The TJA ask for press freedom and you try to explain us that there is currently no press freedom problem in Thailand. Yeah, yeah.....

I didn't try to explain anything of the kind. I simply asked a question.

Once more with feeling ... If the press in Thailand has no freedom how do you explain the Thai press reporting this incident with the PM ?

Or maybe you can explain how the Thai press(just today) were able to accuse the PM of "abducting" not "arresting" the "Facebook 8" ?

The lack of answer is an answer in itself.

Edited May 4, 201610 yr by Brizo

The TJA ask for press freedom and you try to explain us that there is currently no press freedom problem in Thailand. Yeah, yeah.....

I didn't try to explain anything of the kind. I simply asked a question.

Once more with feeling ... If the press in Thailand has no freedom how do you explain the Thai press reporting this incident with the PM ?

Or maybe you can explain how the Thai press(just today) were able to accuse the PM of "abducting" not "arresting" the "Facebook 8" ?

The lack of answer is an answer in itself.

Of course it's not a full lackof fredom. There is a grey zone of tolerance which may vary over time, and journalists criticising the Junta are never sure they will not be invited for an AA session.

It's well summarised here:

https://rsf.org/en/thailand

To be fair, Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) gives Thailand a 2016 press freedom ranking of 136 out of 180 countries, so Thailand is not the worst, just bad.

However, this ranking was published prior to the issuance of the new Referendum Law, which outlaws any Yes or No messages in public communication.

There are plenty of ways for Thailand to further devolve. I'm sure the NCPO has a few ideas under consideration.

OH THE IRONY,,,,,,,,,,, International freedom of the press day and he comes out with this little gem:cheesy:

AA for the 30 + year vet government jurno coming soon, And please you few junta fan boys, just what is so great about a (PM) junta leader telling this woman to "watch yourself" after her comment "freedom of the press is freedom of the people".

If the press in Thailand has no freedom how do you explain the Thai press reporting this incident with the PM ?

The press can report on somethings. Other things can't be reported on, or even mentioned here. Apparently that's good enough for you. It's not for others.

In free countries, people criticize governments and government policies without fear of attitude adjustment, or a closed trial in a military court with no right to appeal. In that regard Thailand definitely doesn't have a free press. Don't you agree?

But why do I bother? You also posted the same nonsense about Thailand being on the verge of a civil war. At the time of the coup the protest was dissolving, life was returning to normal in Bangkok (it was never far from normal in the rest of the country), and Thailand was on the verge of an election in July. That was the reason for the coup. Anyone who claims Thailand was on the verge of civil war is a person who doesn't form opinions based on facts, but twists facts to support his opinions.

Edited May 4, 201610 yr by heybruce

Bradley and Snowden are not journalist and it not a question of press freedom (the leaked information has been largely cited and commented in the press) but of disclosing confidential information (they may be right from an ethical point of view but it's another issue).

Nobody said they were journalists. Try harder to respond to things that are actually being said.

However they were both whistle-blowers who leaked information to the press and were severely punished for it by western governments. The whole value of having a free press is the public having free access of information, not just the information the government wants them to see.

Or are you struggling to draw parallels between the two?

The fact you think this is some how different just shows your double standards and hipocracy, you even admit they were both ethically correct to release the information through the media but then trying to brush it under the carpet by saying "it's another issue".

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. This is not about the Snowden or Manning cases.

It's the current policy that is sowing discontent.

You don't find it a little odd this discontent only appears when the red shirts do.

No red shirts no discontent.

It a bit like how every time you see punch and judy they always seem to be in their little tent.

Then you realise it's just a hidden guy and some puppets.

The real truth is the current administration might be the best government Thailand has EVER had.

Crackdown on corruption and the cops. Few big heads have rolled including some married into the Royal Family.

The economy is booming and growth is envy of every western country.

Women's rights on the up.

Big drive on municipal programs to help the poor.

Wider distribution of wealth.

Low unemployment.

Thais have money in their pockets and the general standard of living is relatively high for the region..

Thais have simply never had it so good(if a western lifestyle is the yard stick).

"The economy is booming and growth is envy of every western country."

Meanwhile, back on planet earth...

"The economy is booming and growth is envy of every western country."

Meanwhile, back on planet earth...

Can you list the western countries which have better growth than Thailand?

"The economy is booming and growth is envy of every western country."

Meanwhile, back on planet earth...

Can you list the western countries which have better growth than Thailand?

You can't compare growth of developing versus developed countries. Thailand has the lowest growth rate of all the ASEAN countries, and falling exports and foreign investment, which are the main drivers of the economy. The country is definitely not booming, and the lack of foreign investment will impact the country's growth for many years.

Don't feed the misinformed troll !

They would have been better off to ask a brick wall for more press freedom. Oh wait a minute. They intended too.

Brizo. Please crawl back under your bridge. You're making me laugh way too much with your bs posts.

Come back with some facts and links and maybe I'll stop laughing at you.

"The economy is booming and growth is envy of every western country."

Meanwhile, back on planet earth...

Can you list the western countries which have better growth than Thailand?

Why yes. Year on Year GDP growth is higher in:

Mexico, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Iceland, Hungary, Slovenia, Spain, Serbia, Honduras, Romania, Guatemala, Kosovo, Czech Republic, Cuba, Macedonia, Poland, Sweden, Peru, Panama, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Monaco, Ireland.

Of course, "western" doesn't have anything to do with GDP growth rates.

As others have mentioned, Thailand is being beaten by most other countries in their own region. And by the standards of the last 10 years, the Thai GDP is roughly half of what was typical.

What was your definition of a "booming" economy? Maybe we just don't understand your terminology.