THAI authorities have cracked down on a cross-border online piracy network allegedly operating between Thailand and Malaysia, following coordinated raids supported by international law enforcement agencies.
Officials from Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), working in cooperation with Interpol’s Stop Online Piracy programme, the Royal Thai Police, the Royal Malaysia Police, the Korean National Police Agency and copyright holders, conducted simultaneous raids at two locations in Chiang Mai province.
A suspect believed to have managed subscriber access to the illegal streaming service on behalf of its principal operator in Malaysia was arrested during the operation.
Director-General of the Department of Intellectual Property Oramon Sapthaweetham said the coordinated enforcement action resulted in the dismantling of the network, which had been distributing copyrighted films without authorisation to paying subscribers in both Thailand and Malaysia.
“The operation led to the dismantling of the network, which distributed copyrighted films without authorisation to paying subscribers in Thailand and Malaysia,” Bernama reported Oramon telling reporters on Monday (June 8).
She said the raids were carried out at premises in the Suthep subdistrict and a residence in the Mae Hia subdistrict of Chiang Mai province.
Authorities seized a range of materials believed to be linked to the operation, including accounting records, payment documents connected to cloud-computing service providers, email correspondence, mobile phones and computers.
“Items seized included accounting documents, payment records linked to cloud-computing service providers, email correspondence, mobile phones and computers believed to have been used in the operation,” she said.
The suspect has been charged with joint copyright infringement for commercial purposes, including the unauthorised reproduction, adaptation and distribution of cinematographic works.
Oramon said the crackdown reflects Thailand’s intensified efforts to combat digital piracy and safeguard the film industry, intellectual property rights and the broader creative economy.
She added that authorities will further strengthen monitoring and enforcement ahead of the FIFA World Cup, particularly to curb illegal livestreaming, unauthorised viewing links and the commercial exploitation of match broadcasts.
Under Thai law, copyright infringement carries fines ranging from 20,000 baht (US$609) to 200,000 baht, while offences committed for commercial gain may result in prison terms of up to four years, fines between 100,000 and 800,000 baht, or both.
The department also urged the public not to support piracy-linked platforms, warning that such activities undermine creators, the creative industry, employment and the wider economy. - June 9, 2026
