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Countdown to World Cup – No countdown for Thailand
Thailand’s national broadcasting commission, the NBTC, has skilfully passed the blame for the impending World Cup fiasco to the Sports Authority of Thailand(SAT). With only 15 days to go, if you don’t want to miss a second of the 2022 FIFA World Cup it’s probably best to leave the country or sign up for cable.
Trairat Viriyasirikul, acting secretary-general of the NBTC, pleaded ignorance and innocence yesterday, putting the blame for the fiasco firmly at the feet of the SAT. He said if appropriate budget documents are not presented to the NBTC by Wednesday, the commission will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the broadcasting rights for the event that starts on November 20. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan promised football fans in Thailand that they could watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar for free.
Last week, ever-reliable Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan wrongly confirmed that football fans in Thailand could watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar for free. Qatar was awarded the World Cup on December 2, 2010. According to google that was 622 weeks and two days ago. How did we arrive at this situation with only two weeks left? Football fans in Thailand are quite rightly angry that so-called governing bodies have run down the clock to this extent. They have had more than 10 years to sort this out. Presumably “financial conditions” did not meet the demands of those who expect to benefit from the screening of the event.
Trairat said the NBTC is only the provider of the budget for the broadcasting rights and therefore not to blame for anything. Negotiations are up to the SAT. SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee, however, has kicked the ball back into the NTCB half, and with it, the blame.
At an NBTC board meeting on October 28, Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, chairman of the board, proposed drawing 1.6 billion baht (US$43 million) from the NBTC’s research and development fund to buy the broadcasting rights. Kongsak said that after budget approval, SAT and the NBTC would need to sign an MoU and arrangements would be settled before the tournament begins. Local fans are furious that no broadcasters in Thailand have sufficient interest in airing the matches, possibly a result of FIFA’s demand for a billion baht, a lot of money for a developing country which has never participated in a World Cup beyond the qualifying stages.
Thailand is 1 Billion THB short for World Cup 2022 Broadcasting License
Thailand’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBTC) today approved a 600 million baht budget to purchase broadcasting rights so that Thais can watch the Fifa World Cup 2022 on TV. The catch? Broadcasting rights cost 1.6 billion baht leaving Thailand one billion baht ($US27.2 million) short with just 11 days to go to kick-off! The NBTC committee sat down at 9.30am today and voted 4:2 to approve the budget to watch the tournament, which will kick off in Qatar on November 20.2022 Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) Kongsak Yodmanee said he had been in talks with the private sector about funding the rest of the money…
The comment comes just one week after Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said no sponsorship from the private sector was needed for Thailand to make the budget. He also said Thai news had overstated the license fee and it was lower than one billion baht. Just days before, Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan “confirmed” that Thais would be able to watch the World Cup 2022 for free.
Despite Thailand having over 10 years to prepare for the tournament, broadcasting rights are yet to be purchased with just 11 days to go. But being last-minute is nothing new in laidback Thailand, so pigs might fly. After all, Thais only got to watch the Euro 2020 because Thai business tycoon Komol Jungrungraengkit stepped in at the last minute and paid 300 million baht (around US$10 million at the time) for the media rights.
Had Komol not bought the rights, it was highly unlikely that Euro 2020 would have broadcasted in Thailand. Komol owns Aerosoft shoe company, and with Komol paying the media rights, every single advert broadcast during the contest was about sandals.
FIFA says no to Thailand’s TV World Cup discount request
Thailand’s embarrassing Dickensian-like cap-in-hand approach to getting the FIFA World Cup 2022 television broadcasting license at a discounted price was met with a resounding no from FIFA. Three private companies stepped up to the plate to chip in another 400 million baht to add to the government’s 600 Million THB subsidy to round up the pot to make 1 billion baht but it is still 600 MillionTHB short of FIFA’s asking price. FIFA told Thailand there will be no discount or retail sales, adding that if they wanted a discount, they should have contacted FIFA two years ago.
At the beginning of this month, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin insisted that the Thai government would have the World Cup broadcasting license in time adding that by stalling the process the license would be cheaper. It appears the Justice Minister thinks he’s at a night market bartering for a set of towels. The 67 year old MP also insisted that the price would not be over one Billion THB and no support from the private sector would be needed.
The budget required for the whole broadcasting license was later announced at 1.6 Billion THB (US$45 Million). The National Broadcasting Commission (NBTC) managed to find a 600 Million THB budget and over the weekend it was revealed True Corporation, Thai Beverage, and PTT chipped in 400 Million THB.
Khaosod reported that on Friday the NBTC solicited help from two other private companies, Major Cineplex, and PTT Exploration and Production, but they have not replied yet.
FIFA also told Thailand they can not pick and choose what games they want to watch. It is the whole package of 64 matches or nothing.
The Tourism and Sports Minister, Piphat Ratchakitprakarn, revealed today that the government would seek more support from the private sector and hope to have a conclusion by November 15.2022 Khaosod revealed that the purchase agreement must be made by November 18, and the money must be transferred to FIFA with a 15% tax levy by November 19.
Thailand’s national broadcasting commission, the NBTC, has skilfully passed the blame for the impending World Cup fiasco to the Sports Authority of Thailand(SAT). With only 15 days to go, if you don’t want to miss a second of the 2022 FIFA World Cup it’s probably best to leave the country or sign up for cable.
Trairat Viriyasirikul, acting secretary-general of the NBTC, pleaded ignorance and innocence yesterday, putting the blame for the fiasco firmly at the feet of the SAT. He said if appropriate budget documents are not presented to the NBTC by Wednesday, the commission will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the broadcasting rights for the event that starts on November 20. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan promised football fans in Thailand that they could watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar for free.
Last week, ever-reliable Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan wrongly confirmed that football fans in Thailand could watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar for free. Qatar was awarded the World Cup on December 2, 2010. According to google that was 622 weeks and two days ago. How did we arrive at this situation with only two weeks left? Football fans in Thailand are quite rightly angry that so-called governing bodies have run down the clock to this extent. They have had more than 10 years to sort this out. Presumably “financial conditions” did not meet the demands of those who expect to benefit from the screening of the event.
Trairat said the NBTC is only the provider of the budget for the broadcasting rights and therefore not to blame for anything. Negotiations are up to the SAT. SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee, however, has kicked the ball back into the NTCB half, and with it, the blame.
At an NBTC board meeting on October 28, Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, chairman of the board, proposed drawing 1.6 billion baht (US$43 million) from the NBTC’s research and development fund to buy the broadcasting rights. Kongsak said that after budget approval, SAT and the NBTC would need to sign an MoU and arrangements would be settled before the tournament begins. Local fans are furious that no broadcasters in Thailand have sufficient interest in airing the matches, possibly a result of FIFA’s demand for a billion baht, a lot of money for a developing country which has never participated in a World Cup beyond the qualifying stages.
Thailand is 1 Billion THB short for World Cup 2022 Broadcasting License
Thailand’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBTC) today approved a 600 million baht budget to purchase broadcasting rights so that Thais can watch the Fifa World Cup 2022 on TV. The catch? Broadcasting rights cost 1.6 billion baht leaving Thailand one billion baht ($US27.2 million) short with just 11 days to go to kick-off! The NBTC committee sat down at 9.30am today and voted 4:2 to approve the budget to watch the tournament, which will kick off in Qatar on November 20.2022 Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) Kongsak Yodmanee said he had been in talks with the private sector about funding the rest of the money…
“I admit that I’m quite worried about how much money is left to find [for the broadcasting rights] because I thought the budget would be bigger than this. However, I will try to the best of my ability to source the extra money to the full amount in the little time we have left so that Thai people can watch the World Cup.”
The comment comes just one week after Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said no sponsorship from the private sector was needed for Thailand to make the budget. He also said Thai news had overstated the license fee and it was lower than one billion baht. Just days before, Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan “confirmed” that Thais would be able to watch the World Cup 2022 for free.
Despite Thailand having over 10 years to prepare for the tournament, broadcasting rights are yet to be purchased with just 11 days to go. But being last-minute is nothing new in laidback Thailand, so pigs might fly. After all, Thais only got to watch the Euro 2020 because Thai business tycoon Komol Jungrungraengkit stepped in at the last minute and paid 300 million baht (around US$10 million at the time) for the media rights.
Had Komol not bought the rights, it was highly unlikely that Euro 2020 would have broadcasted in Thailand. Komol owns Aerosoft shoe company, and with Komol paying the media rights, every single advert broadcast during the contest was about sandals.
FIFA says no to Thailand’s TV World Cup discount request
Thailand’s embarrassing Dickensian-like cap-in-hand approach to getting the FIFA World Cup 2022 television broadcasting license at a discounted price was met with a resounding no from FIFA. Three private companies stepped up to the plate to chip in another 400 million baht to add to the government’s 600 Million THB subsidy to round up the pot to make 1 billion baht but it is still 600 MillionTHB short of FIFA’s asking price. FIFA told Thailand there will be no discount or retail sales, adding that if they wanted a discount, they should have contacted FIFA two years ago.
At the beginning of this month, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin insisted that the Thai government would have the World Cup broadcasting license in time adding that by stalling the process the license would be cheaper. It appears the Justice Minister thinks he’s at a night market bartering for a set of towels. The 67 year old MP also insisted that the price would not be over one Billion THB and no support from the private sector would be needed.
The budget required for the whole broadcasting license was later announced at 1.6 Billion THB (US$45 Million). The National Broadcasting Commission (NBTC) managed to find a 600 Million THB budget and over the weekend it was revealed True Corporation, Thai Beverage, and PTT chipped in 400 Million THB.
Khaosod reported that on Friday the NBTC solicited help from two other private companies, Major Cineplex, and PTT Exploration and Production, but they have not replied yet.
FIFA also told Thailand they can not pick and choose what games they want to watch. It is the whole package of 64 matches or nothing.
The Tourism and Sports Minister, Piphat Ratchakitprakarn, revealed today that the government would seek more support from the private sector and hope to have a conclusion by November 15.2022 Khaosod revealed that the purchase agreement must be made by November 18, and the money must be transferred to FIFA with a 15% tax levy by November 19.
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