Thai govt eyeing BBC Thai over 'negative' Prayut report

[webfact]

Govt eyeing BBC Thai over 'negative' Prayut report
Wasamon Audjarint
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE government is considering requesting a sit-down with BBC Thai to discuss an online article it published that referred to a photograph of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and US President Barack Obama shaking hands at a UN meeting in New York last week.

Deputy government spokesman Maj-General Werachon Sukondhapatipak said yesterday a decision on whether to seek a meeting with the UK-based media organisation should be made this week.

Werachon said the government had asked the BBC to reveal the identity of the reporter, referred to as an "outside contributor" in the article, but it refused to do so.

He did not say why the government had raised concerns over the report and did not provide any more details on the matter.

The article in question was posted on BBC Thai's Facebook page on Friday.

Prayut's roles at last week's 70th UN General Assembly in New York were analysed in the article, while it also touch on what brought the PM and Obama together at the US-hosted Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping.

The photo of them shaking hands was taken at the summit and distributed to the media by the government.

Werachon, who accompanied Prayut to New York, had earlier dismissed the report and labelled its content negative.

Government spokesperson Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the report could not be true.

He said the place Prayut and Obama met was an official assembly arena with strict protocol on taking photographs.

He said it would have been impossible for anyone to secretly snap a photo like the BBC claimed.

National Council for Peace and Order spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvari said the NCPO had not discussed the matter.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Govt-eyeing-BBC-Thai-over-negative-Prayut-report-30270204.html


-- The Nation 2015-10-05

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Is a sit-down a more political correct translation of attitude adjustment ?​

Edited October 4, 2015 by HiSoLowSoNoSo

[wangsuda]

Dear Thailand:

You cannot control events that happen outside of Thailand. Your excuses such as "Thainess," "Thai culture," and the ever-famous "you don't understand Thailand" just don't work. So either man up and sit at the big-boy's table, or continue spitting the dummy and insulate yourselves. Judging by what is going on here, it seems you have chosen the latter.

sincerely,

The Rest of the World

[MaxLee]

a photograph of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and US President Barack Obama shaking hands at a UN meeting in New York last week.

Attitude adjustment for taking a photo, showing the US president and our dear PM shaking hands?????? Just for shaking hands??????? WT***********************

[Toknarok]

With modern day photoshopping the saying 'the camera does not lie' isn't true any more.

[selftaopath]

I don't understand the term "negative" that I often hear. Are accurate FACTS "negative/positive" or merely FACTS. Is truth negative/positive or merely Truth?

Just like many TV members accusing others of "Thai bashing." If various statements are FACTUAL how is that "bashing"?

[Lunchbob]

Well done. Now we know the good guys clearly see.

[mikemac]

a photograph of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and US President Barack Obama shaking hands at a UN meeting in New York last week.

Attitude adjustment for taking a photo, showing the US president and our dear PM shaking hands?????? Just for shaking hands??????? WT***********************

Where did you read someone was being taken in for "attitude adjustment" for taking a photo ?

[Bluespunk]

"Werachon said the government had asked the BBC to reveal the identity of the reporter, referred to as an "outside contributor" in the article, but it refused to do so."

Good.

[esprit]

Childish morons, unfit to to do anything other than to wear pampers

[bamnutsak]

He did not say why the government had raised concerns over the report and did not provide any more details on the matter.

Why not?

I can't find the offending article. That is to say, there are a few articles but who knows what the Junta finds offensive these days.

I' half-expecting them to ban bad weather forecasts amid charges of LM.

[tx22cb]

Why bother to invite the Beeb for a chat?

Single Gateway will solve these problems with a flick of a switch.

[ezzra]

Thailand be careful dealing with the BBC, or you'll be sacked like the Top gear guys.....

I wouldn't expect much from the Bigoted, liberal reporting of the BBC, they have been known

to get things wrong, very wrong...

[Tatsujin]

Dear Thailand:

You cannot control events that happen outside of Thailand. Your excuses such as "Thainess," "Thai culture," and the ever-famous "you don't understand Thailand" just don't work. So either man up and sit at the big-boy's table, or continue spitting the dummy and insulate yourselves. Judging by what is going on here, it seems you have chosen the latter.

sincerely,

The Rest of the World

Hear, hear!

Long overdue for "Thailand" to learn just a little more about other nations, cultures, societies, religions, attitudes etc outside of Thailand, given the number of these horrible people that visit the LoS every year. Or is this "understanding" a one-way street?

Seems to me Thailand is back in the "baby/toddler" stage of development ... with a lot more red faces, screaming, shouting, and stamping of feet to come.

And it's not Land of Smiles here anymore, so TAT can drop that slogan, it's more Land of A$$&^%#& now compared to previously.

[oneday]

The leaders of this government are a very sad group of people.

[bamnutsak]

The willy-nilly, erratic, schizophrenic suppression of free-speech and expression may look to be simply incompetent.

But the very nature of this random enforcement and "invitation to attitude adjustment" simple instills a fear in the populace. Now, they're not sure what they can say, or not say, so they cower in fear and keep quiet, further perpetuating the Junta's desired outcome of self-censorship. And 'Kreng Jai' plays into this attempt to control and modify behavior.

[aussieinthailand]

Bad BBC, Very Very Bad BBC, tell kme the name of the person who say's bad things about me, tell me tell me now

Talk about pathetic.

A government that has no respect for the people it is supposed to serve and has a massive issue with any one who voices any thing that could be seen as "negative" regarding the Junta or it's leader or policy's it put's in place.

[Emster23]

BBC has to get a crack team of investigative reporters on the subject of Thailand. Surely with hard work and diligence they could dig up some positive story about the current government.

[MockingJay]

BBC has to get a crack team of investigative reporters on the subject of Thailand. Surely with hard work and diligence they could dig up some positive story about the current government.

Well, they have a lot of digging to do then...

[gandalf12]

Why does paranoia spring to mind?

[boomerangutang]

I saw the photo on FB/Thai. It looks benign to me. It shows the two men from the chests up, doesn't even show their hands touching. What's the problem? Is the caption offensive? (it's in Thai, so I can't read it, and the translation is bunk). There's another photographer taking a pic of the same handshake - should he be hounded also?

Thai top brass need to read the story of Hans Brinker - the boy who stuck his finger in the dike to keep it from failing. Except in relation to the self-appointed Thai government, they're going to need 10,000 fingers stuck in to 20,000 holes, if they're going to try to keep the world from seeing Thailand's leaders as they really are.

Good on BBC for not playing along with Thai gov't's paranoia.

[phantomfiddler]

Thailand be careful dealing with the BBC, or you'll be sacked like the Top gear guys.....

I wouldn't expect much from the Bigoted, liberal reporting of the BBC, they have been known

to get things wrong, very wrong...

I used to have the greatest respect for BBC as a news reporting agency. No more, they are a complete joke ! After seeing what they put out during the 2010 riots I actually sent 2 letters of protest about the rubbish some moron reporter named Rachel Harvey was dishing out. She knew absolutely nothing about what was really going on, yet felt it her job to misinform the world. Sad when one of your childhood icons goes down, but BBC has done just that

[worgeordie]

Does this mean the BBC will be blocked in Thailand,along

with a growing number of other sites,that tell truths about

Thailand,while the Government does everything to quash

negative reports.

regards Worgeordie

[boomerangutang]

the link below has photos. What's the problem with 'em? I dunno.

Thai language does not translate at all well to English using Google or other software. So it's nigh impossible to gauge what the commentary is trying to say.

source

[X pat]

If these post don't get there Eyre up I don,t know what will.

[Time Traveller]

The Thai leaders certainly must have a few skeletons in the closet if they are trying to prosecute persons for free speech crimes that occur outside of the country. In contrast, they turn a blind eye to outside overseas thais that do things that would be crimes in thailand.

[MZurf]

Childish morons, unfit to to do anything other than to wear pampers

That's totally unfair to the scores of upstanding, honest and moral incontinents out there!

[JAG]

Why does paranoia spring to mind?

Those glittering wings they all wear on their chests are not para wings but paranoia wings!

Seriously, a junta demanding that a major internationaly respected foreign broadcaster such as the BBC hand over details of journalists will be a very big step down the road to international isolation.

[bangon04]

Just put Jonathan Head in prison in Thailand..... that will solve more problems than it causes.

[allan michaud]

Childish morons, unfit to to do anything other than to wear pampers

There'll be some attitude adjustment for you too if your not careful.