The latest edition of The Economist has been refused distribution in Thailand by its distributor due to improper content.
According to a survey of book stores by the Siam Intelligence Unit website, the 5 Feb 2011 edition of the magazine has not been put on sale in Thailand. The website’s inquiries revealed that the magazine’s distributor had refused to distribute it because its content was not proper for Thailand.
5 Feb 2011
In its online version, this edition includes an article entitled ‘When more is less. The increasing use of lèse-majesté laws serves no one’ which mentions the court case of Prachatai Director Chiranuch Premchaiporn and quotes a few academics on lèse majesté prosecutions in Thailand.
Since Dec 2008 at least 6 editions of the magazine, including the latest one, have been either officially banned by the Thai police or subject to self-censorship by the distributor.
6 Dec 2008, banned by police
24 Jan 2009, banned by distributor for article 'The trouble with Harry [Nicolaides]'
31 Jan 2009, banned by distributor for article 'A sad slide backwards'
4 July 2009, banned by police and distributor for article 'Treason in cyberspace'
March 2010, banned by distributor for article 'The battle for Thailand'
Since 2007, Prachatai English has been covering underreported issues in Thailand, especially about democratization and human rights, despite the risk and pressure from the law and the authorities. However, with only 2 full-time reporters and increasing annual operating costs, keeping our work going is a challenge. Your support will ensure we stay a professional media source and be able to expand our team to meet the challenges and deliver timely and in-depth reporting.
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