The Vice Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) of Thailand, Col. Dr. Natee Sukonrat, accompanied by his colleagues paid a courtesy visit to NCC Chairperson Chan, Ting-I, on Feb. 24 and exchanged views with Commissioner Hung, Chen-Ling and Commissioner Guo, Wen-Chung on the regulation of OTT TV, media responsibilities and cultural preservation.
　　With regards to OTT, Commissioner Hung, Chen-Ling stated that with the development of technology and communications, OTT services that are being provided via the internet have not only gradually impacted the existing industries, but have also brought various challenges for regulatory bodies. It is noted that at present, NCC does not regulate OTT TV being provided online, but has drafted “Digital Communications Act” as a basic principle of the internet, which introduces the spirits of “Internet Governance” and “Light Touch” as a positive response to the needs of the times.
　　NBTC Vice Chairman, Col. Dr. Natee Sukonrat, shared the current regulation on OTT and the future regulation framework of Thailand. He pointed out that, although OTT TV does not use the frequency of public resources, its influence in the communications should not be underestimated. For example, YouTube is one of the important players in Thailand, with its revenue reaching 1.66 billion Baht last year. Therefore, when OTT TV in broadcasting market of Thailand is with Thai subtitles or Thai audio, it becomes subject to Thailand’s regulation. As such a new law is not being planned for OTT TV in Thailand, but NBTC will explore whether OTT TV should be classified as pay TV and be included in the exiting legal framework.
　　Commissioner Hung and Commissioner Guo both mentioned that NCC has highly concerned with the development of OTT and international trends, and will continue to deepen understanding of OTT regulation in other countries and pay attention to Thai practices and international responses. NCC expressed its commitment to strengthening ties with other communications authorities and hopes to have further exchanges with NBTC in the future.