Thai ICT Ministry May Further Control The Internet

[kimamey]

"...People might start to censor themselves because of fear," she said, adding that Thailand could become a country where "no one wants to say anything".

I think this has definitely been on the increase over the last few years.

Anyone starting to think it feels a bit like the Taksin era with all this heightened censorship?

The material being censored may be different, but the obsession with maintaining power and the status quo seems pretty much the same.

Has been on the increase, but IMHO is not really specific Thailand. All countries are struggling with the Lawless Wild West on the internet. Some is justifiable. Any fool can start rumours, keep on ranting, defame someone they don't like (which reminds me, are you still beating your wife?). Having seen PTV in action I would probably have closed them before the government here did.

PS I assume you realize the question is just an example of how easy suggestions can be made especially on the internet. Maybe I should remove my picture from my profile ?

I agree in principle but any form of censorship is simply the thin end of the wedge for massive manipulation and control. This is the major reason why so many people in Australia were against the recent Internet Filter laws that were put into place for "the good of the public". It's all a rort and convenient excuse for legislating controls against freedom of expression and any kind of expression of social conscience or objection to government manipulation and control. Such censorship and control would be like putting suppressor on cars to prevent them speeding (why,... because speeding cars injure and kill),.. or restricting alcohol sales and the possession thereof because it causes drunkenness, aggression, poverty etc (hmmm,.. didn't that already get tried by a western government earlier on this century?..... oh yeah "Prohibition" it was called,... and what a raging success that was!).

Unfortunately Thailand in my opinion is about to slip into an abbyss,.. all the more reason not to place all one's egg into the same basket. Meaning, leave some resources outside of this country and always have a plan-B exit plan because someday you may need it. I'm continually amazed by ex-pat farangs being duped into a false sense of security by taking the lion's share (if not all) of their western assets and planting them here.

Didn't mean to rant.... but this hits a hot spot with me!

Just a small point. Prohibition was last century. A mistake I keep making as well.

[Brewsta]

Scary!

Scary, yes, but totally predictable, IMHO.

It has always been so and will never change:

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely................a slippery slope indeed, not just the last decade here in LOS, but everywhere....democrat or dictator alike.

Stay smiling & Safe,

Brewsta

Edited October 15, 2010 by Brewsta

[backsoon]

Dear Surutchada (PhD???). You should not worry about this country. Nobody has to say anything for millenia. Just smiling!... Democracy? what democracy? where? here?... Unless you have been misquoted in the 'Nation', which happens quite often, good luck in presenting your Thesis, get your PhD and come home to LOS to join 'them'. Because sure as hel_l you can't beat 'them'. And do me a favour, please, do not ask who are them.

P.S. Sorry I can not quote all the posts above.

[hanuman1]

Any fool can start rumours, keep on ranting, defame someone they don't like (which reminds me, are you still beating your wife?).

Have you been spying at us through the curtains again? What 2 underdressed, consenting adults choose to do in the privacy of their own home is their business alone. Unless you want to join in. :jap:

PS - I assume you realize this is an attempt to show that allegations of a crime can actually turn out to be baseless and a result of misunderstanding or misinterpretation. The invitation still stands, though

Edited October 15, 2010 by hanuman1

[rotary]

Can someone please educate me as I seem to confuse the definitions of democracy and communist.......

The simple question of where will it all end one would assume to be obvious unless you are the ones in control or simply do not care.

I just wonder if IP Star(Satelitte Dish Internet) has any web sites blocked???? I use a satellite internet dish in the middle east with no blocking what so ever but if you use dial up or use ADSL or use wireless many sites are blocked but on satellite net no blocking whats so ever. I wonder if Thailand is the same>>>

[mca]

What pisses me off the most is on the porn tube sites they'll always block the movies I want to download the most and leave the ones I'm not that bothered about unblocked. It's almost as if they can read my mind!

[sevenhills]

No way to run a democracy,, just another way to show they are not even trying

Internet censorship occurs or is planned in other "democracies" such as Australia.

http://www.smh.com.a...91215-ktzc.html

Agreed, but Australia is becoming a socialist state run by Stalinists and union organisers. Labor and the Green loonies, so censorship will be a big thing in the near future if people don't stand up to this <deleted>.

[Thaddeus]

I just wonder if IP Star(Satelitte Dish Internet) has any web sites blocked????

Yep, same same, not different.

[rubl]

In principle the internet should be as free as other delivery channels like radio, TV, newspapers, books. Having said that you may already see the problem dooming.

Welcome to the 21st century (I think)

[powderpuff]

Did we forget we always have & always will censor porn??

One big basket of stuff we don't need or want our people seeing.

Long live the red shirt terrorists.

[moskito]

...........and being a threat to national security, said Surutchada Chullapram

He is absolutely right! Everything what educates the "normal" Thai People is a threat to the chinese upper class......it is conceivably the poor start questioning their government in charge :jap:

[Just1Voice]

Some of the "elite" (pick just about any group you want) refer to the common "rural Thai" as "buffalo". Actually, it should be more like "Mushroom". Keep them in the dark and feed them b.s.

While I have absolutely nothing to base this on, I am hoping (the operative word here), that there is a new generation of Thai coming up that will eventually step up and say: "Ok, enough of this old b.s. is enough!", and then have the numbers, and the will, to make the changes that desperately need to be changed. I'm a "Child of the 60's", so I can remember the changes that my generation brought about in American thinking. Granted, not all of them were good, and some downright bad, but overall they made the "old establishment" of America sit up and take note, and realize that the "good old days" were gone and a new age was being ushered in by the young.

Do I actually LOOK for that to happen in Thailand? Honestly, not really, but I'm an Aquarian, which means I'm an eternal optimist, so there's always hope that it will.

[rotary]

As long as they don't block midget porn sites...

I agree!!!!!!!!!! Leave something better than the political news to read! ha ha

[SiriusBlack1]

Good news, as there are many criminals lurking around in the internet.

Excellent news. Remember, not only actions but also doctrinally incorrect thoughts are a crime!

Only ideologically correct thoughts can lead to pure action. Our enemies are everywhere.

[moskito]

In principle the internet should be as free as other delivery channels like radio, TV, newspapers, books.......

Welcome to the 21st century (I think)

FREE ? LOL, never realized the mass media is FREE, always thought it is more mass influence by....ok then

Welcome to Orwells century

[whybother]

Maybe the ICT needs to talk to the Australian government regarding their internet censorship plans.

Can you expand on that?

See post #14

[Teddy3943]

"I think the government can track you down if they want to, which is worrying,"

This is not specific Thailand. Any country can do this. To single out Thailand seems a bit ridiculous.

You're right! It is done in North Korea, Myanmar, Iran, and many Moslim states.

Shortly in every undeveloped country where the government and the people don't know much about democracy and freedom of speech according to human rights.

A very satisfying thought that Thailand is not alone in this matter...

[LTGTR]

Great,LOC-Land of (more) Censorship!

[rubl]

"I think the government can track you down if they want to, which is worrying,"

This is not specific Thailand. Any country can do this. To single out Thailand seems a bit ridiculous.

You're right! It is done in North Korea, Myanmar, Iran, and many Moslim states.

Shortly in every undeveloped country where the government and the people don't know much about democracy and freedom of speech according to human rights.

A very satisfying thought that Thailand is not alone in this matter...

You might add a few more countries to the list, like USA, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, etc.

Very satisfactory to know this is a general problem which the world need to come to terms with.

[afx]

Freedom of speech cannot and should not be controlled, the end of freedom of speech is the end of freedom itself and ensures that a small number of demons have control over the masses. Not only that, but it is an utter waste of time and money blocking websites as it does not work. There isn't a single person in China with a brain who cannot access what they want via VPN / remote desktop etc to a jurisdiction where they can see as much content as any other western internet user can. China with all it's might and wealth have failed in this regard because it technically isn't possible, but the ICT thinks it can succeed, sure it can.

I wonder which government acronym is responsible for the garbage soaps where someone gets stabbed, beat up or shot in every episode normalising this behaviour. I never used to believe watching violence on TV had any bearinng on actual violence commited, but I've revised my opinion since coming to Thailand to live and seen what I've seen. Dealing with this garbage TV would be a better use of time and money than trying and susequentty failing to block internet sites and spying on its own citizens (yes I know this goes on the world over and the UK is the most surveiled country on earth). But despite being highly surveiled I dont know of a single website that is blocked in UK.

IMO this coupled with the recent refusal to adopt English as the second language in schools is more proof of those in power using every stoneage trick in the book to keep the masses uneducated and uninformed for easier subjugation. God forbid the masses here are informed and educated, nope can't allow that.

Edited October 15, 2010 by afx

[rubl]

begin removed ...

But despite being highly surveiled I dont know of a single website that is blocked in UK.

... end removed

Please have a look at this webpage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Watch_Foundation

It says a.o. "Since 2010, blocking Internet users from accessing the content on this list is mandatory for all UK based ISPs that want to be eligible for contracts with government agencies and other public bodies."

To be confirmed: 'however the BBC has blocked non-UK IP addresses from accessing a lot of them.'

Edited October 15, 2010 by rubl

[cdnvic]

I hate to throw irony into the mix, but I've removed posts which:

Discussed methods of circumventing the censors (not legal to publish)

Discussed the Monarchy in political context (also illegal)

Debated forum moderation in the open (against our TOS)

[silp1979]

Good news, as there are many criminals lurking around in the internet.

and one is just watching YOU =)....

[Tatsujin]

<<< wonders how long it will take for this thread to be censored, oops moderated . . .

[craigt3365]

Perhaps the government would have better results if it taught children to inform on their parents. It works in North Korea. May PM Abhisit can speak to the heir apparent of the wonderful North Koreans and get some pointers on how to quash this internet threat.

Geriatrickid: I have a question for you. What would happen in the US, or any first world country for that matter (France, UK, Germany, etc.), if you had a web page proposing the violent overthrow of the nation and the killing of the PM? If I am not mistaken, isn't that what some of the red websites propose?

I don't mean to start a huge argument here...just curious if you know the ramifications of something like this. I know the answer for China. Your family will be billed for the bullet....

[Just1Voice]

I find it somewhat amusing, or is it ironic (?) that the block porn sites, yet prostitution is blatantly rampant throughout Thailand. But blocking websites simply because they do not follow the "Government line" is wrong. I'm not saying that web sites should be allowed to put up anything they want, as there are some things that truly could be harmful, but what Thailand is doing is trying, and succeeding, in preventing just about any form of free speech that doesn't praise the government. And, yes, it is getting worse day by day.

[eddie61]

I am all in favour of it. It will get rid of pesky farangs, trying to invest here.

That will weaken the baht, and keep Thailand in the stone age.

Nice for those in the driving seat,

Ed

[mochafan]

Good news, as there are many criminals lurking around in the internet.

There are criminals walking on the streets of Thailand....should you stay in your house and never go out?

And if you don't like what is on the internet, you are not being forced to use it, right?

If you don't like what is on tv...change the channel or turn the tv off...you don't have to watch it....but some people want to watch the program. If you choose to be conservative ..that's your problem. Censorship is not the answer.

Edited October 15, 2010 by mochafan

[Brewsta]

Greetings J1V,

My 11 years of Life, Wife,etc here in the Land of Smiles = Tons of examples of exactly as required to confirm your wise observation - you are right on the button, IMHO.

But I can't tell you now, in case they hear.... )

regards,

Brewsta

Some of the "elite" (pick just about any group you want) refer to the common "rural Thai" as "buffalo". Actually, it should be more like "Mushroom". Keep them in the dark and feed them b.s.

While I have absolutely nothing to base this on, I am hoping (the operative word here), that there is a new generation of Thai coming up that will eventually step up and say: "Ok, enough of this old b.s. is enough!", and then have the numbers, and the will, to make the changes that desperately need to be changed. I'm a "Child of the 60's", so I can remember the changes that my generation brought about in American thinking. Granted, not all of them were good, and some downright bad, but overall they made the "old establishment" of America sit up and take note, and realize that the "good old days" were gone and a new age was being ushered in by the young.

Do I actually LOOK for that to happen in Thailand? Honestly, not really, but I'm an Aquarian, which means I'm an eternal optimist, so there's always hope that it will.

[theanimaster]

"The MICT are competent enough to track people"

For sure. So can they explain why only Thai porn sites are still available online while all the foreign stuff is blocked?

Can they also explain all those little pornvertisements at the back of popular magazines and teen magazines? You know... the ones that go "SMS this number to download some skanky video clips to your phone"