U.S. based software giant Microsoft Corp. today urged consumers in Thailand to steer clear of pirated software and offered large cash rewards for those who turn in offenders.

The company said it was opening a telephone hotline which Thais could use to inform on any of the 84 per cent of local businesses it believes use pirated or illegal software.

"This is really just the first prong of what will be our overall grand anti-piracy program here in Thailand," said Ron Eckstrom, Microsoft's corporate attorney for South Asia-Pacific.