Crackdown signalled on pirate marketeers

It also plans to ask for another Bt50 million from the government to continue the suppression of IP-rights violations next year.

For the first time, the department will cooperate with the Department of Special Investigation and the Customs Department in setting up five special investigation teams and five suppression task forces to operate around the Kingdom.

"Counterfeit goods are a major problem in Thailand," Deputy Commerce Minister Banyin Tangpaporn said yesterday. "The stringent crackdown on illegal traders and goods will not only improve the country's image, but also help economic growth, as illegal products create huge losses for the economy."

He said that within three months of serious suppression starting next month, the country would no longer have illegal products commonly available at trading centres.

Priority areas to be targeted for investigation  will be Panthip Plaza, Klong Thom Market and Patpong Night Market in Bangkok and tourism venues in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Surat Thani, Chon Buri, Songkhla, Krabi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces.

Banyin said the special investigation teams would try to send all of the cases to court in a bid to destroy manufacturers of illegal products, so that there would be no repeat violations.

The IP Department reported 1,727 cases of IP infringement in the first four months of the year, with the seizure of 570,935 items.