Interpol to lead piracy crackdown
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai police will be joining the Interpol-led weeklong crackdown on pirated goods, which kicks off tomorrow. Also participating are Bangladesh, Fiji, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Police adviser Pol General Chalermkiat Sriworakhan said officers will raid eight areas in Bangkok, namely the Khlong Thom Market, Ban Mor, Saphan Lek, MBK, Pantip, Sukhumvit Sois 13-19, Silom and Soi Patpong. Raids are also planned for Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai.


-- The Nation 2013-05-24

Nice of the Police to give everyone notice and the duration of the crackdown .

Kicks off tomorrow! Vendors, hide your stuff!!!

Which vendors turn is it to be the sacrificial lamb this time?

"Outsiders" meddling in Thai business. This should work out well.

Why don't they just quietly do a sting and nail some Thai Mr. Bigs who are dining while laughing at this article?

Nice of the police to warn the criminals before the crackdown.

Tap the phones of the local police chief in the district where the illegal goods are sold.

That would be interesting.

I remember when CNN was investigating the sale of endangered animals at the JJ Market. They documented the sales with hidden cameras.

They made the mistake of going to the police and the shops selling the animals were tipped off and nothing was found........

Good to see they announce so precisely where they will be looking.

Why don't they just quietly do a sting and nail some Thai Mr. Bigs who are dining while laughing at this article?

Maybe because it may very well be the mister bigs conducting the operation to eliminate competition

Police adviser Pol General Chalermkiat Sriworakhan said officers will raid eight areas in Bangkok, namely the Khlong Thom Market, Ban Mor, Saphan Lek, MBK, Pantip, Sukhumvit Sois 13-19, Silom and Soi Patpong. Raids are also planned for Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai.

Muppet.

You also might like to pay a visit - don't forget to call ahead first - to the fake movie sellers just outside Phayonyothin Place near where I work. I'm available if you need clearer directions. The police - your colleagues - get paid off every week, when they also get to select a handful of movies.

For evidence, I'm sure, in their relentless war against copyright fraud and piracy.

Nothing like giving the piraters a big heads up

They might as well say "Please remove your fake goods for 10 days while we pretend to go after fakes"

Just more lip service to make it seem like they are doing something

What a waste of time

IMO opinion to any big wigs up the food chain, so they need to give advance notice

and that would disrupt the money supply if they shut own all the fake sellers

Just needs Inspector Clouseau to show up to complete the comedy scene.

like that

If they are serious, they will need 50 new courts and 100 new judges this is so widespread of a violation. Why are they wasting time and resources on this 'victimless' crime. Does anyone believe that Rolex will lose a sale on a genuine Rolex watch because someone spent 1,000 Baht on a fake? No one who buys fake/counterfeit would pay retail for the real thing anyway. Are they worried it will give their brand a bad name if it fails to perform like an original? Anyone who buys fake knows it is fake because of the ridiculously low price they paid and do not expect it to be as good as the genuine article. I don't see who is being hurt except some people trying to make a dishonest living (common in every country). This is good for Interpol and it seems to make them look useful but really, aren't there more pressing crimes with actual victims that should be a higher priority? Does Interpol have every other crime under control that they can now focus of pirated goods? I don't think so. This smells of corporations pressuring politicians.

The crackdown is as fake as the merchandise .Ohhh and as fake as the newspaper article.

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Maybe, just maybe the good General is using a 'war room tactic' point /adverise in one direction and attack in another.

Ok, maybe that is giving too much credit to the individual and his understanding/practice of tactics as he did not devoluge the exact time this circle jerk will kick off.

Why they can't they just shut up instead of their 'crackdown' bragging which makes this expensive Interpol operation basically useless !

If they are serious, they will need 50 new courts and 100 new judges this is so widespread of a violation. Why are they wasting time and resources on this 'victimless' crime. Does anyone believe that Rolex will lose a sale on a genuine Rolex watch because someone spent 1,000 Baht on a fake? No one who buys fake/counterfeit would pay retail for the real thing anyway. Are they worried it will give their brand a bad name if it fails to perform like an original? Anyone who buys fake knows it is fake because of the ridiculously low price they paid and do not expect it to be as good as the genuine article. I don't see who is being hurt except some people trying to make a dishonest living (common in every country). This is good for Interpol and it seems to make them look useful but really, aren't there more pressing crimes with actual victims that should be a higher priority? Does Interpol have every other crime under control that they can now focus of pirated goods? I don't think so. This smells of corporations pressuring politicians.

You're quite right when it comes to expensive watches but how about fake medicines? Don't worry about these either? Not all fakes are 'victimless' crimes.

On a crack down few years back, a cop was shot dead in the Silom area.

Poor BIB. They have to step out of the aircon and go play tour guides in the May heat. A nice outing for all.

Nice of the Police to give everyone notice and the duration of the crackdown .

Kicks off tomorrow! Vendors, hide your stuff!!!

Same as last time when they announced on TV that they were about to raid a huge pirated goods outlet, after they finished they announced that they could not find any pirated goods, (makes one think doesn't it)

Only those of very limited ability would be unable to see that announcing where and when the "raids" take place BEFORE they take place will look rather stupid in the eyes of the press and the public.

Whatever they intend and however effective this press announcement can do nothing but further make the authorities a laughing stock in the eyes of the rest of the world.

I call it a fair play giving a leg up to would be offenders, not much unlike a fox hunt

where the bugles are heralding the coming of the dogs and the hunters and the

the hunt is on....

Thai government is relying on outside agency probably because a) no Thais are truly interested in busting this slice of the economy and and the career/life of any participating Thai official or police officer will be over if they help the sting. Wonder if Interpol folks will have any language issues???

More face saving nonsense when the real issues; government offices using pirated software, landlords not being punished for allowing sales of counterfeits on their property and a failure to label counterfeiting an organised criminal business go ignored.

good thing they announced this now they can move the goods to laos

I'm sorry, I just don't believe it.

Too many Thai people make a living from selling copy goods, and it's not really something that Thai's see as wrong (understandably) so they will go through the motions of a clampdown, then it'll be business as usual.

The only thing the clampdowns achieve is a opportunity for the police to make more money! They seize goods then sell it back or to another vendor.

Another show by the Thai Police

Good to see they announce so precisely where they will be looking.

So I take it all of these places will resemble a ghost town today. Business as usual at Pratunam?

jb1

It's a very clever move by the Thai police to announce the areas to be raided, also the one week length of the crackdown.

It's Interpol led, so there's an outside influence; an outside influence that could inadvertently cut off some of the BIB's money supply.

Announce the areas, Interpol happy there are no pirated goods, one week later business as usual for the vendors and the police.

"Outsiders" meddling in Thai business. This should work out well.

Gets me is that Interpol can not detain a wanted Thai criminal and help return him to Thailand but they can come in to Thailand and help arrest penny ante sellers of fake goods.

A National Headline will read

Interpol arrests mom and Pop street venders for selling knock off copies of CD's