At a recent seminar by the Christian Council of Thailand, panellists voiced concern that many Thai soap operas are broadcast too early, and that most of these soaps have content that is not appropriate for children. For instance, many contain graphic or violent scenes of sexual assault on women. In addition, the theme of these programmes doesn't offer anything to provoke constructive thought, as most of them are about female characters cat-fighting over a man.

no cat fight in the bible:

Genesis 19 Lot and His Daughters

32 Let's get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father." 33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I slept with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him.

At a recent seminar by the Christian Council of Thailand, panellists voiced concern that many Thai soap operas ...

The seminar panellists voiced concerns that children under the age of 8 are most vulnerable. Children at this age cannot properly distinguish drama from real life, and many will imitate what they see. If these children are allowed to watch programmes with violent content or verbal abuse, day in day out, they will eventually come to believe that this kind of behaviour is acceptable. Under such circumstances, it doesn't take a great stretch of the imagination to realise what will happen to these individuals and our society. In a recent incident, a student hanged himself after copying a scene he saw on a TV show.

"People observe the visita iglesia to do the via crucis (way of the cross), have confession and contemplate on the significance of the passion and death of Christ in their lives.

Along the backroads and alleys of Talisay City, children do their own rendition of the passion. Aciete (oil) is daubed on the face and body to simulate beards and cross markings. One carries a cross with a crown of rope or weed stems on their head while another tries to flog and shout at him. "

At a recent seminar by the Christian Council of Thailand, panellists voiced concern that many Thai soap operas ...

Parents should be vigilant in controlling what their children are watching. Sadly, many parents let their children watch these soaps because they themselves are addicted to them.

First stop of course is St Anne’s (church) at Bukit Mertajam.

In the old chapel, Zara said her prayer while all Zaria wanted to do was blow off the candles at the alter (of course after Happy Birthday singing). -.-”

"While looking around, Zara stopped at the statues showing Jesus’ crucifixion looking very sad and asked me, “Mummy, why the people so wicked they want to nail Jesus on the cross.”

Seriously, for me who still have questions about my religion, I don’t know how to answer her."

At a recent seminar by the Christian Council of Thailand, panellists voiced concern that many Thai soap operas ...

If we let the free market rule on TV, people will have a tendency to watch lurid, low quality programming.

TV is overrated. ever heard of TEH INTERNETS?

<br />What about protection for Farangs  <img src='http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br />

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Not necessary.

Most foreigners in Thailand can tell, in general, what is good, and what is bad.

I know some of us expats are kind of controversial in life style but what sort of person would come to Thailand to watch soaps? In all the non Thai people I have met or associated with, I can think of none who would admit to watching the soaps. Maybe they have not come out of the closet yet.

What the Thais need is a good dose of Coronation St and Emmerdale Farm.**..that would sort them out.....yes

Intelligent soaps with real life meaning from Blighty. ...

Legislation to restrict soaps - or anything else - is not going to work, and also stupid. Because you don't want the government to tell you what you can watch or not, ever. No mater how bad things are now, they would be worse once politicians are in control.

What they can do is give government grants to TV producers and give them selectively to quality content creators. Not laws against the bad, but support for people with ideas - Thailand is full of creative people, this could easily work. Of course, even here, chances are that they'd blow the entire budget on retarded nationalistic productions like King Naresuan. Politicians....

Isn't it interesting though that the Thai soaps show everything that Thais cannot do? Especially loud fighting. It's a huge taboo in Thai society - loss of face etc. Yet in the soaps, that's all they ever seem to do. Is it a repressed desire to scream and shout? Or is it a desire to see rich/famous/beautiful people lose face? Both? I don't know.

On the other hand, that soap from Korea that was so popular for a while had not much screaming and shouting as far as I could tell - I only ever catch these from the corner of my eye. It seemed to live on amazing costumes and good old soap tradition themes like love/betrayal and rich and famous kings and queens.

There's also the "funny" Thai soaps which look pretty good... just silly, funny stuff...