The broadcasting regulator is to hold urgent talks with satellite service provider Thaicom and all satellite TV operators in order to prevent broadcasts of live World Cup games being picked up in neighbouring countries.
The move comes after the football governing body, Fifa, wrote to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) Thursday to raise concerns over copyright infringement.
NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said Fifa informed the regulator that people in neighbouring countries can view live World Cup games via set-top-boxes from Thai satellite TV operators.
Fifa wants the NBTC to quickly resolve the signal spill-over, saying it was detrimental to Fifa business affairs and not fair on companies that paid for live broadcast rights for the tournament.
Mr Takorn said satellite TV operators broadcast the matches live under the NBTC's must-carry rule that states locally licensed television stations must be carried on a cable provider's system.
Mr Takorn said the NBTC will call in Thaicom, a key satellite's transponder provider and all related satellite TV operators from today, to discuss ways to contain the signal spill-over. He did not say what technical measures could be implemented.
"It needs to be sorted out as soon as possible," Mr Takorn said.
Nine companies chipped in to pay for the live broadcast rights for this year's World Cup in Russia, which cost about 1.4 billion baht in total. They advertise their products and services when the games air.
The nine companies are; the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC), operator of the Skytrain; Charoen Pokphand group (CP); Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel; and King Power Group.
The others are Thai Beverage; Kasikornbank; Gulf Energy Development; PTT Global Chemical; and Carabao Dang.
Football fans can watch all 64 games live on TrueVisions, Amarin TV, Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5.
