Category Archives: Journalism

Thaksin royal pardon has Thailand coup watchers on alert as the 9s line up again

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Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the campaign trail at Sara Buri - testing times ahead with royal decree application to pardon brother Thaksin. Photo: Courtesy PTP

After just 106 days in office the coming days promise to be a tense period for the government of Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (ยิ่งลักษณ์ ชินวัตร), with conditions approaching ideal for the Royal Thai Army (กองทัพบกไทย) to mount the country’s 19th coup d’état since absolute monarchy rule was abolished 79 years ago. Already the subject of strong public criticism over the way in which her government has handled the 2011 Thailand flood, public anger at the government’s plan to request a royal pardon for prisoners, including her disgraced older brother fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (ทักษิณ ชินวัตร), is drawing heated condemnation from those opposed to the disgraced former leader’s return. Royal pardon discussion on back of blatant lie The … Continue reading →

War of words over Chiang Mai tourist deaths report

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60 Minutes New Zealand report on the Chiang Mai tourist deaths

When New Zealand 60 Minutes reporter Sarah Hall wrapped her arms around a tearful Emma Carter in the final seconds of its To die for episode on the death of her daughter Sarah Carter while staying at the Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai, Thailand earlier this year, few people could be forgiven for thinking that the evidence was overwhelming that chlorpyrifos poisoning was to blame, and Chiang Mai authorities were guilty of a sinister cover-up. However, while 60 Minutes was careful to use the word “theory” twice in the programme, statements by its expert, scientist Dr Ron McDowall, in the final minutes of the programme that the symptoms exhibited by Ms Carter prior to her death “perfectly” fitted with chlorpyrifos … Continue reading →

Chiang Mai tourist death hotel mystery remains – governor slams foreign media report

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Chiang Mai Provincial Governor; Mom Luang Panadda Diskul slammed foreign media reports

This story was updated at 10:25am May 15, 2011. Additional/ edited text in green type. Mystery still surrounds the deaths of six foreign tourists and a Thai national tourist guide who stayed at The Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai earlier this year, with Provincial Governor ML Panadda Disakul criticising foreign media for exaggerating news that the Dow Chemical Co. chlorpyrifos was found in the room of dead New Zealand woman Sarah Carter. Mr. Panadda also dismissed claims made by a New Zealand-based United Nations scientist, who told New Zealand’s 60 Minutes program last Sunday that in his opinion Ms. Carter had been “killed by an overzealous [insecticide] sprayer”, saying there is no medical proof. On the 60 Minutes report Dr. … Continue reading →

Leaked dead Osama bin Laden photo or not?

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Photo purporting to be a leaked photo of a dead Osama bin Laden

Is this photo purporting to show a dead dead Osama bin Laden a fake or real photo of the Saudi-born businessman and the world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden? Late on the evening of Tuesday, May 3, 2011, image No1 was posted on LiveLeak purporting to be a leaked US administration photo of a dead Osama bin Laden being cradled in the hands of a US special forces soldier. The photo ran with the caveat: “Note: Liveleak cannot confirm the authenticity of this Osama Bin Laden dead picture” Internet observers quickly pointed out that reports from the White House had previously stated that Osama bin Laden had been killed by a single gunshot wound to the left eye, and … Continue reading →

Media wars – How to fail at international media relations the UDD way

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Publishing defamatory statements about people is punishable by jail and financial restitution in Thailand

In the techno-savvy 21st century where the latest breaking news is just a 140-character tweet away and where even radio has been relegated to a back-row seat, it’s now more important than ever for corporations, organizations and lobby groups to tightly control and monitor their media relations. While maintaining good relations with the vernacular media is a necessity that goes without saying, good relations with the international media is (should) have been almost as important. For the past 18-days the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), aka the “red-shirts”, have been holding a mass rally on Phan Fa Bridge in central Bangkok in its latest – possibly a do or die – attempt to force Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit … Continue reading →

AFL slays Australian media

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When Melbourne’s Channel Seven network broke the news last week that players at a Melbourne based AFL club were receiving therapy for illegal drug use and that a leading player from the same club had been investigated for drug trafficking they rapidly became the pariah of the Australian news media. Rival media organisations and commentators looking to gain favour with the AFL quickly whipped themselves into a frenzy in their attempts to use the most condemning superlatives they could think of to criticise the actions of Dylan Howard who broke the story, as well as the network.

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