Internet has become indispensable for many Thais

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'Internet has become indispensable for many Thais'
Thanadkij Jankisen
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- INFORMATION consumption by Thais has been changing in the digital age with millions of people now spending many hours a day on the Internet and trying to stay updated about all the hot issues there, a media and marketing guru told an academic seminar yesterday.

Assoc Prof Seri Wongmontha said many Thais now felt embarrassed if they did not know what was going on on the Internet.

"To many, the Internet has become indispensable," he said at the Digi Thai in Digital Age seminar.

Doctorate students of the Graduate School of Communication Arts and Management Innovation and the National Institute of Development Administration organised the event.

The speakers included Seri, Assoc Prof Panitan Wattanayagorn from Chulalongkorn University, and Nation Multimedia Group editor-in-chief Thepchai Yong.

Seri said surveys had revealed that Thais in the Digital Age used the Internet for several hours each day through computers and smartphones.

"More than 25 per cent of Thais use social media. They spend roughly 3.37 hours a day on social media," he added.

Seri said with Internet, the new generation of Thais also relied heavily on search engines. "When they want to find information about something, they conduct searches on the Internet."

Thepchai said digital media reflected social progress, as they provided space for people to express themselves and present information too.

"With digital media, information consumption in Thailand has changed significantly. Gone are the days when people had to rely mainly on newspapers and TV stations," he pointed out.

Thepchai also expressed the hope that when digital-media users exercised more reasoning, the Digital Age was going to become truly meaningful and useful to society.

He warned that the sharing of hate-speech messages, for example, could have bad consequences. "Be cautious about online posts that can affect the society," he said.

Panitan said Thais should seriously think about how to use the rich trove of information on the Internet properly. "There's amazing information all over the Internet. So, don't browse the Internet simply for entertainment," he said.
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Internet-has-become-indispensable-for-many-Thais-30247900.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-17

[Suriya4]

This is exactly why the army must censor and block bad and LM website before it corrupt the naive thai people.

[NeverSure]

Pucky. They play on the internet.

Most authoritative websites with knowledge are in English. They could really improve their English if they would use the internet for worldwide information.

But TiT.

Languages used on internet.

Edited November 16, 2014 by NeverSure

[Crazy chef 1]

...and for TVF users...

[Commerce]

"More than 25 per cent of Thais use social media. They spend roughly 3.37 hours a day on social media," he added.

Is that 3.37 hours a day after or during work?

[chainarong]

Is Thailand the only country in the world , wake up, every country with modern communications has this problem , me, I certainly can't do without it , although some wish I would.

[Anthony5]

- INFORMATION consumption by Thais has been changing in the digital age with millions of people now spending many hours a day on the Internet and trying to stay updated about all the hot issues there,

But don't worry, the powers that be make sure that the Thai people don't get updated about the issues too much by blocking access.

[Soupdragon]

"More than 25 per cent of Thais use social media. They spend roughly 3.37 hours a day on social media," he added.

I am not sure 3.37 hours daily studying Facebook and posting selfies will do a lot in the way of educating a population. Sorry for being cynical.

[baboon]

Who isn't the internet indispensable for these days? A non story if you ask me.

Edited November 17, 2014 by baboon

[delgarcon]

It needed "a media and marketing guru" to tell them that! The internet has to have been the greatest invention of the 20th century and anyone in the world who has access to it finds it indispensable.

[maidee]

hold on a minute

how many thais make a living of the digital economy, farangs seem to be so good at ?

if they mean, updating their facecrap ... hardly to do with intelligent use

[Mot Dang]

This is exactly why the army must censor and block bad and LM website before it corrupt the naive thai people.

Why ?? What is your logic ? Political censorship flies in the face of democracy. What is corrupt for one citizen may be the rightful and legal principles held by another. And why say "native thai people", a Thai person would not call themselves a native. Who/what is a non-native Thai person" ? You are not a Thai are you ?

[paddyjenkins]

Could Thailand become the global hub of mindless social browsing with no useful end purpose whatsoever? I think it could, I think it could already be half way there. If they keep going they could grow the current time spent on social media from 3.7 hours per day for 25% of the population to, say, 50% of the population spending 18 hours per day on utterly vacuous, vain and unproductive browsing...even just hours staring at screens with no particular reason at all? I think Thailand will really lead the world in this and probably already is.

[A1Str8]

That was too be expected based on their mental capabilities.

[srchino]

"More than 25 per cent of Thais use social media. They spend roughly 3.37 hours a day on social media," he added.

Is that 3.37 hours a day after or during work?

Taking selfies.

[longtom]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

This is exactly why the army must censor and block bad and LM website before it corrupt the naive thai people.

Why ?? What is your logic ? Political censorship flies in the face of democracy. What is corrupt for one citizen may be the rightful and legal principles held by another. And why say "native thai people", a Thai person would not call themselves a native. Who/what is a non-native Thai person" ? You are not a Thai are you ?

Suggestion: Read properly before rant

[iReason]

Well, well, well.

25+ years later and the Thais have discovered the internet.

Albiet it, still in the infancy stage of narcissistic, self-absorbed FB/Instagram selfies.

And LINE cartoon language.

[joepattaya1961]

This conclusion may lead to an attempt to get people away from the internet.........this will never happen.

Instead they may need to get involved.............instead of spending millions or even billions of Baht on tablets for schoolkids.........become sponsor of the bigger social media providers and get your messages across using the advertising possibilities.

Or maybe there is even a better solution which is better for all parties and age-groups: invest in a proper 3G and 4G system for mobile internet and get all internet-traffic digitalised; this will result in higher speed, which will result in faster downloads and shorter time needed..........3.5 hours per day will be 2.5-3 hours per day.

[RKASA]

What ever it is used for FB or the stock market the fact is having it is better then not - as the fad's ware out the function will remain and that will be a good thing. Wider spread use of communications devices has always been a plus starting with party line phone systems and on. build it and they will come, they will use it, they will learn, and they will grow. The bigger issue is the number of Thai's that are still left out of it.

[taony]

Information consumption and Thailand don't really belong in the same sentence.

[RustBucket]

Personally, I would be at a complete loss if I didn't have my facebook newsfeed regularly bombarded with what Thais are eating at the moment.

[Fookhaht]

"More than 25 per cent of Thais use social media. They spend roughly 3.37 hours a day on social media," he added.

Is that 3.37 hours a day after or during work?

After a recent whirlwind tour of Thailand, I can assure you: work.

The effort to divert a sales person's attention from their smartphone to attend to my customer-related needs is becoming a major marketplace challenge in this country.

[outsider]

Slow day in the newsroom huh...

[SABloke]

This is exactly why the army must censor and block bad and LM website before it corrupt the naive thai people.

Why ?? What is your logic ? Political censorship flies in the face of democracy. What is corrupt for one citizen may be the rightful and legal principles held by another. And why say "native thai people", a Thai person would not call themselves a native. Who/what is a non-native Thai person" ? You are not a Thai are you ?

I think you missed the SARCASM

[outsider]

This is exactly why the army must censor and block bad and LM website before it corrupt the naive thai people.

Why ?? What is your logic ? Political censorship flies in the face of democracy. What is corrupt for one citizen may be the rightful and legal principles held by another. And why say "native thai people", a Thai person would not call themselves a native. Who/what is a non-native Thai person" ? You are not a Thai are you ?

I think you missed the SARCASM

Also missed that it was actually 'naive' and NOT 'native'... READ first, people!

Edited November 17, 2014 by outsider

[Mr Somtam]

Information consumption and Thailand don't really belong in the same sentence.

LOL!

And everything in pasa thai! Second post Saïd it already, to get REAL information you need to use english. But who listens to à farang.....

[MexicanFarang]

Sure, Thais can't do without the internet.

Just try typing the Thai characters for 'Dek Sideline' into Google sometime.

It's an eye opener...

[Mot Dang]

This is exactly why the army must censor and block bad and LM website before it corrupt the naive thai people.

Why ?? What is your logic ? Political censorship flies in the face of democracy. What is corrupt for one citizen may be the rightful and legal principles held by another. And why say "native thai people", a Thai person would not call themselves a native. Who/what is a non-native Thai person" ? You are not a Thai are you ?

I think you missed the SARCASM

Also missed that it was actually 'naive' and NOT 'native'... READ first, people!

Yep, your right. I did miss that. My apologies. Must not have been wearing my glasses, plus pissed off with what is really the continual and ever-increasing censorship in Thailand. To most Thais no news is good news, unfortunately its not that there isn't any news, its just not being reported because of censorship. They are kept in the dark on so many issues, and sadly don't realize it.

Again sorry.