Pattaya cops seize fake products

Published: 28 Feb 2013 at 17.55
Online news: Tourism

Police in Chon Buri province have on Thursday seized fake branded products worth an estimated five million baht. The goods were distributed at two shopping malls in Pattaya.

Police said much of the counterfeit merchandise was fashion accessories such as wristwatches and handbags as well electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets.

Officers have also taken 22 store owners into custody for further investigation.

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sami
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Discussion 13 : 04 Mar 2013 at 13.5113
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While the US and Western nations pressure poor Thailand and other Asian nations relentlessly in order to protect the famous brands nobody can afford to buy here, the peculiar relationship law-enforcement has with it's citizens is afforded another venue for making money. While I have no objection to police strategy vis a vis, historical precedent, I do wish to point out that the workers, were they to be more empowered, could benefit by the payments made to the police if they were simply paid instead, thereby giving quality lives to the poor, overworked, exploited people--working 12 hours a day for often times 30 days a month. This is better.
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mutley
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Discussion 12 : 04 Mar 2013 at 12.2612
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Maybe Disc.1, but how would you like to invent something or design something, with all it's costs, to find someone else profiting from your hard work and capital outlay. Or are you one of that rare breed, a philanthropist? Incidentally, China will get it's comeuppance shortly. The 'money men' do not forgive or forget.
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ricoaj22
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Discussion 11 : 02 Mar 2013 at 21.2011
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D1 and D6 hats off for superb commenting. Good work
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bkposter
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Discussion 10 : 01 Mar 2013 at 08.2810
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RE: D6 you are absolutely correct, and for that 10k per month they were warned of the raid in advance and the fake goods vendors left a few pieces of crap out for the police to take. the 5 million if pressed would be an inflated price based even on the cost of the original goods. You can on any day walk in to most any of these places and it is more than half fake goods. Next day is business as usual and all the fakes are on sale again.
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tcr
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Discussion 9 : 01 Mar 2013 at 07.229
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What if you were an employee at Gucci. And all these knockoffs caused you to lose your job? I think you'd consider things differently.

What if you work for a software company and see these ripoffs of the product you work 60 hours a week to create and support? I think you'd consider things differently.

What if you were a musician who had worked their entire life to get your music produced? Then see it being sold for next to nothing on the streets. I think you'd consider things differently.

A good question to ask is, why is it so important to even own a Gucci bag in the first place? Knock off or not?

P.S. Gucci is an Italian
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lookmoo
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Discussion 8 : 01 Mar 2013 at 03.238
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In most cases USA apply doubly standards. Like criticize other countries for human right valuation meanwhile CIA runs secrete prisons. So also in this case.

Only when the customers believe that he is buying the real thing the brand owner is loosing.. In such cases it can be dangerous for the customer when spare-parts, medicines and other stuff are sold.

"Chinese companies take discarded electronic parts from other nations, removes any identifying marks, washes and refurbishes them, and then resells them as brand-new – 'a practice that poses a significant risk to the performance of U.S. military systems' ".
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sami
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Discussion 7 : 28 Feb 2013 at 20.317
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I am concerned that Pattaya is changing so rapidly; what makes Pattaya the exotic city that it was is rapidly disappearing. One thing that people loved was the knock-offs. This really doesn't mean that the brands suffer--rather, this is a market for people who cannot afford the "real thing", THEREFORE, it doesn't hurt...but rather is an advertisement for the brand. There have been papers written on this phenomenon suggesting the same, that the buyers are not the same buyers for the branded merchandise.
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abbub
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Discussion 6 : 28 Feb 2013 at 20.106
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The point is the "real" goods are "fake" luxuries.

I have personally seen 30 or so shops at a mall make payments to two cops. I was told each shop pays at least 10,000 TB a month.

Can there be any doubt the shops in Pattaya were paying money under the table too?

IMO the goods will be sold out the back door again and everything will go on as usual.

Much of software is sold illegally yet companies know this. They do not often act against it because 1) it is a sort of free publicity for them, and; 2) they know people in some countries cannot afford the real thing anyway. Professionals will always buy legitimate software.
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DonAleman
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Discussion 5 : 28 Feb 2013 at 19.565
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Whew ! This means the Gucci bag I bought my wife, for 325 B, must
be genuine.
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upena
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Discussion 4 : 28 Feb 2013 at 19.224
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Blah, blah, blah. Was just in BKK for 16 days and the counterfeit goods are everywhere but the Thai Police focus on tourists that throw a cigarette butt on the ground.
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Pattaya cops seize fake products | Bangkok Post: business