Transcript of the above video: 

This is something I don't talk about as often as maybe I ought to which is Intellectual Property, things like trademarks, copyrights. It's an issue, and it's a big issue in business especially international business, and Thailand has had intermittent issues with this over the years. And as the title of the video suggests, there was a raid at MBK and it caused me to go ahead and say, "you know what? It's worth making a video on this, just because this is something that pops up”. It also has ramifications in a US Immigration context. I'm making another video contemporaneously with this one where I discuss crimes involving moral turpitude or CIMT and issues involving trademark and copyright. But that said, I thought of making this video after reading a recent posting on X from Bangkok-Boy, BangkokBoy17 @X under the headline: Bangkok's Fake Goods Empire Crumbling: MBK Center Raided After Falling on US "Notorious Markets" Blacklist. Quoting directly: "In a strike against the global trade of an illicit goods, Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) launched a massive, coordinated raid on Bangkok's famed MBK. The operation, which unfolded across 17 high-priority targets within the shopping center complex on March 12, 2026, resulted in the seizure of over 100,000 counterfeit items." Quoting further: "Earlier this month, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released its 2025 "Notorious Markets" report, a global blacklist of physical and online hubs known for high-volume intellectual property theft. MBK Center held the dubious distinction of being the only physical market in Thailand named in the report, a designation the Thai authorities were eager to challenge through immediate action. During the raid, officers uncovered vast stockpiles of high-fashion knockoffs hidden in both retail stalls and dedicated storage units. The haul included a staggering array of counterfeit apparel, footwear, and accessories bearing the logos of elite global brands including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Dior, Gucci, Nike and Adidas." Yeah, and I urge those who are watching this video, go check out that posting on X by Bangkok-Boy; there's further information in there. 

This was a pretty big raid. It kind of surprised me. I always kind of thought MBK just sort of was what it was, and it wasn't ever going to change. But I probably should have been a little more aware of my history having seen the sort of rise and fall of Pantip Plaza. For those who are unaware, there was a time Pantip was notoriously known for a lot of intellectual property issues, most notably surrounding bootleg movies as well as software and things. Pantip, and I have to be honest, I kind of lament the loss of the old Bangkok to some extent because these were places that in their own way they were unique, they were neat if you will. That said, I do get that people put in a lot of time, energy, resources and money into creating a lot of these things, and to just have it ripped off, yeah it's not really conducive to further creativity. 

That said, in the sort of digital era in which we live in these things are, I wouldn't say less common, I don't know, the digital world is just sort of more conducive to that kind of piracy. That said, as we are moving along, I mean there was a time when bootleg movie sellers were everywhere on the streets and that's just come and gone. Now technology changed. Streaming platforms and things of this nature replaced DVD and even Blu-ray eventually, so times they are a-changin' I guess, but it is interesting and this situation with MBK, what does that mean long term? I don't know. I would say expect MBK to maybe not have as many knock-offs as maybe they once had. That said, it remains to be seen. If necessary, we will certainly be keeping folks updated on this channel as the situation evolves.