Thailand will set up a special center to crack down on intellectual property infringement with tough government action against violators, said Deputy Commerce Minister Nattawut Saikua, Thai News Agency reported on Friday.

The minister said his ministry had decided to set up Operations Center for the Suppression of Intellectual Property Infringement to deal strictly with the long-standing issue. The minister himself will head the center.

This measure followed Thailand's concern after being placed on Priority Watch List(PWL) in an annual report by the Office of the United States Trade Representative under Section 301 as amended to the Trade Act. The ministry aims to intensify its effort to have Thailand removed from the list.

The minister said the center will also monitor money trails, tax payment records and money laundering activities of piracy suspects, he said, adding that the authorities are keeping a close watch on the movement of major producers of IP-infringed products.

The measures should materialize in time for the next PWL evaluation in April, the minister said.