Thailand arrest "American" for alleged king insult

[The_Hero_of_Men]

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[zboy1]

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Yes, I think its bull the American got arrested. On the other hand, anyone with half a brain that travels to Thailand knows that insulting the monarchy is a criminal offense in Thailand. This American was probably your typical "Ugly American" obnoxious idiot that thinks America is the "greatest country in the world." Respect the local culture and people will leave you alone and respect you.

[Rock]

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Yes, I think its bull the American got arrested. On the other hand, anyone with half a brain that travels to Thailand knows that insulting the monarchy is a criminal offense in Thailand. This American was probably your typical "Ugly American" obnoxious idiot that thinks America is the "greatest country in the world." Respect the local culture and people will leave you alone and respect you.

I highly doubt it. According to the article, he is a middle aged Thai American whose alleged infractions included translating portions of a book from English into Thai on American soil.

But I remember a few years back, there was a western fellow who got nabbed at Bangkok's airport for an old book he had written with just some sort of vague and ambiguous allusion to a royal monarch (not necessarily the one in Thailand). He distributed a whopping 7 copies of that book and one of them ended-up in the Chululongkorn Library (one of Thailand's top unis) I think. Therefore, you would assume it was tacitly approved in-country. Not so.

With the rise of the Internet, royalist censors are spending a lot of time searching and blocking websites which contain any content deemed to be les majeste. In-country offenders get arrested and often charged in the process. Jail terms can be lengthy. And the les majeste charge is being used as a political weapon within Thailand as well.

[DaRick]

But I remember a few years back, there was a western fellow who got nabbed at Bangkok's airport for an old book he had written with just some sort of vague and ambiguous allusion to a royal monarch (not necessarily the one in Thailand). He distributed a whopping 7 copies of that book and one of them ended-up in the Chululongkorn Library (one of Thailand's top unis) I think. Therefore, you would assume it was tacitly approved in-country. Not so.

The guy in question was Australian, I think...Harry Nickolades (sic?).

[ladislav]

Like it or not, those are Thai laws. But everything else 'goes' in Thailand. So, just accept it. Big deal! Anyone here is into insulting kings?

[odbo]

Big deal! Anyone here is into insulting kings?

it's sort of one of my passions

[OutWest]

Like it or not, those are Thai laws. But everything else 'goes' in Thailand. So, just accept it. Big deal! Anyone here is into insulting kings?

Rock's comments about how the Royalty laws in Thailand are being used is spot on.
On my own, I come from a LONG LINE of king insulters, rebellious rascals, and spreaders of
revolt against kings and other vermin.

That said...choose your battles...


Outwest

[momopi]

Lèse majesté is a criminal offense in Thailand.

Thai Criminal Code, Article 112: "Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years."

[ladislav]

In the Philippines insulting, threatening or publically defaming people as well as yelling at people seem to be criminal and not civil offenses. A person can be thrown in jail for yelling at someone. This is one of the reasons why Filipinos are so sweet and well behaved.
When in Rome, do as Romans do.

[MrPeabody]

That is one thing that really struck me living in Thailand. The King is hugely important. His picture is on every important public building. Every shopping center has a giant picture. On the news, anything the King does is headline news. You see a lot of ceremonies on television - the King feeding the white buffalo, and exchanging food and flowers with Buddhist monks. I never saw any American news covered on Thai television.

[Rock]

That is one thing that really struck me living in Thailand. The King is hugely important. His picture is on every important public building. Every shopping center has a giant picture. On the news, anything the King does is headline news. You see a lot of ceremonies on television - the King feeding the white buffalo, and exchanging food and flowers with Buddhist monks. I never saw any American news covered on Thai television.

Sounds like Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in N. Korea today or even a bit like Chiang Kai-shek back in 60s/70s Taiwan.

A few years ago, a long term expat to Thailand was caught on camera defacing portraits of the King with graffiti up in Chiang-Mai while very drunk. He was promptly arrested and later sentenced to a lengthy jail term (13 years I believe). But the case got a fair amount of international publicity and within a few months, the King pardoned him. Of course he was then immediately deported and permanently banned from the Kingdom.

[Rock]

Like it or not, those are Thai laws. But everything else 'goes' in Thailand. So, just accept it. Big deal! Anyone here is into insulting kings?

Well a lot of other things will set the Thais off, legal or not. If you swear or flip-off someone who drives or walks by, there's a good chance he will come back and fight you.

If you in anyway deface or damage a religious symbol, you may be attacked by a mob on the spot. I remember a retarded young Thai guy did this a few years ago in Bangkok and was promptly beaten to death by bystanders.

I've even seen a Russian guy beaten down by motosai guys in Pattaya just for pissing on the side of Walking St. into an adjacent soi.

Wouldn't you say Thais tend to be less easygoing and more along the lines of passive aggressive?

[MrPeabody]

I think the problem that the average guy reading this board has is that even though he acts decently, he is alone in a country where nobody wants him around. Decency isn't appreciated in America. In my opinion, it is a waste of time for him to even think about these extreme examples of behavior which he would never do anyway. Frankly, it's not his problem. He should really think about how he will fit in and how he will be treated, and how he will like living in the new country. If you are in a foreign country, avoid expat trouble makers completely, because you may become the victim of guilt by association.