ARCHIVES: Thailand
Journalists in Thailand have been caught in the crossfire in the anti-government protests. Paris-based Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) condemned a shooting and grenade attack in Bangkok on November 28 on the satellite station ASTV in Bangkok, owned by Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of the opposition Popular Alliance for Democracy (PAD). A pro-government radio station in Bangkok was also attacked and in Chiang Mai, the manager of a pro-opposition radio was killed. “The media must not be targets in... MORE
Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has hailed the arrests of suspects in the fatal shootings of two provincial correspondents of the Bangkok-based daily Matichon —Jaruek Rangcharoen on September 27 in the central province of Suphan Buri and Ahiwat Chainurat on August 1 in the southern city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. “The arrests of two suspects in each of these murders suggest that the police are making some progress,” Paris-based RSF said. “It is nonetheless vital that the authorities step up their... MORE
A reporter for a local Thai-language daily and a television station was shot dead inside his home on August 1 in Nakorn Sri Thammarat province, according to the hai Journalists Association (TJA). Police identified the victim as Athiwat Chaiyanurat, a reporter for Matichon newspaper and stringer for the army-owned Channel 7 television station. TJA condemned the killing of Athiwat as a reckless and barbaric act. A chief investigator of the Provincial Police Command's Division 8, responsible for... MORE
Thailand's interior minister is under fire for moving to pull a private television channel off of cable networks nationwide, according to the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA). Cable operators, opposition senators, and free expression advocates are calling a directive by Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung - which media reports say threatens cable operators with imprisonment unless they pull the plug on cable channel ASTV - illegal and unconstitutional. On June 13, Chalerm Yoobamrung... MORE
Thailand's interior minister is under fire for moving to pulling a private television channel off cable networks nationwide. Cable operators, opposition senators, and free expression advocates are calling a directive by Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung—which media reports say threatens cable operators with imprisonment unless they pull the plug on cable channel ASTV—illegal and unconstitutional. On June 13, Chalerm Yoobamrung moved to ban ASTV, in an apparent attempt to stifle its live... MORE
A high-ranking police official has filed two separate criminal complaints alleging that a BBC correspondent insulted the monarchy—charges that the journalist and the BBC have called unfounded. The police official, Lt Col Wattanasak Mungkandee, reportedly brought the complaints in a personal capacity against BBC correspondent Jonathan Head. Violations of lese majeste laws are a criminal offence punishable by 3-15 years imprisonment. Thai law allows any citizen to bring complaints against anyone... MORE
Tesco Lotus, one of the biggest retailers in Thailand, has filed two staggering defamation cases against a Thai columnist and a former Member of Parliament, sending a strong message to civil society and the press to tread carefully before criticising the retailing giant in Thailand. Tesco Lotus is suing columnist/academic Kamol Kamoltrakul and former Thai National Legislative Assembly (NLA) member Jit Siratranont for 100 million baht (approx. US$3.21 million) and one billion baht (approx. US$32... MORE
The military government in Thailand closed down three community radio stations - Confidante, Taxi Driver Community Radio and Saturday Voice Against Dictatorship - just hours after they broadcast Thursday an interview with deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The authorities have also charged them with violating “national security.” The night of the September 2006 coup, the military pulled the plug on one private and five state-run television stations and replaced their programming with... MORE
Thai media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul has been sentenced to two years in prison for slandering a government official during a live television broadcast on in November 2005. A Bangkok criminal court on Thursday last sentenced Sondhi in relation to comments he made on November 25, 2005 on his popular Muang Thai Rai Supda television talk show which accused former Deputy Transport Minister Phumtham Vejjayachai of disloyalty to the monarch. During that particular broadcast he also linked Phumtham to... MORE
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