BBC’s Thai transmission towers fall silent as junta talks falter

[tukkytuktuk]

6 hours ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

BBC World Service is a beacon of light in an often dark world. It is a tremendous credit to the British. 

 

The current Thai government should reconsider their position. 

Seems there might be a bit more to this story than just the BBC. The Russians aren't too keen on te BBC World Service either.

https://www.ft.com/content/8afee032-ab3e-11e6-ba7d-76378e4fef24

Quote

“If soft power is about how you express western values, fairness, rule of law then the World Service is an expression of those values,” said Ms Unsworth. “But we are not there to support British foreign policy objectives.”

[Shaksey]

BBC global audience in 2016 (it's measured in April/May so no figures this year yet) was 348 Million, an increase year on year from 2015 of 13% and it set to exceed 500 Million by 2022.

 

BBC World Service Radio has an audience of 66 Million and the service is currently undergoing it's biggest expansion since the 1940's.

 

Overall one in 16 adults on the planet listen to BBC news.

 

So, yeah, the transmission tower will be moved i'd say.

 

 

[peterdarby]

8 hours ago, worgeordie said:

The Government must not have heard of that saying, Keep your enemies closer,

so the BBC will just move to another Country,and broadcast the truths that the  

current Government does not like,and will have no control over.

Regards Worgeordie

In between all the lies and propaganda, there probably still are a few truths.

[Hedghog]

8 hours ago, DaveE13 said:

I stand corrected. Just checked. 

I was just responding to someone who said no body listens to Radio any more.

The BBC is where a lot of country's will listen to Cricket 

Listen to cricket!

So they can listen to paint drying,instead of watching.

[Chip Allen]

Any government which threatens the BBC deserves to fall. The members of the junta overthrew an elected government and now they want to control the news.

[halloween]

11 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Well, as you probably know, Thais aren't especially big on the political/governance history of their own country.

 

And at least part of the reason for that, presumably, is only a very sanitized version of Thai history is ever taught in their schools, and what is taught, is probably almost bereft of any political content.

 

So, do you call that a "blind spot," or an enforced blackout of knowledge?

 

 

Perhaps they learned a valuable lesson on political promises with their computer tablets for every child.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

16 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Sorrowful...

 

This is not what most of the Thais who were in the streets of BKK signed up for.

 

Yes they did.   

 

Unless they're really, REALLY stupid.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

17 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

don't know

probably signed up for planet Thailand

They signed up for Sutheps coup utopia and got a junta sewer.

[darksidedog]

17 hours ago, heybruce said:

 

 

Thailand wants to censor BBC news.  The BBC won't agree.  The towers will be moved, Thailand will lose out on the money paid and the country's reputation will suffer another blow.

I am sure the BBC are more interested in telling the truth rather than having to have the tower in Thailand. I hope when they do move it, they make sure everyone knows exactly why.

[hansnl]

17 hours ago, worgeordie said:

The Government must not have heard of that saying, Keep your enemies closer,

so the BBC will just move to another Country,and broadcast the truths that the  

current Government does not like,and will have no control over.

Regards Worgeordie

What truths?

[retarius]

16 hours ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

BBC World Service is a beacon of light in an often dark world. It is a tremendous credit to the British. 

 

The current Thai government should reconsider their position. 

You are being ironic surely?

[retarius]

15 hours ago, baboon said:

You might find this of interest:

http://www.newstatesman.com/broadcast/2013/08/hard-evidence-how-biased-bbc

Quite. How often have you heard the BBC going against British Foreign policy. Why is there nothing about Yemen and the starvation there caused by the Saudi/US naval blockade?

[the guest]

BBC and it's empire are long gone, along with it's influence, so it seems fitting to wind down this service anyway.

[Shroud]

Great news! Another liberal turd media down the toilet spill. Well done Thailand! 

[chainarong]

18 hours ago, worgeordie said:

The Government must not have heard of that saying, Keep your enemies closer,

so the BBC will just move to another Country,and broadcast the truths that the  

current Government does not like,and will have no control over.

Regards Worgeordie

Cambodia just loves Thailand although the BBC would  need to way up costs as against benefit, the  Cambodian Hi-So  quite often refer to Thailand as those war mongering neighbor's

[chainarong]

And they wonder why they are down in the red on the democracy index.....................................

[Shawn0000]

11 minutes ago, the guest said:

BBC and it's empire are long gone, along with it's influence, so it seems fitting to wind down this service anyway.

 

Couldn't be further from the truth, the BBC have a worldwide weekly audience of 348 million and steadily increasing, what made you think they were losing influence?

[funandsuninbangkok]

20 minutes ago, retarius said:

You are being ironic surely?

Not at all. 

 

I'm not British but I find BBC World service by far the best new source. Clear, well presented, unbiased, unhyped (unlike the Americans). Listen to it every day since becoming an expat. Can't imagine life without it. 

 

 

[mamborobert]

The BBC World Service is just that....a service to the world and has been for decades.  The Op makes it fairly clear that the junta see the objective reporting by the BBC as an issue.  This has been an issue for local media and locally printed internationall media to the point where some international media is not printed locally any more.  Same for taking down web sites as varied as the Economist, The Guardian and even UK Tabloids.

 

But lets at least call this what it is...draconian state imposed censorship.  No different that the old Soviet bloc, Nth Korea, China etc. That is the club that Thailand has joined.

 

Cannot wait to see what happens if BBC relocate to (unbelievably) more liberal Burma!  Then we will have an article 44, build a wall round Thailand, get the BBC to pay for it. 

 

Muppets, and all they do is contnue to look like bigger muppets every day.

 

[TheFishman1]

Thailand doesn't want to hear the true uncensored voices crap come on TIT

[teddog]

About time Thailand was forced to wake up to the recent UN comments and others,especially the corruption and scandals with individual farangs. Would wake up if sanctions were introduced

[ballpoint]

21 minutes ago, chainarong said:

Cambodia just loves Thailand although the BBC would  need to way up costs as against benefit, the  Cambodian Hi-So  quite often refer to Thailand as those war mongering neighbor's

So, the BBC will do a deal with Hun Sen, agreeing not to report any news about his government, other than feel good stories, in exchange for being allowed to transmit from there?  That's the only way they'd be allowed to do so.  And the same goes for any other country in the area, despite those deluded souls who seem think that Thailand is surrounded by countries practicing perfect democracy and complete freedom of speech, who are clamouring to get a BBC transmission tower placed in their backyard..

 

And no, this isn't to excuse what's happening here.  It's abhorant that Thailand has gone from having the freest press in the area to being dragged down to the level of its neighbours by the current band of bullies in charge.  I also wonder if any backseat pressure is being applied by their good buddies in China?  The keyboard warriers and Thai bashers here can tear their hair out, thump their keyboards, smash their laptops against the wall, and genearlly whimper "it's not fair", all they like, but that's the reality of the situation, and, until the Thai people themselves get off their <deleted> and start sorting out things for the better, you may as well find an electric fence and start peeing against it.  The only trouble is, everytime the Thai people have tried to make a stand, it get's hijacked by some hi-so, and used to their own gain.  But then again, that seems to be what happens in every "people's revolution" ever held anywhere.

 

 

[darksidedog]

22 minutes ago, teddog said:

About time Thailand was forced to wake up to the recent UN comments and others,especially the corruption and scandals with individual farangs. Would wake up if sanctions were introduced

You need a certain level of intelligence to understand the need to wake up to reality, and that is sadly lacking in these leaders of the uneducated, uninformed, blinkered masses.

[AGareth2]

maybe they should broadcast from Singapore

[mamborobert]

11 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

You need a certain level of intelligence to understand the need to wake up to reality, and that is sadly lacking in these leaders of the uneducated, uninformed, blinkered masses.

 

It was only 500 odd years ago that Copernicus first established a model where the Earth revolves around the Sun instead of the Earth being the Centre if the Universe.

 

Sadly he is still proven wrong in Thailand.   Thais still learn that Thailand is the Universe, and the Earth and Sun revolve arond Thailand.

 

The level of xenophobia, nationalism and myopia here is quite simply stunning.  It is to me quite frightening and quite humorous at the same time.  The recent efforts of no less than the Tourism Minister to promote Pattaya based on Jet Skis rather than sex tourism springs to mind.

 

I love it here every day no question.  But everyday has some news like a thrill ride, where you pay money to have a ride to knowingly have the shit scared out of you......and the next day you gleefully line up again.

 

 

Edited March 9, 2017 by mamborobert

[Retiredandhappyhere]

20 hours ago, whatawonderfulday said:

Not needed anymore anyway. With the Thais fully conversant with social media, VPNs, Google auto translate etc etc they can get the truth anyway.

I do not agree that Google Auto Translate is particularly useful, if at all.  When I have tried to use it in the past, I have needed to employ a translator to unravel all the gobbledy gook.  

[Ulic]

The Junta just helping the British government save a little money. Shift it to the NHS.

[jayboy]

17 hours ago, baboon said:

You might find this of interest:

http://www.newstatesman.com/broadcast/2013/08/hard-evidence-how-biased-bbc

Interesting conclusion:

 

"So the evidence from the research is clear. The BBC tends to reproduce a Conservative, Eurosceptic, pro-business version of the world, not a left-wing, anti-business agenda."

 

This is the exact opposite conclusion of the continual attacks on the BBC from right wingers and a hostile media.

 

So one supposes the BBC is getting the correct balance.

 

 

[jayboy]

1 hour ago, retarius said:

Quite. How often have you heard the BBC going against British Foreign policy. Why is there nothing about Yemen and the starvation there caused by the Saudi/US naval blockade?

You write so clumsily that it's difficult to decipher your meaning.What do you mean by "going against"? The BBC rarely does editorials but has foreign correspondents to report on situations.Outsiders are of course asked for comments.I have heard frequent reports on the BBC about the Yemen tragedy so your suggestion this isn't covered is comnpletely false.Does the BBC reflect the prejudices of its senior management (upper middle class, Oxbridge, Guardian reading, New Labour, socially liberal, anti Brexit etc)? Probably to some degree.

[simon43]

It is somewhat ironic that the BBC was using these transmitter facilities to broadcast to those countries where free speech is restricted, just as Radio Free Europe broadcast to countries behind the Iron Curtain.

 

Now free speech is also restricted in Thailand, and so the BBC must find new transmitter facilities to continue its broadcasts in Thai language to a country which is rapidly retreating 'behind the 'Bamboo Curtain'.

 

Radio Free Thailand, anyone?