Visitors to popular video sharing site YouTube were re-directed to a government web site from Friday to Saturday noon.
2Bangkok has a post on the block
When attempting to reach the YouTube site from within Thailand, the user is redirected to MICT. MICT is the government agency responsible for censoring the internet in Thailand. The reasons and criteria for blocking are usually not made public. In the past, if the resulting controversy over a certain blocking is too great, the blocked site comes back online and the government denies it was ever blocked at all.
MICT stands for the Ministry of Communication and Technology.
Speculating on the possible reasons for the block, forum poster Jromerz writes
Looking around in youtube now (after getting in without typing those three letters in the URL) and its still got blocks up within the site. If you click on a member's profile then you get the mict page again, and some (or most?) clips don't seem viewable.
It must be all those cnn interview posts
Jromerz is referring to the the clips from a CNN interview that features ex-prime minister Thaksin. Thaksin was ousted by the Thai military and the current military backed regime is not happy with Thaksin getting any form of media exposure.
The 2bangkok forum has more discussion on the block.
There is no official word yet from Thai government if the blocking was deliberate. Thai authorities are known to have blocked sites before without warning.Personal Thailand writes
Turkey blocked the website today but government had some reason for it. Thailand has been known for blocking websites with out warning or reason before.
YouTube was accessible later in the day on Saturday.
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[...] No reason was given for the block, although there’s speculation that the ban may be related to clips from a CNN interview that features Thailand’s ex-Prime Minister Thaksin - Thaksin was ousted by the Thai military and the regime isn’t happy about Thaksin getting media exposure. [...]
[...] *Update: according to this source, YouTube is available for residents of Thailand again. Turkey blocks YouTubeNo YouTube for IranWelcome to the new home of franticindustries.Is spam a good traffic metric?YouTube lives in Turkey again [...]
[...] Aucune raison n’a encore été communiqué par rapport à cette censure, mais il y’a déja une spéculation à ce propos. (qui met en cause la présence de vidéos du premier ministre thailandais sur CNN…) [...]
I remember seeing some very sharp criticisms of Saprang and Prem uploaded onto YouTube.
That probably is enough for the entire site to be classified as “not contributing to the public morality.”
Next up for censorship: Google! Why? Well, somebody uploaded a Thai translation of Chapter 15 of The King Never Smiles onto Google Pages. The biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej was banned by the Thai government even before it was published. The translation is at at:
http://TKNSthai.googlepages.com
Chapter 15 is all about General Prem (the guy behind the current junta) and sad events of the 1980’s.
Not a bad translation, if I do say so for myself, although the title is changed to สวรรค์ในอก นรกในใจ and the title of Chapter 15 to น้ำพึ่งเรือ-เสือพึ่งป่า
[...] No reason was given for the block, although there’s speculationthat the ban may be related to clips from a CNN interview that featuresThailand’s ex-Prime Minister Thaksin - Thaksin was ousted by the Thaimilitary and the regime isn’t happy about Thaksin getting mediaexposure. [...]
[...] Under fredagen och lördagen har thailändska YouTube-tittare blivit omdirigerade till en sida hos myndigheterna berättar Global Voices Online. Anledningen till blockeringen av sajten kan ha varit nyhetsklipp från CNN med premiärministern. [...]
I live here and had no issues accessing YouTube during those times. Blocking is done by individual ISPs so perhaps it was limited to a particular ISP and mine didn’t get the word, or it was a mistake.
YouTube is an immensely popular site here in Australia however it is banned by many educational and social settings due to the accessibility to material deemed “that offends”.
Many educators are campaigning for the access to be at least relaxed to known files and users for educational purpose. The paradox is that even in the most progressive countries where live social media is broadcast the access to YouTube and similar video authoring sites is restricted when it is accessed via educational settings.
Why ? We are yet to find out.
KSC Internet Thailand just started blocking YouTube as of yesterday (April 3). I had no problems accessing it before yesterday.
The ban is again in place. This time for fairly good reason. Someone has posted a poorly edited and very insulting video of the king on youtube. The ban occurred a day or two after the video appeared. What may be more troubling to the Thai government is the discussion in the comments section.
Today Youtube is blocked again. It’s petty to be Thai people. Our ears,eyes and mouths are closed by coup.I ask my kid who studying aboard this morning. He tells me that the clip is about King Bhumibol talking about former primier(Thaksin) that he is a good guy. He brings Thailand to civilisation and good economy etc. That’s the reason why YOUTUBE IS BLOCKED.
it;s about the king…the ex-premier seems backed by antis-royal.
people should know that since the topple of this premier, the situation here in thailand has been very controversial.
Some academics see it as the two parties battling; royalists VS antics, even during the anti-thaksin rally. But this is only partial fact..in fact so many groups with various ideologies / interests taking part in this crisis…
all, so, is very sensitive here.
แห็นมีข่าวอย่างนั้นจริงๆค่ะแต่ไม่คิดว่าถึงขนะจะต้องบลอกไม่รู้ว้ากระสวงคิดถูกหรือคิดผิดกันแน่แทนที่จะปล่อยไห้คนไทยไปจักการมันไอเลวจาบจ่วงเบืองสูงคนนั้นเป็นคนประเทดอะไรก็ไม่ทราบน้ะค้ะเข้าไม่ได้เลยแต่ท้าใครเข้าได้รู้ก็ฝากด่าไอ่แลวตัวนั้นด้วยน้ะค่ะ หุหุหุ ไม่รู้ว้าคอมเม้นอย่างนี้จะอยาบไปรึเป่ลาแต่มันแค้นค่ะ- -”ขอบคุนค่ะ
I’m darkminkdzl Thailand YouTube user the Thai government is the dog of Taksin and they are doing something that Taksin want it to happen. I can’t believe that the Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom is the dog of Taksin and he is doing what Taksin want -_- ไม่รู้ว้าคอมเม้นอย่างนี้จะอยาบไปรึเป่ลาแต่มันแค้นค่ะ
It is such an unacceptable, a person who have done it must go to the hell because he deserved to get it. How dare to do this, he is our great king. A person who did it won’t never know how thai people feeling because you never have a great king like us…
[...] A blogger on the Global Voices web site said that anyone in Thailand attempting to reach YouTube would then be redirected to the Ministry of Communication and Technology, a government agency responsible for monitoring the Internet in Thailand. [...]
Ummm…. i think ict do the right way!
The clips hurt Thai feeling so much ,,,
The king is not different Thai people
how should anyone do like that with our parents??
Youtube is deserved to be blocked definitely…..
Nobody in Youtube has ever shown any reponsibility or any ethic+moral from opening the free zone for any disgusting people to post or upload all junk clips and might hurt somebody’s feeling.
Thai goverenment has requested Youube to withdraw only that particular clip that relevant to the Thai’s king.
But there was no action and no showing of sympathy from Youtube to Thai people.
I don’t know how to compare this such a case to let American people to understand our feeling.
Even if we try to upload the clip of naked Jesus having sex with all the girls…. Maybe all the workers and management level people in youtube might not even feel that hurt but even enjoy and love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the………..!!!!
Crystal
DONT TOUCH OUR BELOVED KING!!!
we love him because all the things he’s done for Thais. No one can force us to love and respect.. WE LOVE HIM BY OURSELVES!!!
If any of you wondering OF our GREAT KING, please go find his bio or his THOUSAND JOBS. and you will see why millian of thais cant accept if anyone touch him!!!
This time YOUTUBE totally hurts all THAIS!
ICT is doing the wrong thing i disagree with any one who say ICT is doing the right thing why block the entire site? i have to shut down my business and my resident evil video is stuck at part 3. Plz unblock it people in youtube are waiting for my Resident evil part 4, 5 and other video i promise to upload
I have listen to many reasons about this and it all links down to one thing, and that is the king.
Youtube did not respond to the request of taking out the clip of the king that the ICT have send.
In this case it suppose to only be youtube fault, but so as the ICT for blocking the website in Thailand just because the request didn’t go as they want.
One of the best ideas that I’ve got is for us, the youtube fans, to directly complain to thew youtube themselves. Since they don’t listen to the government, but they might listen to us!
…funny, I can access it+every single other blocked site again! I wonder why they just unblocked it after a helluva long time in hiatus.