Thailand has seen a lot of upheaval and turmoil in the past few years. To try to quell public unrest, the ruling military junta has ordered national broadcasters to make all World Cup games free. Many Thais are under curfew. The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) believes people will be happy if they can watch World Cup games for free. Poorer Thais could not afford the special digital box needed to see the games. The NCPO arranged that all matches would be free on the army-owned stations. The satellite channel RS paid over $20 million for the broadcasting rights.

The NCPO leader said the move would "return happiness to the Thai people" as part of its "happiness campaign". It wants to win hearts and minds following last month's coup. There have also been free concerts and haircuts. Next will be support for farmers, a limit on the price of basic food and new building projects. Many soccer-mad Thais will have to watch the World Cup at home because of the curfew. Thailand's national team is 149th in the world and has never qualified for the World Cup. The tournament began on June the 12th and will finish on July the 13th.