CReATION: Bureau of Internet Advertisers set to launch soon in Thailand

Members of Thailand's Internet community are working to establish an association to upgrade industry standards. Consisting of advertising agencies, media buyers and Internet service providers, the grouping would be called the Bureau of Internet Advertisers Thailand (BIAT). BIAT's initial objectives are to set guidelines on how website traffic is represented to advertisers, establish criteria for auditing traffic and create a framework for protecting consumer privacy. M-WEB vice-president operations, Mr Glen Poff, said the industry needed to act now while Thailand's Internet industry was still undergoing teething pains. "Some web sites are severely undercharging for advertising and some are very expensive. "I am not sure advertisers understand the premium they are paying or what they receive in return. "But as far as fraud and deception is concerned I wouldn't call it that," he said. Member companies would enjoy increased credibility that would in turn enable them to go out and attract a bigger piece of the advertising pie, he added. BIAT committee members are drafting guidelines based on the Internet Advertising Bureau of the UK and Ireland. It will move quickly to register the association with the Thai government, establish an office and a two-category fee structure for members and associate members. Mr Poff said: "We would like to use it as a forum to rally support and let the advertising industry know what we are working towards." Lintas (Thailand) business development director, Mr Philip Eisenbeiss, said establishing BIAT would help build awareness and improve industry standards. "It is an education tool to gradually move the industry in the same direction." He said it would provide Thai companies looking to advertise on-line with standards they could use to advertise overseas. "It would provide a core for future development, giving Thai companies information they could apply on a global basis," said Mr Eisenbeiss. The BIAT intends to set guidelines for on-line advertising rates and standardise ad sizes used on Thai and English language websites. It is considering creating a BIAT seal of approval given to websites that meet certain criteria to ensure consumers that private information gleaned from "cookies" would be protected. BIAT is intended as a soft regulatory body that will not police the industry; compliance will be based on the honour system. However, some representatives voiced concern there would have to be a system of checks and balances to ensure transparency when auditing website traffic.

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