PM Prayut orders serious crackdown on counterfeit goods

[Doc46]

If they Trying to stop all the Fake cheap stuff and ( no tax items to ) There will be not to many shops and markets in business and most of the country will be Unimployed

[Hawk]

"The first of these is to foster greater consciousness among the public for preference for authentic products, he said."

Of course ordinary people cannot afford the authentic products, so fostering greater consciousness for the real product will only lead to people buying more of the fake stuff.

[Hawk]

Not sure why anybody would buy fake stuff in Thailand.

Real, non fake stuff usually breaks within a couple days.

It sure does if it's a made in Thailand product. But a quality import is always a quality import. If you are a bargain hunter and really think you are getting a genuine Rolex watch for 500 baht, think again.

The thing I do not understand, is why not just sell these items AS copies, and at copy prices. Then no harm, no foul. It is the selling of fakes/copies as genuine that is illegal and should be severely punished.

In Kuala Lumpur fake stuff is openly sold everywhere but police down there do nothing to stop the trade, and the big retail stores do not complain either. Cambodia is full of fake stuff, and Laos sells various fake things as well and the police take no notice. Edited February 12, 2016 by Hawk

[hanuman2543]

I cannot seriously believe anybody is really fooled by fake goods which cost a fraction of the price of the real thing and fall apart very quickly. But these typically cheap and cheerful artifacts at least bring a gleam of temporary "happiness" to the humdrum lives of those who buy them.

They also, more importantly, provide employment for the people who make them, a living for those who distribute and sell them and are clearly no threat to the hugely profitable big brand name companies whose (often mis-spelt) logo they bear. Anybody who can afford to buy the real thing can instantly tell Stork from butter.

Hardly worth the cost of another crack-down, I would have thought. And something else occurs.

The present caretaker government is (as one might expect from its military ethos) enthusiastic about enforcing rules and regulations, and particularly those which mostly seem to affect the lives of people scraping a living at the bottom end of the social scale - railway and, national forest squatters, beach and street vendors, , pavement stall operators, etc.

Goodness knows how many thousands of these unfortunate souls have already been robbed of their livelihoods and/or land by the sudden and swingeing application of dubious laws studiously ignored by previous administrations - presumably in the mai pen rai spirit for which Thailand is justly renowned (and, of course, with an eye on the next elections).

Thailand has little in the way of social welfare, which probably explains why so many people unable to find regular jobs end up as mini entrepreneurs, setting up a little business wherever they can. Surely a nation of mini-entrepreneurs, even if they do bend the rules a little, is preferable to one full of than state-dependent layabouts?

One can't help wondering whether Thai people generally would really benefit from swapping their relatively laissez-faire lifestyle for something more akin to that in the over-regulated, bureaucratic West. Maybe they should ask themselves why so many foreign "refugees" escape to the Land of Smiles!

The production of the fake goods is often run by the same people who are selling drugs or are involved in human trafficking or sex trade, that means it is a way to diversify the income streams of organized crime. But in a country where supposedly 40% of the GDP is made from the "grey economy" many years nobody cared.

[dbrenn]

A 'serious' crackdown means that a bigger than usual hike in kickbacks will be required to stay in business.

Edited February 12, 2016 by dbrenn

[Strangebrew]

Excuse me that suit he is wearing real or knockoff?

[elgordo38]

That will be the unemployment figures go through the roof then...Half the country seems to be selling fake goods.!

Yes your right there goes half the country's GDP down the crapper.

[elgordo38]

The PM will do well to concentrate his efforts to clean Thailand image on issues such

deplorable and rife humen rights violations that includes people smugglings and slavery,

next, solve the daily onslaught in the south, the humongous corruption problems of you own people

in government police and army.... counterfeit goods are the least of his problems......

Still to much low hanging fruit to pick and he is afraid of ladders.

[elgordo38]

Most markets will be empty , Thailand is the Hub of Fakes , fake democracy, fake rice , fake women fake goods fake police

You left out fake Boobies

Does that mean the fake BIB Booby hunters will be among us to see if any have been installed and to "reclaim" them as evidence? If they have a serial number they will be the real deal and have to be reinserted. The BIB Boys will have to draw straws on this one. Edited February 12, 2016 by elgordo38

[elgordo38]

That will be the unemployment figures go through the roof then...Half the country seems to be selling fake goods.!

it is certainly a serious issue.

beyond the counterfeiting issue, the government is closing markets, evicting street vendors, noodle seller etc, without any thought to the jobs they are killing.

Nothing has really changed over the centuries. The common man is still under attack but not by charioteers and the manufacturers of the real "high end" merchandise is still in charge. All this "high class" merchandise is made in sweat shop countries anyways. The could just take the "seized" merchandise and put on "original" labels no one would know the wiser.

[elgordo38]

Crackdown on corruption, crackdown on all foreigners, crackdown on Phuket, crackdown on foreign teachers, crackdown on the Poipet market, crackdown on the street mafia, crackdown on all government critics, crackdown on fake stuff, crackdown on golden triangle drugs, crackdown on airport taxi scams, crackdown on farmers, crackdown on tax evaders, crackdown on the reds, etc, etc.

You got a couple right in your statement the rest not so much so. It will be a limited time targeted operation. They are also looking for the fear factor in all of this sabre rattling.

[mercman24]

just love my SUPERDRY t shirts bought for 100 baht, and not the 1000 baht, rip off merchants want, many washes and still looking like a 1000 baht T. and if they are serious about fake stuff, take a trip along to MBK,well that wont happen, it will be the small street trader trying to scratch a living that will get hit on.

[oldgent]

if the original goods were not grossly overpriced in the first place there would be no need to make fake ones

why dosen,t the government look into that

[ratcatcher]

Fake everything. Fake women, fake men, fake persons in orange garb. Fake BIBs, Fake protesters near train station. Fake cosmetics, bags, wristwatches. But aren't those produced by their neighbors up north of the border? Won't this crackdown hurt their cozy relationship? Hmmmm.... I wonder what this knee-jerk reaction is all about?

"I wonder what this knee-jerk reaction is all about?" Faked if I know.

[mrrizzla]

Blaa blaa blaa. Nothing will happen. You will still be able to go to places like MBK and see copies a plenty.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

The guy should return Democracy to Thailand soon before his bags under his eyes drop to the floor.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Crackdowns on Fakes and sex will be the demise of Thailand.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere

[Emster23]

Crackdown on corruption, crackdown on all foreigners, crackdown on Phuket, crackdown on foreign teachers, crackdown on the Poipet market, crackdown on the street mafia, crackdown on all government critics, crackdown on fake stuff, crackdown on golden triangle drugs, crackdown on airport taxi scams, crackdown on farmers, crackdown on tax evaders, crackdown on the reds, etc, etc.

Maybe they should focus on counterfeit crackdowns?

[dageurreotype]

Fake everything. Fake women, fake men, fake persons in orange garb. Fake BIBs, Fake protesters near train station. Fake cosmetics, bags, wristwatches. But aren't those produced by their neighbors up north of the border? Won't this crackdown hurt their cozy relationship? Hmmmm.... I wonder what this knee-jerk reaction is all about?

Why! The upcoming meet and greet with Obama et al of course silly! Oh. You were kidding ..

[trainman34014]

Yawn; another crackdown....a 'serious' one this time so should last at least 48 hours !

[jerojero]

Good! Start with all the crap in the sidewalk stalls lining blocking Sukhumvit!

[emilymat]

Fake everything. Fake women, fake men, fake persons in orange garb. Fake BIBs, Fake protesters near train station. Fake cosmetics, bags, wristwatches. But aren't those produced by their neighbors up north of the border? Won't this crackdown hurt their cozy relationship? Hmmmm.... I wonder what this knee-jerk reaction is all about?

Easy. A fake crackdown.

[ChrisY1]

I bought 2 Breitling watches maybe 2001 and I still have them to this day and still keep perfect time..They weren't the normal ones you get on the stalls but better ones that are dearer kept elsewhere...And yes if you compare the two there is a difference in quality big time...and weight etc and all the dials and timing etc work...I payed maybe 1500 baht each for them and they've been a bargain !!A few new batteries over the years and good to go...It was 70 baht to the pound in those days mind !!

You actually bought 2 fake copies....not Breitling.........most battery watches go for years...fake or real......

[realenglish1]

They will start this and after a few months loose interest again and POOF the LV bags are back in the stalls being sold

What a joke

[ianf]

I hope he succeeds. I just hate fake products with a vengeance. If you can't fund the real thing then don't buy a copy: buy a cheaper brand. Good example is high end bike frames: China sells Pinarello copies for $6/700. The real thing costs 5 x as much. Fakes break. Why not buy a brand such as Planet X. Not fake, guaranteed and exceedingly good quality and less than the cost of a fake. Fake aircraft parts have caused airplanes to crash. And those stupid girls with fake vuitton handbags - the real version would cost 2 x as much as the girls' motorbikes. Yep: Fakes are criminal activity and the profits fund criminals.

[mercman24]

thus speaketh the hi-so man, still talking in dollars are we, ?

[arrowsdawdle]

At the meeting a startling fact was revealed that in the entire country, there were only 20 copyright inspectors. Amazing Thailand..

Imagine how wealthy they must be by now.

[tuanku]

[buythisdashcam]

Is it allowed to say 55555555555555555555555555555+ ?

[TheCruncher]

Not sure why anybody would buy fake stuff in Thailand.

Real, non fake stuff usually breaks within a couple days.

Really? I don't think so. In my experience, the fake stuff only lasts a short time. But, it was cheap compared to the original. At times, you really do get what you pay for.

If it's sold as a cheap fake, then fine. It's when you don't know it's a fake that's a problem. They're even making fake Elixir guitar strings. Fake Shimano bike parts. All fail under heavy use.

I think what Jaywalker had in mind were original products made in Thailand.