An unconfirmed April 1^st report in Matichon says that foreigners in Thailand must seek prior permission from the Ministry of Culture if they intend to post material on a website while they are in Thailand.  This new regulation also covers contributions to an internet forum or blog.

Permission forms will be made available to all foreigners arriving in the country and on the Ministry of Culture website.  Conditions for foreigners wishing to host websites are even more demanding.

The purpose of the new regulations is not to censor free speech, says the Ministry, but to prevent comments that may damage the tourist industry or the country’s image.

The date of the report immediately aroused suspicions that the report is an elaborate hoax, and Matichon have since confirmed this.  However, as many observers have noted, the track record of the Thai bureaucracy in this area is littered with so many half-baked ideas, this hoax managed to achieve the essential quality of any good April Fool’s joke – a judicious mixture of plausibility and lunacy.

Unfortunately, officials in the Ministry of Culture appear to be among those taken in by the spoof. 

Information flows and the chain of command in the Thai bureaucracy are now so confused and ineffective that officials have become quite accustomed to finding out what to do by reading the papers.  This is especially true when the minister is the totally unqualified wife of a banned politician who conducts the real business of the ministry from his dining room.  Under such circumstances, it is understandably difficult for officials to know where to take orders from.

Any doubts that Ministry of Culture officials may have had about the authenticity of the Matichon story were dissipated when they started getting requests from Immigration Division officers, who had swallowed the same tall story and who wanted to know where the forms were.

Hoping that they could please the boss by getting a head start on the latest pet project, officials quickly developed a draft form.  This was passed up the layers of bureaucracy for revision and correction to quite a high level before anyone spotted that it was all based on a misunderstanding.

Prachatai has obtained a copy of this draft form, though of course it has not been possible to authenticate an inherently spurious document.  Prachatai feels that publication of this form will be a public service in that it will allow us all to appreciate the zealous way in which Thai culture is being guarded by the cultural bureaucrats.

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Form for Foreign Person who intent to Post Blog or Internet forum in Thailand

As for the prevention and protection of Thai culture and National image, all foreigner with O B or M visa intent to post blog or Internet forum must fill this Form KoWo 127/2552 before. 

(Note:  Foreigner intent to host blog, website, chat rooms or other internet are used to instead Form KoWo 127 Ko/2552)

Pleased to inform that must register for culture reason only.  Freedom to expression is policy of Royal Thai Government and politics expression is at liberty.  But Institution for Thai people is part of culture and above politic as many foreigner misunderstand.

Answer every questions.

First Name                                                        Name

Nationality                                                         Passport Number

Date of birth                                                      Age

Knowledge in Thai Culture

answer Yes (Y) or No (N)

1          Can you eat spicy food?

2          Can you speak Thai nidnoi?

3          You think Thai People are polite?

4          Can you ramwong?

5          Can you say full name of Bangkok?

Any answer N (No) will disqualify and must take Thai Culture Training Programme at Ministry of Culture (fee 1000 baht) before can apply again.

Choose right answer

1          You make visit National Park, Tourism Place or other with Thai friends and pay entrance fee higher three-four times.  Correct Thai culture is

a          complain speaking with loud noise and make unrest

b          use fake ID for Thai person

c           ask for bargain lower price

d          make Thai smile and do as told

2          You stop for red light at night and motorcycle hit your behind with three people, no light, no crash helmet.  Correct Thai culture is

a          tell that what they do wrong with loud noise

b          drive straightaway through red light

c           tell to policeman that you know high-ranking person

d          make Thai smile and do as told

3          You send application Form KoWo 127/2552 to Ministry of Culture and no reply for 6 month.  Correct Thai culture is

a          go to Ministry to complain in loud noise or telephone

b          write letter to Bangkok Post making Ministry official lose his face

c           ask Thai friend for help who know relative of Ministry high-rank official

d          make Thai smile and wait

Send return to Ministry of Culture for wait permission

a hill-top monastery in Mae