New York Times front page article left blank in Thailand

(From AFP)

The International New York Times said its printer in Thailand removed an article on the moribund state of the kingdom’s economy, forcing the edition to carry blank spaces including on the cover on Tuesday.

It was the second time in 10 weeks that the paper has said its local printer declined to run an article, in a country where media freedoms have been increasingly curtailed since last year’s military takeover.

Tuesday’s newspaper was supposed to run a report headlined “Thai economy and spirits are sagging” and exploring the junta’s inability to jump-start the flagging economy.

It also touched briefly on succession concerns surrounding 87-year-old King Bhumibol, the world’s longest serving monarch who is revered but ailing.

Instead chunks of the front page and page six were blank and carried the sentence: “The article in this space was removed by our printer in Thailand. The International New York Times and its editorial staff had no role in its removal.”

A spokeswoman for the paper gave the same reply when asked for comment by AFP.

Eastern Printing PCL, the paper’s Thai printer, did not comment on why it pulled the piece when contacted by AFP. The article was still accessible online in Thailand.

On September 22, Eastern Printing failed to publish the entire newspaper because the Asia edition featured a detailed front-page article on the health of King Bhumibol, a hugely controversial topic in Thailand.

It also discussed anxieties over the succession.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, who does not enjoy his father’s widespread popularity, is next in line for the throne.
The monarchy is shielded by one of the world’s toughest lese majeste laws and prosecutions have surged since the military coup.

The media routinely self-censors when reporting on the monarchy for fear of falling foul of the broadly-worded law, which carries up to 15 years in jail for each count of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent.