THE National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) today (Dec. 8) voted to ask the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) to return 600 million baht it had granted to buy the Fifa World Cup 2022 broadcasting licence as not all viewers are able to watch the matches, Matichon newspaper said.
The sports agency had also been provided with funds from private sponsors including PTT Plc.,ThaiBev Plc. and True Corp to cover an estimated 1.6 billion baht needed to buy this licence, which was obtained at the last minute.
NBTC said it is withdrawing its support of the World Cup broadcast after it discovered that Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) subscribers could not watch these matches.
NBTC had voted 6-0 today to send a letter to the sports agency to return the 600 million baht in full within 15 days of receiving notification to do so or be charged with default interest rate of 5% per annum.
This action is being taken to prevent violation of Section 157 of the Criminal Code for omitting to perform duties.
“If SAT is unable to refund the said amount we must continue fighting in the Administrative Court,” an NBTC official was quoted as saying.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Sports Authority of Thailand Governor Dr. Kongsak Yodmanee next to a Fifa World Cup 2022 signage. Photo: Matichon
Front Page: The Fifa World Cup trophy. Photo: Getty Images and published by Indiatvnews.com
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