Thread: The secret lives of Thailand's counterfeiters

The secret lives of Thailand's counterfeiters



Bangkok, Thailand (CNN)On streets in Bangkok and in some of its glistening air-conditioned malls, countless counterfeit Rolexes, DVDs, Gucci fashion accessories and other products are openly on sale.

Foreign tourists flock to Thailand's ubiquitous street markets, fascinated by the look and feel of the high-quality counterfeit goods openly on display and the cheap prices shouted out by touts.

The ambiance of carefree shopping in public for such items make many tourists blasé about committing a crime they might never consider back home.

They also see Thais eagerly purchasing the same items, lending an illusion of acceptability, even though everyone knows the goods are illegal and might get confiscated by international customs agents who often impose heavy fines.

But who are Thailand's notorious counterfeiters?

Armed gangsters, wealthy businessmen, savvy importers, enthusiastic housewives and thrill-seeking students are all profiting by illegally selling copyrighted items.

Legal loopholes, the cost of investigations, fears of violence -- and the sheer quantity of fake goods -- enable them to publicly offer their wares with in-your-face sales pitches in English, Chinese and other tourist-friendly languages.

People who want an expensive logo or style for a surprisingly cheap price enjoy shopping in Thailand despite American, European, Thai and other efforts to stop intellectual property right infringement.

It's a fake, but no problem.'
In Thailand, goods bearing counterfeit brand names are sold openly.

"OK, this is a copy, not real, but no problem," a cheerful Thai woman says, pointing to a black knit polo shirt emblazoned with a Ferrari logo.

"Why I have to worry from police? I am not selling drugs, I am not selling heroin. I don't steal this shirt from anybody," she says in the dilapidated maze of Bangkok's wholesale and retail Pratunam Market.

"I pay police 30,000 baht ($940) every month or every two months," says a nearby seller of fake Rolexes and other top wristwatches.

The secret lives of Thailand's counterfeiters - CNN.com

Last time I visited Pratunam market in Bangkok I filled 2 suitcases full of Fred Perry/Ralph Lauren and Burberry for my chavy mates down the pub. Paid for the trip