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Media
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The Press
 The
Thai press is widely regarded as being the most independent
of any in Southeast Asia. Freedom of the press is guaranteed
under the 1997 Constitution and newspapers are free to comment
on political and social issues.
Thailand has two English-language
dailies, both printed in Bangkok and available nationwide.
Established in 1971, The Nation is the country’s independent
English language newspaper, owned and managed by Thais. The
Nation enjoys a loyal following among Thais with its strong
local and regional insights, and its firm editorial stance.
The paper gained international recognition for its unflinching
coverage of events during the bloody 1991 crack-down on students
by the National Peace-keeping Council. The Nation’s sister
publications include Krungthep Turakij, the country’s first
Thai-language daily, and Nation Junior, a tabloid sized publication
targeting students and the younger generation. The Nation
also prints the Asian Wall Street Journal and the Japanese
daily Yomiuri Shimbun from its printing complex in Bangkok.
The Bangkok Post is the other
English-language daily, set up in 1946 by an American editor.
The mass-circulation papers in Thailand are all Thai-language
and tend towards sensationalism. The most popular are Thai
Rath, the Daily News and, to a lesser extent, Matichon and
Siam Rath.
Bangkok Metro magazine is
worth checking for its well-written features and information
on entertainment and the arts. Metro is published monthly
and has sections on Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai.
Television
Thailand has six national
television channels, all based in Bangkok, with programs mainly
in Thai language. Some programs have English sub-titles or
the original English soundtrack on FM radio. The original
five channels—Channel 3, Channel 5, Channel 7, Channel 9 and
Channel 11, are either owned by the government or army, or
subject to tight programming controls. The newest station,
ITV, is the first independent television channel in Thailand.
ITV is the only channel offering unbiased news coverage of
events in Thailand. Reception of all six channels may not
be available in certain areas of the country.
The only cable TV operator
in Thailand is UBC, created from a merger between UTV and
IBC in 1998. UBC uses Digital Satellite Television DStv and
Fiber Optic Cable technologies and has about 25 channels all
told including BBC, Cinemax, CNBC, CNN, Discovery, ESPN, HBO
and TNT.
Radio
Thailand has upwards of 400
radio stations with more than 70 based in the metropolitan
area. Most stations broadcast in Thai language only. Some
offer English language programming with native English-speaking
DJs. The national public radio station is Radio Thailand,
broadcast in English language on FM 97. Popular radio stations
include 90.5 FM for Thai and English news programs, 95.5 FMX
for popular music with English-speaking DJs, 105 FM for easy-listening
music and English news programs, and 107 FM for golden oldies.
Bangkok traffic news is broadcast in Thai on 91 FM and 100
FM.
Short wave radio stations
include the Voice of America (VOA), BBC World Service, Radio
Canada and Radio Japan, all with English and Thai language
programs. Radio France Internationale and Deutsche Welle broadcast
short-wave programs in French and German languages, respectively.
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