"He goes ahead, I have no secrets"
Are Thais sparing with opinions? Certainly not the younger generation. In the interview program VRZO they talk candidly about sometimes controversial subjects.
Reactions from visitors make Thai website punishable
Thai internet service providers had better watch their step. In 2009, police raided popular news site Prachatai and arrested director Chiranuch Premchaiporn. Now she has been sentenced for not immediately erasing comments from visitors that fall under lèse-majesté.
KFC abuses tsunami alert
“Let's hurry home and monitor the earthquake situation. And don't forget to order your favorite KFC menu," the Thai branch of the chain advertised on Facebook.
News in brief from Thailand – December 8
Prime Minister Yingluck's Facebook team has been fired for the blunder it made by posting a picture of King Ananda in Yingluck's call for people to attend the King's birthday festivities.
Thailand blog fan page on Facebook
Also check out Thailandblog's fan page on Facebook, with fun videos and photos by Khun Peter, among others.
lèse majesté in Thailand
The recent sentencing of a 61-year-old grandfather has brought the two much-used lese-majeste laws back into the national and international spotlight.
Short news from Thailand
The Chaeng Watthana Road has reopened now that the water on the road has almost disappeared. The water is also lowering on other roads in Bangkok.
Social media is an important source of information during floods
Since the start of the floods, social media has proven to be a reliable, alternative source of information, and has also helped to forge a network of people who previously did not know each other, but who now volunteer in rescue and relief efforts for victims , their pets and livestock. This writes Sasiwimon Boonruang in the Life supplement of Bangkok Post.
Free holiday to Asia for 10 years
That sounds great: a free holiday to Asia for 10 people for 2 years! It is the main prize of an action that the birthday boy 333TRAVEL has come up with. The tour operator is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year with a unique promotion and an attractive main prize. The 'Find the like in the cupboard' campaign started on September 5 and will run for a total of 6 weeks. So you can still participate and compete for this big prize. To share…
Elections in Thailand: alcohol and social media ban
Tomorrow is the most important day of the year in Thailand, the more than 32 million Thai voters will then determine who will govern Thailand for the next four years. Elections in Thailand are no sinecure. For example, an alcohol ban has already been announced and no less than 170.000 police officers monitor the orderly course of this day. Twitter ban On election day it is legally forbidden to campaign. That applies…
Car accident in Thailand leads to popular anger on Facebook
Social media will change the world forever, Thailand is a prime example of this. Social outrage and political feuds are increasingly fought out via social media. For example, a recent fatal car accident on December 27, in which 9 people have died, has led to massive Facebook and Twitter anger among Thai youth. Fatal accident A serious car accident on December 27 initially looked like an accident like so many in Thailand. Through the …
The success of Facebook in Thailand
By Khun Peter The social media hype that is sweeping the world has also reached Thailand. The use of Facebook and Twitter has risen remarkably fast in the past six months. The number of Facebook accounts in Thailand grew from 1,5 million to 5 million in the past eight months. With that, Thailand even leads the world when it comes to the growth of Facebook users. Censorship, the main driver of growth on Facebook? The Thai government's control over the…
Amazing Thailand, but not an amazing website
By Khun Peter The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has had a 'beta version' of its new website live for some time now. In any case, an improvement compared to the old site, but there is still a lot to note. Websites Thai tourist offices, too sad for words For a country that is so dependent on tourism, I have always been amazed at the quality of the websites. And I don't mean…
Thai's preference for new media
It is not easy for journalists to gain insight into what really happened in Bangkok. Thais do not like to talk to journalists about the country's problems. The reds and the yellows, of course, but from other motives, they understand that they have to win over the media. The Thai also distrust traditional news sources controlled by the Thai government and increasingly use new media (Youtube, Twitter, Facebook) to …
Hans Bos on social media in Thailand
Khun Peter Journalist Hans Bos, blogger and twitterer for Thailandblog.nl, among others, was interviewed live today for the VARA program Radiolab on Radio 1. The first broadcast of the program took place today and it was presented by Simone Weimans (VARA Radio Kassa) and Rik van de Westelaken (NOS Journaal). On the basis of social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, they sketched a picture of the zeitgeist, both at home and abroad. The roll …