Thais clean up for Bush visit
July 31, 2008 Categories: Asean+
BANGKOK: Asis Times Online reported that as a clean-up measure ahead of US President George W. Bush’s visit to Thailand next week, pirated DVDs, fake Swiss watches and imitation designer garments are fast disappearing in a red-light strip in Bangkok, which is a popular destination with bargain-hunters and others.
The two-day visit by Bush is part of his final Asian tour as chief executive.
Last week, Thai police launched a crackdown to rid Patpong of vendors who line the streets in the evening with their fake goods, shouting out bargains for pirated versions of Hollywood films such as Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. Another part of this sprawling city, the backpacker areas around Khao San Road, saw similar raids.
The news report said the police effort highlights simmering US-Thai trade tensions, which have recently come to a head over Bangkok’s moves to produce generic versions of US patent-protected pharmaceutical drugs.
It added that Washington recently downgraded Thailand onto its “priority watch list” of countries that habitually violate intellectual property rights.
ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.mmail.com.my
BANGKOK: Asis Times Online reported that as a clean-up measure ahead of US President George W. Bush’s visit to Thailand next week, pirated DVDs, fake Swiss watches and imitation designer garments are fast disappearing in a red-light strip in Bangkok, which is a popular destination with bargain-hunters and others.
The two-day visit by Bush is part of his final Asian tour as chief executive.
Last week, Thai police launched a crackdown to rid Patpong of vendors who line the streets in the evening with their fake goods, shouting out bargains for pirated versions of Hollywood films such as Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. Another part of this sprawling city, the backpacker areas around Khao San Road, saw similar raids.
The news report said the police effort highlights simmering US-Thai trade tensions, which have recently come to a head over Bangkok’s moves to produce generic versions of US patent-protected pharmaceutical drugs.
It added that Washington recently downgraded Thailand onto its “priority watch list” of countries that habitually violate intellectual property rights.
ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.mmail.com.my
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