690-baht coupons for digital TV watch to be distributed tomorrow, October 10

[webfact]

690-baht coupons for digital TV watch to be distributed tomorrow



BANGKOK: -- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) stated it will start distributing the 690-baht coupons to 14 million households to purchase digital TV set-tops tomorrow.

The first lot of coupons will be distributed in phases to registered home owners only, it said.

It will also be proposing the issuance of additional coupons for tenants of rented homes and those living in slums, all of whom would not have a proper house registration totaling at least another 11 million households, to its board of directors for consideration said Mr Thakorn Thantasith, secretary-general of theNational Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

“We have taken a nationwide survey and have discovered that not all homes have registered home owners while there are some home owners that do not live within their registered homes. These total about 11 million households. We’ll be seeking approval from the NBTC’s board Board to issue additional coupons for those homes under this category,” he said.

The coupons are distributed in sealed envelopes which will contain procurement procedures. Recipients are to present the coupon along with the house registration and identity card in order to obtain the digital TV set-tops from stores.

A house owner may also authorize someone else to pick up the set-top if he/she is not able to. The coupons will also include discount rights to purchase a digital TV if required or a TV antenna for 690 baht. The use of these coupons will take effect as of 20 October and is valid for six months.

The set-tops can be purchased at 42 official stores. Each store is allowed to set up a total of four purchase points per province.

Members of the public are cautioned to test the set-tops at the store to ensure that they are in good working order before taking it home.

Faulty set-tops are also returnable however qualified technicians should be consulted or hired to set the boxes up.

All of these set-tops do have proper store warranty and includes after sales services however anyone facing problems with vendors can call the NBTC hotline at 1200.

Mr Thakorn also ensured that it has taken protective measure against those who may try to turn-in fake coupons at stores.

All coupons contain serial numbers that are linked to house registration documents.

The first phase will see the NBTC distribute the coupons to 21 provinces and these include Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Nakorn Pathom, Ayuthaya, Singhburi, Angthong and Rayong.

The second batch of coupons will be circulated in November to another 21 provinces.

The remainder 35 provinces will receive these coupons in 2015 to ensure that everyone can enjoy digital TV services as soon as possible.

(Photo : Thai PBS File)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/690-baht-coupons-digital-tv-watch-distributed-tomorrow/


-- Thai PBS 2014-10-09

[Chang_paarp]

“We have taken a nationwide survey and have discovered that not all homes have registered home owners while there are some home owners that do not live within their registered homes. These total about 11 million households. We’ll be seeking approval from the NBTC’s board Board to issue additional coupons for those homes under this category,” he said.

Please tell me it didn't take a survey to determine that there are rented houses in Thailand.

These folk seem to have come down from a very different planet with little understanding of what actually goes on around them.

[jonclark]

Wow - there is 10 billion baht being spent to provide people with the luxury of digital TV.

While hospital up to necks in debt, schools in a awful state especially in rural locations, the roads and transport system in a fix, the agricultural sector in urgent need of investment and modernization and tax payers money is being spent on giving the population digital TV

If the NBTC have the budget to splurge like this then cut the budget and move the funds to a sector - public health - which has an urgent operational need for it.

[Nuddy]

Its not a new thing in the world at least.

Other countries have done similar sorts of things when they change the TV system whilst there are long queues at the hospitals and there are needy schools and so forth.

Probably comes under the Happiness heading.

[klauskunkel]

690-baht coupons for digital TV watch to be distributed tomorrow

[tom21]

no problem with this. just hope they do not screw it up

[expatoz]

will imported digital televisions work in Thailand ????

[rayw]

Overall this is good news for most folk but have to say I agree with the poster about there being unrepaired roads and big queues at hospitals which IMHO should have taken a much higher priority. Be good to have both and the TV Setop box vouchers and tax the excessively greedy nasty right wing fat cats to fairly pay for it !!!

One thing clearly missing in the announcement is a guide price for the set top boxes. Without this then greedy selfish vendors are likely to work together to rip off ordinary Thai folk as they do in the West to their people too. This needs controlling to protect people from being robbed. So please can I for one ask here the authorities to give the Thai people a guide price for these set top boxes. In fact better still the price of the generic digital receiver boxes should be fixed like lottery tickets so no vendor can rip folk off, and instead just make an honest and decent profit of say about 30%, which in my mind is a fair net profit on ALL retail sales anywhere in the World.

[Emster23]

I assume this does not include farangs such as myself that own and live in place of residence... I seem to recall my name is not written in "the book" although it is registered. Just asking....

[snowgard]

One thing clearly missing in the announcement is a guide price for the set top boxes.

You can find Prices for Set Top Boxes here: http://www.9sats.com/product/product.php?cat=803&

[bkk_mike]

will imported digital televisions work in Thailand ????

Maybe - it's possible if the tuner is the right sort (DVB-T2 if I remember correctly), and if it covers the correct frequency range.

However, you could still have problems with things like the electronic program guide.

[bkk_mike]

Wow - there is 10 billion baht being spent to provide people with the luxury of digital TV.

While hospital up to necks in debt, schools in a awful state especially in rural locations, the roads and transport system in a fix, the agricultural sector in urgent need of investment and modernization and tax payers money is being spent on giving the population digital TV

If the NBTC have the budget to splurge like this then cut the budget and move the funds to a sector - public health - which has an urgent operational need for it.

Like most countries, they will have got the money from selling the spectrum currently being used for analogue TV signals to be used instead for 4G Telecoms.

Subsidising the set-top boxes was part of the agreement in return for forcing people to buy a new TV, or get a set top box...

[IsaanUSA]

Do yourself a favor and just buy a digital TV. Throw out your old analog TV and skip the converter box. You will be more happy.

[naboo]

The set-tops can be purchased at 42 official stores. Each store is allowed to set up a total of four purchase points per province.

Thus we ensure that the money only goes to the companies run by the friends of government and not your local TV shop.

[IsaanUSA]

The set-tops can be purchased at 42 official stores. Each store is allowed to set up a total of four purchase points per province.

Thus we ensure that the money only goes to the companies run by the friends of government and not your local TV shop.

Or more likely, it is easier to keep track of the coupons and reimbursements.

EDIT: Typo

Edited October 10, 2014 by IsaanUSA

[naboo]

The set-tops can be purchased at 42 official stores. Each store is allowed to set up a total of four purchase points per province.

Thus we ensure that the money only goes to the companies run by the friends of government and not your local TV shop.

Or more likely, it is easier to keep track of the coupons and reimbursements.

EDIT: Typo

You're a politician's dream!

[Beetlejuice]

He said; The remainder 35 provinces will receive these coupons in 2015. When in 2015? That could be another year away if at the end of 2015.

Also can digital TV be received in all areas of Thailand? What about those living in the far out outer provinces? And what about if after buying the box, a purchaser discovers that digital TV is only available in limited form or not available at all in his or her area? It is possible to return the box to the store and receive a refund? Is it possible to install and set up the box ourselves or does it require an engineer to visit and set up the thing?

More questions than answers and if too much hassle with only vague information given, than it is probably better to go satellite and not have any doubts.

[IsaanUSA]

Digital TV is dependent on your location. I'm assuming you will not be able to borrow a box to test at your house. In the US, we have a house in the country that took a couple years of experimentation of different boxes and different antennas. We ended up with a directional antenna on the roof pointed (through the trees) in the direction of the towers in the main city. It worked about 90-95% of the time. Your best bet is to ask your neighbors with HDTV's what antenna they use. In my area, everybody had cable or satellite, so we had to experiment ourselves.

We now have a nice Samsung HDTV, and I have sold the different converter boxes on Craigslist for peanuts. Old TV's were thrown in the trash, and I have 4 antennas in the closet collecting dust.

(We ended up signing up for internet over cable and were able to see their Clear QAM channels which worked 100% of the time).

If you really want one of those converter boxes and want to use the government coupon, then you need to find out which boxes qualify and lookup reviews that talk about their signal strength.

[tartempion]

Then what do these 14 million households need to watch digital TV and what happens to analog TV?

I guess a digital TV to start, a digital set box and some terrestrial antenna?

We have a satellite antenna, two set boxes and two digital tv's, thus can watch a lot more programs than just the main Thai program, but all are rubbish anyway...

[IsaanUSA]

Then what do these 14 million households need to watch digital TV and what happens to analog TV?

I guess a digital TV to start, a digital set box and some terrestrial antenna?

We have a satellite antenna, two set boxes and two digital tv's, thus can watch a lot more programs than just the main Thai program, but all are rubbish anyway...

Analog TV signals over the air go away. Stations broadcast in digital over the air. So if you want your old TV to continue to receive signals, you need a digital tuner/converter. That's what the set top boxes are. Antenna -> set top box -> TV.

If you use satellite for your TV service, then you have nothing to worry about. This is only for people with older analog TV's that use an antenna to receive TV signals.

[tartempion]

So these set top boxes convert digital air signals to analog, thus people in the villages don't need to buy new digital tv's?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Still waiting for my voucher in CM.

[inzman]

So does anybody actually rely on antenna tv in this day and age? I am shocked. What good will a digital tv box do you? Surely everybody understands broadcast tv is only in Thai.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

So does anybody actually rely on antenna tv in this day and age? I am shocked. What good will a digital tv box do you? Surely everybody understands broadcast tv is only in Thai.

Some of us enjoy listening to Thai language broadcasts.

[IsaanUSA]

So does anybody actually rely on antenna tv in this day and age? I am shocked. What good will a digital tv box do you? Surely everybody understands broadcast tv is only in Thai.

lol, yes. People also listen to the radio, read books and write in cursive.

[inzman]

Seriously, today with the advent of so many sources of entertainment, ie.. Internet TV, cable, DVD. I am surprised people still limit themselves to a few broadcast channels. Up to you I suppose.

[IsaanUSA]

Some people, like me, do not have time to watch TV or videos. Cable or satelite is too expensive for how much I would use it. Broadcast channels have some good shows (in HD) and Windows 7 comes with DVR software. So I can record my couple of shows that I watch, and view some YouTube videos as well. I haven't watched a DVD in years.

Also we have a TV in the breakroom at work with cable, so I can see some of my favorite cable shows on there. I dont watch sports much (mostly just F1 which I download), but if there is a game I want to watch, there are tons of sports bars within a couple miles of my house.