NO ECONOMIST MAGAZINE IN THAILAND
The Economist magazine will not be distributed in Thailand this week for what publishers describe as sensitive political content. The story also makes mention of the Thai royal family.
This is the fourth edition of the magazine that has not appeared in the Kingdom this year. The issues of July 4, April 18 and January 24 failed to make it to subscribers and bookshops.
According to the publishers own most recent figures (Jul-Dec 08) The Economist has a circulation of 6,159 copies in Thailand, and 133,846 copies throughout Asia. I understand this figures includes around 1,800 subscriber copies, as well as those copies which are the subject of bulk distribution agreements.
Earlier this year Police Lt. General Thiradet was quoted as saying Thai distributors should help screen magazine content that is "offensive to the crown". None of the magazines that have failed to appear have been the subject of any official ban, and indeed all the stories were deemed to be causing problems are still freely accessible on the Internet.
At this early stage it is unclear whether the decision not to distribute has been made by the publisher or by its Thai distribution company. Subscribers have been informed by email and subscriptions extended by one issue to compensate for the missing edition.
3 comments:
It's almost more newsworthy to announce when Economist IS being distributed, such are the number of times it is withheld.
Yeah, it's getting ridiculous isn't it?
This time, from what I can establish, it's the publishers that have decided not to distribute the magazine - not anyone inside Thailand. If that is indeed what has happened it would be something new. Each time in the past it has been the distributors that have refused to handle the magazines.
You mention newsworthy. The last time this happened in July there was zero mainstream media coverage in Thailand and only one or two mentions elsewhere. I think this time it could be tagged onto any planned coverage of the rally tomorrow by overseas media.
Thank you for linking us to the Economist story, which I have now read. I imagine that the disappearance of the magazine for week was all down to one single sentence. The last one. Plus ca change, etc...
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