Draft law on amending intellectual property rights under consideration

A draft law amending Thailand’s intellectual property rights is expected to be approved by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) and enforced soon, according to Deputy Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn.
Apiradi’s remarks were made last Thursday while witnessing the annual destruction of seized goods violating IPR, worth Bt2 billion, considered to be the highest value of pirated goods ever destroyed by Thailand.
Counterfeit goods weighing some 80 tonnes consisted of clothing, handbags and luggage, watches, auto spare parts, and more, went up in smoke was also witnessed by senior officials of the Royal Thai Police, the Customs Department and other government agencies.
Apiradi said violations of intellectual property in Thailand have declined as the interim government has paid extra attention to the issue, and related agencies have also cooperated.
At present Thailand is on the United States government’s Priority Watch List, she said. It is hoped that several countries, especially the United States, would be satisfied and reconsider Thailand’s place on the list as the amending law is expected to be approved soon, she said.
The destruction of goods violating IPR is to ensure manufacturers of genuine goods that IP infringements receive attention by Thai authorities and to ensure that counterfeit goods would not be exported. (MCOT)

NESDB organizes brainstorming session on developing people

Transport Deputy Minister/NESDB Secretary-General Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.

Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) last week held its annual brainstorming session entitled ‘Developing People for Thailand’s Future.’
Participants at the session included Transport Deputy Minister/NESDB Secretary-General Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Mahidol University Council chairman Dr Vicharn Panich, Bangkok Bank executive chairman Kosit Panpiemras, and Suphachai Chearavanont, president and CEO of True Corp Plc.
Arkhom told those attending the session that Thailand is going to see several sharp changes in the future, including becoming an aged society, while residents of big cities imitate Western lifestyles, technology and an environment becoming deteriorated.
Asia is important to the global economy, he said, affecting Thais and Thai society. Because of these factors, it is essential for Thailand to develop its population in order to develop the country, solve social divisiveness and achieve sustainable development.
The NESDB, he said, wants to propose achieving human development leading to creating secure lives, family happiness and the economy.
The agency is also proposing human development measures before production begins, and future service, as well as improving the urban environment aimed at raising the quality of life, he added. (MCOT online news)

Japan asks Thailand for higher steel import quota

Japan said it wants Thailand to increase the quota of steel imports with tariff discounts to feed its offshore automobile production.
Hisamichi Koga, president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce (JCC) in Bangkok, and Masayasu Hosumi, president of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), also in Bangkok, asked Thai Industry Minister Chakramon Phasukavanich to increase the quota for Japanese steel imports to support automotive production that is expected to rise 25 percent from 2 million units this year to 2.5 million next year.
They referred to the steel import quota with tariff discounts under the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA).
At present, 50-60 percent of steel imports that are used enjoy the tariff privilege.
In response, the minister told the JCC and JETRO Bangkok heads to ask the Japanese government to first fully comply with the terms under the JTEPA.
In addition, JCC and JETRO want the Thai Industrial Standards Institute to relax its inspection of steel production standards in Japan. The institute requires the annual inspection.
Chakramon said he would have the institute conduct the inspection every two years instead. The response satisfied the two Japanese organizations, he said.
The minister added that the JCC and JETRO representatives confirmed Japanese operators in Thailand are interested in increasing their investment in the country, especially in the automotive industry. (MCOT)

Tourism Council of Thailand proposes extension of New Year’s holiday

Piyaman Tejapaibul, Tourism Council of Thailand chairperson.

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has proposed an extension of Thailand’s long New Year holiday, one of the tourism stimulus measures for the Tourism and Sports Ministry to forward to the Cabinet for consideration, said Piyaman Tejapaibul, TCT chairperson.
She said the New Year’s extension would include five days off from December 31 this year through January 4 next year.
Piyaman proposed the idea when she met with Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul last week.
A study conducted by the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University found that 36 percent of the public will travel during the New Year holiday. The additional day off will increase travel rate by 26 percent to 62 percent.
The minister will forward the proposal to the Cabinet meeting, she added.
Regarding the murder of two British tourists on Ko Tao, she said the council instructed local members to cooperate with the authorities in stepping up security measures for tourists.
She recommended that the government strictly punish the culprits to prevent recurrence of the incident. (MCOT)

ASEAN to integrate power supplies to cut costs

Thai Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee.

The 32nd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) agreed to integrate the ASEAN energy market including electrical power trading among countries in the region to cut electricity generation costs and boost the global competitiveness of the region.
The agreement resulted from the AMEM held at the Don Chan Palace Hotel in Vientiane last week.
AMEM issued a joint statement on an electricity trading project between Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The project can turn Thailand into a trading hub for electricity.
Thai Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee said the four countries agreed in principle that the project would begin with Laos selling electricity directly to Singapore, some 2,000 kilometers distant.
Tentatively, Singapore will buy an initial 100 megawatts from Laos. The four countries will form a joint committee to study technical issues and the price for the power trade. Thailand will host a meeting of the committee in November.
“The good thing is that the ASEAN Power Grid project will begin and progress,” the energy minister said.
The AMEM also discussed gas pipeline development because there would be transnational gas trade in the future, he said. (MCOT)