Summary
Thai police arrested US academic Paul Chambers on charges of insulting the monarchy and violating computer crime laws, linked to remarks made during an online seminar.
Chambers, a political science professor at Naresuan University, was summoned after a complaint by the Thai Army.
He denied the charges and was denied bail, with no trial date set. Thailand enforces strict lèse-majesté laws under Article 112, carrying up to 15 years in prison.
And that, friends, is why it’s important to understand that when you travel to other countries, you’re a guest, and you need to fucking act like it.
Edit: my point is that not all countries have freedom of speech, and the consequences for violating it in some places are quite severe. I’m not saying freedom of speech and expression is bad, or not worth defending. Im saying you need to understand where protesting and civil disobedience will make a difference, and which countries will treat you as grist for the mill. You wouldn’t want to do something like this in the PRC or Russia, for instance, either.
It has nothing to do with being a guest. Dude lived in Thailand for years as he was teaching there and researching Thai police activities. He’s clearly going down for that not for not being careful.
This is the sole reason for the arrest. Besides, why are you arguing someone who has lived in a country for years is just a guest?
Soooo… are all those Americans and Europeans that call themselves expats, uh, immigrants?
Not quite. Immigrants intend to stay forever, while expats don’t (in my opinion).
That is, if these self-called “expats” do intend to stay forever and obtain citizenship they very much are immigrants who don’t want to call themselves immigrants.
The argument is symbolic. He’s still a foreigner and will always look and sound like a foreigner. His Thai friends will consider him part of the community, but he’s just some expat to everyone else.
I couldn’t agree more. I have been to Thailand several times and make it a point even among Thai you consider as friends to just never discuss the Monarchy. I made the mistake of bad mouthing the Pope once in the Philippines.
Hardcore Catholics are hardcore.
Having said that, as someone who grew up Catholic, let me tell you FUCK THE POPE AND THE VATICAN AS A WHOLE!
Yeah I agree with you, the person who scolded me was super progressive and gay. I am not often shocked.
Misdirected social justice. That’s like defending billionaires.
Me before becoming a U.S. citizen. “I find both parties worth studying. Very interesting from a foreigner’s point of view”.
Me after, and only after becoming a U.S. citizen: “FUCK THE REPUBLICANS, THEY SUCK ARMPITS!!!”
its always westerners doing these kinds of sht. i remember one where there is avideo of an american-chinese, went to chinas yulin festival and attacked one of the patrons/sellers there because he got mad because dogs were getting eaten. different culture, respect it, even if they are questionable things happening.
Or in the US, it seems.