By far, the largest and most popular English language forum in Thailand is ThaiVisa (or Thai Visa), founded by a Swede named George some seven years ago. It's a fantastic resource, and many of the links you find on this blog were discovered on this forum. FrogBlog Thaidings recently conducted a fascinating interview with George (no last name is given), complete with graphs and maps that reveal all kinds of insight into this superb forum.
FrogBlog: In a way it’s a lose-lose situation for the moderators. Too much interference and they are accused of being heavy-handed, of having a ‘God complex’. Too little, and people complain that new members posting in good faith are being scared off, that posters are showing a lack of respect for Thailand. One of the more frequent moans is about moderation policy and censorship. So what would you say to those who complain about so-called moderator overkill, draconian measures, when the topics stray into 'sensitive' areas (and I'm not referring to lese majeste issues, take topics such as bar girls, or naming and shaming, for example). Can you sum up your views, and TV policy, in this respect?
George: If someone has been wrongly treated by a mod or admin on the forum, just drop me a line and we will investigate it. We have been advised by our lawyers to be very careful about commenting on certain issues, and we practise some "self censorship": in these areas. We have high ranking officials who read our forum, and the laws about libel and defamation are harsh.
It is important to realize that in Thailand nothing detrimental to any business or individual is permissible because of Thailand's strong laws against negative comments about individuals, businesses or officials. Defamation is both a civil and criminal offence in Thailand.
The final judgement can be ANY amount which the court approves, including jail time. It is in line with the perceived amount that the defamatory statements have cost the business. So, if the business claims you have cost them 2 million baht in lost business and reputation, they can then claim this in a civil suit.
Thailand is VERY active now in bringing defamation cases to the courts. With the constant battle between the governments & groups, the courts are establishing precedents that MAY NOT be in line with Western standards of free speech. These precedents WILL be applied to EVERYONE in Thailand.
Also, foreigners are just starting to realize this type of ‘strict’ law applies. We are beginning to see more and more defamation suits being brought from foreigners – and they are winning.
There is a standard of good taste that needs to be maintained. Some of the posts on Thaivisa.com definitely cross the line. It is one thing to make observations and report in a balanced fashion - but BASHING a business or “singling out” a business person is a definite no-no. All too often I see forum boards being used as a battle ground between businesses/individuals – either spamming or trashing. We have been advised to tighten our grip on this type of posting. Eventually someone is going to get pissed off enough to file a lawsuit.
This is a dilemma for us at Thaivisa, and we need to protect our members and the website from lawsuits. Please follow the forum rules is all we ask for.
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