The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) has sanctioned (18 December) Grand Cinema Co., Ltd. and its senior executive for abusing their market dominance by unfairly setting ticket fees for online and automated ticketing services.
The TCCT’s investigation revealed that Grand Cinema imposed unfair surcharges on tickets purchased via online platforms and kiosks without prior agreement from film producers and distributors. These actions were deemed a violation of Section 50 of the Trade Competition Act, which prohibits dominant companies from maintaining prices unfairly.
The Commission also held the executive responsible under Section 77 of the Act for failing to prevent the illegal conduct. Fines were imposed on both the company and the executive, with reductions granted due to cooperation and acknowledgment of the violations.
The TCCT emphasized that the actions harmed competition by exploiting the company’s market position and imposed undue burdens on the film industry and consumers.
