ECONOMIST QUOTES OFFICIAL BAN

The Economist has cited an official ban on its magazine in Thailand as the reason behind its non distribution here for the last two weeks.
In an email forwarded to The Bangkok Bugle by a regular reader, an unnamed person within The Economist Subscription Center wrote: "We regret to inform you the recent 2 issues dated 24th & 31st Jan 09 has been ban in Thailand country due to sensitive articles (sic)." Subscription fulfillment for The Economist is handled from Singapore by Quadrant, a UK company owned by Reed Business Information.
The AFP agency wrote on Monday quoting an Asia Books employee: ""The magazine carried some articles relating to a sensitive issue, so we decided not to order it."
The Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT) organization announced last week it was planning to support subscribers who wished to take legal action against The Economist for the non-delivery of their magazines.
If there IS an official ban it's not widely known. I believe the person writing from the subscription department has been supplied incorrect information. Both articles, the one in the current edition and the one from last week, remain accessible online from within Thailand where the two that led to the early December non distribution are officially blocked by Thailand's Ministry of Communications and Technology.