On 2 August 2008, Polwat Chinno, a 19-year-old Thai teenager, stabbed and killed a Bangkok taxi driver during an attempt to steal the driver's cab in order to obtain money to buy a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV. A police official said that the teen was trying to copy a similar act in the game. As a consequence, officials ordered the banning of the game and later the series, which led its distributor, New Era Interactive Media, to withdraw it, including its installment, from shops across Thailand.Reed J. "Thailand bans Grand Theft Auto IV". BBC Newsbeat 4 August 2008 25 February 2010.Buncombe A. "Grand Theft Auto IV is pulled from Thai shops after killing of taxi driver". The Independent, London 5 August 2008. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
