A Personal Journey of Exploration to Wild Places with International Movie Star Zhang Ziyi
How do people develop their cities while honouring their history and preserving the natural environment? Can those with an ancient connection to the land nurture their distinct art, music and culture in the modern world?
Premiering on National Geographic Channel at 10pm on Saturday, 14 November 2009 in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Zhang Ziyi Travel Series begins an exciting travel series in which the Beijing-born International movie star takes us on a personal journey of discovery with the help of local guides and famous friends such as globally acclaimed photographer Yu Tsai.
Originally created by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Zhang Ziyi Travel Series is a local National Geographic co-production with the hotel group to unveil the exceptional landscape of Oman and Inner Mongolia, and to show us the determination of local people to nurture their heritage, culture, history, music art, and preserve Mother Nature. The new travel series continues Ziyi’s longstanding association with the world’s leading Asia-based hotel group. As global brand ambassador, she helps Shangri-La communicate the importance of preserving nature and cultural heritage.
“National Geographic Channel and Shangri-La share a commitment to showcasing and preserving the natural beauty of the world. This unique documentary series is a result of this joint aim,” says Choylin Mok, Supervising Producer, National Geographic Channel Asia. “In these documentaries, Ziyi is more of a central character than a traditional host by opening her heart as she takes us from glittering metropolises to the very edge of the world.”
In episode one, we journey with Ziyi to watch endangered turtles hatch on a beach in Oman and see her dance with Bedouin warrior-musicians. In a highlight of episode two, she stars in a stunning high-fashion photo shoot on the wild steppes of Inner Mongolia, and follows a herd of wild horses at dawn. Through it all, we are entranced by Ziyi’s ability to embrace the cultures she encounters and make real connections with the people she meets.
“Thanks to Shangri La that provided tremendous support on this National Geographic Channel project as part of their contribution to protect the environment, nature and wild life, I am thrilled to have this unique opportunity to visit Oman and learn about how local people protect sea turtles and dolphins as part of their lives. Through this project, I fully appreciate how much nature gives us, which is why it is so important we give it back our care,” said Zhang Ziyi, Global Ambassador of Shangri-La.
“This opportunity for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts to create a series with Zhang Ziyi on issues that will determine the fate of the earth and its people is a precious one. Partnering with National Geographic Channel is undoubtedly the best way to bring this awareness to the public. We are delighted to contribute to environmental awareness and conservation that makes people sit up and think about what they can do to care for the planet. These issues remain at the heart of Shangri-La’s social agenda,” said Madhu Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.
Filmed in high-definition, Zhang Ziyi’s Travel Series presents a variety of visuals and stills of art and historical images of the most stunning natural landscape in Ziyi’s unique perspective.
Episodes include:
Episode 1: Zhang Ziyi’s Oman
In Zhang Ziyi’s Oman, Zhang Ziyi explores themes of heritage and conservation. Landing in Muscat, the capital of this Arabian nation, Ziyi meets local guide- Hafidh and visits the city’s old Souq, or marketplace, to learn about its social and economic functions. Oman is an Islamic nation, and local guide Khalfan Al-Esry hosts a tour of the impressively modern Grand Mosque. The sultanate’s coastline and natural history is also featured, as Ziyi joins Mohammed, resident turtle ranger from Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa on the water, where they encounter hundreds of dolphins, and on the beach, where they watch baby sea turtles hatching and making their way to the sea. She also meets the Sultan’s niece, Her Highness Sayyedha Tania Al-Said, who explains other conservation efforts underway in Oman. Finally, Ziyi ventures into the stunning Wahibi sands for an encounter with the nomadic Bedouin, where she learns about life in the desert, rides a camel on the dunes, and dances to the music the musicians perform for her.
Episode 2: Zhang Ziyi’s Inner Mongolia
Award-winning Chinese actress and global celebrity Zhang Ziyi explores the frontiers of high fashion on the steppes of Inner Mongolia with internationally renowned photographer Yu Tsai in Zhang Ziyi’s Inner Mongolia.
We preview the ensemble design of emerging couturier Jason Wu, famous for the Inaugural Ball gown worn by the U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama; and fashion-forward Gucci, D&G, Hermes, Dries van Noten, Helmut Lang, Armani, Prada and Marc Jacobs – accented with an eclectic mix of indigenous accessories, against the stunning backdrop of Inner Mongolia’s rolling plains.
We watch as Ziyi, Yu Tsai and his team search for the perfect locations, lighting, and pose for this high-fashion shoot. Together, they explore the grasslands, battle the elements, and learn about local customs and traditions. Filmed in high-definition and presented with a sound track of powerful and emotive local music, Zhang Ziyi’s Inner Mongolia combines fashion, photography, travel and culture, with one of China’s most beautiful and charismatic stars at its centre.
About National Geographic Channels International
National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) invites viewers to re-think the way they see television - and the world - with smart, innovative programming. A business enterprise owned by National Geographic Television (NGT) and FOX Entertainment Group, NGCI contributes to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education through its six channels: National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Channel HD, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Wild HD, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo Music.
Globally, National Geographic Channel (including NGC U.S. which is a joint venture of NGT and Fox Cable Networks Group) is available in 305 million homes in 165 countries and 34 languages. For more information, please visit www.natgeotv.com
About Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, currently owns and/or manages 65 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market Traders brands, with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Black Crowes fly free
The Black Crowes may be "the most unlikely group of career-minded people ever", as singer Chris Robinson puts it, but that hasn't kept the band from outlasting any number of others along the way.
The Georgia-bred group's debut,Shake Your Money Maker (1990), introduced the classic-rock-influenced band with a pair of No. 1 rock singles,She Talks to Angels and a stomping rendition of Otis Redding's Hard to Handle , and logged worldwide sales of more than eight million copies.
It was a heady launch for a career that has since produced seven more studio albums, including the new Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze and a collaboration with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, as well as acknowledged feuds between Robinson and his younger brother, guitarist-co-writer Rich Robinson, and even a three-year hiatus.
"You just look at it and think about how lucky we are to still be here, at the level we are," the 42-year-old Robinson says."Far more talented people than us didn't get a chance to make as many records as we did, for whatever reason,so I'm very grateful."
Even declining sales since Shake Your Money Maker and occasional reviews that dismiss the Crowes as outdated "this archaic band", one critic called them- haven't dulled their enthusiasm or sense of purpose.
"I think we're happy with our cult status," Robinson says in the front lounge of the Crowes' tour bus, relaxing before a performance at the Rothbury Festival in western Michigan."I think it would be the silliest thing in the world if we tried to be something that we're not.We'd done a lot of different cycles and we've gone through a lot, and it's always been a hassle, in a way, because we're a real counterculture band. We're against the system on a number of levels, whether it's our liberal politics or the way we approach the music business.
"But you know what? I think it's more fun than it's ever been," the singer says."The pace is better, and it's more fulfilling,too."
His brother echoes that sentiment."I'm more than happy with the way things are," Rich Robinson says."With the newer guys we have [guitarist Luther Dickinson and keyboardist Adam MacDougall], for the first time in a long time it feels like,'This is our band, this is where we're headed.' It's very positive."
Currently the Black Crowes, who also include founding drummer Steve Gorman and long-time bassist Sven Pipien, record for their own label, Silver Arrow Records. That gives the group a level of independence to pursue any musical course it wants.
"There's an energy we can still have to be creative," Chris Robinson says."Our creative potential is always in what's happening now. I don't know how far this band could go just ... living on what was. Our greatest hits, I mean. You can do it, a lot of bands do it, but that's not how we ever saw ourselves.
"To me it's all about,'What can we do that we haven't done?"'
Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze is a greater expression of that creative freedom than even Warpaint (2008), the Crowes'"comeback" album, which was the band's first in seven years and its first for Silver Arrow.
"The thing about Warpaint that made me the most excited is that we definitely dug into our roots vibe in a lot of the songs," Robinson says,"and added more folk and country elements, which has always been a big part. But I think sometimes we would get to the threshold and then we would back off and maybe make something a little more down-themiddle.
"This time we followed our instincts more."
For the new album Robinson wanted to follow those instincts even further.His idea, inspired by the Grateful Dead's Europe '72 concert album, was to record all-new material in front of a live audience.
"You listen to [Europe '72 ] and they play a lot of music that became iconic for them," the singer says."Even He's Gone , that's the first time they ever played it. I was like,'That's balls. We've got balls. We should do that!"'
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place while Robinson was holidaying in Woodstock, New York, with his girlfriend and Ryder, his son with ex-wife Kate Hudson. The three attended a "Midnight Ramble", a community-style jam session hosted by The Band's Levon Helm at his nearby barn-recording studio.
"We went over there and it was so much fun and the music was so great,"Robinson recalls.
"Here you are in Woodstock in a barn that's set up as a studio and a live venue,and it's ... perfect. We had been talking about logistics for [the album]- how do we do it? where do we do it?- and I'm sitting behind the console at Levon's place listening to what they're doing and I was like,'It's right here!"'
"It's independent in its spirit and the vibe of how committed everyone is to the music is important there," he says."The next day we all went over to see Levon."
Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze
was recorded during five shows at Helm's barn in February and March.
The Georgia-bred group's debut,Shake Your Money Maker (1990), introduced the classic-rock-influenced band with a pair of No. 1 rock singles,She Talks to Angels and a stomping rendition of Otis Redding's Hard to Handle , and logged worldwide sales of more than eight million copies.
It was a heady launch for a career that has since produced seven more studio albums, including the new Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze and a collaboration with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, as well as acknowledged feuds between Robinson and his younger brother, guitarist-co-writer Rich Robinson, and even a three-year hiatus.
"You just look at it and think about how lucky we are to still be here, at the level we are," the 42-year-old Robinson says."Far more talented people than us didn't get a chance to make as many records as we did, for whatever reason,so I'm very grateful."
Even declining sales since Shake Your Money Maker and occasional reviews that dismiss the Crowes as outdated "this archaic band", one critic called them- haven't dulled their enthusiasm or sense of purpose.
"I think we're happy with our cult status," Robinson says in the front lounge of the Crowes' tour bus, relaxing before a performance at the Rothbury Festival in western Michigan."I think it would be the silliest thing in the world if we tried to be something that we're not.We'd done a lot of different cycles and we've gone through a lot, and it's always been a hassle, in a way, because we're a real counterculture band. We're against the system on a number of levels, whether it's our liberal politics or the way we approach the music business.
"But you know what? I think it's more fun than it's ever been," the singer says."The pace is better, and it's more fulfilling,too."
His brother echoes that sentiment."I'm more than happy with the way things are," Rich Robinson says."With the newer guys we have [guitarist Luther Dickinson and keyboardist Adam MacDougall], for the first time in a long time it feels like,'This is our band, this is where we're headed.' It's very positive."
Currently the Black Crowes, who also include founding drummer Steve Gorman and long-time bassist Sven Pipien, record for their own label, Silver Arrow Records. That gives the group a level of independence to pursue any musical course it wants.
"There's an energy we can still have to be creative," Chris Robinson says."Our creative potential is always in what's happening now. I don't know how far this band could go just ... living on what was. Our greatest hits, I mean. You can do it, a lot of bands do it, but that's not how we ever saw ourselves.
"To me it's all about,'What can we do that we haven't done?"'
Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze is a greater expression of that creative freedom than even Warpaint (2008), the Crowes'"comeback" album, which was the band's first in seven years and its first for Silver Arrow.
"The thing about Warpaint that made me the most excited is that we definitely dug into our roots vibe in a lot of the songs," Robinson says,"and added more folk and country elements, which has always been a big part. But I think sometimes we would get to the threshold and then we would back off and maybe make something a little more down-themiddle.
"This time we followed our instincts more."
For the new album Robinson wanted to follow those instincts even further.His idea, inspired by the Grateful Dead's Europe '72 concert album, was to record all-new material in front of a live audience.
"You listen to [Europe '72 ] and they play a lot of music that became iconic for them," the singer says."Even He's Gone , that's the first time they ever played it. I was like,'That's balls. We've got balls. We should do that!"'
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place while Robinson was holidaying in Woodstock, New York, with his girlfriend and Ryder, his son with ex-wife Kate Hudson. The three attended a "Midnight Ramble", a community-style jam session hosted by The Band's Levon Helm at his nearby barn-recording studio.
"We went over there and it was so much fun and the music was so great,"Robinson recalls.
"Here you are in Woodstock in a barn that's set up as a studio and a live venue,and it's ... perfect. We had been talking about logistics for [the album]- how do we do it? where do we do it?- and I'm sitting behind the console at Levon's place listening to what they're doing and I was like,'It's right here!"'
"It's independent in its spirit and the vibe of how committed everyone is to the music is important there," he says."The next day we all went over to see Levon."
Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze
was recorded during five shows at Helm's barn in February and March.
Flower extravaganza set to return
The floral extravaganza Ratchaphruek Festival returns to Chiang Mai next month from Dec 1-10 to celebrate the 82nd birthday anniversary of His Majesty the King, the world's longest reigning monarch.
Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,the provincial administration and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the festival is expected to draw more than 200,000 visitors.
According to Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor for marketing communications, on Dec 5,which is the King's birthday,there will be a grand ceremony involving the lighting of candles and offering of prayers wishing His Majesty sound health,followed by fireworks and light and sound presentation.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will preside over the festival opening on Dec 1 when he'd join local notaries to release 999 floating lanterns, followed by Thai classical dances from the four regions of the country,with 99 performers from each region.
Taking place at the same venue that played host to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accension to the throne in 2006, the festival is an exhibition of flowers, plants and fruits,sale of farm products, handicrafts and OTOP goods, and contests featuring farm commodities.
The event three years ago featured roughly 2.5 million plants and flowers,including some rare orchids, and drew about as many visitors.
"The festival should help boost tourism and raise hotel occupancy in Chiang Mai," said the deputy governor.
A first in Chanthaburi
Launched on Oct 26 in Chanthaburi,the first training centre for management of shipwrecks and underwater cultural heritage brings together 16 archaeologists from across the Southeast Asia region.
The training programme is a part-nership between Unesco, the Ministry of Culture and the Underwater Archaeology Division of the Department of Fine Arts.
"Thousands of historical items have already been stolen by treasure hunters and if preventative measures are not put into place to combat the illegal trade,even more priceless treasures will disappear from Asian waters," said Ricardo Favis of Unesco's Bangkok office, adding "Asian maritime archaeologists are still in their infancy, so we must improve their knowledge and skills."
The first batch comprises trainees from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.The course runs until Dec 5. It is conducted by experts from Australia, England and Holland, and covers subjects such as maritime law,in situ preservation of shipwrecks and underwater sites, museology, treasure hunters and monitoring techniques, shipbuilding technology and ethnographic boat recording.
The Chantaburi facility is one of the best-equipped in the region and located in proximity of shipwreck sites, allowing the trainees to field-test practical skills.
Major TAT push in Moscow
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) office in Moscow has embarked on a major offensive after the number of Russians visiting Thailand dropped 29.43 per cent in the first four months of this year.
In 2008, Russian visitors to Thailand totaled 319,587, up 14.23%over the previous year, and generated 16.24 billion baht in tourism revenue. During 2002-08, the number of Russian visitors to Thailand grew by an annual average of 28.79% while their spending grew by 32.76% annually. However, the global financial crisis saw their number drop by 29.43% during January to April this year.
Therefore TAT's Moscow office launched the "Welcome to Thailand Mega Fam" campaign last week, reining in 70 Russian travel agents and media representatives to its cause."Our research shows many opportunities for growth," said Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor in charge of marketing communications."Russia is mainly a winter-season market as Russians love our warm weather, the beaches and the sea. Many also enjoy learning diving and exploring underwater treasures around the Andamans and the Gulf of Thailand."
TAT is targetting high-end tourists and meeting delegates through tour packages to Bangkok with a detour to neighbouring countries, and expects the campaign to generate 293,000 visitors from Russian alone, not to mention the Central Asian republics, for a turnover of roughly 14.03 billion baht this winter.
Park encroachment
The Department of National Park,Wildlife and Plant Conservation last week raided a marine park in Trang Province,the site of a private resort, and seized 20 workers before ordering a halt to further construction.
Almost 80 per cent complete the resort,valued at 20 million baht, belongs to a Songkhla businessman. Located in Hat Chao Mai Marine Park, it's built on a strip of land where construction is forbidden.
The raid followed complaints from locals. Somchai Masathien, director of the Forest Fire Control Division led a 50-strong force to the construction site and arrested the workers, after which he told the local media that the building will be demolished.
Tiger resumes flights
Anticipating a rise in passenger traffic during the upcoming tourist season, Tiger Airways has resumed flights between Singapore and Krabi.
"We are very excited about the resumption of Krabi flights. With four flights a week you now have an additional choice of a holiday destination," said Tiger Airways Managing Director Rosalynn Tay.
All of them are afternoon flights available Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The start-up price is at 535 baht excluding surcharges.
Visit www.tigerairways.com for more information.
Concert by the river
"Jazz de Chang Kanchanaburi" is a charity concert scheduled Nov 7 in front of the bridge over the Kwai River in Kanchanaburi.
Proceeds from the event will go to the conservation of elephants in Salakpra,the country's first wildlife sanctuary located in the province.
The concert will feature the Biggles Big Band from the Netherlands and the Bangkok Connection.
The event is jointly organised by the provincial administration, the Dutch Embassy, the private sector in Kanchanaburi,the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the local chapter of Elephant Conservation Network.
Tickets for the concert are priced at 800 baht and include dinner.
For more information, call 034-514-771.
Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,the provincial administration and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the festival is expected to draw more than 200,000 visitors.
According to Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor for marketing communications, on Dec 5,which is the King's birthday,there will be a grand ceremony involving the lighting of candles and offering of prayers wishing His Majesty sound health,followed by fireworks and light and sound presentation.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will preside over the festival opening on Dec 1 when he'd join local notaries to release 999 floating lanterns, followed by Thai classical dances from the four regions of the country,with 99 performers from each region.
Taking place at the same venue that played host to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accension to the throne in 2006, the festival is an exhibition of flowers, plants and fruits,sale of farm products, handicrafts and OTOP goods, and contests featuring farm commodities.
The event three years ago featured roughly 2.5 million plants and flowers,including some rare orchids, and drew about as many visitors.
"The festival should help boost tourism and raise hotel occupancy in Chiang Mai," said the deputy governor.
A first in Chanthaburi
Launched on Oct 26 in Chanthaburi,the first training centre for management of shipwrecks and underwater cultural heritage brings together 16 archaeologists from across the Southeast Asia region.
The training programme is a part-nership between Unesco, the Ministry of Culture and the Underwater Archaeology Division of the Department of Fine Arts.
"Thousands of historical items have already been stolen by treasure hunters and if preventative measures are not put into place to combat the illegal trade,even more priceless treasures will disappear from Asian waters," said Ricardo Favis of Unesco's Bangkok office, adding "Asian maritime archaeologists are still in their infancy, so we must improve their knowledge and skills."
The first batch comprises trainees from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.The course runs until Dec 5. It is conducted by experts from Australia, England and Holland, and covers subjects such as maritime law,in situ preservation of shipwrecks and underwater sites, museology, treasure hunters and monitoring techniques, shipbuilding technology and ethnographic boat recording.
The Chantaburi facility is one of the best-equipped in the region and located in proximity of shipwreck sites, allowing the trainees to field-test practical skills.
Major TAT push in Moscow
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) office in Moscow has embarked on a major offensive after the number of Russians visiting Thailand dropped 29.43 per cent in the first four months of this year.
In 2008, Russian visitors to Thailand totaled 319,587, up 14.23%over the previous year, and generated 16.24 billion baht in tourism revenue. During 2002-08, the number of Russian visitors to Thailand grew by an annual average of 28.79% while their spending grew by 32.76% annually. However, the global financial crisis saw their number drop by 29.43% during January to April this year.
Therefore TAT's Moscow office launched the "Welcome to Thailand Mega Fam" campaign last week, reining in 70 Russian travel agents and media representatives to its cause."Our research shows many opportunities for growth," said Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor in charge of marketing communications."Russia is mainly a winter-season market as Russians love our warm weather, the beaches and the sea. Many also enjoy learning diving and exploring underwater treasures around the Andamans and the Gulf of Thailand."
TAT is targetting high-end tourists and meeting delegates through tour packages to Bangkok with a detour to neighbouring countries, and expects the campaign to generate 293,000 visitors from Russian alone, not to mention the Central Asian republics, for a turnover of roughly 14.03 billion baht this winter.
Park encroachment
The Department of National Park,Wildlife and Plant Conservation last week raided a marine park in Trang Province,the site of a private resort, and seized 20 workers before ordering a halt to further construction.
Almost 80 per cent complete the resort,valued at 20 million baht, belongs to a Songkhla businessman. Located in Hat Chao Mai Marine Park, it's built on a strip of land where construction is forbidden.
The raid followed complaints from locals. Somchai Masathien, director of the Forest Fire Control Division led a 50-strong force to the construction site and arrested the workers, after which he told the local media that the building will be demolished.
Tiger resumes flights
Anticipating a rise in passenger traffic during the upcoming tourist season, Tiger Airways has resumed flights between Singapore and Krabi.
"We are very excited about the resumption of Krabi flights. With four flights a week you now have an additional choice of a holiday destination," said Tiger Airways Managing Director Rosalynn Tay.
All of them are afternoon flights available Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The start-up price is at 535 baht excluding surcharges.
Visit www.tigerairways.com for more information.
Concert by the river
"Jazz de Chang Kanchanaburi" is a charity concert scheduled Nov 7 in front of the bridge over the Kwai River in Kanchanaburi.
Proceeds from the event will go to the conservation of elephants in Salakpra,the country's first wildlife sanctuary located in the province.
The concert will feature the Biggles Big Band from the Netherlands and the Bangkok Connection.
The event is jointly organised by the provincial administration, the Dutch Embassy, the private sector in Kanchanaburi,the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the local chapter of Elephant Conservation Network.
Tickets for the concert are priced at 800 baht and include dinner.
For more information, call 034-514-771.
KARAOKE BUSINESS AND ROYALTY FEE COLLECTING AGENCIES
Since their introduction, karaoke machines have been popular among Thai consumers and part of the restaurant business throughout the country. But karaoke machines cannot operate without musical content, most of which is copyright-protected.
Widespread use of karaoke machines together with musical works hascertainly caught the attention of musical copyright owners. They started to enforce their rights by specifying the royalty rate and conducting police raids against those who use tunes without authorisation. It is important to note that using musical works without proper authorisation is a criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to four years or a fine of up to 800,000 baht (Section 69(2) Copyright Act).
For most small business owners, this fine is a huge figure. In 2002, a group of small restaurant owners with illegal karaoke operations surrounded a leading Thai musical company on Asok Road to protest the business concept in which musical companies would collect royalty fees for songs used by karaoke businesses.The restaurateurs later moved their protest to the Ministry of Commerce.
Since 2002, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), the Ministry of Commerce, and the police, among other agencies, have tried to resolve the conflict between restaurateurs and rights owners, but little progress has been achieved. Copyright owners want to collect royalty fees whenever their songs are played, whereas the karaoke operators believe fees are too high and that many musical companies collect fees outside of a properly regulated system.
Furthermore, there is no system in place to determine who the rightful owner of each song is. Some composers have transferred their copyright to more than one music publisher. The DIP has listed these "problem songs" and has asked the police not to prosecute the karaoke operators using these problematic songs.
This uncertainty calls for a law to regulate collecting agencies. In 2007,during Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's administration, the ministry proposed to amend the Copyright Act to establish a collection agency that would administer a minimum number of songs,with royalty rates controlled by the DIP.The minimum songs requirement is to avoid too many small agencies, each owning only a few songs, collecting royalty fees. A lot of collecting agencies would impose too great a burden on karaoke operators. But the draft was shelved by the National Assembly because of protests against the agency's establishment in front of Parliament by a group believed to be connected to the musical right owners.
Government-facilitated meetings have continued since, but to no avail. In 2009,under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government, the Ministry of Commerce has proposed new amendments of the Copyright Act for review by the Council of State, which serves as the government's legal adviser. While the amendments propose to make buying counterfeit products an offence, and to make landlords liable when tenants sell counterfeit products, a proposal for a royalty collection agency is not included.After two years of trying to pass its 2007 proposal, it seems the Ministry of Commerce has given up hope, at least in the short term.
Thailand is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that leaves royalty fee collection to musical companies, who take the law into their own hands without any proper control from authorities.Other Asean countries have established collection agencies, including the Philippines' Filipino Society of Composers Authors and Publishers,Singapore's Recording Industry Performance Singapore, and Malaysia's three collection agencies.
The lack of royalty collecting systems in Thailand means karaoke machine operators continue to be pitted against copyright owners and their collection agencies. Therefore, it is important that there must be clear and manageable legal rules for the collecting of royalties in the karaoke business. The authorities need to come up with concrete solutions to solve this long-pending predicament.It is unlikely that this matter would come to an end soon unless concerted efforts are made by all parties concerned.
Widespread use of karaoke machines together with musical works hascertainly caught the attention of musical copyright owners. They started to enforce their rights by specifying the royalty rate and conducting police raids against those who use tunes without authorisation. It is important to note that using musical works without proper authorisation is a criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to four years or a fine of up to 800,000 baht (Section 69(2) Copyright Act).
For most small business owners, this fine is a huge figure. In 2002, a group of small restaurant owners with illegal karaoke operations surrounded a leading Thai musical company on Asok Road to protest the business concept in which musical companies would collect royalty fees for songs used by karaoke businesses.The restaurateurs later moved their protest to the Ministry of Commerce.
Since 2002, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), the Ministry of Commerce, and the police, among other agencies, have tried to resolve the conflict between restaurateurs and rights owners, but little progress has been achieved. Copyright owners want to collect royalty fees whenever their songs are played, whereas the karaoke operators believe fees are too high and that many musical companies collect fees outside of a properly regulated system.
Furthermore, there is no system in place to determine who the rightful owner of each song is. Some composers have transferred their copyright to more than one music publisher. The DIP has listed these "problem songs" and has asked the police not to prosecute the karaoke operators using these problematic songs.
This uncertainty calls for a law to regulate collecting agencies. In 2007,during Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's administration, the ministry proposed to amend the Copyright Act to establish a collection agency that would administer a minimum number of songs,with royalty rates controlled by the DIP.The minimum songs requirement is to avoid too many small agencies, each owning only a few songs, collecting royalty fees. A lot of collecting agencies would impose too great a burden on karaoke operators. But the draft was shelved by the National Assembly because of protests against the agency's establishment in front of Parliament by a group believed to be connected to the musical right owners.
Government-facilitated meetings have continued since, but to no avail. In 2009,under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government, the Ministry of Commerce has proposed new amendments of the Copyright Act for review by the Council of State, which serves as the government's legal adviser. While the amendments propose to make buying counterfeit products an offence, and to make landlords liable when tenants sell counterfeit products, a proposal for a royalty collection agency is not included.After two years of trying to pass its 2007 proposal, it seems the Ministry of Commerce has given up hope, at least in the short term.
Thailand is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that leaves royalty fee collection to musical companies, who take the law into their own hands without any proper control from authorities.Other Asean countries have established collection agencies, including the Philippines' Filipino Society of Composers Authors and Publishers,Singapore's Recording Industry Performance Singapore, and Malaysia's three collection agencies.
The lack of royalty collecting systems in Thailand means karaoke machine operators continue to be pitted against copyright owners and their collection agencies. Therefore, it is important that there must be clear and manageable legal rules for the collecting of royalties in the karaoke business. The authorities need to come up with concrete solutions to solve this long-pending predicament.It is unlikely that this matter would come to an end soon unless concerted efforts are made by all parties concerned.
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