Media Transparency in Thailand, or Lack Thereof...

[redandyellow]

Media transparency in Thailand is an oxymoron, like military intelligence, or friendly fire..

Examples :

1. Alan Morison and Chutima Sidsathian of Phuketwan.com - Sued by the Royal Thai Navy for daring to reprint a 41 word excerpt about the Rohingya, the same one that won Reuter's a Pulitzer Prize in 2014.

They face 14 and 7 years in jail respectively..

Status: Ongoing

2. Andrew Drummond is forced out of the country by the Thug element, by a mixture of Farang and Thais, for daring to establish media transparency..

My 2 cents..

The world is a much better place with the likes of Andrew Drummond, who is as brave as any soldier. He knows the best (his Thai wife and kids, the food, most of the people, etc..) and the worst of Thailand, an utter dichotomy that would be beyond comprehension for many, but for journalists like Andrew, and Phuketwan Editor Alan Morison, who also fits the category of brave warrior, although these folks would deny it, such is their modest mentality..

But when the lowest common denominator of foreign scum pays off corrupt Thai police, and other assorted thugs, for any number of nefarious activities, where morals and ethics are found at the end of a gun barrel, or at the tip of a machete...whether we are reading about no good Goudie on Andrew Drummond.com, or the marginalized Rohingya on Phuketwan.com.

According to the thugs, Mr. Drummond's best-buy date was up years ago, yet he remains relatively fresh, quite undaunted, however cognizant that he has a family that has to come first. He's smart enough to know that he'd be little use to his cherished family, if the thugs (farang and Thai) got their way.

Whether Islam extremists, corrupt Thai police, or expat criminals languishing in Pattaya, all those with the conscience of a plastic flower, with the morals and ethics of a cornered rat, need to be put under the spotlight, or else the rats will continue their depravities, their scams, their murders unabated...in murky shadows, where they prefer to be of course.

Virtually every one of them are cowards, when isolated. Consequently, folks of this ilk stick together, like sh-- on a blanket.

Journalists like Andrew and Alan are in the same category as Charlie Hebdo, they are modest, albeit imperfect people, light years ahead of their adversaries, in terms of a moral compass. Now it's up to readers of conscience, to help them, to emulate them in some small way, like sharing information that could save lives. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[Bignose]

You have contributed a well written piece that is worthy of it's own thread, it was good to read.

Unfortunately we are not living in a perfect world so people like AD will come and go, but the thugs, criminals and corrupt officials will always be there. I am not saying it is acceptable or that we should sit back and allow them to exist or operate unhindered, but like every country on this earth they will always be there.

I have heard a few opinions expressed about AD with not all of them flattering, but if he has consistently helped to expose the "less desirable" element of Thai society them he is to be commended and thanked. He may have derived an income of sorts with a minuscule amount of social recognition, but by and large his contributions would pass without thanks.

Can we all carry on his work or contribute this kind of work to society? I think not as people like him are uniquely talented, they are self motivated with the correct combination of morals and ethics all wrapped up in a social conscience.

I am not trying to be negative as people like AD are an essential part of any society, unfortunately there are just too few of them!

As an aside there may well be issues with the Thai media and how it operates, but please don't think this is a uniquely Thai problem. In the UK and Australia the mass media gives the "appearance" of being free and independent, this is both shallow and deceiving. The ownership of too many of the established outlets are commonly held by some very rich and powerful individuals, the front pages and editorials are often politically biased and self serving, in many ways they are no better than what we have in Thailand.