Thailand to push for US piracy watch list removal

Mr Alongkorn said he would lead Thai delegates to officially visit the US from January 31- February 5.  He is scheduled to meet officials of the Office of the US Trade Representatives (USTR) to strengthen ties in trade and investment.

The Thai deputy commerce minister said he would raise the issue about removing Thailand from the Priority Watch List (PWL) and related issues on several forms of intellectual property infringement.

The trade value between Thailand and the US was valued at Bt856 billion. The US is Thailand’s third largest trade partner.

From January to October 2009, Thailand prosecuted 6,731 intellectual property violation cases and seized more than five million exhibits, a 75 per cent increase from the same period in the previous year.

The crackdown indicates that Thailand is sincere about solving the problem on a continuous basis, Mr Alongkorn said, adding that he is confident the US trade agency would definitely remove Thailand from the list.