Thailand's subscription video industry is facing a significant threat in the form of pirate TV streaming boxes, according to the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA).
A survey conducted by the association's Coalition Against Piracy found that 45% of Thai consumers are using TV boxes that can be used to stream pirated TV and video content.
These illicit streaming devices often come pre-loaded with applications allowing easy access to pirated content, with Mango TV, HD Playbox and U Play among the most popular applications among Thai consumers.
The survey, conducted by market research company YouGov, also found that of the 45% of consumers who purchased a TV box or dongle for the purposes of free streaming of pirated content, 69% stated that they canceled all or some of their subscription to legal pay TV services.
In addition, 24% specifically stated that they had canceled a subscription to a Thai-based online video service as a direct consequence of owning an illicit streaming device.
The Department of Intellectual Property of Thailand's Ministry of Commerce has proposed to amend the nation's Copyright Act to prohibit the manufacture, sale, import, or traffic
into the country of devices or components for the purpose of circumventing a technological intellectual property protection measure.
The amendments were approved by cabinet last month and are expected to be presented to the State Council shortly.
The Coalition Against Privacy comprises members including Thailand's True Vision, Singapore's Singtel and Netflix, as well as a number of content producers and pay TV channel providers.