Google Maps car stopped in Phrae, Thailand; driver accused of being govt spy

[bigbamboo]

Yeah right a govt spy driving around in a marked google maps car..

Some people must really think this government and their MOD is clueless.

[lemoncake]

I do not lock my front door, i do not need too, i have 3 dogs. IF i did not have dogs, i would lock it, but not because i am afraid someone will come to take a look, but because someone may come to steal.

Google is not coming to steal any of your belongings nor your liberty, you as a person is not even an interest for them, again they have systems to pick up certain terms and that is to protect the rest of the people.

They may also analyze some data and direct certain mass advertising.

Some people really sound like hysterical girls

It's unfortunate that you felt that you needed to resort to insults, but I think it demonstrates that you're beginning to see the precariousness of your position.

I don't really want to clue you in on this because the more people are bending over and presenting to organised crime, the safer people are who take precautions by using more secure technologies and exercising a little awareness of the threats present on the internet. It's up to you.

http://gizmodo.com/how-google-gives-your-information-to-the-nsa-512840958

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/130595/cybercrime/235700/Identity-theft-and-invasion-of-privacy

"They may also analyze some data and direct certain mass advertising."

You're clearly an expert in these matters, but it's never too late to give your skills and knowledge an update.

What was insulting for you?

[bangkokstick]

Maybe they were thinking that an alien would come out of the car ?

[TPI]

Song is a little town with a really wide highway running through it, they are all farmers! If the car had gone through on the weekend there would have been no trouble as the teenagers would have understood!

All the same, it's pretty embarrassing for the farang who live there.

[Thai at Heart]

Does Google have the people's permission to use their images on their sites? I think not.

Thailand apparently has no laws to protect your privacy online anyway.

[richard_smith237]

Ok, so these Village folk are unfamiliar with the trappings of modern life.

Imagine then: Someone is planning a motorway through your peaceful country village. You are fearful of loosing your home, your government has a history of ignoring people from your village and other similar villages. A car loaded with surveying equipment is spotted.... Would you react ?

As daft as it seems, these poor village folk are simply innocently ignorant of technology. They were rightfully distrusting and fearful and reacted accordingly.

[Thai at Heart]

Ok, so these Village folk are unfamiliar with the trappings of modern life.

Imagine then: Someone is planning a motorway through your peaceful country village. You are fearful of loosing your home, your government has a history of ignoring people from your village and other similar villages. A car loaded with surveying equipment is spotted.... Would you react ?

As daft as it seems, these poor village folk are simply innocently ignorant of technology. They were rightfully distrusting and fearful and reacted accordingly.

So let's threaten a private vehicle in a public road.

It gets just a little worse everyday......

[unanimosity]

Reminds me of the classic story of British who arrested, convicted and hanged a monkey as a French spy.

That's what can happen when there is no tea money available.

[Justincase]

Yes but a spy working for which Government ?? After the revelations of Edward Snowden and the NSA maybe they have a point - The CEO of Google is also a member of the Bilderberg Group so maybe the villagers were being more smart than you give them credit for

[Thai at Heart]

Yes but a spy working for which Government ?? After the revelations of Edward Snowden and the NSA maybe they have a point - The CEO of Google is also a member of the Bilderberg Group so maybe the villagers were being more smart than you give them credit for

NSA, bilderberg?

Teenai krapom?

[unanimosity]

It's simple why they stopped the car. They wanted paid for having their photos taken.

[Johpa]

So let's threaten a private vehicle in a public road.

It gets just a little worse everyday......

That is not your common every day "private" vehicle. Those vehicles make me uneasy as well.

[rametindallas]

In other news majority of Thai population has been declared Cargo Cult

More like the Cult of Thaksin.

[harrry]

Some governments are using google maps to locate construction, remodels that haven't had permits issued, so it is not that far fetched and is a form of spying. If you were back in your home village of Stroke-in-tent or where ever, and car drove up with Thai writing all over it, cameras, etc (which I assume most can't read), wouldn't you wonder <deleted> they are doing there? More so if they were planning to run a bypass thru your rustic but useless village.....

Councils in Australia used to buy satelite photos to check pools etc. Most of the google earth photos are old so it makes sense they still buy them unless the google images are current.

[Jools]

This reminds me of something I read about shortly after the old Soviet Union opened up to travel. Apparently, some teenagers had some "Pop Secret" brand microwave popcorn in their luggage. It was confiscated. Ignorance is not limited to the United States and other political punching bags.

[rametindallas]

Does Google have the people's permission to use their images on their sites? I think not.

If you had ever been to their website, you would know they blur faces and license plate numbers.

[MilesofSmiles]

Ok, so these Village folk are unfamiliar with the trappings of modern life.

Imagine then: Someone is planning a motorway through your peaceful country village. You are fearful of loosing your home, your government has a history of ignoring people from your village and other similar villages. A car loaded with surveying equipment is spotted.... Would you react ?

As daft as it seems, these poor village folk are simply innocently ignorant of technology. They were rightfully distrusting and fearful and reacted accordingly.

Good on them for defending their turf.

All things considered, their reaction was lot more mature than many others you read about.

A car with huge cameras arrives and drives around taking photos of everything, without any explanation.

Quite intrusive and creepy. it would make me uneasy too, and that's not considering the dispute they have going on, in which they're the underdog.

They explained their reasons and asked him to leave. Can't really fault that.

They've since apologised for the misundersanding and said Google is welcome to come back another day.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Tywais
Link to Bangkokpost removed

[monkeycountry]

First off, odds are that no one in that village can read english, so they have no idea what it says on the side of the car.

Secondly, odds are also that even if a few of them could actually read what it says on the side of the car, they would have no idea what Google is, so they would still think it is a government spy.

Third, even if he was working for the government, it does not give the villagers the right to detain him. Perhaps Yingluck should explain the red shirt villages and Mrs. Tida, that although they obviously prefer violence, mob rule and lynch mobs, they do not (yet) have the legal rights to take justice in their own hands.

Even when they found out what he was doing, the village idiot (head) issued a letter explaining he could not take pictures in the area. Again completely disregarding actual laws in Thailand.

Fourth, I urge everyone to remember, that these idiots have the right to vote, which is why democracy as we know it in the west, is completely useless in Thailand. Democracy needs a certain level of intelligence and knowledge to function properly!

[oldsailor35]

Well, knowing how they operate, i could believe that this is a government 'covert' operation.

[Meritus]

... gov spys look same same but not same ...

[Thai at Heart]

So let's threaten a private vehicle in a public road.

It gets just a little worse everyday......

That is not your common every day "private" vehicle. Those vehicles make me uneasy as well.

Call the chief in bangkok. he apparently understands every last little word if internet privacy and public access.

[Thai at Heart]

Ok, so these Village folk are unfamiliar with the trappings of modern life.

Imagine then: Someone is planning a motorway through your peaceful country village. You are fearful of loosing your home, your government has a history of ignoring people from your village and other similar villages. A car loaded with surveying equipment is spotted.... Would you react ?

As daft as it seems, these poor village folk are simply innocently ignorant of technology. They were rightfully distrusting and fearful and reacted accordingly.

Good on them for defending their turf.

All things considered, their reaction was lot more mature than many others you read about.

A car with huge cameras arrives and drives around taking photos of everything, without any explanation.

Quite intrusive and creepy. it would make me uneasy too, and that's not considering the dispute they have going on, in which they're the underdog.

They explained their reasons and asked him to leave. Can't really fault that.

They've since apologised for the misundersanding and said Google is welcome to come back another day.

Maybe they should dress the car up as a sick buffalo.

Yauyyyyy. She scored

[chainarong]

Just as I thought, this PTP crowd of spiffs will go to any lengths to spy on Thai peasants , next we will all be dressed as a face Book camera and end up on FaceB, I dread the thought.

[Robby nz]

Ok, so these Village folk are unfamiliar with the trappings of modern life.

Imagine then: Someone is planning a motorway through your peaceful country village. You are fearful of loosing your home, your government has a history of ignoring people from your village and other similar villages. A car loaded with surveying equipment is spotted.... Would you react ?

As daft as it seems, these poor village folk are simply innocently ignorant of technology. They were rightfully distrusting and fearful and reacted accordingly.

Who said these people are unfamiliar with the trappings of modern life and innocently ignorant of technology?.

Oh yes that's right the posters on here said it.

Cant think of any place I have been in this country where I have not seen TV dishes and if there is access to that then they can see what's going on in the country and the world. And don't start to tell me....They only watch.................. for you don't know what they watch.

And how many of them are without phones?

You are right they did react in a normal way specially considering what's gone before.

Why should those in the villagers speak English, what use is it to them?

I live in a small town and very few Thais speak English, even most of the bank tellers don't, most high school kids English seems to be limited to 'hello or hay you', there are people leaving university with degrees who don't speak English so calling these people ignorant and stupid because they don't understand your language is not so bright.

OH yes, and of course all their kids have tablets don't they?

[noitom]

It's probably big fat cat Thai business interests masquerading as Google maps.

[Robby nz]

Just looking at pictures of the car again and thinking :

As they are doing this in Thailand would it not have made sense to have something written on the car in Thai?

[jerrybuice]

I think many of you have forgotten that when Google started doing this that they WERE collecting information from peoples internet connection as it was passing thru. They got into a lot of trouble doing this. I am not sure how this was settled. But yes....they could had been spying on everyone as they passed thru. But probably not for the government....

Oh....and if you might notice, the language written on the side of the car is in English and not in Thai....maybe they have no idea what it says. If it were written in Thai passing thru my neighborhood in America I would wonder what it was doing too!

[marell]

I think it's kind of charming. Google isn't always your friend. They aimed to do no evil, but their execution of that ideal has been questionable.

Exactly. Think of the various government agencies all over the world Google is in bed with. And how they collect and hand over whatever information they're told to collect and hand over. This may be an exterme over-reaction, but is it surprising people are suspicious?

Lets put it this way, if one is not involved in any crime, one does not even think about things like this.

Personally i could not care less what Google knows about me, i am not hiding anything and i also highly doubt Google on any government agency on this planet has a capability to spy on entire world population.

Yes they have some systems in place and computer may single you out if you frequent or search some terms for example how to make bombs or pedophile related or industrial terms

Complete nonsense. The fourth amendment of the US constitution specifically addressed this issue over 200 years ago. I don't think they were trying to cover up their criminal behavior. I suppose if unidentified people kicked in your door and tore your house apart you'd welcome them in with a..."I've nothing to hide, let me get you some tea."

[Robby nz]

I see from another source that these ignorant of technology peasants have a facebook page.

Ah well I suppose some posters have had their laugh, now could be time for an apology.

[kamahele]

Not much of a news story. By looking at the surroundings, I quite doubt that the folks are familiar with Google or the Internet for that matter. Just concerned with trying to make enough money to feed their families. No violence and the driver was let go.