Crackdown On Internet Cafes And On-line Games

[george]

New ministerial regulation to control on-line games

BANGKOK: -- The cabinet has approved an Interior Ministry proposal on drafting a new ministerial regulation to control computer on-line games, aiming to solve problems caused by children’s addiction to the electronic games.

Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said after Tuesday's cabinet weekly meeting that Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam, as a law expert, has been assigned by the cabinet to supervise the drafting of the regulation, which is to provide strict and integrated measures in solving the on-line games-related problems.

"The measures include registration of Internet cafes or on-line game shops, as that applied to clinics and drugstores; otherwise they cannot provide services," he told journalists here.

Dr. Suraponng said that the proposed ministerial regulation would be used as a legal tool to control a wide range of computer materials in various forms, including video games, laser discs, digital radio discs, CD– ROMs, hard discs, and similar others that are easily accessible to children who tend to be addicted to.

Many studies suggest that playing much of video or on-line games causes adverse effects to children, especially on their physical, mental and emotional health.

For some cases, violence in the games can lead to children’s aggressive behaviors

The government spokesman said that Mr. Wissanu would soon call a meeting of

experts from agencies concerned, namely the Interior, Culture, and Information and Communication Technology Ministries to brainstorm in drafting the regulation and then submit it to the Office of the Council of State for a quick revision.

"It is believed that the new regulation will be an effective measure that can solve the kids’ addiction to on-line games. It’s a serious problem in our society now," he told journalists.

"Prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra told the cabinet that when he visited people in various areas he had heard lots of parents’ complaints about their kids' addiction to on-line games; so the prime minister instructed the Interior Ministry to find solutions to the problem’, said the government spokesman.

--TNA 2005-09-28

[Bizz]

It wont work.

But i got to laugh about this Kids are kids and have to be kids they grow out of it.

LICENCING INTERNET CAFES OHHH this has a big brother ring to it.

[wolf5370]

Mmmm - so kids from richer famalies that can afford playstations and PCs for their kids (and internet connections) are exempt. Only kids that have to use cafes will be limited their access.

[Maejo Man]

When I'd finished laughing, I realised that it's just another case of the underpriveleged getting the short end of the stick again. Naturally the minister's son will still have his "X Box" and be able to play on line with his super quick ADSL connection that daddy pays for

[Upcountry]

Thanks for your input, VanZam,

While the first reaction of of government may or may not be productive, beginning to address the issue is important. As technology progresses, this sort of addiction will continue to get worse.

Hopefully schools will figure out how to educate kids to take a balanced view of it. Maybe the key is for society to stigmatize being overly involved in games, so that those misfits who do can be encouraged to move away from it. Hopefully we can discourage them from considering it a badge of honor to die in front of a computer (the way our motorcycle racers want to die on the road).

On the other hand, maybe we can get the motorcycle racers in front of virtual reality crack-em-ups so that the will stay off the street.

In the near future, after all, we will be doing business with avatars! Cloned avatars. Dear me.

[bkk_mike]

I thought they did this last year already? (at least as far as Internet Cafes and online gaming is concerned...)

Anyway - I'm sure there's a generational divide here..., where those under 40 (who grew up with Atari or Nintendo are wondering what the fuss is about - after all they turned out OK, and those over 40 don't think it's healthy for kids to be sitting inside all the time on a computer...

Personally - I think I'd prefer children to be addicted to games than anything else at their age...

However, some of the characters hanging around at some of the Internet Cafes may not make the best peer models..., I don't see a few hours a week as an issue - but every day in that sort of company is probably not a good thing... (just don't blame it on the games...)

Blaming online gaming for the not particularly nice vibe you get from some internet cafes is like blaming snooker for the bad vibe you get at some snooker halls. The game itself is not the problem...

[Roger_JG]

When I'd finished laughing, I realised that it's just another case of the underpriveleged getting the short end of the stick again. Naturally the minister's son will still have his "X Box" and be able to play on line with his super quick ADSL connection that daddy pays for

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Online Gaming is a real problem with several hidden issues. It is easy to laugh at its presumed dangers but they are real and are showing.

In the present case, as you candidly observed, it is the poorer that use internet café today and to play they spend MONEY of which they have little already. Real money is often exchanged between players to buy “cyber equipment” for their characters (heard of Ragnarok).

Then many online games are addictive and require continuous and long time playing to “move up” in the game and it is not uncommon to observe sleep deprivation, attention deficit, stress, dependency with repercussions on social behaviour and school success.

The violence associated with this kind of gamming is the least of the problem. The real problem is that it is the poor who pay for harming themselves.

So, you are right the minister’s son will still have his X-box, but that beside the point.

Saranyu.

PS: A note to another poster: Having children is not a good enough reason to know what is good or bad for others' children. Parenthood and wisdom rarely go hand in hand...

[dannyboy123]

With the Current Class distinction in Thailand, only the Poor children will be punished. they go to the Internet Caffe to pay the games, due to the cost of the machines. If the government really wants to make it work, take the machines off the market for children. Rich and Poor, the way they are approaching it, will only hurt the poor. Gaves are rated now here for Violence, but kids get them anway.

I have seen in the States where our kids do poorly in school, have two to three games and spend all their money on cartridges. My kid is one of them, They are addictive, and they play them into their thirties.

[Butterfly]

Gamers are the worst kind. They are junkies. They need to be jailed for their offenses

[sajal]

When I'd finished laughing, I realised that it's just another case of the underpriveleged getting the short end of the stick again. Naturally the minister's son will still have his "X Box" and be able to play on line with his super quick ADSL connection that daddy pays for

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i dont understand whats wrong here.....

case underpriveledged

they spend all their time n money on these gaming places.....while they should be studying hard to make a good future and move to the priveledged section......

addiction to games would probably ruin their lives n career....

case minister's son

whats the problem here if the dude keeps on playin online games and gets sevierly addicted?

daddy has made stack loads of money for him to game all his life....atleast he wont follow his daddys footsteps.....

[Roger_JG]

With the Current Class distinction in Thailand, only the Poor children will be punished.  they go to the Internet Caffe to pay the games, due to the cost of the machines.  If the government really wants to make it work, take the machines off the market for children. Rich and Poor, the way they are approaching it, will only hurt the poor. Gaves are rated now here for Violence, but kids get them anway.

I have seen in the States where our kids do poorly in school, have two to three games and spend all their money on cartridges.  My kid is one of them, They are addictive, and they play them into their thirties.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Prohibiting online gaming will not work. Prohibition never worked.

What work is promoting alternatives to gaming, but they are far more costly than a law that regulates it...

~S

[beach]

I know more people addicted to online chatting than playing online games.... and they are all older than 20

[ozzydom]

Cant you just see the BiB enforcing this one,"Cmon lad hand over your 2 baht coin toward my retirement"

By the way ,I did read somewhere that Bill "microsoft ' Gates was a Nintendo junkie as a lad. "way to go"

[peter991]

What's wrong with being online? After browsing ThaiVisa's posts for 16 hours a day, I head for the Virtual Hotel for a virtual beer. next door is the Virtual Hairdresser - where I can get a virtual haircut - then off to the Virtual Garden for a smell of the virtual flowers ... reality is a scary place!

Peter

[Stacking Zeds]

Plain and simple. Unnecessary licensing is bad for business.

And it won't work.

[jrincon17]

With the Current Class distinction in Thailand, only the Poor children will be punished.  they go to the Internet Caffe to pay the games, due to the cost of the machines.  If the government really wants to make it work, take the machines off the market for children. Rich and Poor, the way they are approaching it, will only hurt the poor. Gaves are rated now here for Violence, but kids get them anway.

I have seen in the States where our kids do poorly in school, have two to three games and spend all their money on cartridges.  My kid is one of them, They are addictive, and they play them into their thirties.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Prohibiting online gaming will not work. Prohibition never worked.

What work is promoting alternatives to gaming, but they are far more costly than a law that regulates it...

~S

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Its not the kids its the parents !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[sajal]

Cant you just see the BiB enforcing this one,"Cmon lad hand over your 2 baht coin toward my retirement"

By the way ,I did read somewhere that Bill "microsoft ' Gates was a Nintendo junkie as a lad. "way to go"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i dont think nintendo was available when bill was a lad.....after 1983 he was probably too busy counting bucks..

[jrincon17]

Cant you just see the BiB enforcing this one,"Cmon lad hand over your 2 baht coin toward my retirement"

By the way ,I did read somewhere that Bill "microsoft ' Gates was a Nintendo junkie as a lad. "way to go"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

nintendo wasnt out yet . was it ?

[wormdrive]

The two issues at work here are:

Parenthood - controlling your child's behavior is the parents responsibility.

It is NOT the responsibility of a National Government to do so. Maybe Thailand should invest more in developing parenting skills rather than licensing Internet shops. Why is the government of Thailand taking a parenthood role? We all know about the level of parenting skills in Thailand - that's were the commitment should be made.

The plan, as it's stated, speaks about Internet Cafes having to apply for a license. That is all. This means that the Government is going to make money from the licensees, thus the addiction. It is not a preventative measure - It simply means that a Cafe will have to pay 1200 baht a year for a piece of paper to hang in their shop saying they are legit.

It does absolutely NOTHING to deal with the issue. It has EVERYTHING with the government seeing something where they can get money.

[ovenman]

Chill, folks. This idea of a crackdown on Internet shops and online gaming is all b.s. that we've heard numerous times before. Nothing has ever come of this, what would lead one to believe that this time is any different?

[Heng]

With the Current Class distinction in Thailand, only the Poor children will be punished.  they go to the Internet Caffe to pay the games, due to the cost of the machines.  If the government really wants to make it work, take the machines off the market for children. Rich and Poor, the way they are approaching it, will only hurt the poor. Gaves are rated now here for Violence, but kids get them anway.

I have seen in the States where our kids do poorly in school, have two to three games and spend all their money on cartridges.  My kid is one of them, They are addictive, and they play them into their thirties.

Prohibiting online gaming will not work. Prohibition never worked.

What work is promoting alternatives to gaming, but they are far more costly than a law that regulates it...

~S

Its not the kids its the parents !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Exactly. And the grandparents and great grandparents. Most people are the sum total of their parents and everyone before them. There's no need to blame the gov't for generations of failure, lack of focus on education, preference for fun and games over frugality and investment, etc., within particular families.

edit: failure +....

Edited September 28, 2005 by Heng

[Fah Dee]

I have to agree with some of the posts b4.

Thailand does have a problem in the cafes. Kids miss school and they do become addicted to these computer/internet games.

However..I'd rather see them improving hand/eye co-ordination, then be on the streets doing drugs or anything else that's nasty.

Will they get over this..offcourse they will, in due course.

[Roger_JG]

The two issues at work here are:

Parenthood - controlling your child's behavior is the parents responsibility.

It is NOT the responsibility of a National Government to do so. Maybe Thailand should invest more in developing parenting skills rather than licensing Internet shops.  Why is the government of Thailand taking a parenthood role?  We all know about the level of parenting skills in Thailand - that's were the commitment should be made.

The plan, as it's stated, speaks about Internet Cafes having to apply for a license. That is all. This means that the Government is going to make money from the licensees, thus the addiction. It is not a preventative measure - It simply means that a Cafe will have to pay 1200 baht a year for a piece of paper to hang in their shop saying they are legit.

It does absolutely NOTHING to deal with the issue.  It has EVERYTHING with the government seeing something where they can get money.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Spotted !!!

Only one problem : It is never the parents' fault! They are "victims"...

So we can't blame the game, can't blame the children, can't blame the shop owner, can't blame Taksin (he was elected), can't blame the electorate (it was paid), can't blame the money, can't blame the local local monk.... Do we really need to blame someone by the way?

Maybe, only maybe, in a perfect world, the income from the licensing could be use to offer alternatives to online gaming, improving parenting skills, etc.. but I am a dreamer....

~S

[seonai]

Roger JG we have the same avatar.... wanna consider changing yours??????? Seonai

[bartender100]

This is an interesting debate.

I remember spending hours on Space Invader in arcades when I was young,don't think it affected me to much.Although I still play PC games,as many adults on here do.

What would these kids be doing if they did not have this outlet?on the streets?drugs?

I think online gaming/chat helps teach kids to think quickly,interact with others and possibly even help their English skillls more.Thats on top of the computer skills they might learn.

Were are the kids from that have problems in your experince VanZam? Thai or western?.

[Roger_JG]

Roger JG we have the same avatar.... wanna consider changing yours??????? Seonai

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Like this one better?

Funny that having two people with the same avatars creates a problem... Not so far away from the dicussion about the danger of online gamning...

The search not to say the obsession with individualism (nothing wrong with you Seonai) is even more obvious in the cyberworld than in real life. Here one can find a way to express the particularism denied by the uniformisation of our society ....

That's all the "good" that will come of it, beware....

~S

[dave111223]

There are way too many people in here claiming "its true, games do ruin kids".

I wonder if these people have ever played any games in their lives?

Probably not.

Growing up i used to play online games all the time, hours a day, played in competitions and what not.

I still play some games now and again to relax, but basically grew out of it.

Looking back i'd say it helped me to meet tons of people, both in person and online. And had many groups of friends with kids who without this activity may have found it difficult to meet people and make friends.

After meeting thousands of hardcore gamers i've only met a couple of people who took it too far (to the point of really messing up their schooling etc)

But honestly they probably would have found another way to mess up their lives even if they didnt have video games.

I guess Lineage 2 was not popular enough, and now Tashin/True are out for revenge...

Edited September 28, 2005 by dave111223

[Amethyst]

Playing games is better than doing drugs

[quiddity]

When I'd finished laughing, I realised that it's just another case of the underpriveleged getting the short end of the stick again. Naturally the minister's son will still have his "X Box" and be able to play on line with his super quick ADSL connection that daddy pays for

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i dont understand whats wrong here.....

case underpriveledged

they spend all their time n money on these gaming places.....while they should be studying hard to make a good future and move to the priveledged section......

addiction to games would probably ruin their lives n career....

case minister's son

whats the problem here if the dude keeps on playin online games and gets sevierly addicted?

One sympton of gaming and online chatting is a corruptive effect on language. Your entry stands as perfect proof.

[JimsKnight]

When I'd finished laughing, I realised that it's just another case of the underpriveleged getting the short end of the stick again. Naturally the minister's son will still have his "X Box" and be able to play on line with his super quick ADSL connection that daddy pays for

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Online Gaming is a real problem with several hidden issues. It is easy to laugh at its presumed dangers but they are real and are showing.

In the present case, as you candidly observed, it is the poorer that use internet café today and to play they spend MONEY of which they have little already. Real money is often exchanged between players to buy “cyber equipment” for their characters (heard of Ragnarok).

Then many online games are addictive and require continuous and long time playing to “move up” in the game and it is not uncommon to observe sleep deprivation, attention deficit, stress, dependency with repercussions on social behaviour and school success.

SNIP

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've noticed that kids in thailand are always in the internet cafes playing games non-stop from the time school finishes into the early hourse. It is more than just a hobby and one that works out more expensive overall than playing games at home.