BBC editors to speak about media freedom at Thammasat University
Two BBC editors will host a lecture on media freedom in “an increasingly authoritarian world” at Thammasat University’s Tha Pra Chan campus on Wednesday. The speakers are Frans Unsworth, director of the BBC's World Service Group, and Iain Haddow, executive editor for Asia.
On Thursday at Chulalongkron University, Unsworth will be joined by Nation Multimedia Group editor Thepchai Yong in speaking about the digitalisation of the media.
The BBC’s operation in Thailand has been in headlines for its reports on Thailand’s leaders.
A controversial BBC Thai report in December, a translation from an original piece by the BBC World Service, gained more than 2,000 shares on Facebook.
It was published shortly before police went to its Bangkok office, which was empty by then.
A student activist, Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa, was charged under the lese majeste law and the Computer Crime bill for sharing the article.
Attempts to have Jatupat released from prison on bail have failed and he remains detained in Khon Kaen.
While never having an obvious quarrel with Thai authorities, BBC headquarters in London was contacted by the Foreign Ministry in November over another article on Thai royalty that the ministry labelled “biased on conjecture".