ปิดประเทศ

[AyG]

The head of the junta said recently:

ถ้าความสงบไม่เกิด พร้อมอยู่ต่อ พร้อมปิดประเทศ

What do you understand by ปิดประเทศ? Does it mean become isolated like North Korea, or Burma under the military?

[Seligne2]

I take it to mean close off the country to outside influence, hence the single-gateway, etc.

[AyG]

I take it to mean close off the country to outside influence, hence the single-gateway, etc.

That's pretty much how I'd interpreted it. However, could "outside influence" specifically refer to the man in Dubai? If not, what external influences is the General concerned about? Other countries' calls for a return to democracy? I think not.

[Seligne2]

The junta has demonstrated that it is terrified of social media. "Closing the nation" could mean a shutdown of Facebook, Twitter, et al., as they are external to Thailand but used by Thais. There is also a vocal expatriate community of Thai "rabble rousers" in Japan, Europe, and North America, plus the Dubai guy. Censoring their contributions from outside the county could be effected by the single gateway, thus a form of "closing" Thailand.