If You're Going to Thailand...DO NOT Insult the King Before You Go!

[BoomerD]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110527/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_monarchy

Thailand arrests American for alleged king insult

"BANGKOK – Thai authorities said Friday they arrested an American citizen on charges he insulted the country's monarchy, in part by posting a link on his blog four years ago to a banned book about the Southeast Asian nation's ailing king.

The man is also suspected of translating, from English into Thai, portions of "The King Never Smiles" — an unauthorized biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej — and posting them online along with articles he wrote that allegedly defame the royal family, said Tharit Pengdith, who heads the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand's equivalent of the FBI."

"The 54-year-old Thai-born man lived in the U.S. state of Colorado for around 30 years before returning recently to Thailand for treatment for high blood pressure and gout, the website said. If the allegations are true, the infractions would have been committed while he lived in America — where they are legal — raising concern about the reach of Thai law and how it is applied to Thai nationals and foreign visitors."

"Thailand is a constitutional monarchy but has severe lese majeste laws that mandate a jail term of three to 15 years for any person who "defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir to the throne or the Regent.""

"Tharit said the man was arrested Tuesday and is facing charges that include inciting public unrest and violating Thailand's Computer Crimes Act. Gordon appeared before a Thai court Thursday, which denied him bail."

You'd think that the guy being Thai would know better than to insult the king in a blog...then return to the country and expect not to be arrested...

(which BTW, is fucking retarded as hell, but each country has its own laws...)

 

[SSSnail]

The US consulate will interfere.

 

[thecrecarc]

Odd. One would think this would raise some sort of commotion in the US thailand embassy or something.

 

[Locut0s]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110527/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_monarchy

Thailand arrests American for alleged king insult

"BANGKOK – Thai authorities said Friday they arrested an American citizen on charges he insulted the country's monarchy, in part by posting a link on his blog four years ago to a banned book about the Southeast Asian nation's ailing king.

The man is also suspected of translating, from English into Thai, portions of "The King Never Smiles" — an unauthorized biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej — and posting them online along with articles he wrote that allegedly defame the royal family, said Tharit Pengdith, who heads the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand's equivalent of the FBI."

"The 54-year-old Thai-born man lived in the U.S. state of Colorado for around 30 years before returning recently to Thailand for treatment for high blood pressure and gout, the website said. If the allegations are true, the infractions would have been committed while he lived in America — where they are legal — raising concern about the reach of Thai law and how it is applied to Thai nationals and foreign visitors."

"Thailand is a constitutional monarchy but has severe lese majeste laws that mandate a jail term of three to 15 years for any person who "defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir to the throne or the Regent.""

"Tharit said the man was arrested Tuesday and is facing charges that include inciting public unrest and violating Thailand's Computer Crimes Act. Gordon appeared before a Thai court Thursday, which denied him bail."

You'd think that the guy being Thai would know better than to insult the king in a blog...then return to the country and expect not to be arrested...

(which BTW, is fucking retarded as hell, but each country has its own laws...)

This is stupid. However your thread title probably doesn't apply. I imagine they arrested him specifically because he was Thai. They thought they could get away with it since he was born in Thailand and a former citizen. You could probably say anything you want about Thailand on-line or off and be fine as a regular non Thai tourist.

 

[Slick5150]

Having visited Thailand a couple years ago, the king is VERY highly revered there. There are shrines to him all over the place, basically in every business, on just about every major street intersection, etc... And you are told, as a visitor, not to do anything that is in any way insulting towards the king.

Silly, maybe. But, just best keeping your mouth shut about him while you're there.

 

[Brigandier]

Having visited Thailand a couple years ago, the king is VERY highly revered there. There are shrines to him all over the place, basically in every business, on just about every major street intersection, etc... And you are told, as a visitor, not to do anything that is in any way insulting towards the king.

Silly, maybe. But, just best keeping your mouth shut about him while you're there.

RabidMongoose and CanoWorms can't go to Thailand.

 

[Locut0s]

RabidMongoose and CanoWorms can't go to Thailand.

That's a good thing for the people of Thailand.

 

[Mike Gayner]

"Gee, I'm going to insult the king of my home country where it's widely known that doing so will result in a jail term, then visit that country for health care. Surely no one will notice".

Idiot.

 

[AlienCraft]

"Gee, I'm going to insult the king of my home country where it's widely known that doing so will result in a jail term, then visit that country for health care. Surely no one will notice".

Idiot.

:thumbsup:

 

[Brigandier]

"Gee, I'm going to insult the king of my home country where it's widely known that doing so will result in a jail term, then visit that country for health care. Surely no one will notice".

Idiot.

He insulted the king in a country where he was legally allowed to. I don't see where he insulted the king while in Thailand, I would have chanced it for cheap healthcare too.

 

[mcmilljb]

I wonder what the guy thought about the vehicle registration fees in Colorado.

 

[Harrod]

My parents once hosted a foreign exchange student from Thailand, she said that it was against the law to see the movie "the king and I", as you can imagine that was one of the first movies she wanted to watch when my parents took her to the movie store.

 

[Mike Gayner]

He insulted the king in a country where he was legally allowed to. I don't see where he insulted the king while in Thailand, I would have chanced it for cheap healthcare too.

So you think your neighbour should be able to fly to Somalia, sell state secrets to a foreign government, and fly back to the USA without repercussions? This law is abhorrent and Thailand should be condemned to any reasonable minded person. But the moron knew what he was doing.

 

[DangerAardvark]

Fuck the Thai king. Oh, and posting a link to a banned book is not insulting just because these Thai retards say it is.

Insulting the king? No. Fucking minors? Yes.

 

[Zebo]

Yup they take that serious over there. I was "stationed" in Thailand and every house business and taxi had King photo. When in Rome....

 

[richardycc]

how did it happen, so this guy insulted the king in his blog, the Thai FBI googled and found the insult. They blacklisted his name. He arrived at the airport, they got a hit on his name on the blacklist and arrested him??

 

[Lifted]

how did it happen, so this guy insulted the king in his blog, the Thai FBI googled and found the insult. They blacklisted his name. He arrived at the airport, they got a hit on his name on the blacklist and arrested him??

I believe he was actually living up in Issan for several months before they came for him. Either they just recently found the link on his blog or, more likely, somebody rated him out.

Every report of Les Majeste MUST be followed up on by the police.

The law in itself, whatever - it's their country and their traditions, but the fact that it gets used way too much during election periods shows just how much TPTB are actually concerned with the spirit of it. It's become nothing but a political weapon to attack your opponents with.

 

[darkswordsman17]

So you think your neighbour should be able to fly to Somalia, sell state secrets to a foreign government, and fly back to the USA without repercussions? This law is abhorrent and Thailand should be condemned to any reasonable minded person. But the moron knew what he was doing.

WTF is with people and making terrible analogies that don't prove their point at all?

 

[Squisher]

The King of Thailand is a big fat ninny. Nana nana boo boo.

*Squisher has thumbs in ears, and wiggles fingers, sticks out tongue*

 

[JSt0rm]

anyone else find it sad this guy is going to thailand for healthcare? Fuck we suck.

 

[alkemyst]

What's funny is if the king of thailand were a poster, everyone defending his right to punish this guy would turn 180 degrees and be calling him a douche.

 

[TheVrolok]

anyone else find it sad this guy is going to thailand for healthcare? Fuck we suck.

I found this interesting, I wonder why; does he get free healthcare over there and somehow here he can't afford it? The management of hypertension/gout would absolutely be better in the US, and it's not exactly "costly" either.

 

[BoomerD]

What's funny is if the king of thailand were a poster, everyone defending his right to punish this guy would turn 180 degrees and be calling him a douche.

I don't think anyone here is defending the actions of the Thai government...but not every nation grants people the same freedoms we've come to enjoy here.
For me, it's stupid of the man, who is originally from Thailand, and thus should know better, to post insulting comments and links to things considered offensive by the Thai government, then to go to Thailand and not expect problems.

SHOULD he be entitled to say whatever the fuck he wants about the King of Thailand? Certainly...but Thailand thinks differently.

 

[Lifted]

What's funny is if the king of thailand were a poster, everyone defending his right to punish this guy would turn 180 degrees and be calling him a douche.

The King doesn't punish anyone. In fact, the King finds this pretty archaic and more often than not pardons people convicted of Les Majeste. He has stated publicly that he doesn't consider himself above criticism.

 

[Lifted]

I don't think anyone here is defending the actions of the Thai government...but not every nation grants people the same freedoms we've come to enjoy here.

Like being arrested for flipping a cop the bird, or cursing at one?

Take the "respect" that people said we should have for police and military in the other thread, multiply it x 1,000,000, and that is the level of respect most Thai people have for the King, and feel everyone in Thailand (citizen or guest) should at least show towards the King.