Censorship in Thailand

Censorship in Thailand is very significant. Harassment, manipulation, and strict control of political news was common under every government.

Freedom of speech was guaranteed in the 1997 Constitution of Thailand and those guarantees continue in the 2007 Constitution. Mechanisms for censorship have included strict lèse majesté laws, direct government/military control over the broadcast media, and the use of economic and political pressure. Criticism of the King is banned by the Constitution, although most lèse majesté cases have been directed at foreigners, or at Thai opponents of political, social and commercial leaders.

Thailand ranked 59th out of 167 countries in 2004 and then fell to 107th out of 167 countries in 2005 in the worldwide Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders. Thailand's ranking fell to 153rd out of 178 in 2010 and rose to 137th out of 179 in 2011–2012. In the 2014 index, Thailand ranked 130 of 180 nations.

Freedom of speech was guaranteed in the 1997 Constitution of Thailand. Those guarantees continue in the 2007 Constitution, which states in part:

The first instance of censorship in Thailand occurred with the advent of the first printing press in the country. Thailand's first law book was banned and all copies and the original manuscript were ordered destroyed.

Under the 1941 Printing and Advertisement Act, the Royal Thai Police Special Branch has the authority to issue warnings to publications for various violations such as disturbing the peace, interfering with public safety, or offending public morals.

According to a study by the Political Science Library at Thammasat University, from 1850 to 1999, 1,057 books and periodicals were officially banned by publication in the Royal Gazette, including many books considered one of the 100 books every Thai should read. Many titles reflect their era of anti-communist fervor but were published both in Thailand and abroad in Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Bahasa, English, German, French, and Spanish.

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