BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s military-appointed government blocked access to on-line video-sharing Web site YouTube on Wednesday after its owner, Google Inc., declined to withdraw a video clip mocking the country’s revered monarch.
Communications Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom told Reuters he had ordered a block of the entire site, www.youtube.com, from Thailand after the ministry’s attempts to get the offending page removed last week failed.
“Since Google has rejected our repeated requests to withdraw the clip, we can’t help blocking the entire site in Thailand,” said Sitthichai, a telecoms professor who said he had spent most of his academic life researching eavesdropping devices.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSBKK17066320070404
I really don’t know what to say at this point; first Turkey blocked YouTube over the videos making fun of Atatürk, and now Thailand is blocking the site over a 44 second clip making fun of it’s king. I guess both nations have decided that they do not support freedom, and I guess that’s fine - it’s there decision, but I heavily denounce both nations for it.
An image from the offending video.
I am aware of the fact that the Thai people have a great respect and reverence for there king, but at the same time, I find it hard to believe that they find it so offensive that they must block an entire site to prevent it’s viewing. The clip, which I’ve included at the end of this post, is nothing more than a childish attempt (and really very poorly executed) at drawing faces on the King and editing photos to make him look funny. I’ll be entirely honest, the clip made me chuckle, but at the stupidity and pointlessness more than anything.
Perhaps being an American and never really leaving the country (except for a vacation in Canada ), I’ve developed extremely warped views on Freedom of Expression. Whatever the cause, I find myself almost entirely incapable of comprehending why a nation would block a video like this, let alone an entire site for hosting it. What’s more, I find a law that allows people to be jailed for 15 years simply for disrespecting the royal family beyond insane - such a law is a sign of a totalitarian dictatorship that needs to be overthrown and replaced with a democracy. This may have been acceptable three or four hundred years ago, but in this day and age, such laws are objects of antiquity and unenlightened times.
I also need to applaud Google on their decision to maintain free speech of their users and not cave to the laws of a foreign nation. Hopefully this action will set a precedent and show the world that American companies aren’t going to give in to the demands of foreign dictatorships. One can only hope.
Edit: The video has since been removed.
July 22nd, 2007 at 6:00 pm
I totally disagree with you.
You don’t even know anything about Thailand.
And didn’t respect Thailand as you could.
The king isn’t the dictator.Thai people love him.
October 10th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Don’t let this topic in this website,all picture and google’s link also more dispersion than now….Thai people don’t to see the image
anymore.
October 15th, 2007 at 4:06 am
You’re afaid and very “Kai-Maew”
October 16th, 2007 at 2:27 am
Please let your system know Thai language if you want to know the responses.
October 17th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
totally disagree
April 4th, 2009 at 7:06 am
100% you should be back to study about Thailand Thais People and Our King before then..
I REALLY REALLY FEEL BAD TO READ YOUR POINT AS THIS!
May 21st, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Typical American (white) ideology view. If you are not Christian, you are either must be converted or die. Thai people revere His Majesty the King and I have seen his majesty everywhere helping rural Thai to live better. I have yet to SEE one American president in any housing projects in the land of the free. This is an insult.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
your website so bad.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:36 am
You don’t know how the thai people love their king very much.
Even this fucking joke, I also cannot accept it.
Because I am Thai and I do love my King
August 12th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Freedom is something everyone has from the begining. But the freedom to choose whatever is good to act upon is only given to those who are mature enough to know the diffrence from right and wrong. The Practice of Freedom is simple, do not offend other people and act upon what you believe in. That is why freedom is not inborn within everyone, but is given only to an adult with a sound mind and soul.
If you say there is no freedom of speech for this topic, then I suppose you should give youself some thought on what sort of freedom do you really deserve.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:51 am
To any one who created this video clip. I don’t know who you are but hopefully you are not Thai people. Among Thai people the king is not a symbolic of the absolute power as you mention. It’s true that Thai has a long period of absolute monarchy but now we are free for the expression like any civilian. But in our image the King is not such special but very special. If you can know about what he was done for his people you may know the reason. For more than 50 years he went to any part of Thailand and did the great things to help his people for a better life. He is not only king but he is our heart, heart of Thai people. This clip is not funny among Thai people, this thing is serious! Please erase it form any server not only block.
September 17th, 2009 at 2:52 am
I’m Thai people . I LOVE MY KING,everyone too.
I think it is so bad , that you don’t respect him .
You make this photo . How can you do that ? What do you want?
For fun or for your bad mind .
October 4th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Enlevez cette photo s’il vous plait
October 9th, 2009 at 4:44 am
If you want to watch the video which got Youtube banned, visit my webpage. I recently found a copy and posted it in my blog.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:53 am
You know we respect him by heart. Only you don’t have a heart that why you don’t as thai people is. Such a rubbish person you are!!!!!!.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:56 am
We are lucky than cambodia because we have the king like him. If you can paint on his face so that you prepare yourself for go to the hale
November 9th, 2009 at 2:49 am
I will tell all thai people to block your websit.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
fuck off. Why you do it? he’s my kingdom of thailand.You can fight with me all time.My name Gust AEY.You can come to siam.You harm sure.
Fuck them!! olo?
November 25th, 2009 at 7:47 am
I am sure that the best propaganda system in the world is that of the United States.
Even living your whole life in that country, you still keep on thinking that is the Ace of Freedom in the world.
Why don’t you try to go out on the street and tell the people that you are communist, and see what happen?
Have you ever seen a totally naked woman or man in any TV program in the states?
Do you know any political or military, that can declare there that is, for example, homosexual?
I could continue the list but will be long and tedious. Don’t talk about interested wars, undercover interested wars, political undercover influence in many of the “third world” countries, smashing any kind of human rights, and making thousands of people loose their lives, properties, health and so on. Is also very long to continue talking about this aspect.
About this business of the Thai King, I think that disrespect has nothing to do with freedom; disrespect in any form is closer to crime. All of the crimes entail disrespect (for the property, health, life or PUBLIC IMAGE of one or several persons).
Also Google is not so fair, nor Freedom Ace, they don’t allow nude, for example (I don’t mean pornography, this one is a choice, but nude is just “reality”), but they allow insult and disrespect calling it “freedom”. I prefer my child to see nude than to mistake insult and freedom
I thing this kind of “jobs” like the video on YT are just nonsense, bullshit that doesn’t tell anything, doesn’t criticize anything in a positive way.
Different thing is if somebody criticize the politics, or the society of a country, that could be freedom of expression (as I said, try to do it on your country, not with one of “alternative accepted” points of view, and see what happen) but this kind of things are only the work of a person that lacks of any kind of skills, good taste, ant the most important, RESPECT.
For finishing, I’m a Thailand lover, I live several months a year in that wonderful country. I really admire its people, so I ask in their name:” Please, don’t put ourselves in a highest (and paternalistic) level, let the Thais manage their country and their habits, we can tell an opinion, but we mustn’t forget that is not our business. Almost all of the Thais love their King, they should know why.
Cheers.
Vic.
P.S. As probably you can see, I’m not American nor English native speaker, so I apologize for any incorrect expression due to my ignorance
November 25th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
suck ! mother fucker Bitch
WTF
Why do u do like this !! do u know he is my everythings in our country so, I think you are like animal. Don’t have brain to think
Just Thailand only Block the suck website . I want yout o go to the hell now! Animal is better than you !
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:27 am
If you are Thai, you will never ever say like this….Please respect our beloved king…everything we do for him…it’s totally from our heart. Noone told us to do…
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:39 am
fuck you should not paint my King is not funny stupid fa-rang.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:39 am
I have no comment about youtube but I hope the person who made this video burn in hell.
December 14th, 2009 at 1:44 am
I hope the person who did this burned in hell.
December 27th, 2009 at 8:21 am
not only Thailand people, me, Malaysian Siam’s people also show full respect for Thailand kingdom of king… I totally ashamed what has this people doing….. long live the king!
February 1st, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Fuck Shitttttttttt who put this picture Fuck you you don’t know any thing and you put this we love the king not same you You don’t think about this if your don’t have him you don’t have Thialand Fuck ???!!!!!!!!1
February 11th, 2010 at 9:19 am
In behave of Thai people… Could you kindly help to remove this topic and this photo out from here please.. ?
If you have heart and respect to the others people who love and respect our beloved great King.. Thank you so much in advance.
Pailin
March 12th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Are you aware that you’re being offensive?
Like you do not have any instructors teach you not to be gross
and not to respect other people and others’ belonging
so please just delete it
Thank you if you do so;
March 17th, 2010 at 3:35 am
your website no good thai people love the king dont do again my king the best you never have good king same thai people that why you very bad people
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Some people doesn’t have respect, fuck them, it’s really pathetic
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:28 pm
if you want to make fun, then do it with your own face, but not with somewhone else, you know what the king is meaning for most of Thai people, if you think you’re funny, then you think wrong!
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:27 pm
I can get what u want to address about the way free speech and stuff. As i have been living abroad for quite a while, i understand western culture very well but i dont think most of the western people understand about our culture. Thai culture is a very different perspective to most of the other culture. You have to understand that our king did so much for the country and its people…thats why we love our king so much. I studied about him, went to like a few out of thousands of his projects to improve the quality and sustainability of Thais.
I might not be able to convince you to understand, cause i know it is very hard to do so for people that does not born as a Thai. Please do note one thing, it is important for you to keep something for urself sometimes. Something that you know it would offend around 65 million of Thai people. This is what we believe in. This is who we are. This is our beloved father.
April 13th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
I so love my King I just pray who did the bad and rude thing to my king I denounce violently to that animal going damage and let go to Hell
Hate Them
I love my King don’t do this to my King and everyone if u r still stand and living in Thailand please remind yourself this is a Gold reign until today we are so happy and got a good life because we got King Bhumipon
Long live the King
April 20th, 2010 at 6:56 am
I can say you can’t do something like this with our beloved King!
April 24th, 2010 at 1:08 am
You go to hell with you family!!!. We Thai people love our king so much. You are one of the monster in this world
April 29th, 2010 at 12:24 am
Fuck You off!!!! Stop! sending and tell my be love king.
???????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ???????????
????????????????? ????????? ???????????????.
??? ?????
??? ???????, ????????
??? ???????
???????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????
?? ??????????? ?????????? ????????? ?????????????? ???????????
?? ????????? ?????????????? ??????????????????
?????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????????????
??????????????? ????
April 29th, 2010 at 12:25 am
Fuck You off!!!! Stop! sending and tell my be love king.
???????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ???????????
????????????????? ????????? ???????????????.
??? ?????
??? ???????, ????????
??? ???????
???????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????
?? ??????????? ?????????? ????????? ?????????????? ???????????
?? ????????? ?????????????? ??????????????????
?????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????????????
??????????????? ????
April 30th, 2010 at 11:04 am
I am a Thai people 100 percent. And I know that most Thai people. Love and respect for king Including international, are recognized in the genius and virtue of the Thai king. Despite some bad people group in Thailand plan to overthrow the monarchy. But I am confident that Thai people more than sixty million people. Not allow bad people groups do what ever they want!!!!!!!
May 2nd, 2010 at 12:27 am
om kuy mai ??????????