“YouTube is not a very essential Web site, Is it?”

Great story on the Minister that Banned YouTube – Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom. Check out these great excerpts: …Sitthichai persisted in detailing the euthanasia device, prefaced with an observation: “There are a hundred small ways to finally exit your life.” Sitthichai calculated that the best way to do the job was a …

SMS used as Propaganda

Forbes says… Thailand’s military junta has resorted to sending text messages to mobile phones in the kingdom to try to persuade people not to join protest rallies, a spokesman said. ‘Thai people should adhere to the king’s speech, be calm … reasonable and respect the laws,’ said one message signed …

“I Want My YouTube” T-Shirt

Even though there’s nothing new under the sun, it’s time to let your friends, family, and government know how you feel with this throwback “I Want My YouTube” T-shirt. Perfectly appropriate for the current political climate. Especially one where THE MAN is trying to block your MTV YouTube fix.

Rising Awareness of Thailand Net Censorship

From Bangkok Post: “‘A major complaint about Thaksin [Shinawatra] was his muzzling of the media and willingness to limit free speech,’ said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. ‘The military-backed government promised a quick return to democracy, but it’s now attacking freedom of expression and political pluralism in …

99 Elephants

These guys know how to protest: Authorities are preparing to stop 99 elephants and thousands of villagers from entering Thailand’s capital to protest the possible dissolution of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s political party, the military said on Wednesday. “The authorities are trying to convince the elephant owners not to …

Bangkok Drag Avenue

I had a chance to check out Bangkok Drag Avenue up in Patum Thani (near Alpine golf course). A fun way to spend a Saturday evening. They have a quarter mile track where all classes of car can race side by side. I saw times range from 9-14 seconds. You …

What’s the deal with those big ass Thai amulet necklaces?

Glad you asked! Those are Jatukarm Ramathep amulets. Who is Jatukarm Ramathep? Well, according to this recent Editoral, entitled, “The facts behind the Jatukam Ramathep talisman nonsense” in The Nation: As a result they have confused the two guardian deities, Khattugama and Ramadeva, and conflated and corrupted their names, producing …

Idle threats make big news on Slashdot

Well, whose ever bright idea it was to publish a story that Thailand was planning to sue YouTube got that whole mess Slashdotted. Comment from the site: when you attempt to censor something, anything, you just give whatever it is free advertising i’m glad the thais love their king. but …

Bomb blast in Thai capital wounds 1

Does this even deserve to make headlines in this day and age? :Bomb blast in Thai capital wounds 1 – USATODAY.com: “Bomb blast in Thai capital wounds 1” In any given day, people are dying from bombs ever, so is “slightly injuring a 22-year-old man” worthy of a USA Today …

USA for innovation – what’s it all about?

This quote from Salon.com: USA for Innovation is a non-profit advocacy group whose primary purpose is to lobby for maximum strength intellectual property protection for American corporations. Its founder and executive director is Ken Adelman, a current member of the Defense Policy Board and long time Don Rumsfeld crony. USA …

2Bangkok.com turns 8 years old.

Congratulations to 2Bangkok.com. After 8 years of coding away, they have finally found themselves a the forefront of news gathering blogs in Thailand. They started back when mWeb (still using blinking text guys?) and eThailand.com (nice front page SQL error) were throwing money around in the dot com bubble. Hey …

Why is this song banned in Thailand?

In checking the latest list of Banned sites in Thailand: they seemed to blocking this video: Maybe cause it’s referred to as the suicide song? Or Diamanda Galas did something wrong? The weird thing is that it’s just this version. The Sarah McLachlan version didn’t seem to attract the same …

12.5% more expats, more condos

From thailand-property-guide.com – the number of expatriates in Bangkok with work permits grew to 67,412 in 2006, a 12.5% increase year on year according to statistics by the Alien Occupational Control division of the Department of Employment. Last year there was only a limited amount of new supply in apartments, …

I’am watana. I fuck you.

Passed along by a friend: So, I get into my apartment last night and there’s a piece of paper laying on my floor that someone shoved under the door – see below. The guy who wrote the note, Watana, is the building manager and he’s kind of a wishy-washy little …

Still blocked, still unacceptable

A good article about the continued censorship of YouTube (Taksin’s mouthpiece) by the Thai Juanta (unelected government). The YouTube block remains. But of far more concern to Thais who want to see a return to democracy is the regime’s blocking or intimidation of Thailand-based Web sites that provide a forum …

Songkran dancers busted

In the breaking news of the day, more “coyote dancers” got busted! “Police broke up the show “after a good citizen” reported that the girls were dancing while wearing few clothes, and in an arousing manner. “ With bombs going off a shopping malls, it’s good to know that ‘good …

YouTube still blocked

It seems the Thai Government is trying to figure out how to block single videos, rather than the whole site. “I don’t want to hear a lecture on free speech … I am a proponent of free speech but this is just culturally insensitive and offensive,” he said, adding that …

Thailand Blocks YouTube again!

They did it before.. now they are doing it again…. This time at least the whole world knows about it. This blogger has to say it is not without reason. Google, do the right thing and take down the offending video! Thailand, do the right thing and don’t block a …

Tradional, Thai, and Topless

In the recet debacle over the sale of nude photos to help an Aids hospice, it seems the people in charge of culture in this country have forgotten their past. Look at these comments: Prisana Pongtadsirikul, secretary-general of the National Culture Commission, said that being charity-minded was good but their …

Swiss man given 10 year visa (prison stay required)

Oliver Rudolf Jufer, 57, who had pleaded guilty to five counts of lese majeste, or insulting the monarchy, had faced a maximum sentence of 75 years in prison. TIME Jufer was caught by surveillance cameras on Dec. 5 spray-painting black paint over five outdoor posters of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in …