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More Websites Offending Thai Monarchy Blocked

Posted by timothy on from the really-could-skip-the-whole-prison-thing-altogether dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Thailand is ramping up their media wide censorship of anything that remotely offends Thai royalty. In the last three weeks, another 2,300 websites have been blocked. Another ~4,000 are soon expected. And not just websites, but books as well as the Economist have been blocked. And anyone caught publishing such material, including foreigners, will get 3 to 15 years in a Thai prison. You don't want to be in a Thai prison!"

2 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Thailand's censorship directly impacts our news by Dionysus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If CNN had refused to report on Iraq or any other such nation, they would be harshly criticized.

    Maybe because American don't find "proper" reporting on Iraq offensive. OTOH, CNN (and American media) don't show flag draped coffins of Americans being flown home, or American soldiers suffering on the battlefield. Few people are criticized for that, and those are considered "anti-American" for mentioning it.

    --
    Je ne parle pas francais.
  2. Re:Simple: Don't go to Thailand by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 5, Interesting

    the monarchy is a figurehead and the military likes using "offending the monarchy" as a good way to crack down.

    The king is actually very well liked, and the people take it quite seriously when someone offends him. For instance, I was playing golf there and on the 18th green I had a putt to win a bet. My opponent took out the amount of the bet and placed it just behind the hole. Well, the money has the king's picture on it, and the caddies were horrified that his image had been placed on the ground.