171 Country Report: Information Network

“Traditional Periodicals”

Bangkok Post: This daily newspaper company was founded in 1946 by Post Publishing PCL, making it the country’s second oldest newspaper and the currently most read English-language newspaper. Their articles are available in paper and digital formats, and are published from the company headquarters located in Bangkok, Thailand. Their website includes a special education section, with resources intended to help Thai people learn how to read and use English. Due to Thailand’s strict media censorship by the military government, The Bangkok Post is a comparatively free news source, but likely still abides by self-censorship in order to avoid conflict with political entities. They report on a wide variety of topics, such as the latest news in sports, business, politics, and world issues.

More information about the newspaper’s history, editorial stance, and sections can be found on their Wikipedia page (“Bangkok Post”), or their website which can be reached at https://www.bangkokpost.com/. They also have social media pages, with the usernames (@BangkokPost) on Facebook and (@BangkokPostNews) on Twitter.

This newspaper was selected because of its status as a major leading news source, that covers a wide range of topics and is updated daily. Because I do not have Facebook or Twitter accounts, I am unable to follow their pages. However, I plan to periodically check their platforms for trending posts or recent events.

The Nation: Founded in 1971 and owned by Nation Multimedia Group, The Nation was previously named “The Voice of the Nation.” They are an independent newspaper that publishes articles from their headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. While the news outlet previously had a paper edition available, the print issues were discontinued with the final broadsheet being published in 2019. They currently operate solely through their online platforms, and claim to be “Thailand’s most updated English news website.” Their topics of news coverage includes business, life, tech, education, international, and more.

The news outlet can be accessed online via their website https://www.nationmultimedia.com/, or through their Facebook page (@TheNationThailand).

I chose this newspaper because it is updated frequently and is available in English. Since I do not speak Thai and the Translate feature is not always the most reliable, I wanted to have a couple of sources that I could readily read. Their news coverage and stories appear to be similar to those of Bangkok Post, so I plan to alternate between the two sites every other week.

GQ Thailand: A Thai-edition of the international men’s magazine. While the original American-edition was launched in 1931, the Thai-edition was started much more recently in 2014 with a license agreement from Serendipity Media Co. Ltd.. Approximately 250,000 copies of the Thai-edition magazine were circulated at the magazine’s initial release date. Members that are subscribed to the magazine will receive issues on a monthly basis, and the content featured acts as a “guide to life for men in 20 countries around the world.” Articles may feature famous celebrities, showcase the latest in fashion and technology, recent trending events, or other similar content. 

The GQ website is available at https://www.gqthailand.com/, but followers can also stay up-to-date with their postings on social media platforms such as on Instagram (@gqthailand), or on Facebook (@gqmagazinethailand).

Because the magazine primarily uses the Thai language, it can be difficult to read the stories and social media postings without a Translate feature. However, if a Translate feature is available (or even just utilizing the images) I think that the GQ magazine can act as a good glimpse into the life of younger Thai men, so we can see what aspects of pop culture they find important. While GQ definitely showcased a lot of Thai celebrities that I did not recognize, the magazine also included a lot of western celebrities and events that I am more familiar with, which I thought was a little surprising.

Thairath (lit. ไทยรัฐ): Thailand’s oldest newspaper written in the native language and the most widely circulated nationwide, Thairath originally started in 1950 under the name “The Weekly Pictorial,” before being renamed in 1962. Copies are sold as a physical broadsheet with its formatting split into two sections. The first section primarily focuses on recent events, and the newspaper is particularly known for having coverage on crime and accidents. The second section covers entertainment, including things such as sports, technology, and automotive, among other things. They also own a “Tairath TV,” a 24-hour television channel that broadcasts the news or other entertainment programs.

For more information about Thairath, the Wikipedia page is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thairath. Additionally, the newspaper’s website is https://www.thairath.co.th/home, and they utilize various social media platforms such as YouTube (@Thairath Online), Instagram (@thairath), and Facebook (@Thairath).

Since Thairath uses the Thai-language to communicate information with readers, I am unable to understand their publishings without the use of Translator. However, even when Translator is on, sometimes it struggles to translate everything in a “proper” way, which can make it difficult to follow their news stories. I would recommend this news-source for someone who either understands Thai, or is willing to use Translate.

Silpa Wattanatham (lit. ศิลปวัฒนธรรม): Known in English as “Art & Culture,” the magazine was started in 1979 by Sujit Wongthes, a Thai journalist, historian, and author. Originally launched as a semi-academic magazine, the publications aim to present information pertaining to Thailand’s art and culture, such as Thai literature, history, and archeology. It is credited with popularizing many of these topics and allowing for the masses to consume information that was previously restricted to academic communities, especially since the magazine presents research in a manner that is easy to read and understand. The editorial department also holds monthly meetings for members of the “Art and Culture Club,” where they organize academic meetings.

The magazine’s website is linked at https://www.silpa-mag.com/, but will require use of the Translate feature or someone who is able to understand the Thai-language. The same is true for their social media accounts, since  their Twitter (@Silpa_Mag) and Facebook (@SilpaWattanatham) primarily use Thai.

While it can be somewhat difficult to understand what the magazine’s website is trying to convey due to the inaccuracies of the Translate feature, it is a beautiful website to look through. The magazine is unique from the other resources included in this Information Network, as it includes perspectives and topics that are completely different from the rest.

“New Media”

Fan Club Thailand: An online magazine created by the Official Tourism Authority of Thailand (UK and Ireland), with the intention of promoting Thailand tourism. On their platforms they share travel tips, stories, and photos, as well as aspects of the country’s culture and holidays. They also provide information on how to apply for legal documents to travel to Thailand, and health safety initiatives following the global pandemic. By using advice from this online magazine, tourists are able to act as responsible guests, respecting the local laws and customs.

Updates are shared through their website https://fanclubthailand.co.uk/, or social media accounts on Twitter (@fanclubthailand), Instagram (@fanclubthailand), and Facebook (@fanclubthailand).

Although they refer to themselves as an “online magazine,” I think that it would be more accurate to say that they are a blog, since they do not present their information in a “magazine-like fashion.” Furthermore, while they do not necessarily focus on current events and news coverage in quite the same way as newspaper outlets, I think that they are a good resource for seeing how the government is responding to the pandemic, and reopening for tourism which will impact aspects of their economy. It is also a good resource for learning about the local culture, so I have followed their Instagram account and will be able to see their posts.

My-Thai: Initially created as a private blog for Sascha, the blog’s owner and creator, to share his personal experiences while in Thailand, the website has since developed into a website that aims to provide “current news and views on developments in Thailand.” There are two main authors that contribute articles to the blog, as well as a regular guest contributor. Articles are periodically updated, with a new post usually being made about once a week. The blog features a wide range of topics, with the categories being focused on interviews, news, technology, or other resources for people that are interested in visiting, or just learning more, about the country of Thailand.

The URL is https://my-thai.org/, and each of the writers’ social media accounts can be found on the website’s author page at https://my-thai.org/about/thai-org-authors/.

I think that this blog provides a lot of good information that is unlike the other resources that I have found, and it was also the first one that I have found which includes a section for a “Thai dictionary,” which is updated with words and phrases that the owner has found to be helpful. Furthermore, it is unique since it includes a section for “teaching,” that includes tips and advice for people who wish to pursue education in Thailand, or are looking for a job as an educator.

Richard Barrow in Thailand: Claiming to be one of the first and currently the longest-active blogger in Thailand, Richard Barrow has been sharing his life and travels online since 1998. Originally from the United Kingdom, he moved to Thailand 27 years ago. When he is not blogging, he has a job running a computer department for a school in Samut Prakan. He has said that, “I have been working for this school since 1994. This is my home now. I am not going anywhere.”

His website can be found at https://www.richardbarrow.com/. He also has a presence on social media platforms, such as on Twitter (@RichardBarrow), Instagram (@RichardBarrow), and Facebook (@RichardBarrowThailand).

While he does not post on his online blog everyday, he does update it every couple of weeks. Additionally, he does post daily on his social media accounts, with either recent news on the pandemic, events going on in Thailand, or other things in his life that he wants to share. One thing that is unique about his blog, is that he recently started creating a weekly newsletter, which is called “Letters from Thailand” and can be subscribed to on his website.

“Social Media”

Pantip: A popular online discussion forum, with widespread use across Thailand. In the past couple of years the website has consistently ranked in the top 10 of most-used-websites in Thailand. Members can share share their discussions on forum boards, and are expected to abide by the netiquette rule system which are actively enforced. Comments that talk about politics or current events are often cited in the press, as a gauge of the general public’s mood and opinions on certain issues.

The forum can be reached online at their webpage https://pantip.com/, and additional information about the website’s community and history can be found on the Wikipedia page (“pantip.com”).

Because this website is a discussion forum that uses the Thai-language to communicate, I have to use Google Translate in order to understand what is being talked about. However, because Translate is not always the most reliable, it can be a little tricky to follow threads. Additionally, because the website is an online discussion forum, it does not necessarily cover news stories or events that are super applicable to the overall country or government. I plan to use this website to more-so understand things that they consider to be important, such as notable figures, or to observe the things that they share on social media.

NextShark: A relatively young company, Benny Luo founded NextShark in 2013. It was created as an online news aggregator that focuses on publications for Asian-American youth, including news content of viral pop culture happenings, politics, technology, lifestyle, and more. The company’s platforms update a couple of times throughout the day, which allowed for the start-up to quickly grow and become a leading source for Asian American news.

News updates from NextShark can be found on a variety of online platforms, and they even have their own app which can be dowloaded from the App Store (Apple @NextShark & Google Play @NextShark). Additionally, their work is available on their website https://nextshark.com/, or their social media accounts on Instagram (@NextShark), Twitter (@NextShark), and Facebook (@NextShark).

While NextShark does not exclusively focus on Thailand, they do occasionally update their stories to focus on the country. Furthermore, I included them in the “social media” category because they have an especially large presence on social media platforms, and even have their own app. I follow their account on Instagram and that is where I initially heard about Thailand’s move to legalize marijuana, which is what prompted me to focus on Thailand’s prison system for my final country report. I think that it is a good resource to find trending news and events, that are quick and easy to access, as well as engaging for young readers.

Dek-D: This website was created in 1999 as a space for Thailand’s youth to readily access education-related content. Members that are a part of the online community are able to contribute to discussion forums, create original content or view curated content, and even publish on the writer’s section which acts as a platform for web fiction: Many web novels that are posted have been adopted by publishers and made into professional television series. As of 2018, the website has approximately three million visitors every month, making it one of Thailand’s most-visited websites.

The webpage is linked at https://www.dek-d.com/. The company that operates everything is Dek-D Interactive Co. Ltd., and they also manage an app called “Niyay Dek-D Novels,” which is the largest library for digital-based novels in Thailand. The app is available in the Google Play store (@Niyay Dek-D – Read novels) and Apple app store (@Niyay Dek-D – Thai novel).

I would recommend this website to people who are interested in reading online web-comics, such as Webtoons, since the content is somewhat similar. There is also a lot of resources available on the website regarding education and university admissions. However, the platform utilizes the Thai-language, so the Translate feature is necessary to understand what is being conveyed, unless someone is able to read Thai.

“Data Sources”

The World Bank (Open DataBank): Headquartered in Washington, D.C., The World Bank acts as one of the world’s largest international organizations that offers financial assistance to developing countries. They host the online DataBank, which provides access to data that is collected through “sample surveys of households, business establishments, or other facilities.” The data primarily focuses on World Development Indicators, which is data that can be compared to assess a country’s progress on development. The data is expansive and extensive, covering categories in economy & growth, education, environment, agriculture &. rural development, and more.

The World Bank’s website outlines their mission statement and measures they are taking to achieve their goals at https://www.worldbank.org/en/home. More specific to the country of Thailand, the datasets that they have available can be found at https://data.worldbank.org/country/TH.

I really like using The World Bank’s database, since it has so much information available, which is easy to read and assess through their use of graphs. Furthermore, because they have information collected on other nations as well, I can compare Thailand to other countries and see how they have developed over time.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (dataUNODC): Created about two decades ago in 1997, the UNODC has a mission to “make the world safer from drugs, organized crime, corruption and terrorism. [They] are committed to achieving health, security and justice for all, […] and promoting peace and sustainable well-being.” Headquartered in Austria, their organization collaborates with national governments to collect data from surveys and update their online datasets. The data is organized based on region, and is focused on information that relates to crime or criminal justice. The UNODC encourages governments to take a transnational approach in their actions, since many crime-related problems are too large in scale for any country to address on their own. As an office that belongs to the United Nations, the UNODC meets and publishes an annual report that is “results-based.”

Additional background information about the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime can be found on their “About page” at https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/index.html, and the data that their organization has compiled on Thailand can be found at https://dataunodc.un.org/content/Country-profile?country=Thailand. They also update their Twitter (@UNODC) and Facebook page (@UNODC) daily.

As an office of the intergovernmental organization, the United Nations, data collected by the UNODC is more reliable and accurate than other sources. Furthermore, the datasets by UNODC can be viewed online and are easy to assess since they are organized by country profile and are displayed in a visual manner through the use of infographics and charts. They also include a section that shares the status of ratification of drugs and crime conventions and protocols, which can be interesting to look through. I found their information through some of the sources that I am using for my country report, so their data helped to inform those articles as well.

National Statistical Office of Thailand: As the government of Thailand’s official statistics surveyor, the National Statistical Office (NSO) acts as an agency under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. While their offices are headquartered in Bangkok, their organization has several administrative branches and units, including provincial offices. They collect information pertaining to many different statistical themes like economics, population & society, the environment & energy, industry & construction, and more.

More information about Thailand’s National Statistical Office can be found on their Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Statistical_Office_(Thailand), or on their website http://web.nso.go.th/index.htm.

Although their website looks like it is fresh from the 1990s, they have a large amount of data available and on a variety of topics. Most of the data that they share on their website is collected by their own NSO offices, but they also have data that is from other government agencies as well. However, after looking through their website, I think that there are some gaps in their collected information; many of their datasets are older and do not include more recent measurements, or the years that they did collect data are somewhat sporadic… It is not as comprehensive as I would have liked.

“Visual & Audio-Based”

Channel NewsAsia (CNA): A multinational television news channel meant to act as an alternative for Western-based media sources, by presenting “news from an Asian perspective.” Launched in 1999, CNA is owned by Mediacorp News and is headquartered on their campus in Queenstown, Singapore. While they mainly focus on sharing news as an English-language television channel, they also broadcast and produce media in Singapore’s other official languages; Chinese, Tamil, and Malay. In 2015 it was estimated that the  broadcast reached 58 million households in 26 countries, with an additional 14 million households gaining access once they began broadcasting in India. Their news coverage is extensive, with segments covering events and affairs from international countries across Asia. A list of some of the programs broadcast by CNA can be found on the Wikipedia page (“List of programmes broadcast by CNA“). Despite having wide coverage of Asian affairs, the CNA website updates daily to include articles that are specifically focused on Thailand.

The 24-hour multinational news is broadcast domestically as a “free to air news channel” and as a “pay television channel” for 29 various territories throughout Asia and Oceania. The network can be accessed online through various platforms, with their website linked at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/. They also occasionally livestream via their YouTube account (@CNA), and host talk-show programs through their complementary radio station counterpart (@CNA938). The network also has a social media presence on Twitter (@ChannelNewsAsia) and on Facebook (@ChannelNewsAsia).

Because the government of Thailand imposes strict media censorship rules on local media outlets, I wanted to find a news outlet source that is not domestic. I hope to check their website at least once a week, so that I can compare their coverage and perspectives of news stories to local outlets.

Thai PBS: The public broadcasting service was launched in 2008 and was established as a state agency with legal personality, but not a state enterprise or government agency. It operates under Thailand’s Public Broadcasting Service Act (BE 2551 of 2008), so under this act they do not use any form advertising, sponsored articles, product placements, or paid collaborations. As such, it is Thailand’s first public broadcasting service and is financed through “sin taxes” on tobacco and alcohol. Because the organization was created with financial independence, it is not as susceptible to political and commercial influence as other news outlets.

They have a live streaming function available at https://program.thaipbs.or.th/live, and their website is linked at https://www.thaipbsworld.com/. They also utilize social media platforms, including Facebook (@ThaiPBSWorld), Twitter (@ThaiPBSWorld), Instagram (@ThaiPBSWorld), and YouTube (@ThaiPBSWorld).

I selected Thai PBS because it is a public broadcasting service that is less likely to deal with political interference as my other resources. However, because I do not speak Thai, I am unable to listen to their live streams. I instead plan to check their website once a week, so I can read their translated-to-English news stories, and see what is trending on their political and general pages.

The Bangkok Podcast: This podcast has two hosts named Greg Jorgensen and Ed Knuth, who were both originally from western countries but have moved and currently reside in Thailand. Started in 2010, The Bangkok Podcast has weekly chats that focus on different “topics near and dear to those living here, those visiting here, or those who are just curious about what it’s like to live in Asia’s craziest city.” With 95 reviews on Apple, the podcast has a 4.5/5 star rating, and each episode varies in length from around 30 minutes to an hour.

The weekly episodes can be accessed on their website https://www.bangkokpodcast.com/, or listened to on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/71nfvyqI6ytceVkSDaM1It, Audible at https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Bangkok-Podcast-Podcast/B08K57DLFJ, or Apple at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bangkok-podcast-conversations-on-life-in/id372985372.

While the podcast has hundreds of episodes to tune into, I especially appreciated one of their more recent ones titled “Saying Too Much: Dealing With Self-Censorship in Thailand.” They share their experiences with censorship while living and working in Thailand, and operating their own podcast which has to abide to local laws. They particularly talk about defamation laws, and how these rules might work differently than similar laws that are imposed by western countries. I think that this episode is a compelling listen, given the content our class is reviewing.

BBTVC Channel 7 HD: Consistently ranked as Thailand’s most watched television channel, the full and formal name of the free-to-air network is “Bangkok Broadcasting & Television Company Limited Channel 7.” Launched and headquartered in Bangkok since 1967, the television channel was the first to broadcast in color within Mainland Southeast Asia. They broadcast a wide variety of content, such as recent and trending news, sporting events, ceremonies, television programs, and more.

As a television station Channel 7 can be watched-live within Thailand, or overseas with a VPN. They also have a website at https://www.ch7.com/, as well as a YouTube channel which uploads short clips daily (@Ch7HD). Additionally, there are two Wikipedia pages that include further details about the news channel, with one being in English (@Channel 7 (Thailand)) and the other one in Thai, which can be translated using a web Translate feature (@News Channel 7HD).

I had fun looking through this resource’s content and comparing it to our television outlets here in the west. However, because the channel uses the Thai-language and there are not any reliable features to translate videos, it is extremely difficult to understand what they are conveying, and I would not necessarily recommend this as a source for people who are trying to learn more about the media in Thailand, unless they can speak Thai, or have access to someone who is willing to translate.

Cool 93 Fahrenheit (FM 93.5): With “adult-contemporary easy-listening music” being streamed 24 hours a day, the COOL 93 Fahrenheit FM channel is one of the most popular radio stations in the region. The broadcasting station has been playing music since 2004, with the target audience consisting of “working age listeners.”

More information can be found on their website at https://www.coolism.net/, but will require a Translate feature since the text is in Thai. However, The Bangkok Post (a newspaper resource that is listed above) did write an article on the radio station in English, which can be accessed at https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1414906/coolism-radio-is-not-dead.

Because the station plays Thai music, I am unable to understand what they are saying… But the music is calming to listen to and would make a good resource for people that are interested in learning the language, or being exposed to new music.