'Technical glitch' blamed for Facebook blocking: Thailand

[webfact]

MILITARY JUNTA
'No policy to block FB'
The Nation

FURORE AMONG FACEBOOK USERS; CORE RED-SHIRT LEADERS FREED AFTER 7 DAYS

BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) said yesterday that it had no policy to block social media, after there was brief chaos as Facebook faced technical failure at its Internet gateway.

Facebook was not available for 37 minutes after 4pm, but the junta responded quickly by ordering the Information and Communications Technology Ministry to fix the problem at the gateway.

"We had a meeting with Internet service providers [iSPs] and found some technical problems at the gateway. The error has been fixed and the service has resumed," NCPO spokesman Winthai Suvari said in a televised statement.

Surachai Srisaracam, permanent secretary of the ICT Ministry, said the system had gone down because of overuse, but was unable to provide specific information about which gateways had failed. The ministry would meet with ISPs today to figure out the problem.

Meanwhile, many users reacted furiously to the service breakdown, as many of them use Facebook not only for fun but also for work and political comment.

"A 6.1-magnitude quake could not match the chaos when people could not access Facebook for 30 minutes," posted user Insee.

@Hui_Nation, who runs a bakery business via Facebook, said her page was her shop. "I use Facebook to take orders and sell cakes. Why do you shut it down? I use it for earning," she posted.

@EarthCDBD said: "God, are we in China or Thailand?"

Election commissioner and Facebook addict Somchai Srisuthiyakorn posted a poem on his Facebook page shortly after the system resumed, saying that he was "dying" without Facebook.

"A minute disappeared, Thought, I would never see the Face again," he posted. Social media and Web pages have been under close surveillance over the past week, as they are widely used by people to express their political views and sometimes make appointments for activities against the junta.

Pheu Thai Party chief Charupong Ruangsuwan, who is resisting the junta's summons, has used his Facebook page to spread news and anti-coup messages. He posted days ago that he planned to fight back.

The NCPO is also keeping an eye on social-media activities of former PM's Office minister Jakrapob Penkair, who has lived in exile abroad, and those of Charupong.

Facebook is widely used in Thailand, with 28 million accounts currently, while Twitter, has 4.7 million accounts in the country.

The junta earlier issued a warning to all Internet users, and social-media users in particular, to not post provocative messages or call on people to oppose the military.

Facebook can be technically blocked by the authorities by disconnecting the link at the International Internet Gateway. However, ISPs contacted by The Nation yesterday said they had not received any instruction from the junta to block Facebook access.

Winthai said the NCPO had blocked more than 100 websites believed to be spreading provocative information.

More than 200 people were summoned to military camps to check their status and movement.

As of yesterday, the NCPO released 10 United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship leaders and six ex-Pheu Thai Party MPs, under condition that they take a break from politics while the Kingdom is under military rule.

Jatuporn Promphan told the media that he and the NCPO had agreed to jointly lead the country to democracy. He also said all red shirts and former MPs were treated well in detention. He also called on the red shirts to help push the country forward.

Meanwhile, the junta yesterday moved the permanent secretary of the PM's Office Tongthong Chandransu to an inactive post, and replaced him with Interior Ministry's deputy permanent secretary ML Panadda Diskul.

The NCPO has also summoned outspoken legal expert Verapat Pariyawong.

-- The Nation 2014-05-29

[webfact]

Junta Blames 'Technical Glitch' For Facebook Blocking
By Khaosod English

BANGKOK — Thailand’s military government has issued several contradicting explanations behind the temporary blockage of Facebook for millions of Thais on Wednesday.

Many Thais took to other social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, to express their shock and outrage when they realised they could no longer access their Facebook accounts at around 3 pm today. The hashtag "#facebookdown" started "trending" on Twitter in a matter of minutes.

The hour-long suspension of the social media site came a day after Thailand’s military government, the National Council of Peace and Order (NCPO), announced plans to intensify online censorship, causing many to believe the junta was behind the shutdown.

This suspicion was initially confirmed by a permanent secretary of the Information and Communications Technology Ministry (ICT), who told Reuters that the government had “blocked Facebook temporarily,” and was planning to “call a meeting with other social media, like Twitter and Instagram, to ask for cooperation from them.”

"Right now there's a campaign to ask for people to stage protests against the army," Reuters quoted the permanent secretary, Surachai Srisaracam, as saying. "So we need to ask for cooperation from social media to help us stop the spread of critical messages about the coup."

Spring News TV also reported that Mr. Surachai said the NCPO had “asked” ISPs in Thailand to shut down Facebook as part of the military’s ongoing effort to quash dissent.

However, an hour after Facebook's access was first cut off, Mr. Surachai changed his story. Mr. Surachai told reporters in a press conference that the temporary blockage was actually the result of a technical glitch, not an order from the NCPO to shut it down. He said that the site was inaccessible because Thailand's "internet gateway" had temporarily failed due to a spike in users' activity. Mr Surachi blamed the Spring News TV reporter’s "misunderstanding" for the earlier report.

The article was later pulled out from Spring News TV's website.

In an urgent televised announcement, NCPO spokesperson Col. Winthai Suwaree also stressed that the "gateway," and not the NCPO, was to blame for the disruption of Facebook. He said the ICT has been contacted to fix the issue immediately.

Facebook was eventually restored for most users by 5 pm. Nevertheless, many people continue to express suspicions that the NCPO was responsible for the mysterious shutdown.The anti-coup protests that have been popping up on a daily basis in Bangkok have been largely organised through Facebook, and the military has repeatedly warned Thais against posting "inciting" messages on social media, threatening transgressors with prosecution.

Pattharaphon Tanngam, a reporter of state-owned Thai PBS station, later claimed on her Twitter account that sources inside the ICT told her they were ordered by the NCPO to shut down Facebook for "1-2 hours" to test the public's reaction.

After the public reacted with widespread anger, the ICT decided to restore access to Facebook, Ms. Pattharaphon said, quoting anonymous sources.

Thai’s use of social media has been rapidly increasing in past years. According to one estimate in 2012, Bangkok was ranked as the city with most Facebook users in the world with its over 8 million users.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1401284244&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2014-05-29

[webfact]

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[simon43]

Technical glitch?

I'd say technical 'test'......

[Thai at Heart]

So are we allowed to say that this glitch may have been discovered accidentally on purpose?

[David48]

My favourite line from the OP ...

"A 6.1-magnitude quake could not match the chaos when people could not access Facebook for 30 minutes," posted user Insee." ...

.

[Robby nz]

Now if that had happened a few weeks back it would have been blamed on Suthep.

Shows however what a pathetic bunch humans have become when something like is such a huge thing in their lives.

[keemapoot]

Reports on Richard Barrow twitter feed say Facebook is cooperating to remove offending Facebook accounts. I'm sure this is true. They do not want to face complete blockage as they have in China and other places. Facebook is very experienced at dealing with this issue worldwide now.

[zaphod reborn]

Now if that had happened a few weeks back it would have been blamed on Suthep.

Shows however what a pathetic bunch humans have become when something like is such a huge thing in their lives.

Those that think Facebook has no economic value are truly lost. The primary social networking tool of the Internet is now an integral part of the economy.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Bluespunk]

"A 6.1-magnitude quake could not match the chaos when people could not access Facebook for 30 minutes," posted user Insee."

Insee, you could not be more wrong. Please get a life.

[sumtingwong]

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Wikipedia

Nor will it be on the internet.

But that was not the case with facebook being down in Thailand. The military did not do it.

Facebook is Down in Several Countries Worldwide

http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2012/10/11/facebook-apparently-down-in-several-countries-worldwide-including-italy-germany-france-and-more/

[jaltsc]

"THE NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) said yesterday that it had no policy to block social media, after there was brief chaos as Facebook faced technical failure at its Internet gateway."

More likely they were trying to cure an epidemic of truthaches

[doremifasol]

Wow...... in 37 minutes the junta organized and had a meeting with the providers

[MaxLee]

Well assuming that a certain aspect of my post was not appreciated from a few minutes ago, ...

To say it nicey, nicey... It can be assumed that yesterday's act served as an intimidation tactic and serious warning to the dear people in Thailand...

(Should I post it any nicer???)

[The Deerhunter]

"Jatuporn Promphan told the media that he and the NCPO had agreed to jointly lead the country to democracy. He also said all red shirts and former MPs were treated well in detention. He also called on the red shirts to help push the country forward."

Interesting; He can read the writing on the wall. Pity some dumb TV posters can't. This is no ordinary coup. Go, General. Your timing & Intel have been excellent so far. And if what happened to FB yesterday was actually a "test", then I would have to say, it was successful too.

[MaxLee]

"Jatuporn Promphan told the media that he and the NCPO had agreed to jointly lead the country to democracy. He also said all red shirts and former MPs were treated well in detention. He also called on the red shirts to help push the country forward."

Interesting; He can read the writing on the wall. Pity some dumb TV posters can't. This is no ordinary coup. Go, General. Your timing & Intel have been excellent so far. And if what happened to FB yesterday was actually a "test", then I would have to say, it was successful too.

Jatuporn??? Why isn't this guy arrested, why did he go free according to Bangkok Post??? Just a slap on the wrist at the expense of bribery money from Dubai???

[ratcatcher]

Well assuming that a certain aspect of my post was not appreciated from a few minutes ago, ...

To say it nicey, nicey... It can be assumed that yesterday's act served as an intimidation tactic and serious warning to the dear people in Thailand...

(Should I post it any nicer???)

Nicely said Max, but lacks a few ROFL smileys.

[RJF]

Must have been the same technical glitch that is still preventing us from watching CNN and BBC World

[RJF]

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Wikipedia

Nor will it be on the internet.

But that was not the case with facebook being down in Thailand. The military did not do it.

Facebook is Down in Several Countries Worldwide

http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2012/10/11/facebook-apparently-down-in-several-countries-worldwide-including-italy-germany-france-and-more/

Yes, it seems it was down in several other countries worldwide as well...nearly 2 years ago!!!

[JoeThePoster]

I use Facebook to take orders and sell cakes.

"I use Facebook to get medical assistance for my buffalo, said Noi.

[GentlemanJim]

One TV member commented on here that FB was also down in Denmark at the same time yesterday. The access in my area was lost for around two minutes.

I understand people are pretty reliant on these things now but let this be an indicator to us all now how lives and society has changed, not necessarily for the better. God forbid that the Earth experiences strong sun flare activity with the ensuing chaos that would bring the electrical grid down for perhaps years. Could you imagine the unrest that would occur having seen a 2 min-1 hour glitch yesterday. Boy is this what they meant by hell on earth?

[TimCM]

Such a different story to what is in the press outside of Thailand on this issue

[chainarong]

I personally couldn't give a toss.

[freebyrd]

"A 6.1-magnitude quake could not match the chaos when people could not access Facebook for 30 minutes," posted user Insee."

Insee, you could not be more wrong. Please get a life.

It may come as shock to some, or many, that there are those of us who get along very well without Zuckerberg's monster. Frankenstein would be proud of him, or perhaps I should say Mary Shelley would. I'm quite sure that I, and Mary, would be far more affected by an earthquake, while ZB and his followers would themselves be quaking because they can't send the latest selfie to their 506 'friends'.

I come from a generation that actually talks to people around a dinner table and don't take photos of my meal to send to 'friends'. It's like religion I suppose, a choice. One man's meat......

[whatawonderfulday]

Just got back. Can not seem to get Twitter either.

[kannot]

Now if that had happened a few weeks back it would have been blamed on Suthep.

Shows however what a pathetic bunch humans have become when something like is such a huge thing in their lives.

Those that think Facebook has no economic value are truly lost. The primary social networking tool of the Internet is now an integral part of the economy.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

But not for the moronic posts that appear by the second on there, I really dont want to know when you just had a sh*t or were buying guava or yet another selfie, 90% mindless crap 10% useful.

[Thaiwine]

I personally couldn't give a toss.

+ 1

[newcomer71]

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Wikipedia

Nor will it be on the internet.

But that was not the case with facebook being down in Thailand. The military did not do it.

Facebook is Down in Several Countries Worldwide

http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2012/10/11/facebook-apparently-down-in-several-countries-worldwide-including-italy-germany-france-and-more/

Did you get at least the time to read the link content? Does not support your theory. Actually it is not related to it at all.

[pacman32]

I personally couldn't give a toss.

Neither could I

it would seem someone has been playing around with certain blue sites and accidentally blocked them on the qt..........i wonder what political messages they were giving

[Johnnie99]

I am amazed that anyone actually thought it was a genuine attempt to block Facebook.