Morality Promotion Act To Be Promulgated Across Nation

[vermin on arrival]

Oh god, it's really amazing. In every society, there are always people who feel it is their duty to explain to others how they should "morally" live there lives and then pass laws to make everyone sure behaves as the sacred lawgivers deem it should be(whether or not these lawgivers actually do so in their private lives). Usually it's an attempt to turn back the clock or an attempt to maintain some kind of status quo which unfairly benefits someone's privledged position in society.

It really makes me sick when these morality police show their faces. What is it called in Saudi Arabia, the department for the propagation of virtue and the elimination of vice? It makes much more sense to educate people and then let them make up their own minds and tolerate others, who make different choices ,as long as they are not deliberately harming others. However, for some people this just seems to be something which they cannot do.

[Kyosuken]

1984 should be renamed "Thailand 2007". The more i read news here the more i feel how close it is to the book, we should prosecute the govt for plagiarism

[brahmburgers]

If 'patriotism" is the last refuge of a (political) scoundral,' then "legislating morality" is the first refuge. They could start by identifying which of the morally superior elders has no 'mia noi' or which ones doesn't drink whiskey and drive rudely.

Perhaps this new legislation will send more bad boys and girls to the Ministry of Inactive Posts.

My request to the Morality Police is they get serious with 'deadbeat dads' - of which Thailand has more than its share. Currently, there are zero laws in Thailand that deal with compelling men to take at least partial responsibility for children they abandon. And there is zero sense of compunction for the deadbeat dads (or their families) to show any responsibility in that regard.

[Aujuba]

I'm all for awareness. Thailand should take a good look at itself. The police need to be a model for society hear. I'd say that half of the force should be fired. If they get involved in crime after being kicked out they should be jailed for life or executed. I think this would improve Thailand a lot.

[sriracha john]

Thailand is having a morality crisis. and is affected bu the morality crisis that is sweeping the world....

hold it hold it I was joking....

Thailand has its own values and tradition even though many members on this forum tend to think that morality and values only exist in the west.

Not to pick on Virginia, but until last month the state had a fornication law banning sexual relations between unmarried couples in private places. The states Supreme Court struck down the 200-year-old law after legislators refused to act.

Feel free to pick on Virgina. As a resident there for 4 years, I can attest to its firm placement in the heart of the "Bible Belt" and it's ridiculous versions of "morality promotion." It's archaic Blue Laws, banning alcohol sales on Sundays for example, pre-date Thailand's alcohol purchasing restrictions by decades.

With the baggy pants law, it seems little has changed since my departure from there.

[Jai Dee]

Prof. Dr. Prawet supports National Morality Promotion Act

A senior citizen and member of the National Culture Committee, Prof. Dr. Prawet Wasi, says he agrees with the proposed National Morality Promotion Act because the society needs moral principle.

Prof. Dr. Prawet considers it is difficult to make all Thai people to have virtue and be ethical because the world is currently driven by greed as people desire to be wealthy and are looking to take advantages of others. He says Thailand has more than 250,000 monks and 30,000 temples, and Thai Buddhists are given the “Five Precepts” to follow. However, he sees that many people are not following all the precepts.

Prof. Dr. Prawet says the current government is promoting morality in the society, but he believes it may not be effective for Thai people. Thus, he would like the government to see the true foundation of morality by creating careers and promoting people to have financial savings as stated by His Majesty the King. In addition, people must not exploit others and the environment, and the government has to grant five rai of farmland to each agricultural household. As a result, people would live self-sufficiently and have their won financial savings. He believes social problems would be solved.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 May 2007

[Ijustwannateach]

Of tangential interest to this news thread, here are two recent anecdotal news stories from the Guru about our favourite people at the Ministry of Culture (I'm typing these in from the May 4-10th edition):

April 19, 2007:

At a party for employees of a condom company, guests are invited to put stickers on the bodies of coyote girls, causing an uproar at the Ministry of Culture. Photos of men placing the stickers on the girls, who were wearing bikinis, appeared in Thai newspapers. Director of the Ministry's Culture Watch Center Ladda Tangsupachai calls the behaviour inappropriate and disgraceful to women. Despite it being a private party, the center sends a warning letter to the company.

April 22, 2007:

In Samut Sakorn, a sexy mor lam performance at an ordination ceremony once again raises the ire of Culture Watch Center director Ladda Tansupachai. Dancers strip off their clothes and reveal their private parts during the show, which is captured on film by members of the audience. According to Ladda, the organizer of the show has an office in Samut Songkram and charges B60,000-100,000 per performance. She also claims that influential figures, some of them well-respected men in the community, gave their support to this crew.

[Rhys]

That be up the butt bob..

[tettyan]

I am very anti control, and very pro democracy. However, it seems to me that at present, Thailand is simply not ready for a true democracy. I think that some of the powers that be realise the same thing. The cry for democracy in most of the East is somewhat premature I think.

I hear echoes of the British Empire's arguments against decolonisation.

[tettyan]

I for one don't want to see the frontpages go - reality isn't pretty and it shouldn't be displayed as such. And I for one don't want the government (of any country) to decide what kind of moral I should or shouldn't have.

The reality I see with my own eyes everyday here in Thailand is totally different from what is shown on frontpages of Thai newspapers. I certainly do not see blooded corpses everyday. I don't recall when I've seen a dead body last time.

Do newspapers influence the reality? Do they promote violent behavior by making it a mundane, everyday thing?

I am not a huge fan of Thai Rath and their like. But at the end of the day, I believe that society's interest in a free press clearly outweighs these concerns.

Think about if. If this was an initiative of the Thaksin gov't (and I could easiliy imagine them dreaming up something stupid like this, anyone remember who created the "Ministry of Culture"), I think your position on this would be quite different

[peter991]

Surely there are enough laws on the books of the Government now. Does Thailand need an Act to promote morality? Isn't it up to Thais themselves to work out what is 'moral' and what is not?

For starters, let's reduce the level of corruption in public service and make it more transparent. I realise we can never eliminate it.

Peter

[kmart]

I am very anti control, and very pro democracy. However, it seems to me that at present, Thailand is simply not ready for a true democracy. I think that some of the powers that be realise the same thing. The cry for democracy in most of the East is somewhat premature I think.

I hear echoes of the British Empire's arguments against decolonisation.

Yes, thats correct.

Thailand has never really had true democracy though. They just like to coin the term, and take the money and plaudits for holding "elections" that are just vote-buying ceremonies.

Every country gets the government it deserves, however.

[astral]

Queen Victoria would be delighted, and so would her Albert...........................

Link

[Bagwan]

I am very anti control, and very pro democracy. However, it seems to me that at present, Thailand is simply not ready for a true democracy. I think that some of the powers that be realise the same thing. The cry for democracy in most of the East is somewhat premature I think.

It certainly was in Africa.

[byeth]

yes, but if we are to connect this morality drive now with the reasons for the coup (morality was quite high on the list) maybe they mean they want to get rid of Thaksin's supporters and mostly Thaksin's way of thinking, which was viewed as immoral