Showing 21 - 30 of 50
Update the computer law
News, Editorial, Published on 18/04/2018
» If events over the past two weeks do not convince the government to write an actual law covering computer fraud, maybe nothing will. The first unfortunate event was to threaten a Chiang Mai magazine editor with a computer crime charge over something that had nothing to do with computers (or crime, come to that). The second was the reluctant admission by the country's second mobile phone company of security misbehaviour, putting tens of thousands of customers at risk. That is not a crime.
A failure to communicate
News, Editorial, Published on 20/03/2018
» The public are about to receive a bill for tens of billions of baht for goods they didn't order. It says right on the bill itself that people don't even want most of the items. But unless there is a major change in business demands, agency recommendations and government attitude the bill will come due within weeks. The payment will save digital TV operators and mobile phone company executives who made terrible decisions, and now want the country to bail them out.
Public lose the airwaves
News, Editorial, Published on 13/03/2018
» The junta is poised to "reset" the regulatory body that makes all the key decisions about radio, TV and mobile phones. Secret meetings of selectors have narrowed a field of 86 applicants down to 14 short-list candidates. From that final list, the National Legislative Assembly will soon vote on which seven are best qualified to sit on the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). There will be winners but more importantly, there will be so many losers.
Time for digital TV to stand on its own
News, Editorial, Published on 21/01/2018
» As the government moves to salvage the ailing digital TV industry, critics are questioning whether it is moral for the state to extend a helping hand to business operators whose only purpose is profitability.
E-pay glitch a bad omen
News, Editorial, Published on 04/01/2018
» When the clocks rolled over to the year 2000, most companies and organisations around the world survived the anticipated Y2K computer bug related to formatting and storage of calendar data. But as Thailand was saying goodbye to 2017 on Dec 31, the country's national e-payment system, PromptPay, failed to handle a similar foreseeable computer problem -- the calendar changing to 2018.
Diplomatic but firm
News, Editorial, Published on 19/12/2017
» Foreign friends have put some pressure on Thailand in recent days. The United States has sent a special envoy to try to lobby the government to change its direction on North Korea. The ambassador of Israel went to the media to seek public opinion on the resurgent question of the status of Jerusalem. Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai and the military regime have been quietly diplomatic about the issues. In both cases, however, the answer has been a polite "no".
Web must be for all Thais
News, Editorial, Published on 17/11/2017
» After having provided 11.7 million social welfare cardholders with limited monthly allowances for goods and transport, the government has now come up with a new plan. The Finance Ministry on Wednesday revealed that it intends to give a mobile SIM card with free internet access to each registered low-income earner.
Bail must not just be for rich
News, Editorial, Published on 23/09/2017
» No one should be jailed simply because they are poor. That was the rationale brought up by a recent online campaign calling for changes to the existing bail process.
Watched by big brothers
News, Editorial, Published on 16/08/2017
» The arrest last week of an investigative reporter going about his job has put the spotlight once again on the uneven prosecution of corruption -- and the apparent use of favouritism and intimidation in some cases. Reporter Natthaporn Weeranun of the Isra News Agency was looking into the background of a National Anti-Corruption Commission probe. The NACC has announced it is interested in a possibly false declaration of assets by retired Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon. He is both a former national police chief, and the younger brother of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
Media intimidation risks trust in govt
News, Editorial, Published on 13/08/2017
» Swift and drastic police action against a journalist who was covering a case of an ex-police chief's unusual wealth gives the strong impression that the authorities are using power to intimidate the media in order to serve influential figures.