The Thailand Taboos

Cruising through Thailand’s current expat blog world one becomes aware of certain difficulties.

Some respected bloggers are suggesting they’re the victim of censorship and intimidation.

Some respected blogger got a strange phone call asking him to remove a certain post.

No, I am not talking about some intervention of higher-ups against uncovered nipples.

I am talking about the abuse of Thailand’s freedoms.

Am talking about quiet indignation against Thailand’s “self-containment” that has a long tradition in the Kingdom.

Some time ago the Thai owner of Pantip.com, which is immensely popular among the local community, was with half a foot in prison already.

His forum had heated up in an unexpected way. Things quickly cooled down. As a true Thai, the owner pledged allegiance to Thailand’s highest values. He never thought or felt otherwise though. The allegiance is deeply engrained in his heart.

And we all remember the saga about YouTube and we do not forget that so far not a single foreign writer, correspondent or journalist has been expelled from the Kingdom for such given reasons.

Some Thai people had to face the courts – such as Sulak Sivaraksa -, some lowly foreigners got convicted and deservedly thrown out of the country.

As the rules are clear.

So clear, the whole nation takes genuine, cordial heed in them.

In most profound respect for our beloved, most outstanding King, the “rainmaker” who has powers outsiders easily underestimate.

It is most simple therefore: Respect the Kingdom’s two grand, sacrosanct taboos.

Thinking you can hide behind an anonymous Internet identity, talk your version of politics and expose your nature of things is unworthy of the hospitality the Kingdom wholeheartedly offers.

There is hardly a place in the world with more freedoms.

Understand the colors yellow, pink, green and blue as metaphors.

Colors as an expression of a joie de vivre, a zest for life.

And green, for one, as the color of Islam.

You’ll find censorship in the West for that.

Or you thought freedom of speech is an absolute truth?




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November 16, 2007 | Filed Under Being Farang, On Our Own, The Thai Mind 

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