Saying Too Much: Dealing With Self-Censorship in Thailand [S5.E52]

Greg and Ed tackle the uncomfortable topic of
self-censorship in Thailand, especially as it pertains to the
podcast itself, and the churning, roiling issue of what you can
say, when, and how, which seem to be in the news every
day. 


Although it is unfortunate, the reality of working and
living in Thailand is that the laws and culture are not the same
as back home in the U.S. and Canada. Obviously, this means no
discussion of the monarchy, and Ed explains how he always advises
visiting friends to simply avoid discussion of the monarchy and
royal family in pretty much any context. This is good advice for
all foreigners in Thailand actually.


Second, the boys concur that although they do criticize the
government broadly, they make sure not to name specific
politicians or policymakers. Although technically no law forbids
it, strong and pointed criticism of the Thai government has a way
of ending up poorly for the critic, from sudden problems with
your visa to (in extreme cases) outright disappearance. On a
podcast that is not centered on political issues, it just ain't
worth the risk, and while the guys feel comfortable critiquing
the government broadly, that's about as far as they are willing
to go.


Last, Greg and Ed discuss Thailand's defamation laws, which
work differently than the laws back home where 'truth' is more or
less an absolute defense. In Thailand, even if you say something
true, you can be found guilty of violating another person's
privacy. As Ed put it, Thailand has a 'mind your own business'
culture, as opposed to the 'speak truth to power' culture we have
back home. 


All this being said, the guys admit that self-censorship is
fairly rare and not really a problem for a podcast focused on the
serious (and sometimes silly) aspects of living in Thailand as a
foreigner. 


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