Thai Police Ban Import of Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Thailand, Second Edition, Citing National Security; Violators Face Up to Three Years
BANGKOK — Thailand's national police chief, Pol. Gen. Samran Nuanma, signed Order No. 555/2569 on October 30 prohibiting anyone from ordering or importing the Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Thailand, Second Edition, for distribution in Thailand; the order was published in the Royal Gazette on November 4. Police said articles in the book could affect national security, cause public distress or incite unrest, and conflict with public order and good morals.
The order was issued under Section 10 of Thailand's Printing Recordation Act of 2007: violators face up to three years in prison, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both, and the police chief may also confiscate and destroy copies. The ban targets ordering or importing the book for distribution and does not explicitly prohibit reading or possessing it.
The handbook's second edition was published by Routledge in August and is edited by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thai political scientist and former diplomat based in Japan who is a prominent critic of the Thai government. He responded on November 5 that the book was banned over its chapters on the Thai monarchy and its role in Thai politics. Groups including 112 Watch, which monitors Thailand's justice system and human rights, have issued statements expressing concern over the ban.
(Source: Royal Thai Police)
Source: Royal Thai Police
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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