Commerce Ministry optimistic US will improve Thailand’s trade status

BANGKOK, Feb 17 (TNA) - The Commerce Ministry says the United States is satisfied with Thailand’s intellectual property rights protection and hopes that Washington would improve Thailand’s trade status to Watch List (WL) from the current Priority Watch List (PWL) status. The Intellectual Property Department Director-General Pajchima Tanasanti said that she had visited the US last week and presented the Thai government’s efforts suppressing goods violating intellectual property rights in the past as well as campaigns persuading Thais to switch to using imported legal products to the US authorities during the visit. Most importantly, she said, the Thai government has amended laws related to intellectual property rights protection of which punishment would be imposed on the violators. The laws will become enforced soon after they have received approval from the House of Representatives. The US government as well as its private sector are initially very satisfied with the Thai government’s action and are prepared to improve the kingdom’s trade status by removing the current PWL and improve to WL during a meeting this April, Mrs. Pajchima said. Thailand has been on the US PWL list since 2007. (TNA)