The Thai military junta has intervened in a dispute over broadcast rights and has decided to broadcast the World Cup matches so people watch tehse for free, media reported Thursday.
Thailand's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Wednesday said that it wanted the public to be able to watch the games for free under its policy "bringing happiness back to Thai people", Thai daily The Nation reported.
The junta's move came after the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) lost its court case to RS Plc, the broadcast rights holder for the World Cup.
Local channels TV5 and Channel 7 will telecast the matches, a junta source said.
The 20th edition of the FIFA World Cup is taking place in Brazil June 12-July 13, 2014.