Fine upheld over illegal VCD sales

The court said it was convinced the 83 movie VCDs and 13 music CDs – which still had covers and were wrapped in plastic – did not come from trash, as the man had claimed, but from a VCD-making source. It ruled that the given sentence was the lightest possible – as the usual punishment for this offence was a fine of Bt200,000-Bt1 million – so it upheld the term.
The 26-year-old defendant, Surat Maeenopparatsuda, was apprehended by Hua Mark police on December 16, 2008, while manning a roadside stall selling items including the VCDs and CDs for Bt20 each at a weekend market in Bang Kapi district. He failed to present a permit when asked.
The lower court found Surat guilty and initially fined him Bt200,100 before reducing it to Bt133,400 due to his useful confession. If he failed to pay the fine he would have to serve up to a year in jail.
After yesterday’s verdict, Surat's wife Som-o Maeenopparatsuda, lamented how her husband was the breadwinner, earning only Bt9,900 a month. She made handicraft wristbands for sale and wanted officials to help them.
Rights and Liberties Protection Department deputy chief Paitoon Sawangkamol said he approved the Bt200,000 posted as a bail release for Surat. He said the department would help file a Supreme Court appeal with the public prosecutor and arrange a lawyer for Surat because the Film and Video Act should emphasise punishing business operators rather than people like Surat.
The department had used a Justice fund to post bail for Surat after the lower court’s verdict.