while manning a roadside stall selling items including the VCDs and CDs for Bt20 each at a weekend market in Bang Kapi district. He failed to present a permit when asked.'

Is the big fine for selling fake VCD's or for not having a permit to sell fake VCD's?

Such a stupid story. And they say Lady Gaga made Thailand look bad.

[DP25]

He must have been selling pirated Thai movies

[jaltsc]

He paid the Bt133,400 fine with bills he bought in Maesai for BT 500.

[carra]

so it seems you can sell whatever you want as long as you have a permit for your stall

[Kilgore Trout]

He must have been selling pirated Thai movies

You hit the nail on the head; in addition; this is an area tourists generally do not go. This guy was making pennies.

Thailand, you should be embarrassed!! Shame on you!!

Thais should demand that their joke of a police force go and raid Pantip plaza as well as every vendor on Sukumvit and Silom selling pirated goods.

[tominbkk]

He must have been selling pirated Thai movies

My very first thought as well.

[Thai at Heart]

96 Cds' = 133k

My god, if they actually bothered to get off their asses and go to Pantip or Sukhumvit they could generate enough cash to pay Thaksin his bazillions of baht back and jobs a good un.

[Pib]

He must have been selling pirated Thai movies

You hit the nail on the head; in addition; this is an area tourists generally do not go. This guy was making pennies.

Thailand, you should be embarrassed!! Shame on you!!

Thais should demand that their joke of a police force go and raid Pantip plaza as well as every vendor on Sukumvit and Silom selling pirated goods.

I expect Pantip Plaza ensures it remains paid up.

[pattayadingo]

That is a disgusting sum of money they are expecting this little guy to pay.

[Payboy]

Maybe Lady GaGa can chip in and help pay the fine.

[Guest]

I guess hitting the weak and poor is much more easy than fighting the powerful.

[fstarbkk]

I guess hitting the weak and poor is much more easy than fighting the powerful.

Yeah, making an example of this little guy - that will get the big, connected operators shaking in their boots!

[phl]

He must have been selling pirated Thai movies

You hit the nail on the head; in addition; this is an area tourists generally do not go. This guy was making pennies.

Thailand, you should be embarrassed!! Shame on you!!

Thais should demand that their joke of a police force go and raid Pantip plaza as well as every vendor on Sukumvit and Silom selling pirated goods.

Actually funny enough in a non tourist areas english dvd's and music is sold for 20 baht. only in tourist zones its 100

[Kilgore Trout]

Maybe Lady GaGa can chip in and help pay the fine.

Or maybe the police receiving kickbacks from those selling her cd's

[lujanit]

Would have been cheaper just to pay the cops off. No pay suffer the consequences

[Katipo]

This is such <deleted>. We know it's <deleted>, the police knows it's <deleted>, everyone knows it's <deleted>. Poor little Nobody made a scapegoat of by the very people that profit from the business and allow it to exist in the first place.

[givenall]

'The 26-year-old defendant, Surat Maeenopparatsuda, was apprehended by Hua Mark police on December 16, 2008, while manning a roadside stall selling items including the VCDs and CDs for Bt20 each at a weekend market in Bang Kapi district. He failed to present a permit when asked.' Is the big fine for selling fake VCD's or for not having a permit to sell fake VCD's? Such a stupid story. And they say Lady Gaga made Thailand look bad.

I did not know you can get permit tp sell intellectual property in Thailand. Or does this mean he forgot to pay team money to Authorities

[sprq]

96 Cds' = 133k

My god, if they actually bothered to get off their asses and go to Pantip or Sukhumvit they could generate enough cash to pay Thaksin his bazillions of baht back and jobs a good un.

If you think they're not "bothered", you know little about Thailand. The big location vendors are part of pirating gangs who pay off the police. This was a little guy, and it's always the little guys who get done in Thailand, not the big wheels.

[TackyToo]

so it seems you can sell whatever you want as long as you have a permit for your stall

A permit from the local cop that controls the area! When do they put the "to be served & collect" stickers on their doors?

[HOOD Robin]

I guess hitting the weak and poor is much more easy than fighting the powerful.

Yeah, making an example of this little guy - that will get the big, connected operators shaking in their boots!

SHAME SHAME SHAME on Thailand !!! Which imbecil gave order to do this !? EVERYWHERE in shops and on the street they sell copies and illegal stuff WITHOUT permits !!

i would like to check all those police computers as well computes in government offices ; how many of them have genuine Windows running ???

Have a look at that guard on the pic at the right side... it seems that he has to guard and watch out over a murderer, someone who killed dozens of people ! And the guard in the back of course laughing like an ***hole since he.... doesn't know better...

And what to think about their nice uniforms with all the stripes and stars and medals... proving what ? AMAZING THAILAND or should i say POOR Thailand....

[redroo]

yeah and now he has to go and sell pills(yabba) to pay for his fine !

or should i say pay for there life style...

[redroo]

I guess hitting the weak and poor is much more easy than fighting the powerful.

Yeah, making an example of this little guy - that will get the big, connected operators shaking in their boots!

SHAME SHAME SHAME on Thailand !!! Which imbecil gave order to do this !? EVERYWHERE in shops and on the street they sell copies and illegal stuff WITHOUT permits !!

i would like to check all those police computers as well computes in government offices ; how many of them have genuine Windows running ???

Have a look at that guard on the pic at the right side... it seems that he has to guard and watch out over a murderer, someone who killed dozens of people ! And the guard in the back of course laughing like an ***hole since he.... doesn't know better...

And what to think about their nice uniforms with all the stripes and stars and medals... proving what ? AMAZING THAILAND or should i say POOR Thailand....

Good point about the goverment and police computers ,

because a thai policeman was buying copied computer windows Xele office stuff

as i was walking pass the stall in a big shopping mall !!

[Payboy]

He failed to present a permit when asked.

Would the referred permit be Grey, Purple or Red or even multiples of each?

[daninthai]

He was charged because he didn't pay off the police with a 'permit'. Having pirated CDs and DVDs was coincidental.

[Nigel1500]

He must have been selling pirated Thai movies

Why?

[blackthorn2005]

'The 26-year-old defendant, Surat Maeenopparatsuda, was apprehended by Hua Mark police on December 16, 2008, while manning a roadside stall selling items including the VCDs and CDs for Bt20 each at a weekend market in Bang Kapi district. He failed to present a permit when asked.'

Is the big fine for selling fake VCD's or for not having a permit to sell fake VCD's?

Such a stupid story. And they say Lady Gaga made Thailand look bad.

It is for not paying tea money!

[RogueLeader]

What happens if he doesn't have enough money to pay the fine?

[noitom]

This is a "big clampdown" and definitely a breakthrough and sea change in the Thai illicit trade in illegal intellectual proprietary. It's a certainty that this bust of the garbage man will lead to a rout and arrests of all the Mr. Bigs involved in this trade.