Bangkok Police Bear Down on Drug Counterfeiters

Bangkok police are focusing on deadly counterfeit items, like fake drugs, in 2011.

Bangkok police are focusing on deadly counterfeit items, like fake drugs, in 2011.

In an interview with the Bangkok Post, Police Colonel Pravesana Mulpramook, director of the Department of Special Investigation’s (DSI) Intellectual Property Crime Bureau, said that 2011 is the year for them to focus on fake drug distribution within Thailand.

”Many products are imported from China, such as medicine and especially cosmetics, which are in demand because they are 10 times cheaper than the original. Many people using them will damage their appearances, or, in the case of medicines in particular, their health,” he said. ”This is my top priority,” reported The Post.

Pravesana has realistic expectations. ”Stopping the piracy and counterfeiting business will be difficult. I expect that the business will increase this year,” he said.

The US Trade Representative (USTR) Office’s has identified Thailand as a high priority watch for the past four years, and despite its efforts to battle fakes, noted that “piracy and counterfeiting remain widespread.” Pantip Plaza, Khlong Thom, Saphan Lek, and Ban Mor shopping areas, MBK, as well as the commercial districts of Patpong, wider Silom, and Sukhumvit were identified as “notorious markets” for fake goods.

To the general public, the most visible official efforts to crack down on fakes are occasional police raids on vendors, with confiscation, fining and business continuing the next day.

However, Pravesana says that the real fight against counterfeits takes place behind the scenes, where his team hunts much larger targets. “We can accept only big cases, like factories, storage places, distributors or big retailers where the value of goods seized exceeds 500,000 baht,” he said.