Now that's going to be interesting. I think a trail of lawsuits from webmasters from all around the world will follow and sue Thailand then. Remember youtube is still blocked. video.aol.com is blocked by aol. It says no service in that region. source http://bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=118515 Sitthichai challenges 'bully' Google The Information and Communications Technology Ministry will sue YouTube.com for running a video clip offending the monarchy, and accused the Internet operator of lying when it claimed it could not remove the clip. Google opened an office in Singapore. Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom told a meeting of webmasters yesterday that he would proceed with court action as suggested by the forum. He said Google, which owns YouTube, had agreed to China's request that some clips be censored. He could not see why YouTube could not do the same for Thailand. "This YouTube issue is about a private firm in the US trying to bully a small country like Thailand," Mr Sitthichai said. The government's decision to block access to the clips was not politically motivated as it was done to prevent public anger from watching them. Paiboon Amornpinyokiat, consultant of the Thai Webmasters Association, recommended the government secure a court order in the US to coax YouTube into cooperation. He said the government's approach to the issue may be construed as an order, to which the website may be reluctant to respond. Lese majeste is illegal and so it was reasonable for the government to seek a court order to ban the website, he said. The minister and representatives of the association joined a discussion on freedom of expression in the digital age at the Thai Journalists Association on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day yesterday. In a move thought to be unrelated to the Thailand dispute, YouTube's owner Google opened an office in Singapore on Thursday. The search juggernaut said it wanted to be closer to its customers and advertisers in southeast Asia, a market of half a billion people. "The online environment in southeast Asia is growing rapidly, with significant developments in broadband Internet access and e-commerce activities," Richard Kimber, Google's regional managing director, said in a statement. "We are pleased to have our newest operations in Singapore, where we can draw from the highest quality talent to further help our users find the information they're looking for, and at the same time, help local and regional businesses succeed." Google declined to say how much it has invested in the Singapore office, and did not mention the Thailand dispute. Mr Sitthichai, meanwhile, denied the government had violated media freedom, saying it blocked only 16 websites as opposed to 9,000 websites banned by the previous government. Though non-elected, the government was more democratic, he said. Mr Paiboon proposed the government promote self-censorship among webmasters. Pantip.com founder Wanchat Padungrat said that instead of blocking websites, the government should encourage constructive ways of expression, for the sake of reconciliation. He said a clear and specific law was needed to combat cyber crimes
Thai Webmasters Association, are they licking the goverment from one side to another? Pantip.com founder Wanchat Padungrat at least has a democratic view of things. Thai Webmasters Association looks like they just follow what ever goverment says. Why give advice that we should do the same a Turkey HA HA yeah Turkey is REALLY the country to follow Thailand look like them more very day. Now do not go block DP now please... ohh this is the same guy that last week wanted to make thailand to a INTERNET HUB for the world .... well start by unlocking all the sites then.... and stop sue Google
Interesting political news. Thanks for letting us know about the present situation. BTW i have heard that before.
i do not think they going to sue anyone. 2 month ago they went out and said they going to finish the contract with the taxfree company in the airport. Have they? no nothing they just talk and fighting to make headlines. I am sure they are angry for USA putting them on the list of Piracy.