[Greactbet]

It was the headlines in the Thai newspapers yesterday and also on the t.v. that the government want to amend the law so that the police can target people who buy counterfeit items such as bags, shoes and DVDs etc. Their plan was to fine buyers a maximum of 1,000 baht fine per item that they had bought. For the landlord the fine would be 50,000-200,000. However, the latest today is that they cannot go ahead with this plan. It is not fair on the buyer who cannot always tell whether the product is counterfeit or not. It is against their basic human rights and also the Constitution.

I do agree with that. Sometimes, the way they package things it is not always easy to know. The longer you have lived here, the harder it becomes to know whether you are getting a cheap price for something. The same goes for Thai people who have never been exposed to some of the crazy prices for brandnames in the West.

I think they should go after the landlords and owners of the shopping malls. I can understand why it is difficult to crack down on the street vendors who don't have a permanent location. However, shops in the malls like MBK should be easier to target and close down. Why are the landlords allowing shops on their premises to sell counterfeit items? Sometimes it is really obvious like computer software and DVDs. There should be heavy fines for them and also the shops. People are buying these items because these shops are everywhere and it is almost the norm.

What they also need to do is make it easier for us to buy the real thing. There are hardly any shops selling genuine software in Panthip Plaza. When I want to buy genuine items I find it very hard to track them down. Another problem is that some products have a really high import tax on them making them very expensive to buy.

They need to tackle this problem from different angles at the same time.

[Aizutox]

So what is the latest news on this topic. Does this mean that tourists leaving Bangkok airport will be subject to random searches to see if they have a pirated copy of a DVD or a fake pair of jeans.

I may be tempted to buy the odd DVD, computer software or various named brands I see in the shops. All I am thinking is that lots of things will be really cheap because I'm in Thailand and just because they have a label & are inexpensive doesn't mean they are always fake. After all we have some sales in the UK of up to 70% off.

So despite the government saying that this won't be happening will the customs on departure search tourists leaving so they can collect a fine.I have no idea of what the correct prices for things I buy are. If I like it & it's affordable then I'll buy it....I do the same in the UK.

[Uplillacype]

So what is the latest news on this topic. Does this mean that tourists leaving Bangkok airport will be subject to random searches to see if they have a pirated copy of a DVD or a fake pair of jeans.

I may be tempted to buy the odd DVD, computer software or various named brands I see in the shops. All I am thinking is that lots of things will be really cheap because I'm in Thailand and just because they have a label & are inexpensive doesn't mean they are always fake. After all we have some sales in the UK of up to 70% off.

So despite the government saying that this won't be happening will the customs on departure search tourists leaving so they can collect a fine.I have no idea of what the correct prices for things I buy are. If I like it & it's affordable then I'll buy it....I do the same in the UK.

Still will cost you money if they decide it is counterfeit-whether it is or not may not be the issue ...........

[Greactbet]

There are signs at the airports in Thailand saying that there could be heavy fines in your home country as you get off the plane. At the moment, it looks like their effort to amend the law in Thailand to target buyers has failed.

[Acrogeokickic]

This idea would just become another very easy shakedown for Thai cops and officials.

As the law stands at the moment, I believe that the police actually have to receive a complaint from a specific 'victim' before they can act. They can't just go in at random and arrest people or confiscate counterfeit products. So, if they get a complaint from a company that their football shirts are being pirated and sold at a particular location, the police can go in, (but shirts from other companies could not be used as part of the evidence).

I kind of agree with the idea of punishing landlords. But of course, the 'injured' parties, are mistaken if they believe that such action will increase their sales. It's a bit different if you produce luxury goods and want to restrict them to an elite market. But for many goods, like music, film, football shirts etc., the only way to stop piracy is to provide goods at prices that are affordable to the masses. English football clubs, for example, often talk about the massive Asian market, but until they can provide products at prices regular Thai or Chinese football fans can afford, they will never be able to exploit them. Even Man. U. can bring only a tiny proportion of their revenue from foreign product sales.