Thailand's Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission warned Monday that RS, Thailand's broadcasting right holders for this summer's FIFA World Cup, "runs the risk of being fined" up to 17.3M baht ($538,800), should the company fail to allow all 64 matches from Brazil to be shown on free TV, according to THE NATION. NBTC Vice Chair Natee Sukonrat said that "RS cannot screen World Cup matches through its new set-top box without them being simultaneously broadcast on free TV." If RS goes ahead with its plan to give only 22 matches to free TV, it would cost them an estimated 8.2M baht ($255,400) in fines "for the whole period of the tournament between June 12 and July 13" (THE NATION, 3/18). In Bangkok, Saengwit Kewaleewongsatorn wrote the NBTC is threatening to take strong legal action against RS if it "does not immediately stop its misleading ad campaign" for the World Cup as it violates consumer protection law. Sukonrat said, "RS must stop its misleading ads as they violate consumer protection laws" (BANGKOK POST, 3/18).
