Media of Thailand
Encyclopedia
Thailand
has a well-developed media sector, especially by Southeast Asia
n standards. Compared to other countries in the region, the Thai media have historically been relatively free, although the government
has always exercised considerable control, especially over broadcast media. During the governments of Thaksin Shinawatra, the subsequent military-run administration after the 2006 coup and the subsequent elected administrations, the Thai media have suffered from increasing restrictions and censorship.
. These agencies operate several stations directly, while the remainder are leased out to private content providers.
Community radio stations operated with low-power transmitters have proliferated in the last few years, offering listeners an alternative to the government-controlled stations. However, the government has recently shut down many community radio stations on the grounds that they operated stronger transmitters than permitted, interfering with existing frequencies. On the other hand, critics of the government allege that the stations that were shut down were targeted because they featured programs that were critical of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
's policies.
In Nakhonratchasima province as well as in other locations, several community radio stations were shut down, after several warnings from government agencies, when it was proven that their signals were interfering with air traffic control and overlapping signals of other stations. It is estimated that there are 4,000 known "illegal" community radio stations in Thailand. Some critics claim that the actual number of "unlicensed" community radio stations are twice that of government estimate. After Thaksin Sinawatra were removed from power, recent community radios activities are more and more tuned to address political controversies that had been spun off after the Coup d'état of 2006.
The military junta Parliament passed a new Broadcasting Act of 2008 in December 2007 and became effective in March 2008. The new law revokes the old one which reserved monopoly right in broadcast sector to the government and government agency. The new law requires that all broadcasters, stations and operators must have license from the broadcasting regulator to be appointed by the Senate.
In July 2008, the Juridical Council decided that by enactment of the new Broadcasting Act of 2008, all the regulation, decision and administrative guidelines issued by virtue of the repealed Radio and Television Act ceased to exist as they are not recognized by the new Broadcasting Act of 2008. The Juridical Council also ruled that, pending the establishment of NBC, TPBS is not subject to provisional authority of the Broadcasting Act 2008. As a result of the Juridical Council ruling, the broadcasting in Thailand is free and unregulated. However, given the fact that all the existing radio stations belong to the Royal Thai Government, military or security agencies, the issue of free speech or civil right has never been challenged or tested in those "main stream" radio stations. For television, all TV stations are either owned by government, military or subject to concession agreements which give de facto censoring power to the government as an owner.
As of June 2009, the National Telecommunications Commission as a temporary regulator/licensor for community radio and cable television, proposed the draft "Provisional CR License" and requested for comment from public. The regulation on CR Temporary License becomes effective on 25 July 2009 and the first license can be issued 30 days following the effective date. The provisional license will be in force for 300 days but can be renewed fro another similar period or until the new regulator comes into existence.
In December 2010, the Parliament passed a new law which would forever change the landscape of radio and television services in Thailand. The new NBTC will be created to oversee both telecommunications and broadcast sector in Thailand. The key task of the NBTC is to refarm the AV spectrum and reassign spectrum for different categories of use as prescribed by the 2008 Act. Airwave will be privatized according to Spectrum Master Plan and AV Master Plan to be adopted by NBTC. It is expected that the NBTC will replace NTC within 2011. The implication of having an independent media and telecom regulator in a single body is very profound. First, the regulator is tasked with privatization of air wave in AV sector. This is the most challenging task of the NBTC - i.e. taking away radio and TV from government and reallocate and reassign spectrum for private, commercial and societal use. The Broadcasting Act of 2008 divides radio and TV licenses into three main categories: a) commercial, b) non commercial/ public and, c) community license. The commercial service license is subdivided into three classes which are i) national license, ii) regional license and, iii) local license.
As of July 2011, the first step of selection process is half way complete i.e. the first of the two name list is finalised and has been passed to the Senate for selection. After the two name lists are combined, the Senate will be notified and will eventually select NBTC from the two name lists. In August 2011, the two name lists were sent to the Senate. The Senate set up the special committee to recommend the nominees amidst the allegation of wrong doing, kick back and alter ego. The NBTC will consist of 11 members five of whom will act as Telecommunication Commission while another five commissioners will act as Broadcast ones. The Chairman of NBTC are not allowed to sit in either Commissions.
In October 2011, the King signed in the Royal Appointment decree thus gave birth to the first "convergence" regulator. Six out of 11 members are from Military or Police while two are from civil society organization, 3 Commissioners are former bureaucrats. One of the key task of the NBTC is to adopt at least three Master plans. They are the Spectrum Master Plan, Broadcasting Master Plan and Telecommunications Master Plan. It is expected that the NBTC will submit all three Master Plan at the same time and promulgate within October 2012.
mass-circulation dailies to newspapers specializing in coverage of political and business. Thailand's so-called "business newspapers" also include substantial coverage of politics and culture. Almost all newspapers are printed in broadsheet
format, although there are several exceptions to this. So, even though the popular mass-circulation newspapers are often referred to as "tabloids", labeling them as such would be a misnomer.
With the exception of one newspaper in Chiang Mai
, all daily papers are published in Bangkok
and distributed to all parts of the country.
The political leanings of Thai newspapers can be categorized according to how they relate to the democracy movement of the 1970s. The mainstream print media are represented by Thai Rath and Daily News, which together account for half of Thailand's newspaper sales. Because both papers were founded while the country was still under military rule, by necessity, they had to cultivate good relationships with the army and elite bureaucracy. This has led them to develop an editorial outlook that tends to lean in favor of the status-quo. Thus, these publications are viewed as "conservative" within the Thai political context. On the other hand, newspapers that grew out of the student movement of the 1970s such as Matichon, The Nation
and Thai Post
tend to adopt an anti-establishment outlook. Therefore, within the Thai political spectrum, they can be loosely characterized as "progressive
."
As Thai newspapers do not have their circulation figures audited, precise circulation figures are not available. The circulation figures provided below are based on the newspapers' claimed average daily circulation figures, which are likely to be exaggerated. The largest English language newspapers in Thailand are the Bangkok Post and The Nation.
In November 2008 a newspaper called the Pattaya Times newspaper and website Pattaya Times run by an American called Drew Noyes was launched. The website was a huge hit because the news was fresh and positive. The printed bi-weekly quickly became Thailand's third biggest newspaper and a partner with Thailand's largest daily newspaper the Bangkok Post.
Thai language paper owned by Mr. Soontorn Janrungsee, the paper has the largest circulation in the region of some 22 million inhabitants. It maintains strong international links with various news organizations and provides in-depth coverage of local, regional and international affairs. It also publishes English-language weekly, The Korat Post.
English language monthly published by Mrs. Tongmuan Anderson, wife of former Thailand US Peace Corps volunteer Frank G Anderson. The paper derives its news from local and visiting sources, from village events to national occurrences. Begun in April 1999, it is independent and has even indicated its opposition, editorially, to government policies. It also provides translations of other local Thai language papers for English readers.
sites, but political sites, particularly those having to do with the South Thailand insurgency
are also blocked.
One of the largest Internet forum
s in Thailand is Pantip.com
, which often contains political discussions and criticism of the government, is currently shut down due to latest ICT Ministry consideration. It was allowed to freely operate. However, users were required to register their identities using their national identification number. The website of Midnight University was ordered shut down by the military junta after the 2006 Thailand coup.
. One part of that video juxtaposed pictures of feet over the king's image — a major taboo in a culture where feet are considered extremely dirty and offensive and the king is not to be disrespected by anyone according to the Thai constitution. The soundtrack was the Thai national anthem." The ban has led to more YouTube videos mocking the Thai king. Proponents cite the case of Oliver Jufer to paint Thailand as an undemocratic nation. Opponents claim freedom of speech is not an absolute right and that this act of vandalism is abuse of freedom of speech akin to verbal harassment and hate speech (an insult of Thai values and sensitivities
).
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
has a well-developed media sector, especially by Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n standards. Compared to other countries in the region, the Thai media have historically been relatively free, although the government
Politics of Thailand
The politics of Thailand are currently conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government and a hereditary monarch is head of state. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.Thai kingdoms and late...
has always exercised considerable control, especially over broadcast media. During the governments of Thaksin Shinawatra, the subsequent military-run administration after the 2006 coup and the subsequent elected administrations, the Thai media have suffered from increasing restrictions and censorship.
Television
Television is by far the most popular medium in Thailand. More than 80% of Thais are estimated to rely on television as their primary source of news.Radio
Thailand has 204 AM stations, 334 FM stations and six shortwave broadcasters (as of 2011). As is the case with television, radio broadcasting is supposed to be regulated by the Broadcasting Commission (BC). However, because of delays in establishing the NBC, radio frequencies remain in the hands of a plethora of government agencies, including the military, state universities, the Posts and Telegraph Department, the Public Relations Department (PRD) (National Broadcasting Services of Thailand) and MCOTMCOT
MCOT Public Company Limited )) is a Thai media conglomerate. Its origins date back to the creation in 1955 of Thailand's first television broadcaster, The Thai Television Company Limited. In 1977, this company was reconstituted as a state enterprise, the Mass Communications Organization of Thailand...
. These agencies operate several stations directly, while the remainder are leased out to private content providers.
Community radio stations operated with low-power transmitters have proliferated in the last few years, offering listeners an alternative to the government-controlled stations. However, the government has recently shut down many community radio stations on the grounds that they operated stronger transmitters than permitted, interfering with existing frequencies. On the other hand, critics of the government allege that the stations that were shut down were targeted because they featured programs that were critical of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
's policies.
In Nakhonratchasima province as well as in other locations, several community radio stations were shut down, after several warnings from government agencies, when it was proven that their signals were interfering with air traffic control and overlapping signals of other stations. It is estimated that there are 4,000 known "illegal" community radio stations in Thailand. Some critics claim that the actual number of "unlicensed" community radio stations are twice that of government estimate. After Thaksin Sinawatra were removed from power, recent community radios activities are more and more tuned to address political controversies that had been spun off after the Coup d'état of 2006.
The military junta Parliament passed a new Broadcasting Act of 2008 in December 2007 and became effective in March 2008. The new law revokes the old one which reserved monopoly right in broadcast sector to the government and government agency. The new law requires that all broadcasters, stations and operators must have license from the broadcasting regulator to be appointed by the Senate.
In July 2008, the Juridical Council decided that by enactment of the new Broadcasting Act of 2008, all the regulation, decision and administrative guidelines issued by virtue of the repealed Radio and Television Act ceased to exist as they are not recognized by the new Broadcasting Act of 2008. The Juridical Council also ruled that, pending the establishment of NBC, TPBS is not subject to provisional authority of the Broadcasting Act 2008. As a result of the Juridical Council ruling, the broadcasting in Thailand is free and unregulated. However, given the fact that all the existing radio stations belong to the Royal Thai Government, military or security agencies, the issue of free speech or civil right has never been challenged or tested in those "main stream" radio stations. For television, all TV stations are either owned by government, military or subject to concession agreements which give de facto censoring power to the government as an owner.
As of June 2009, the National Telecommunications Commission as a temporary regulator/licensor for community radio and cable television, proposed the draft "Provisional CR License" and requested for comment from public. The regulation on CR Temporary License becomes effective on 25 July 2009 and the first license can be issued 30 days following the effective date. The provisional license will be in force for 300 days but can be renewed fro another similar period or until the new regulator comes into existence.
In December 2010, the Parliament passed a new law which would forever change the landscape of radio and television services in Thailand. The new NBTC will be created to oversee both telecommunications and broadcast sector in Thailand. The key task of the NBTC is to refarm the AV spectrum and reassign spectrum for different categories of use as prescribed by the 2008 Act. Airwave will be privatized according to Spectrum Master Plan and AV Master Plan to be adopted by NBTC. It is expected that the NBTC will replace NTC within 2011. The implication of having an independent media and telecom regulator in a single body is very profound. First, the regulator is tasked with privatization of air wave in AV sector. This is the most challenging task of the NBTC - i.e. taking away radio and TV from government and reallocate and reassign spectrum for private, commercial and societal use. The Broadcasting Act of 2008 divides radio and TV licenses into three main categories: a) commercial, b) non commercial/ public and, c) community license. The commercial service license is subdivided into three classes which are i) national license, ii) regional license and, iii) local license.
As of July 2011, the first step of selection process is half way complete i.e. the first of the two name list is finalised and has been passed to the Senate for selection. After the two name lists are combined, the Senate will be notified and will eventually select NBTC from the two name lists. In August 2011, the two name lists were sent to the Senate. The Senate set up the special committee to recommend the nominees amidst the allegation of wrong doing, kick back and alter ego. The NBTC will consist of 11 members five of whom will act as Telecommunication Commission while another five commissioners will act as Broadcast ones. The Chairman of NBTC are not allowed to sit in either Commissions.
In October 2011, the King signed in the Royal Appointment decree thus gave birth to the first "convergence" regulator. Six out of 11 members are from Military or Police while two are from civil society organization, 3 Commissioners are former bureaucrats. One of the key task of the NBTC is to adopt at least three Master plans. They are the Spectrum Master Plan, Broadcasting Master Plan and Telecommunications Master Plan. It is expected that the NBTC will submit all three Master Plan at the same time and promulgate within October 2012.
Newspapers
In contrast to television, print media in Thailand are not subject to close government supervision. Readers have a choice of numerous papers, ranging from sensationalistSensationalism
Sensationalism is a type of editorial bias in mass media in which events and topics in news stories and pieces are over-hyped to increase viewership or readership numbers...
mass-circulation dailies to newspapers specializing in coverage of political and business. Thailand's so-called "business newspapers" also include substantial coverage of politics and culture. Almost all newspapers are printed in broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
format, although there are several exceptions to this. So, even though the popular mass-circulation newspapers are often referred to as "tabloids", labeling them as such would be a misnomer.
With the exception of one newspaper in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, all daily papers are published in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and distributed to all parts of the country.
The political leanings of Thai newspapers can be categorized according to how they relate to the democracy movement of the 1970s. The mainstream print media are represented by Thai Rath and Daily News, which together account for half of Thailand's newspaper sales. Because both papers were founded while the country was still under military rule, by necessity, they had to cultivate good relationships with the army and elite bureaucracy. This has led them to develop an editorial outlook that tends to lean in favor of the status-quo. Thus, these publications are viewed as "conservative" within the Thai political context. On the other hand, newspapers that grew out of the student movement of the 1970s such as Matichon, The Nation
The Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
and Thai Post
Thai Post
Thai Post is a daily Thai-language newspaper in Thailand. It is owned by the Thai Journal Group Co. Its circulation is in the 100,000-150,000 range...
tend to adopt an anti-establishment outlook. Therefore, within the Thai political spectrum, they can be loosely characterized as "progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
."
As Thai newspapers do not have their circulation figures audited, precise circulation figures are not available. The circulation figures provided below are based on the newspapers' claimed average daily circulation figures, which are likely to be exaggerated. The largest English language newspapers in Thailand are the Bangkok Post and The Nation.
In November 2008 a newspaper called the Pattaya Times newspaper and website Pattaya Times run by an American called Drew Noyes was launched. The website was a huge hit because the news was fresh and positive. The printed bi-weekly quickly became Thailand's third biggest newspaper and a partner with Thailand's largest daily newspaper the Bangkok Post.
Mass-circulation dailies
The Thai government's Public Relations Department publishes a detailed directory of all media in Thailand, listing latest registration information, including radio, TV and printed media. All printed media are tightly owned by a single family or small groups of investors who share familial relationship. None of the media is a true publicly held company where the media owes fiduciary duty to the public.- Thai RathThai RathThai Rath is a Thai-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet published with two sections. The first section is devoted to news. Although the news section is best known for its sensationalist coverage of crime and accidents, it also...
- Claiming a circulation of approximately 1 million, this is Thailand's most influential newspaper. Prominently features sensationalist stories on crime and accidents. Its political stance is moderately populist. High circulation is due to its stance on populist issues and its acceptance of the public opinion of the general population, in particular, the majority rural market. - Daily NewsDaily News (Thailand)-History:Daily News was founded by Saeng Hetrakul , and published its first issue on March 28, 1964, under the name Naew Na Haeng Yuk Daily News .-External links:*...
- Circulation was claimed to be as high as 900,000 for 2005. Very similar in style and substance to Thai Rath, somewhat less successful than Thai Rath, because it has less news content than Thai Rath. - Khao Sod - The third circulation among Thai newspapers behind Thai Rath and Daily News. Khaosod is a part of Matichon Pcl, a publishing group. Its editorial line is moderate to liberal. Keen on crime news, and also concentrates on environment issues and the rights of ordinary people.
- Kom Chad LuekKom Chad LuekKom Chad Luek is a mass-circulation Thai-language daily newspaper launched in 2001 and published in Bangkok, Thailand by the Nation Multimedia Group...
- Claimed a circulation of approximately 850,000 in 2005. Owned by the Nation Multimedia Group. Its political stance is conservative, non-populist, and moderately anti-government. Hence most of its sales are to the business and upper to middle income group, who generally support its non-populistic conservative stance, but are well educated.
Quality dailies
- Matichon - Claims circulation of approximately 600,000. The flagship publication of Matichon Plc, this paper is considered essential reading for Thailand's educated classes. Its editorial line is moderate to progressive.
- Thai PostThai PostThai Post is a daily Thai-language newspaper in Thailand. It is owned by the Thai Journal Group Co. Its circulation is in the 100,000-150,000 range...
- Estimated circulation in 2000 to average approximately 30,000. Its political stance is considered the most progressive of all Thai dailies. - Naew Na - Estimated daily circulation was claimed to average 300,000 in 2002. Editorial line is progressive.
Business dailies
- Krungthep Turakij - Circulation is in the 80,000-100,000 range. Owned by the Nation Multimedia Group. This paper is also popular with Thai intellectuals. Political stance is progressive.
- Post Today - Has circulation of approximately 100,000. Owned by Post Publishing Pcl, publishers of the Bangkok PostBangkok PostThe Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....
. - Phoojadkarn Daily - Circulation is around 100,000. This is the core asset of Sondhi LimthongkulSondhi LimthongkulSondhi Limthongkul is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy . He was elected for leader of the New Politics Party ....
's media empire, Manager Media Group. The online edition of the paper is Thailand's most popular news website.
English-language dailies
- Bangkok PostBangkok PostThe Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....
- Circulation is approximately 75,000. Its major shareholders include the Chirathivat family (owners of Central GroupCentral GroupThe Central Group of Companies is a family-owned conglomerate holding company in Thailand that is involved in retailing, real estate, hotels and restaurants...
), the South China Morning PostSouth China Morning PostThe South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and GMM Grammy PclGMM GrammyGMM Grammy Public Company Limited is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. It claims a 70% share of the Thai entertainment industry. Artists on Grammy include Bird McIntyre and Loso...
, a local media and entertainment firm. - The NationThe Nation (Thailand)The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
- Circulation is in the 60,000-80,000 range. It is the flagship publication of the Nation Multimedia Group. Maintains a progressive editorial line. - International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
- Circulation is somewhere in the 5,000-10,000 range. In 2005-06, editions printed in Bangkok carried an insert of local news called ThaiDayThaiDayThaiDay was an English-language newspaper printed in Bangkok in 2005 and 2006. Started by politician Sondhi Limthongkul's Manager Media Group, it consisted of eight broadsheet pages that were inserted in the Thailand edition of the International Herald Tribune. It was printed six days a week,...
in a partnership with Sondhi LimthongkulSondhi LimthongkulSondhi Limthongkul is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy . He was elected for leader of the New Politics Party ....
's Manager Media Group; however, ThaiDay folded due to financial difficulties.
Semi-weekly business newspapers
- Prachachart Turakij - Owned by Matichon Pcl.
- Siam Turakij
- Than Settakij
Weekly business newspapers
- Krungthep Turakij Biz Week - Part of Nation Multimedia Group.
- Phujatkarnly Week - Owned by the Manager Media Group.
Weekly newsmagazines
- Matichon Weekly - Part of Matichon Pcl. Average circulation in 2003-2004 according to the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP) was 300,000.
- Nation Weekend - Owned by Nation Multimedia Group. According to FIPP, circulation in 2003-2004 was 150,000.
The Korat Daily
Thai language paper owned by Mr. Soontorn Janrungsee, the paper has the largest circulation in the region of some 22 million inhabitants. It maintains strong international links with various news organizations and provides in-depth coverage of local, regional and international affairs. It also publishes English-language weekly, The Korat Post.
The Korat Post
English language monthly published by Mrs. Tongmuan Anderson, wife of former Thailand US Peace Corps volunteer Frank G Anderson. The paper derives its news from local and visiting sources, from village events to national occurrences. Begun in April 1999, it is independent and has even indicated its opposition, editorially, to government policies. It also provides translations of other local Thai language papers for English readers.
Internet
The Internet in Thailand is said to be among the most free of media in the country, though it is under strict government scrutiny. The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology actively blocks Thai ISPs from accessing websites it deems offensive, mainly pornographyPornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
sites, but political sites, particularly those having to do with the South Thailand insurgency
South Thailand insurgency
An ethnic separatist insurgency is taking place in Southern Thailand, predominantly in the Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. Violence has increasingly spilling over into other provinces...
are also blocked.
One of the largest Internet forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
s in Thailand is Pantip.com
Pantip.com
Pantip.com is a popular Thai-language website and discussion forum. As of April 2008, Pantip.com was one of the top 10 websites in Thailand, along with rival Thai portal Sanook.com...
, which often contains political discussions and criticism of the government, is currently shut down due to latest ICT Ministry consideration. It was allowed to freely operate. However, users were required to register their identities using their national identification number. The website of Midnight University was ordered shut down by the military junta after the 2006 Thailand coup.
YouTube controversy
On April 4, 2007, the Thai government blocked access to YouTube as a result of a video clip which showed "graffiti-like elements crudely painted over a photograph slideshow of King Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. One part of that video juxtaposed pictures of feet over the king's image — a major taboo in a culture where feet are considered extremely dirty and offensive and the king is not to be disrespected by anyone according to the Thai constitution. The soundtrack was the Thai national anthem." The ban has led to more YouTube videos mocking the Thai king. Proponents cite the case of Oliver Jufer to paint Thailand as an undemocratic nation. Opponents claim freedom of speech is not an absolute right and that this act of vandalism is abuse of freedom of speech akin to verbal harassment and hate speech (an insult of Thai values and sensitivities
Asian values
Asian values was a concept that came into vogue briefly in the 1990s to justify authoritarian regimes in Asia, predicated on the belief in the existence within Asian countries of a unique set of institutions and political ideologies which reflected the region's culture and history...
).
See also
- Cinema of ThailandCinema of ThailandThe cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...
- Communications in ThailandCommunications in ThailandTelecommunications in Thailand are based on an extensive network of telephone lines covering the country. TOT Public Company Limited and True Corporation operate the majority of the telephone network in the Bangkok metropolitan area while TOT Public Company Limited and TT&T Public Company Limited...
- Current events in Southeast Asia
- Politics of ThailandPolitics of ThailandThe politics of Thailand are currently conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government and a hereditary monarch is head of state. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.Thai kingdoms and late...
- Censorship in ThailandCensorship in ThailandFreedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
- Censorship of radio and film (Thailand)
External links
- Broadcasting Museum Bangkok, website includes history of Thai broadcasting
- First Social Bookmarking in Thai - Tigg
- MCOT News and Entertainment - Home Page
- http://www.upiasiaonline.com/Society_Culture/2008/04/04/thailands_information_oppression/2793/
- Thai Media Project - 2Bangkok.com
- World Association of Newspapers - World's 100 Largest Newspapers
- Free press report by Freedom HouseFreedom HouseFreedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
- 2005 report by Reporters Without BordersReporters Without BordersReporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
- Radio stations in Thailand
- TV stations in Thailand
- Thailand News and Information