<html><head></head><body><p class="p1">Dear Sirs,</p>
<p class="p2">The Thai Network Information Center (THNIC) Foundation would like to submit the following comment on the Initial Report on the New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Policy Development Process (Overarching Issues & Work Tracks 1-4) as follows:</p>
<p class="p2">Work Track 3’s Recommendation 2: “Strings must not be confusingly similar to an existing top-level domain.” refers to only the visual or spelling similarity. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We would like to emphasize the importance of homonym which can cause confusions to the users' community, and must be avoided particularly at the TLD level.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>An example case can be found from the first round of the new gTLD where there was an application for .thai new gTLD which phonetically clashes with existing .<span class="s1">ไทย</span> (Thai IDN ccTLD). <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>However,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>thanks to the ICANN board ruling,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the application was "Not Approved” in November 2013. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>From this expensive exercise,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>we would like to request that homonym be explicitly included in the similarity to existing top-level domain consideration of the new gTLD Applicant Guidebook to prevent future confusions and costly disputes.</p>
<p class="p2">Best regards,</p>
<p class="p2">Photchanan Ratanajaipan<br>Executive Director</p>
<p class="p2">The Thai Network Information Center <span class="s1">Foundation<br></span>Tel. (+66) 2244 8261<br>THNIC Foundation<br>159 Pichai Rd.,<br>Thanon Nakhon Chai Si,<br>Dusit, Bangkok 10300<br>THAILAND</p>
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