Thai Govt Wants Youtube Sex Spoof Removed

[crazydrummerpauly]

This is everybodys favorite subject hehe!

How many Thai politicians (the same that are whining about the video) have their little mia noi tuckked away in an apartment somewhere or even several?

It would be quicker to count the ones who don't !

[Soi Sauce]

Don't you just hate it when reality rears its ugly head from time-to-time?

BANGKOK (Reuters, AP) - Thailand yesterday banned a dictionary published by the British company Longman after it provoked government and public protests by describing Bangkok as a city known for its prostitutes.

A police special branch officer told reporters that Longman's Dictionary of English Language and Culture was banned as its Bangkok entry eroded the good moral standards of Thais. He said copies of the dictionary would be removed from bookstores.

It described Bangkok as a city known for its Buddhist temples and as 'a place where there are a lot of prostitutes'.

The Thai Foreign Ministry has demanded that Longman delete the offending reference, and said yesterday the company had apologised for offending the country and its people.

Della Summers from Longman said that her company 'understands the concern expressed by the Thai government in connection with the (Bangkok) entry'. She said the edition aimed 'to set words in their cultural context, and the connotations attached to the word Bangkok and commonly understood by native-speakers of English are drawn from books and magazines in our wordbank'.

Although the statement fell short of promising that Longman would delete the offending reference, it said the company would revise the dictionary at least once a year.

Abhisit Vejajjiva, a government spokesman, said defining Bangkok by its prostitution problem was like defining London by soccer hooliganism and Irish Republican Army attacks.

'We do not deny the existence of the problem. But we do not believe it should be used as the definition of this city,' Mr Abhisit said.

But others want Thailand to attack the problem, not the dictionary. 'The government should take action instead of just being ashamed of the international image of the country,' said Chantawipa Apisuk, head of a prostitutes' rights group.

Officials say there are some 80,000 prostitutes in the country, but unofficial counts are far higher. Twenty per cent of the prostitutes are thought to be under 18.

Ms Chantawipa said some unemployed young women are lured from villages with offers of secretarial jobs in Bangkok. Others are sold to brothels by impoverished parents. Many end up in bars, entertaining the tens of thousands of foreign tourists who visit every year.

Source: http://www.independe...ur-1483226.html

Interesting parallel but Longman decided to comply with the Thai government request because it wanted to continue selling its textbooks in Thailand, even if they were the special cheapo editions for SE Asia. YouTube has endured blocks in Thailand before and is unlikely to care much about this. If posts don't violate their rules, they want take them down and it's unlikely that this one does.

Longman supposedly closed its Sales Office a few months back. This pressure was part of it. The dictionary thing has only come to the surface because of this.

When you think about this topic, however, don't you think the politicos are embarrassed about it because the immoral ladies speak the best English in Thailand? From the pm down, non-P^78894Tutes are more prepared for AEC than anyone here,, pm spent years in usa. She'd have learnt more English in nana.

Edited February 4, 2013 by Soi Sauce

[ingvar]

Sorry what was the question about Thailands image? Thailands image has always been of of a sex paradise where allegedly some westerners go to do what is immoral in their own country.

Please correct me if Thailand has suddenly gained some kind of new reputation?

[teatree]

By making a fuss about this clip the government have ensured that many more people will see it than had they just kept their mouths shut.

They have done an excellent job of promotong the video.

[ingvar]

Would like to see the PM in Nana hehe!

[lahgon29]

The Thai govt. will moan about an SNL sketch, but never complains when someone posts a vid of girls shaking it on Soi Cowboy. Bottom line: The sex industry in Thailand feeds the rural poor--without the trickle down money from Thai bargirls, there would probably be civil war. I send my $1,000/month to help my girl and her family there. How many others like me? How many billions of baht? Gimme a break.

Mate, I hope you're sending HK Dollars, cos if it US, AUS, CN, then you're feeding a VERY extended family of "rural poor". Hope my wife here doesn't see your post. It could ruin me!

[evadgib]

Have they seen what spitting image did to the Windsors?

Edited February 4, 2013 by evadgib

[ingvar]

Obviously he can afford it hehe!

[biplanebluey]

Firstly I've watched it and found it very funny. I've never had any contact with sex workers so I have no experience of it. It seems to also poke fun at foreigners (Americans in this case but it applies to all) who have such shallow views and have to pay for sex so maybe they should complain as well.

Prostitution is illegal in Thailand so the only reason there is anything to make fun of is because Thai authorities fail to enforce their own laws. Why don't they enforce the law? Well I can only guess based on what I've heard as I'm not close enough to know but maybe someone else can correct me if I'm wrong. There are influential people who make money out of the sex workers. That might be the police, politicians and others of high standing. Thailand seems to have this reputation as an easy place to buy sex which presumably is why some come here. If that number is substantial then the lack of enforcement helps bring in those tourists which the kingdom would lose and have to replace. Does Thailand want and can it afford to lose them or not?

Making a fuss about this isn't going to help when Thailand is so hypocritical as it seems to be about many things. This isn't about Thai culture as this was done in the USA. Thais can complain if they wish as that's the idea behind free speech but they can't force their views on people in other countries. Remember I only found out about this because Thai officials decided to complain. If you can't stop it just let it go and don't worry about it. I think that's some sort of Buddhist teaching isn't it? Odd that Thais are Buddhist but forget this when it suits them, as is often the case from what I've seen.

Well, well, well I finally found someone else living in thailand other than me that has never had contact with a sex worker . We are few and far between my friend.

OK ------- So what have the two of you been wasting your time on !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thai at Heart]

Have they seen what spitting image did to the Windsors?

But that's the difference. Some countries are grown up, mature, and their institutions capable of laughing at themselves.

Others, like the uk.

Kaboom ching, canned laughter.

[khaowong1]

I thought it was pretty dam_n funny,. Wouldn't you like to see a "Team America" spoof on Thaiand?

[Lammbock]

It's hilarious. Don't be so serious.

But laughing out laugh about a Ladyboy that is fun, huu????

Thai's will never understand western humour.

Sadly.

[sunshine51]

After reading all 11 pages I can't help to ask....

Is this a spoof?

[ThomasBird67]

Whatever you do don't tell the truth about Thailand

[Wombat6]

I thought the Video was funny......I think that comments from Thais over such a trivial matter is being childish. There is an old saying....."The truth Hurts"

[Tanaka]

Pathetic Thais. " the Culture Watch Centre" That is the censor office in amazing Thailand.

[HaleySabai]

I see it more of a parody on the American male, making fun of the kind of retards that actually do come to Thailand for...dare I say SEX!

[12DrinkMore]

Thailand wants Spoof removed......

IQ avg declines

We'll be missing out on a hub, so that can't happen!

"Hub of Spoofs"

[12DrinkMore]

I think that comments from Thais over such a trivial matter is being childish.

Not only over trivial matters, after over 18 years experience I'm nominating Thailand Thailand as

"The Hub of Childishness"

From the top down to the bottom and back again.

Bloody kids.

[candypants]

I'm hoping the SNL gang does a spoof on the Thai Government, itself. I can imagine a hilarious parody in the making... 555!

that would requir a knowledge and interest in thailand than ran deeper than the most shallow of stereotypes.

In other words, dont hold your breath.

[candypants]

Google "fake watches" and Bangkok and Patong top the list

Google "bar girls" and Udon Thani, Krabi, Hua Hin and Pattaya top the list

Google "prostitutes" and Pattaya and Chiang Mai top the list.

Google "murder godfather" and the minister's father tops the list.

Mr. Sonthaya Khunploem - when you talk with Eric Schmidt you might like to bring this up with him also.......

Seems you use another Google than the one I use. All wrong (of the above). Solution: Screenshots or 'shut-ups' please.

Of course he does Google adjusts results dependent on browsing habits and locality.

Edited February 4, 2013 by candypants

[painai2]

I thought the video made fun of Thai culture and the Thailand langugage. Totally agreed to have it removed.

Edited February 4, 2013 by painai2

[12DrinkMore]

I thought the video made fun of Thai culture and the Thailand langugage. Totally agreed to have it removed.

No fun allowed in Thailand then?

[Deaw]

No one can "have it removed"......it was a skit on a TV program and will be out on the web forever now, all over Facebook and you can google it anytime.

They can request Youtube to remove it, but even if they do someone will put it back up there.......so basically it will be around forever, they need to accept that.

[monkeycountry]

The culture minister has no other more urgent worries?

Actually he does. He is currently very busy ensuring his father, a convicted murderer, does not have to serve his prison sentence!

[dressedingreen]

Countries are no different to individual people. They are born, often reborn. They have a childhood, an adolescence, life experience, and sometimes they die prematurely. During their lives they will often try to reinvent themselves, put aside their murky past. As with people, no two countries are exactly the same. They each have their individual personality, their cultural history and their dreams of a better tomorrow. Like people, they feel emotion. They react to outside stimuli. They hope, and they fear.

Take the US, for example. From their rebirth in the 1800's they were like a rebellious child. They saw the way the world was and they were determined to be different. They had a collective consciousness and a collective dream. Their early thoughts were to build a better world, one where their people could prosper through hard work and a fair society. They built strong institutions, took cultural risks, made themselves the subjects of their own experiment. And when they felt they were well on their way to achieving their goals they determined to take their message to the rest of the world, to encourage change, to evangelize their doctrine.

It's doubtful, based on recent events that many would immediately seek to copy the American model without personalizing it to suit their own culture. And it may be that many cultures would not take easily to the Americanization of their nation. Indeed, some have openly said so. The same set of clothes doesn’t suit everyone. But it would be impossible to deny the impact US lifestyle has had on their contemporaries, even their European ancestral homelands, from where many US citizens originated. America opened up many areas of life that had been forbidden before this new boy on the block came of age. One could easily describe the US as somewhat schizophrenic. Its rhetoric is so often contradicted by its actions. Does a nation that sees itself reporting directly to God, try to carpet bomb others into non existence? But it was always a bold experiment and the journey was never going to be an easy one. One thing is certain. The world was never going to be the same after this evangelist gained the strength to impose its will. Sometimes, its exuberant culture shines a light where others would prefer it didn't.

Thailand has managed to retain many of its ancient customs. Like most Asian nations it is only now beginning to emerge from its long and puritanical childhood. It still pays homage to its cultural heritage with reverence. Its people generally still accept and respect the institutions that have dominated the culture for centuries, unlike many western cultures where ancient institutions have been restricted, dismantled, or replaced with modern equivalents. Its move to become a democracy has not been without problems. Old habits, and institutions, die hard. If the west is a good example, they sometimes die violently too. The 'children' of Asia, many of whom have recently acquired a huge amount of global capital due to the financial shift from west to east, are keen to reinvent themselves, perhaps purchase a new set of clothes. They would like recognition of their new status. They wish to promenade with style, and respect. But like all adolescents they are uneasy with themselves. They haven't yet come to terms with what is required for them to be accepted as equals in a world that increasingly demands openness as a prerequisite for full access to the elite class of successfully cooperating nations. They have to learn to be hypocritical quietly, to institutionalize and make acceptable their culture's dark side. Studiously, in the privacy of their cultural bedroom, they have to begin to accept and understand their imperfections, to own the notion that their learned books don't tell the whole story of what it is to be human. They have to absorb the full meaning of what it is to live in the physical world, that balance is all, and acceding to the demands of the inner greedy and selfish toddler will always leave them vulnerable to the derision of those who have learned that respect must be earned. Stones must be lifted. Dark corners must be illuminated. Frames of mind must become more flexible. And inequalities must be challenged, even if the result is perpetual musical chairs.

As a multiculture, we must learn to laugh at ourselves and with others, at our imperfections. The Thai people who struggle for a voice and the strangers who have taken root here share a mutual imperative to infuse each other's sense of wellbeing, to learn that neither have all the answers. And to gently, without insult or judgment or exploitation, guide this 'young person' out into a world where humor is an accepted way of bringing to light some of life's most intractable problems. The antidote to ridicule is change.

DIG

[delh]

Firstly I've watched it and found it very funny. I've never had any contact with sex workers so I have no experience of it. It seems to also poke fun at foreigners (Americans in this case but it applies to all) who have such shallow views and have to pay for sex so maybe they should complain as well.

Prostitution is illegal in Thailand so the only reason there is anything to make fun of is because Thai authorities fail to enforce their own laws. Why don't they enforce the law? Well I can only guess based on what I've heard as I'm not close enough to know but maybe someone else can correct me if I'm wrong. There are influential people who make money out of the sex workers. That might be the police, politicians and others of high standing. Thailand seems to have this reputation as an easy place to buy sex which presumably is why some come here. If that number is substantial then the lack of enforcement helps bring in those tourists which the kingdom would lose and have to replace. Does Thailand want and can it afford to lose them or not?

Making a fuss about this isn't going to help when Thailand is so hypocritical as it seems to be about many things. This isn't about Thai culture as this was done in the USA. Thais can complain if they wish as that's the idea behind free speech but they can't force their views on people in other countries. Remember I only found out about this because Thai officials decided to complain. If you can't stop it just let it go and don't worry about it. I think that's some sort of Buddhist teaching isn't it? Odd that Thais are Buddhist but forget this when it suits them, as is often the case from what I've seen.

Well, well, well I finally found someone else living in thailand other than me that has never had contact with a sex worker . We are few and far between my friend.

Hi, This makes three.

[monkeycountry]

I thought the video made fun of Thai culture and the Thailand langugage. Totally agreed to have it removed.

So you agree that selling sex is part of Thai culture? And you are against freedom of expression/speech? Muslim by any chance?

[monkeycountry]

Can't Thailand just block the video from being viewed in Thailand. Then it will be out of sight for most thais, and therefore it does not exist. Kinda like the sex industry -)

[Mrjlh]

Guess the Thai government never heard of the "Bunny Ranch"...In Nevada....In the USA!

Or this ad...http://www.frequency.com/video/bunny-ranch-ad-parodymov/12959565