The Facebook page of the National Peace and Order Maintenance Council (NPOMC) has been stormed by song requests from Thai Internet users who have been frustrated by Thai nationalist right-wing songs from WWI, WWII and the Cold War era, played repeatedly when all broadcast media were ordered to stop broadcasting.
Some of the requests and comments are:
"Uncle, as I have to listen to this all day and all night, could you please play songs of Sib Lor?"
"Can you play Bodyslam's song? I've listened to your songs until I'm soooo patriotic."
"I like your songs so much. Can I buy them on iTune? I've listened to them all day. It has made me so patriotic. I can hear my heart beat. I feel so glitzy!"
"Listened to them all. I can remember all the lyrics now."
The comments on the NPOMC Facebook page from frustrated Internet users requesting pop songs.
The songs played by the NPOMC usually stress the unity of the nation, talk about threats to the nation and encourage all Thais to love the country and fight the enemy, whether they are foreign or Thai.
Nak Phaendin (The Motherland's Cancer), for example, was composed in 1975 and used extensively by the Thai authorities as a propaganda tool against left-wing university students and the Communist Party of Thailand. The song implied that the burden of the nation which should be eliminated was the left wing students. The song played a role in arousing hatred toward the left wing students which culminated in the 1976 Massacre at Thammasat University, Bangkok.
The song was played frequently by the now-defunct pro-establishment People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) or the yellow shirts.
All TV channels broadcast a still image, showing the logos of the Defence Forces, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Police and play nationalist songs.
There are other comments.
"Please return the soap operas. I'm so bored. The 7 Eleven was also closed because of the curfew. Nothing to eat":
"Can you show a better program, such as an MV or a movie.?”
However, Thai media have reported that all the analogue free TV stations, except the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS), will be allowed to broadcast their normal programmes soon.
