Thread: BBC World Service withdraws from Thailand

BBC World Service withdraws from Thailand

The BBC World Service has stopped broadcasting from one of its major global transmission stations situated in Thailand, AFP has learned, after talks broke down with a junta riled by its uncensored coverage.

Sources with knowledge of the negotiations said the BBC’s Thai-language output impeded discussions about renewing the 20-year lease on the complex, the network’s main shortwave broadcast station for Asia.

The centre’s large red and white transmission towers in Nakhon Sawan 150 miles (240 kilometres) north of Bangkok beamed local language news into tightly-controlled countries such as China and North Korea, and into places where many still rely on radio like Pakistan and Afghanistan

But it went off air on January 1 following the expiry of the lease. “Despite extensive negotiations, we have been unable to reach an agreement to re-commence transmissions,” the BBC said in a statement.

The BBC World Service produces uncensored news in 29 different languages. It is part-funded by the British government but editorially independent.

The Asia transmission station was moved to Thailand from Hong Kong in 1997 after the city was handed back to China. The BBC did not give details of why the talks broke down.

But two sources said the network’s Thai-language service had become a sore point.

Dissident student leader Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa, one of more than 8,000 people to share the profile on Facebook, was charged with royal defamation in the first such prosecution under Vajiralongkorn’s reign.

Sansern Kaewkumnerd, head of Thailand’s Public Relations Department, confirmed discussions had faltered and said it was “still unclear whether the contract would be extended or not extended”.

Thailand’s 2014 coup brought to power a group of ultra-royalist generals who have stamped down on dissent and cramped media freedoms.

http://bangkokjack.com/category/news/

Beeb better try Burma next door.

Soon will come available nothing short of Junta-controlled shit TV programming - Thai/Farang....Lock down of censorship continues.

Regular network broadcasting.
Satellite broadcasting.
Cable broadcasting.
Internet streaming.

Hard to think of a country in the region that wants uncensored news being broadcast from its territory.

There's always the internet. Well, not always, but you know what I mean.

Originally Posted by Neverna

There's always the internet. Well, not always, but you know what I mean.

"The centre’s large red and white transmission towers in Nakhon Sawan 150 miles (240 kilometres) north of Bangkok beamed local language news into tightly-controlled countries such as China and North Korea"

Not for these poor fookers.

Originally Posted by Neverna

There's always the internet. Well, not always, but you know what I mean.

Yeah - if you know how to get around it, it's failsafe and available.

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Yeah - if you know how to get around it, it's failsafe and available.

For now. Dunno if anythings changed but the single gateway shit they were trying on would complicate that.

Originally Posted by Slick

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Yeah - if you know how to get around it, it's failsafe and available.

For now. Dunno if anythings changed but the single gateway shit they were trying on would complicate that.

Perhaps....but they've been attempting to get their shit in order for some time now [one year plus?] and still don't have it perfected, even with the help of the Chinese.

Very Thai. Talk big but no show.
Couldn't tie their shoes properly if their lives depended on it.

The slippery slope, give the Junta time....they'll get there in the end.

hmm-mm just finished 1984 for the fifth time...

Dictatorship for Dummies..wonder if Mr P keeps it under his pillow?

Originally Posted by Chittychangchang

The slippery slope, give the Junta time....they'll get there in the end.

Doubtful. Inept and inadequate old men.

Anchor a ship just inside international waters and transmit from there without any restrictions on any topic, that would make for an interesting show.

Originally Posted by BobR

Anchor a ship just inside international waters and transmit from there without any restrictions on any topic, that would make for an interesting show.

Give Tony Blackburn a full time job on it spinning desert island discs.
Instead of calling the floating station Radio Caroline they could call it Radio Yinglucky, i'd consent to my license fee being put to use for that.

Read a book.
Garden.
Watch the world go by from your open foyer.

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Read a book.
Garden.
Watch the world go by from your open foyer.

What?

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Watch the world go by from your open foyer.

This would require the Aircon to be off.

Cannot.

Originally Posted by Slick

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Watch the world go by from your open foyer.

This would require the Aircon to be off.

Cannot.

Pussy.
I'm surprised you've made it this long.
Vacant of any skills of adaptation or acclimation.

Like most.

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Originally Posted by Slick

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Watch the world go by from your open foyer.

This would require the Aircon to be off.

Cannot.

Pussy.
I'm surprised you've made it this long.
Vacant of any skills of adaptation or acclimation.

Like most.

FOJ..

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Vacant of any skills of adaptation or acclimation.

Never planned to go native. Mosquitos & swamp ass isn't my thing when trying to relax.

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Like most.

Mostly. Except for the poverty teflers.

Does this have anything do with HBO and Cinemax disappearing from True Vision with regard to censorship, or is it all just pure economics?

Think it's economics and junta media filtration & procesution.

I have noticed a definite change in Thai TV programming over the past five years. Glad I still have Netflix, for the moment.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

I have noticed a definite change in Thai TV programming over the past five years. Glad I still have Netflix, for the moment.

My Aussie Netflix stopped last year. I'm on Iflix now, Malaysian based. Not as good as Netflix, but only 1000 baht per year. It also provides Thai or English subtitles which is handy if any in-laws want to watch.

So whats in the post for the future?

They carn't lock it all down like China and North Korea, the tourism industry would suffer.