Adding additional glamour was former Miss Universe and darling of the Thai press, Natalie Glebova.
The confiscated fakes – with a supposed street value of B216 million – were ripped, slashed with box cutters or smashed with giant hammers, and then flattened using a backhoe, with the deputy minister riding shotgun.
The event, organised by the Department of Intellectual Property and provincial officials, was also attended by representatives of the European Union.
Mr Nuttawut said, “This ceremony is to reassure intellectual property owners that all the confiscated counterfeit products which have been seized will not re-enter to the market or be exported, in accordance with the TRIPs Agreement.”
The World Trade Organisation’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights – known as TRIPs was signed by Thailand in 1995.
Mr Nattawut also gave assurances that the process of preventing piracy, including confiscation of copies of patented and trademarked products, is proceeding strictly in order to reclaim the reputation of the country and to convince both Thai and foreigner business people to invest in Thailand.
The government is waiting to hear whether the US will upgrade Thailand from its Priority Watch List (the lowest rank) to the ordinary Watch List for intellectual property rights infringement.
Mr Nattawut said yesterday (February 28) that Thailand had already been upgraded, but a spokesperson at the US Embassy said this was not yet the case. A meeting of the US International Trade Commission is due to discuss the list later this month.