BANGKOK (AP) -- Many Facebook users in Thailand were unable to access the social networking site a day after the new military government announced an Internet crackdown, but authorities said the problem was a technical hitch.

The partial blockage began Wednesday about 3 p.m. and users flocked to Twitter to report Facebook was down. Some users experienced no problems, and many of those who were blocked were able to log in again by 4:30 p.m.

Army spokeswoman Sirichan Nga-thong says the junta had not ordered Facebook blocked, and that a technical error at Thailand's telecommunications gateway had caused the problem.

The Information and Communication Technology Ministry said Tuesday that a new national gateway was being planned to filter the Internet more effectively and that social media sites were being monitored for troublesome material.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/thai-facebook-users-censorship-scare-101627981.html

I see this is the occasion for a bunch of Luddites and Eeyores to once again display their ignorance.

Would you guys just get two tin cans and a string so you can talk to the last person left who puts up with you?

It's not funny when a government agency shuts down the medium by which countless millions of actual humans communicate.

It's not cute when you tell us how little you care.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/05/28/thailand-politics-facebook-idINKBN0E80U520140528

Judging from the number of threads regarding this topic that have popped up in the past hour, it's clear that this social network intended for uneducated people is only popular with Thai people

Clearly you prove that uneducated people also don't use facebook. Such a blanket statement from ignorance.

[quote name="bdenner" post="7896678" timestamp="14

What's a Facebook???

Well, in my humble opinion Facebook is absolutely useless and redundant service as well as other so called "social networks"...

This is just a waste of your time

Please correct me if I am wrong

Say's the person posting on thaivisa.....

My understanding is that Thaivisa is not a "social network" but just a "forum".

Internet forums have been around since 1997, so why do we need those "social networks"?

What's so special about them?

It was only down for 20 mìnites in bangkok

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If this is the case it is not a smart move - if there would be one way to alienate evrybody this would be the one!

A lot people were angry when they shut down the cartoon channel....FB will be worse in terms of people accepting it.

I think there must be some big problems that the government is doing that....anyway I guess it is just for a short time.

On no! The sky is falling!

Ha we must be blessed been working all day in Chiang Mai .. Still logging on with no problem

Not down at all. I have BBB in Chiang Mai and no problems.

If this is the case it is not a smart move - if there would be one way to alienate evrybody this would be the one!

It hasn't alienated me. When Facebook is consigned to the scrap heap of history, I will miss it like I miss the "Pet Rock" fad of the mid-70s.

FB and Twitter working fine in CM.

In England facebook crashes out all the time, should I expect a Coup?

Before rolling out a new piece of software people often test it to make sure it works.

I suspect that's what we've just seen with facebook. Now it's back online and it looks like the system to turn it off has been tested.

I notice that the army came on TV and made an announcement about facebook being offline within the last 30 minutes or so.

They said that "there was something wrong with facebook and the facebook company has now fixed it."

Personally I wouldn't rule out American government interference at this stage.

rickthailand, on 28 May 2014 - 16:24, said:

yep down in chiang mai

Mine is not down in Doi Saket

....OMG ...no more electronic masturbation...what are we going to do.......does FB being down...mean I have to actually talk to people?.....

I just got a haircut and ate some some watermelon how am I going to tell my friends about this if FB is down........OMG...this is terrible news

According to the BKK POST Facebook has indeed been blocked...

Good. Now everyone can get some work accomplished, and then go home to their pissed off GF because she could not spend the past 8 hours on Facebook.

Mine's ok...

Sorry, I don't use FB..

I'm on facebook right now, in Bangkok. Working fine.

Internet forums have been around since 1997, so why do we need those "social networks"?

What's so special about them?

That is for you alone to decide.

There is no law requiring you to use it.

As others like Ranger have said they use it to keep in contact

with others in other countries. To share videos or photos with them.

It is free to use & you can set security so only your family etc can see these things

Others like myself use it because many businesses here in Thailand have FB but no website

You can talk to them in real time on their page

Some use it for education. You can even learn to read,write & understand the Thai language

on FB sites.

In the end like I said it is up to the user how they want to use it & what for,

Just because you have no use for it does not

make it useless

Use it or not is optional

But to block it is no different than blocking email, phone etc.

I was so happy to hear the news as I was hoping staff would finally do some work , sadly I was wrong,they are still playing with their phones.

Facebook should be blocked permanently in Thailand or at least for most of the business hours

There will be gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair throughout the land.

Yes all the children will not know what to do with themselves. The teenage birthrate in Thailand will probably skyrocket 9 months down the track.

Its Turning into the People's Republic

Facebook down ?

In 104 minutes, 9 pages, 211 posts.

Must be a new record thread !

I never "Facebook".

Can't miss it. Lucky me.

works fine for me... im not going to say my internet provider though.. just in case

So I actually have to talk to my wife now?

Right about now, all over Thailand, Thai women will be looking up from their pads, laptops and phones and thinking "Who the hell is that guy" ???

Actually this is one of the best things to have happened since the coup began, hope they close down all these anti-social media sites.

When related to another thread it is a good news....

Out of the 13.1% who accept it:

10.8% stopped neglecting their children (hopefully...) for about 2 hours and escaped a slap...

The other had some increasing risk in the slap rate:

the ones going out without telling their husband (4.3 per cent)

The ones arguing with their husband (2 per cent): what else to do when FB is down

Internet forums have been around since 1997, so why do we need those "social networks"?

What's so special about them?

In a social network you can virtually kiss someone's ass with the likes .. hey wait a sec ... show me some looooveehh and klick like

I'm halfway between Bangkok and Pattaya, it's still working here.

I just put a short msg up about it going off and got three replies from the UK in minutes.

Sorry, I don't use FB..

Cool...was beginning to think i was the only person in the world without facebook