Censor Farang Not Thai

[innovator]

I find it a bit strange that the govt. is now applying censorship to farang movies. Now, they block out nudity, guns, and violence in farang movies and television. However, every time that I go to a Thai movie or watch a Thai horror program, there is absolutely no censorship. These movies are worse that any farang movie in terms of pure gore and visual killings. Also, they block out violent scenes on farang news programs, but Thai newspapers and Television show all of the blood and guts.

Why is censorship applied to only the farang materials, but not to the Thai materials?

[Maestro]

Your criticism of Thailand’s movie censorship board is unfair in that your are not comparing like with like. The difference between foreign and Thai movie producers may be that the Thai producers are familiar with Thailand’s censorship rules and tailor their movies accordingly, while the foreign producers do not.

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Maestro

[misterman21]

Your criticism of Thailand's movie censorship board is unfair in that your are not comparing like with like. The difference between foreign and Thai movie producers may be that the Thai producers are familiar with Thailand's censorship rules and tailor their movies accordingly, while the foreign producers do not.

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Maestro

Ok lets simplify the question - in thai movies they allow all the blood and gore in foreign movies they cut it why?

Banglamung tv love to show real life death and gore it is much more disturbing than any movie - hows that then. Oh, yes they understand the censorship laws!!

[Maestro]

...Ok lets simplify the question - in thai movies they allow all the blood and gore in foreign movies they cut it why?...

Are you sure they cut “blood and gore” in foreign movies? Examples?

I ask because the last thing you said was that it was nudity that the censors were cutting in foreign movies.

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Maestro

[misterman21]

...Ok lets simplify the question - in thai movies they allow all the blood and gore in foreign movies they cut it why?...

Are you sure they cut "blood and gore" in foreign movies? Examples?

I ask because the last thing you said was that it was nudity that the censors were cutting in foreign movies.

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Maestro

He (the op) actually said nudity, guns and violence - i suppose violence includes blood and gore. Just seems ilogical to differentiate between thai and foreign movies.

[innovator]

Example: Tonight, I saw Rogue Assassin on Television. All of the nudity, killing, guns, chopped off heads, sword stabbings, shotgun blasts, blood and direct impact shots were all blocked out. Also, the local news blocks out the murders for farang news by placing some fuzzing clouds over the lens. However, try reading a Thai newspaper, not that most farangs can read Thai, but look at the photos and see the gore spilling out on the page. Or, try taking your Tirak to a Thai murder movie. They show all of the close up butchering, cutting, stabbing, shooting, and blood draining out. They didn't cut out or block anything in the Chocolate movie. (This movie was not about eating Chocolate, but rather a movie about killing as many folks as possible).

[65Craig]

For the longest time I was appalled with the Thai Government about what they didn't censor as much as what they do censor. I mean on the nightly news and on the front page of most major Thai Language newspapers you can see all the dead bodies, blood and gore you want. It would royally piss me off if that was a family member of mine lying in a pool of blood and I was over their body crying and having some camera man in my face so Thailand could see the body of my dead family member on TV. But God forbid someone has a bottle of beer or a cigarette in their hand, it would have to be blurred out at all cost. Funniest thing is to watch a movie that takes place in a bar... hel_l half the screen is in a constant blur. Often I'll watch Thai TV with my wife and some of which is the most senseless violence you can imagine, none of it gets censored. Yet say if the killer has a gun in one hand and whiskey in the other: What gets blurred out. The Whiskey of course!!! Hmmm, although whiskey if mixed with say driving can kill, I'd be far more concerned with the Gun violence and the desensitizing of Thai youth to general violence (gun, violence towards women, etc.). Anyway, I have Star Movies and HBO and for some movies, I'd rather wait for my visa runs up to Myanmar to get it on DVD rather than watch the movies get butchered by the Thai censors. I mean sometimes you wonder why Star & HBO pick some of the movies they do, when all is said and done, the censored version of the movie is crap. Anyway, I hear you Innovator, but I've grown to accept it as it is their country. Anyway, the best way around it is to get the DVD and watch on your own TV... Oh yeah, make sure you get a great Proxy Server for you internet for the times when they decide to ban sites like YouTube.

[Maestro]

… try taking your Tirak to a Thai murder movie. They didn't cut out or block anything in the Chocolate movie. (This movie was not about eating Chocolate, but rather a movie about killing as many folks as possible).

Chocolate wasn’t a Thai ovie, was it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_(hindi_film)

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Maestro

[onethailand]

… try taking your Tirak to a Thai murder movie. They didn't cut out or block anything in the Chocolate movie. (This movie was not about eating Chocolate, but rather a movie about killing as many folks as possible).

Chocolate wasn’t a Thai ovie, was it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_(hindi_film)

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Maestro

Different Chocolate The Thai Chocolate is about a girl who is mentally challenged - but has a unique talent for kung <deleted>. And it was hardly about killing as many people as possible... one might call Chocolate the female version of a Tony Ja movie.

BTW, the reason you see things in newspapers which are censored in movies and TV is because the broadcasting regulations are different from the general media regulations.

Nevertheless, I do agree that the censorship is a bit overboard, like blurring a weapon, a brand name, or any alcohol... talk about archaic morals...

[distortedlink]

I recently watched an American horror movie on Thai TV at 9.00 Saturday morning in bilingual, given the choice of English or Thai language.

In one scene they pixalised where the actor was smoking and drinking a glass of beer. Than in the next scene, the guy looks into an opening in a crate to see what's inside and gets his head torn off by a monster.

Viewers could see the head rolling onto the ground and lashings of blood gushing from his neck.

I was in hysterics, thinking that the censors took the trouble to pixalised the cigarette & beer but considered it OK to permit the viewers (including young children) to see someone's head getting torn off and show all the gallons of blood in graphic detail.

Don't know why they bother, it has been scientifically proven that having your head torn off is more harmful to ones health than smoking and drinking.

Edited March 9, 2008 by distortedlink

[kiakaha]

I find it a bit strange that the govt. is now applying censorship to farang movies. Now, they block out nudity, guns, and violence in farang movies and television. However, every time that I go to a Thai movie or watch a Thai horror program, there is absolutely no censorship. These movies are worse that any farang movie in terms of pure gore and visual killings. Also, they block out violent scenes on farang news programs, but Thai newspapers and Television show all of the blood and guts.

Why is censorship applied to only the farang materials, but not to the Thai materials?

You could always switch to Romantic Comedys

[Cuban]

Chocolate was named for the sweets that the girl ate. They played a part in the story.

Also I didn't think there was much gore in the film - the sword play etc. was toned down or my anti-gore trigger level has been adjusted up ?

The bluring of alcohol and smoking is funny.

[bendix]

I'm not sure what point the OP is trying to make.

There is no discrimination. Take the three big censorship issues:

1) Sex and nudity. Censored in foreign movies to a degree but so far as I can make out, only on TV when kids might be watching. There are plenty of topless scenes uncut in cinemas, for example, the gogo bar scenes in American Gangster. Not censored in local movies because, as Maestro pointed out, the Thai movie-makers know the rules and don't make their films that way.

2) Smoking. Censored in foreign movies but, again, only on TV. Perfectly acceptable in rated cinemas. Not censored in Thai movies for the reason stated above.

3) Violence / blood and guts. Not censored in foreign movies (eg No Country for Old Men). Not censored in Thai movies.

What point are you trying to make?

[gunnyd]

And another point. Television specifically cable movie channels like HBO Asia, Star Movies, etc. are not censored by Thailand. The standard for Cable TV is set by Singapore not Thailand. One thing that stood out for me was when I was watching Austin Powers International Man of Mystery on Star Movies, when Mike Myers said "Shag" in the original they cut that out, but saying sh*t is fine.

Don't blame Thailand, blame Singapore

GunnyD

[ade100]

And another point. Television specifically cable movie channels like HBO Asia, Star Movies, etc. are not censored by Thailand. The standard for Cable TV is set by Singapore not Thailand. One thing that stood out for me was when I was watching Austin Powers International Man of Mystery on Star Movies, when Mike Myers said "Shag" in the original they cut that out, but saying sh*t is fine.

Don't blame Thailand, blame Singapore

GunnyD

Yes its true. Singaporean viewers are very sensitive and even words like "bottom" or "orgasm" have to be edited out of TV shows. Reason being that should they be left in, countless Singaporeans would be fainting every time they watched TV. The hospitals would be overwhelmed and the price if smelling salts would go through the roof.

[LivinLOS]

3) Violence / blood and guts. Not censored in foreign movies (eg No Country for Old Men). Not censored in Thai movies.

So you didnt see sweeny todd in the cinema then ??

[polecat]

Just looking at a few back issues of Thai Rath, most of the bloody scenes are indeed pixelated. The only exception I can find is actually a front page picture of that 12 y.o. lad who was killed by a rock thrown through his dad's windscreen.

This would suggest the pixelation is self-censorship, rather than government censorship.

[Heng]

What point are you trying to make?

Whoa, I think that's a bit uncalled for.

[legag]

3) Violence / blood and guts. Not censored in foreign movies (eg No Country for Old Men). Not censored in Thai movies.

So you didnt see sweeny todd in the cinema then ??

Oh my God!! Sweeney Rodd is a good sample here!! The whole movie .. blurry, cutting and I shoud have known better why bothered to go see!! Such a shame. And that's why they have to RATE the movie for such certain age can attend the cinema. Why don't Thai gov. start from there instead of censor things.