Freedom of the Press has been the issue that people in the society put it into the top of today. Free television channels that you watch in Thailand, most of them have been controlled by the government. How the governments control them? Here is the background.
Starting with NBT (National Broadcasting Television) or formerly Channel 11, fully controlled by the government. This channel was found with the reason that government can be able to present their works to the public via this channel. Unfortunately, government from time to time use this channel as their advertising place and encourage the news department to present news that support whatever the government did.
Channel 9 was formally the Mass Communication Organization of Thailand (MCOT). This channel has been splitting out from government in 90’s and uses the new logo and presents it as “Modern Nine TV” and changes its organization at the cooperation. Unfortunately, the majority shares of this cooperation owned by the government. Therefore, government can still be able to control this channel. Channel 3 is also the subsidy of MCOT that allow private company to provide its contents.
Channel 5 is the military owned channel, provide information from the military side and the development from the military.
The newest channel that just born is Thai PBS, with the principle from the previous government lead by General Surayud Chulanon wanted this channel to provide the news and knowledge without commercial. Thai PBS received sin-tax from government to produce the contents and hire private companies to provide contents to the channel. I have been monitoring these six channels for years and I can tell that none of them provide the news that honest to the government. Thai PBS sometimes invited academicians that tell the truth of what government has done to the country, but still not being honest enough, unlike the BBC, the original public television channel that seems to be honest to its government more than Thai PBS.
With these reasons above, many middle class people who have money to afford cable TV service are likely to watch news from cable TV channels, such as Nation Channel, TNN and ASTV, only three 24 hours news channels in Thailand.
On Wednesday, PAD still demonstrated in front of Parliament Building. Thailand Prime Minister Samak Sunthoraweth revealed that he would not command police officers to use arm forces or attack civilians in the demonstration. But the situation on Friday shows that Samak was liar.
According to many news agencies in Thailand (except NBT) reported that since the government filed a lawsuit against the PAD and the civil court ruled the PAD to step off the Parliament area. Since the court’s judgment did not say very clear that they allow police officers to attack civilians or not. This situation made police officers used their power over what the court said, by attacking demonstrators with sticks and stump people over their feet.
Afternoon on the same day, civil court decided to cancel this judgment and wait for Supreme Court for further judgment. This situation has been criticized by many academicians and experts in political sciences, as well as Human Right Watch Organization and majority of senate that have the same point of view, saying that what police officers have done to civilians is unacceptable.
People Alliance for Democracy finally staged a biggest demonstration ever inside the fence of Parliament. The last whistle blowing of PAD started last Tuesday morning by staging a demonstration in front of The National Broadcasting TV or NBT that always presenting bias news.NBT is the one and only government owned channel that; of course, this channel, reporters and news anchors of this channel suppose to support government that pay their salary. People Alliance for Democracy uses this reason to stage a demonstration to NBT. Another reason that PAD mentioned was that NBT gives a chance for prime time hour for government supporters, to report the bias news, especially to support only the government. This demonstration on Tuesday has been criticized from people around the country, with the reason that the PAD ruins the freedom of the media, which throws the big mass of negative to PAD. We cannot disagree that what PAD has done last Tuesday was ruining freedom of the press, but if we look at this situation carefully, the reason that PAD that staged a rally at NBT was making sense. I always wonder why we need the government television channel. Many civilized countries around the world don’t have government media. I need to remind you that government media always report stories from government side, which truly show that we cannot find the unbiased or fairness from this kind of media.
Starting with NBT (National Broadcasting Television) or formerly Channel 11, fully controlled by the government. This channel was found with the reason that government can be able to present their works to the public via this channel. Unfortunately, government from time to time use this channel as their advertising place and encourage the news department to present news that support whatever the government did.
Channel 9 was formally the Mass Communication Organization of Thailand (MCOT). This channel has been splitting out from government in 90’s and uses the new logo and presents it as “Modern Nine TV” and changes its organization at the cooperation. Unfortunately, the majority shares of this cooperation owned by the government. Therefore, government can still be able to control this channel. Channel 3 is also the subsidy of MCOT that allow private company to provide its contents.
Channel 5 is the military owned channel, provide information from the military side and the development from the military. 
The newest channel that just born is Thai PBS, with the principle from the previous government lead by General Surayud Chulanon wanted this channel to provide the news and knowledge without commercial. Thai PBS received sin-tax from government to produce the contents and hire private companies to provide contents to the channel. I have been monitoring these six channels for years and I can tell that none of them provide the news that honest to the government. Thai PBS sometimes invited academicians that tell the truth of what government has done to the country, but still not being honest enough, unlike the BBC, the original public television channel that seems to be honest to its government more than Thai PBS. 
