The government is thinking about amending the 2008 Film and Video Act in order to cut down the penalties on people caught selling old VCDs, as a total of 166 related cases have been filed at the e Ratchadaphisek and Southern Bangkok criminal courts so far.
Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat said yesterday that he would hold a meeting next Friday with cinematheatre operators, attorneys, representatives of the Lawyers Council of Thailand and police to discuss the possibility of amending the law. He said the first item on the agenda would be lowering the Bt200,000 to Bt1 million fine and finding ways to prevent people with ill intentions from using it as a loophole.
A source reported that 82 related lawsuits had been filed at Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court, including the highly publicised one of a city garbage collector being hit by a huge fine for selling VCDs he found in the trash, and 84 at the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court.