VZCZCXRO8666
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHBK #2021/01 1842341
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 022341Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 5412
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3584
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 002021 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS EAP/PD, EAP/MLS, DRL 
PACOM FOR FPA 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KPAO TH
SUBJECT: Thai Media Sides with Opposition During Censure Debate 
 
REF: BANGKOK 1951 
 
BANGKOK 00002021  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) The recent censure debate over the performance of Prime 
Minister Samak's administration has swept the headlines with 
virtually all local Thai print and broadcast media outlets 
dedicating significant space and airtime to readouts on the daily 
action in the House.  Local print dailies devoted large portions of 
their June 25 - June 27 editions to coverage of the speeches and 
commentary from the floor, while many of the national television 
stations aired live coverage throughout the day from the 
parliamentary debate sessions.  The dispute over Preah Vihear 
temple, located on the Thai-Cambodian border, remained in the 
spotlight of all coverage.  Nearly all media outlets seemed to favor 
the opposition party in the debate, including Thai Rath, the most 
widely circulated print daily in Thailand, which nearly always shows 
support for the government in power, including the embattled Samak 
administration.  End Summary. 
 
CENSURE DEBATE DOMINATES THE NEWS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Local Thai coverage of the recent censure debate over the 
performance of Prime Minister Samak's administration dominated both 
print and broadcast media.  The majority of print dailies, as well 
as television and radio talk shows, devoted significant space and 
airtime to coverage of the daily parliamentary sessions.  Front page 
exposes, complete with full color photos and virtual play-by-play 
readouts of the debate action, were featured in the June 25 - June 
27 editions of nearly all print dailies.  Live coverage from the 
floor of the Parliament was featured throughout the day on many 
national broadcast outlets, including state-owned NBT (formerly 
Channel 11) and TV Thai, Thailand's first and only public 
broadcasting service. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The dispute over Preah Vihear was clearly the most visible 
and hotly debated issue, taking center stage in the media (Ref A). 
Headlines in the June 25 -June 27 editions of nearly all leading 
local print dailies made direct reference to the Preah Vihear issue 
and lead editorials focused solely on the government's controversial 
actions over this extremely sensitive dispute. 
 
MEDIA PLAYING FAVORITES; SIDING WITH OPPOSITION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Media coverage of the censure debate has been anything but 
unbiased and balanced, with the majority of media outlets clearly 
taking sides with the opposition.  Print media, which has always 
been known to openly criticize the government and enjoys a 
particularly antagonistic relationship with Samak himself, has come 
out fighting against the current administration.  The brunt of the 
punishment has centered on the shoulders of a few, particularly 
Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama, with Samak receiving some hard 
hitting blows as well.  For example, the June 25 edition of Khao 
Sod, a popular Thai-language print daily with a circulation of 
approximately 700,000, ran the headline "Abhisit, Samak Exchange 
Heated Debate; Noppadon Injured."  The same day's edition of Kom 
Chad Luek, another widely read Thai-language daily with a readership 
of about 800,000, ran several articles in which Prime Minister Samak 
and Foreign Minister Noppadon were harshly criticized on their 
performance in the House debate. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Some media observers have expressed concern over the clear 
bias demonstrated towards the opposition in recent media coverage. 
During a casual conversation at a June 25 lunch, the business news 
editor from Thailand's leading English-language business daily, The 
Nation, told AIO that she was dismayed at the way that the local 
media was covering the debate, saying it was "very bad that they 
were taking sides with the opposition," reasoning that the media 
should be providing more balanced reporting on such an important 
domestic political issue. 
 
AND THE TWIST 
------------- 
 
¶6. (U) In an interesting twist for local Thai print media, Thai 
Rath, the most widely read print daily in Thailand (readership of 
approximately 1.5 million) known for its consistent lean towards 
whichever government is in power, including the embattled Samak 
administration, came out against the government in this latest tete 
a tete with the opposition.  Its June 25 edition ran headlines about 
Democrat party leader Abhisit's deft attack on the Samak 
administration and contained an article that criticized Foreign 
Minister Noppadon, saying he was not in "good shape from the start" 
 
BANGKOK 00002021  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
where the Preah Vihear temple was concerned.  On June 26, Thai Rath 
also ran a lead editorial reading, "At least this censure debate 
will remind the Royal Thai Government of the responsibilities and 
priorities it must set." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Although the local Thai media, particularly print outlets, 
have been known to openly criticize the government, we have rarely 
seen the fervor with which they have shown their disdain of late. 
It appears that the Samak administration has hit a particularly 
sensitive nerve with its controversial treatment of the Preah Vihear 
dispute, and not even the press has remained immune to the 
nationalistic sensitivities it evokes.  On this issue in particular, 
and on the censure debate as a whole, the media has clearly taken 
sides and given this round to the opposition.  End Comment. 
 
JOHN