Pirate-goods sellers protest being ‘exploited’ through alleged government extortion

[Jeffreyake]

Copyright laws in Thailand work only for benefit of internationol corporations, not Thai people. All laws about intellectual property and copyright should be canceled. Notwithstanding it will outrage the USA.

[HerbalEd]

Amazing Thailand! Crooks publicly protesting their treatment my other crooks.

[VINCENT2012]

thats wuy i always say never... never .....ever give money to police.....for what ever reason.

[JoeLing]

An anti-corruption hotline. Best i have heard in a long time. The only way !

Even if it takes a million people to answer the phones.

Naa, I don't think it will need millions of staff to answer those phones.

One or two will be sufficient.

The "Anti Corruption Hotline" for Thailand will either be a fake number

or they will charge premium rates costing 100 THB per minute.

Edited May 31, 2014 by JoeLing

[vincent13]

Lets hope the new government will get to grips with this along with the illegal casinos as part of the much needed reforms.

Yesterday I witnessed an elderly lady begging at the foot of a sky train station and as I walked by another lady carrying a baby arrived and passed the baby to the elderly lady and then left.

Whats all that about?

The babies are rented out. The beggars have to pay a stipulated amount of their takings to whomever is organising the scam.

[BigC]

Wow just wow. I really don't know what to say. Criminals breaking the law protesting against paying too much bribes. Only in Thailand I guess...

Must be protresting season

They forget that what they are selling is illegal works wide

The answer is simple if don't want to pay then of a legal job

Not that I am against buying these products but the law is the law the fact that the alleged police let them carry on in exchange for the. Polite way of putting it a fine is probably better than having Interpol shut them all down

Infact by protesting it is more likely that they shall sihut themselves fine by attracting toouch attention

Edited May 31, 2014 by BigC

[KarenBravo]

Lets hope the new government will get to grips with this along with the illegal casinos as part of the much needed reforms.

Yesterday I witnessed an elderly lady begging at the foot of a sky train station and as I walked by another lady carrying a baby arrived and passed the baby to the elderly lady and then left.

Whats all that about?

The babies are rented out. The beggars have to pay a stipulated amount of their takings to whomever is organising the scam.

In India, along with the baby, they get a ring with a very small pin in it. Used to make the baby cry on cue.

[vogie]

Only in Thailand, you just couldn't make it up

[max72]

This should be a priority if the junta has really good intentions: fighting corruption once and at all. These guys should be well paid professionals, but corruption should be punished at all level and above all Thais should be tough how not to lean their heads in front of it and instead be aware offcials are serving them and not vice versa. This is the only way this country could move forward.

I

[bangarang]

If you're selling illegal goods whether it be drugs, counterfeit hand bags & dvds... Extortion is going to be part of life. Deal with it, at least its keeping you out of jail. OR you could trying sticking to a legal business, and if extortion follows you there then at least you have a valid complaint.

[mercman24]

the whole poor people economy is based on fake products, i know a lady who has a small shop trying to scrape a living, works 24/7. her friend got done by the authorities,(well bribe or fine) you will never know,and now she is destitute. take super dry "T" shirts in uk £25- £29, just a t shirt with print on it ok ,better quality material, but an extortionate price. no different to Turkey realy, , i feel dam sorry for them. why not go after the rich, always targeting the the poor, easy pickings i suppose. and who of you on here cannot say you have not bought a cheap "T" shirt,

[mercman24]

i bet all you "holier than thou posters, who go spouting off, you are all ,rich farangs,dont live in a tin shed with no electric or water, haven't got a clue what it is like to wonder where the next baht is going to come from to put food in the kids mouth, so get off you high horses, i have actually got an insite into this,

[Jean Pierre Jacquot]

So dear Thai visa forum readers. You are almost all against copied goods, right? Now tell me how many of you are writing your comments through a legitimate copy of Windows? 5555555555

[KarenBravo]

i bet all you "holier than thou posters, who go spouting off, you are all ,rich farangs,dont live in a tin shed with no electric or water, haven't got a clue what it is like to wonder where the next baht is going to come from to put food in the kids mouth, so get off you high horses, i have actually got an insite into this,

In other words, it's OK to turn to crime if you're poor.

What total rubbish.

Edited May 31, 2014 by KarenBravo

[KarenBravo]

So dear Thai visa forum readers. You are almost all against copied goods, right? Now tell me how many of you are writing your comments through a legitimate copy of Windows? 5555555555

Obviously not you.

Don't project your lack of morals on others.

[howzat]

What are you trying to say Mercman.

Put up or shut up!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[jocko]

i bet all you "holier than thou posters, who go spouting off, you are all ,rich farangs,dont live in a tin shed with no electric or water, haven't got a clue what it is like to wonder where the next baht is going to come from to put food in the kids mouth, so get off you high horses, i have actually got an insite into this,

In other words, it's OK to turn to crime if you're poor.

What total rubbish.

I think it's a crime that Thailand doesnt look after its poor people better.

Then maybe there would be less crime.

[Tboy928]

Beyond pathetic!!

It's almost as though they feel they have a right to break the law.

“We know the goods are illegal, but tourists like them,” the protester said.

Lots of people also like drugs............

so if i was them, would collect nice set of 100 videos this guys taking a bride , and post it on youtube, and send a copy to the right people,, whom that may be..

[danbradster]

Copyright laws in Thailand work only for benefit of internationol corporations, not Thai people. All laws about intellectual property and copyright should be canceled. Notwithstanding it will outrage the USA.

And bring innovation to a dead stop. Would I be selling an online software successfully if every one of my customers could resell it as they pleased?

But out of curiosity, are the cheap branded clothes e.g. Adidas shirts for 150 baht fakes or just sold cheap domesticallly and expensive internationally and in the department stores?

[Jeffreyake]

Copyright laws in Thailand work only for benefit of internationol corporations, not Thai people. All laws about intellectual property and copyright should be canceled. Notwithstanding it will outrage the USA.

And bring innovation to a dead stop. Would I be selling an online software successfully if every one of my customers could resell it as they pleased?

But out of curiosity, are the cheap branded clothes e.g. Adidas shirts for 150 baht fakes or just sold cheap domesticallly and expensive internationally and in the department stores?

Wake up, much of software is distributed freelyu now, and developers still manage to earn enought o survive. With the economy freed from copyright parasites business will easliy find ways to get profit, and if some corporations (like Microsoft) feel it's not enough - we can survive with Ubuntu.

[BadBouy]

i bet all you "holier than thou posters, who go spouting off, you are all ,rich farangs,dont live in a tin shed with no electric or water, haven't got a clue what it is like to wonder where the next baht is going to come from to put food in the kids mouth, so get off you high horses, i have actually got an insite into this,

In other words, it's OK to turn to crime if you're poor.

What total rubbish.

KBravo, why not go after the importer/distributor if you really want to shut these shops down. The poor people that are pedaling this crap are eking out a living, while the importer/distributor is making the cash. It's a matter of prioritizing and catching the big fish. I have no problem with these products being available especially in developing countries, it allows people that never could own these things to have at least a copy. If it is bootleg software they are learning to use that software and so developing a loyalty to it, if it's hand bags poor pretty girls carrying knock off bags are buying into the mystic is free advertisement of your product, no lost sale as they could never afford to buy them anyway. Companies crying about this are drawing attention to there product showing its popularity and how everybody has to have it. While they cry about it I'm sure they realize they are not losing many sales as majority of people buying copies can not afford the real thing.

Police extortion is unacceptable, (the biggest crime as it aids other criminals to exist) unfortunately rampant in the LOS, I hope that new change in guard might be the start of a roll back of police corruption but I'm not holding my breath.

[BrooklynNY]

Morality does not seem to embed into most Thai people conscience.

[Genericnic]

Reminds me of the teen that killed both parents and then threw himself on the mercy of the court because he was an orphan.

David

[a99az]

I'm sure the Army's on it's way to save the day. Just be sure to have your cash standing to attention.

[attento]

Lets hope the new government will get to grips with this along with the illegal casinos as part of the much needed reforms.

Yesterday I witnessed an elderly lady begging at the foot of a sky train station and as I walked by another lady carrying a baby arrived and passed the baby to the elderly lady and then left.

Whats all that about?

they are playing pass the baby

Edited May 31, 2014 by attento

[mikebike]

worth an hour and a half of your time to watch this documentary on counterfeiting

all too easy to say it doesn't hurt anyone except the big corporations, but they can afford it can't they. yea everyone likes a good knock off pair of shades or T-shirt, but what about essential medications?

If you use your head and do some research and testing I've found that Thai (or Indian) generic meds work for my condition(s)... But it ain't like buying a t-shirt you actually have to educate yourself...

[mikebike]

I personaly wish they would get all these vendors of the sidewalks and put them in a market somewhere off the main street.

Would be nice to walk a few blocks without all these people and their customers blocking the sidewalk, of course there is the dodging motorcycles on the sidewalk.

Next is all the beggars, I mean three or four to every block is a bit much.

Enough, I feel better !! Jerry

If this is what you desire there is a utopia not so far way... Its called Singapore.

[mikebike]

i bet all you "holier than thou posters, who go spouting off, you are all ,rich farangs,dont live in a tin shed with no electric or water, haven't got a clue what it is like to wonder where the next baht is going to come from to put food in the kids mouth, so get off you high horses, i have actually got an insite into this,

In other words, it's OK to turn to crime if you're poor.

What total rubbish.

It may not be philosophically right, but it is a viable option.

[jocko]

i bet all you "holier than thou posters, who go spouting off, you are all ,rich farangs,dont live in a tin shed with no electric or water, haven't got a clue what it is like to wonder where the next baht is going to come from to put food in the kids mouth, so get off you high horses, i have actually got an insite into this,

In other words, it's OK to turn to crime if you're poor.

What total rubbish.

It may not be philosophically right, but it is a viable option.

Well said.

[NamKangMan]

i bet all you "holier than thou posters, who go spouting off, you are all ,rich farangs,dont live in a tin shed with no electric or water, haven't got a clue what it is like to wonder where the next baht is going to come from to put food in the kids mouth, so get off you high horses, i have actually got an insite into this,

In other words, it's OK to turn to crime if you're poor.

What total rubbish.

"What total rubbish." - try telling a hungry man that.

Wouldn't you steal food, if you were starving????